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School may be out for the summer, but the debate over Saskatchewan’s parental consent law is not.
Members of the Saskatchewan Coalition to Repeal Bill 137 gathered outside the Regina Public School Division office on Wednesday afternoon to deliver 616 letters from Regina residents, urging school trustees to remove policies related to the provincial law.
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Bill 137 requires parental consent before students under 16 can change the name or pronouns they use in school. The Saskatchewan government invoked the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to pass the legislation in 2023 after a court granted an injunction against the bill.
The letters shared on Wednesday came from parents, educators, allies and transgender youths, with many describing how the legislation has negatively affected their lives.
“It was really emotional when we were taking the responses from our forum and putting them into letters,” said coalition member Keegan Grandel.
“It was really, really hard to read over them. I was consistently getting very emotional.”
Keegan Grandel, a member of the Saskatchewan Coalition to Repeal Bill 137, speaks with reporters outside the Regina Public Schools division office after advocates delivered 616 letters to school trustees on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
She said in one letter, the author wrote that they wanted to attend their queer and transgender friends’ graduations and weddings rather than their funerals.
Grandal said some letters “spoke to specifically how it’s negatively impacting students on a day-to-day basis and how unsafe it’s making them feel,” with authors describing “constant mental health issues,” feelings of being unsafe, fear of bullying and “a lack of support from the school system in general.”
Premier Scott Moe has consistently defended the legislation, saying it protects parental rights in the province. But the advocates delivering the letters argued the policy instead puts transgender and gender-diverse youths at greater risk.
Alex Schmidt, a Regina Public Schools teacher – who emphasized she was speaking only as an individual and not on behalf of the school division or its union – said the impact extends beyond the legislation itself.
“The most concerning thing is the way that it has created over-complacency and misinterpretation of what’s actually within the bill,” Schmidt said.
Regina teacher Alex Schmidt speaks with reporters after advocates delivered more than 600 letters urging Regina Public Schools trustees to remove Bill 137-related administrative procedures. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“We’re seeing that schools are becoming more and more unsafe in ways that go beyond just outing trans youth to their parents, to create a culture that is fearing diversity, that is encouraging people to be more blatant with their hate.”
Schmidt argued the legislation also affects the relationships between teachers and their students.
“It prevents it in a very big way, where it limits teachers from being able to connect with their students,” Schimdt said.
“When students don’t connect with their teachers, or when they don’t trust their teachers, we can’t teach them.”
The coalition is asking Regina Public Schools trustees to remove administrative procedures related to the legislation and replace them with what it describes as trans-affirming policies.
“I hope that they take the letters and read them,” Grandel said.
“We expect that they will put forward a motion to take these Bill 137 policies out of the administrative procedures.”
While Grandel acknowledged the provincial government has shown no indication it intends to repeal the legislation, she said she remains optimistic.
“I believe eventually we will get there,” Grandel said.
“I do believe that with continued support from the community, support from the trustee and support from the provincial government, I do believe that we will eventually repeal the bill.”
In a statement, the school division said it is bound by provincial laws.
“Regina Public Schools takes great pride in fostering safe, inclusive, and welcoming environments where students can learn, and staff can work with confidence and support. As a publicly funded education system, Regina Public Schools must meet all provincial legislation and policy requirements,” the school division said.
“Regina Public Schools’ policies and administrative procedures are thoughtfully designed to align with provincial legislation and to empower teachers and school-based staff to do what they do best: keeping students safe while ensuring meaningful, high-quality learning continues every day. We are very proud of the work done by our teachers, leaders, and students.”
