EDMONTON — Alberta is set to implement new regulations this fall that will prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. However, the province will still allow transgender competitors from outside Alberta to participate.

Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko explained that the province lacks the authority to regulate athletes from other jurisdictions. “We don’t have authority to regulate athletes from different jurisdictions,” he stated in an interview. Ministry spokeswoman Vanessa Gomez added that the regulations are influenced by external sporting organizations that adhere to out-of-province or international guidelines. She emphasized that the rules aim to benefit Alberta athletes while promoting the province as a prime location for national and international sporting events.

Starting September 1, transgender athletes aged 12 and older from Alberta will be barred from competing in female amateur sports. This decision is part of a broader set of changes regarding transgender health, education, and sports introduced last year by Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government. The new laws have ignited a heated debate. Supporters, including Smith, argue that the regulations are necessary for fairness in sports, ensuring that girls do not compete against those with biological advantages. Critics contend that the laws stigmatize and punish the transgender community.

Hannah Pilling, a track athlete who advocated for the restrictions, expressed her support for the new regulations. “It’s kind of hard to enforce that on other athletes that are coming to compete in Alberta, but it’s definitely still not completely fair,” she said. Pilling also suggested that future regulations should extend to men’s divisions.

Transgender athlete Allison Hadley criticized the exemption for out-of-province athletes, suggesting it undermines the claim of fairness. “If I had the resources to (move), honestly, I probably wouldn’t be in Alberta now,” Hadley remarked. She shared that her motivation for participating in cross-country skiing was not to win medals but to enjoy the health benefits and camaraderie of the sport. “It really sucks to have that taken away,” she added.

Mark Kosak, head of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, noted that a ban on transgender athletes could have jeopardized the organization’s ability to host national championships. “So there’s some relief from us,” he said, mentioning that the conference organizes over 1,000 events annually, with 40 to 50 involving out-of-province competitors. Kosak also pointed out that the sporting community did not request the government’s new rules, stating, “This is not a priority. This is not a concern. It’s not an issue.”

The enforcement of the new rules will rely on a complaint-driven process. Female athletes who face complaints will need to provide proof of their sex registration at birth. For those born outside Alberta who cannot obtain such documents, Boitchenko indicated that the government would consider “alternative documents” on a case-by-case basis. He assured that no athlete would be barred from competition due to lost documents.

Sanctions for bad-faith complaints could include written warnings or violations of the code of conduct. Bennett Jensen, legal director at LGBTQ+ advocacy group Egale, criticized the validation process as a “gross violation of the privacy of all women and girls.” He expressed concern that the government’s complaint-based system could lead to increased public scrutiny of women’s bodies and gender presentation, particularly affecting young girls. Jensen also argued that the government’s rationale regarding biological advantages is flawed, especially for athletes undergoing hormone replacement therapy.

Boitchenko stated that the goal is inclusion, and the government plans to expand grants to encourage sporting organizations to create coed divisions where feasible. Pilling’s father, Dave Pilling, mentioned that the Southern Alberta Summer Games introduced open categories in all sports this year. However, Kosak remarked that establishing coed divisions across most sports is “totally impractical and unrealistic.”