School gender reforms a ‘danger’: Indigenous leaders

 By John Chilibeck  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Assembly of First Nations is condemning the school gender identity policy changes in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, arguing they violate Indigenous principles of self-determination and identity. Allan Polchies Jr., the chief of Sitansisk (St. Mary’s First Nation) in Fredericton and the New Brunswick representative for the assembly’s 2SLGBTQQIA+ Council, says the changes are dangerous and trans-phobic. A member of the Two Spirit community, the Indigenous leader said he knows what it’s like for a child to feel threatened. “These policies are dangerous and will elevate the psychological stress and self-harm of these youth,” he told Brunswick News on Wednesday. “As a 53-year-old man, I grew up in a time when being Two Spirit wasn’t really discussed. Now, we live in a society where…

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