Majority of Canadians say schools should inform parents if children want to change gender identity: poll

A new poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians are in favour of ensuring schools inform parents if their children express a desire to change their name or identify in a way that does not correspond to their biological sex.

In recent months, a growing number of provinces have, in response to backlash from parents and concerned citizens, implemented policies aimed at preventing schools from keeping such information secret.

According to the poll, of the 3,016 Canadians surveyed between July 26 and 31, 78 percent said parents must be "informed if their child wants to change their gender identity or pronouns." Of those, 43 percent agreed that parents must also give consent for the change.

Support for parents' rights was strongest in BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and lowest in Atlantic Canada, where just 34 percent said consent was necessary.

Men were more likely than women to support stricter policies regarding schools' ability to hide information from parents, as were older Canadians compared to their younger countrymen.

The difference in opinion was most stark, however, when broken down by political affiliation. The majority of Conservatives said parents must be informed, with 64 percent advocating for parental consent. In contrast, support for informing parents and obtaining consent among Liberals was 69 and 30 percent, respectively.

Those who identified as NDP voters were the least likely to support any kind of measures, with 34 percent saying parents should "neither be informed not have say– it's up to the child."

Across the country, the debate over whose rights are paramount has raged on, with an increasingly diverse coalition of Canadians arguing in favour of putting power back in the hands of parents. 

In July, hundreds of Muslim parents marched through Mississauga decrying the Trudeau government's policies pushing gender ideology on children. In response, the prime minister suggested the parents were simply victims of "misinformation" from the "American right wing."