Pressure is mounting in New Brunswick for the provincial government to denounce a flyer that has been sent through the mail and is being described as transphobic. The flyer, distributed by Coalition Life Campaign, claims that “pushing transgenderism in school harms children” and makes other controversial statements about gender ideology. Lay Minister David-Roger Gagnon of Saint Paul’s United Church in Riverview has reached out to Premier Blaine Higgs to condemn the mailout, and has stated that congregation members are concerned about its content. The Coalition Life Campaign is mailing approximately 160,000 of these flyers to homes in New Brunswick, with the goal of educating parents about the risks of potential policy changes related to gender identity in schools.
The Coalition Life Campaign is an Ontario-based organization that describes itself as a “national pro-life organization” and is specifically targeting New Brunswick residents in response to potential policy changes in schools under the Conservative premier. Jack Fonseca, the director of political operations, states that the purpose of the flyers is to inform parents about the risks associated with changing the province’s current policies on gender identity. However, Lay Minister Gagnon believes that the flyer constitutes hate speech and questions how Canada Post was able to deliver it. Canada Post has responded by stating that the content of mailings is the sender’s responsibility and employees cannot refuse to deliver mail, unless deemed “non-mailable matter,” which does not apply in this case.
Gender identity and sexual orientation in schools have been contentious topics in New Brunswick, particularly following revisions to Policy 713 in 2023. These changes included requiring parental consent for children under 16 to change their preferred first names or pronouns at school. The premier’s office has not provided further comment, but has previously stated that the government does not have an affiliation with the Coalition Life Campaign, and that freedom of speech and democracy allow for individuals and groups to express their opinions on policies. The New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation has denounced the mailout, urging officials to counter the spread of false information, and the Anglophone East District Education Council is calling for action from the premier.
The New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation has denounced the mailout, calling for officials to counter the spread of false information, and the Anglophone East District Education Council is urging the premier to take action regarding the Policy 713 changes. Council member Kristin Cavoukian believes that Premier Higgs should reconsider the policy changes in light of the controversial mailouts being distributed in the province. The premier’s office has emphasized that individuals and groups have the right to speak out on policies they are passionate about, and has defended the government’s stance on parental rights in education. The ongoing debate over gender identity in schools continues to be a divisive issue in New Brunswick, with calls for action against what some perceive as harmful and discriminatory messaging.
