Saskatoon packs city hall for changeroom debate

Saskatoon’s city hall was packed Wednesday for an open public debate about who should be allowed in which city changerooms.

At the outset of the meeting, which was attended by about 180 people, Ward 4 city councillor Troy Davies explained that the city is not changing its policy, which allows people to choose which changeroom they use based on how they identify. The gathering was being held, he explained, to allow for public voices to weigh in on the controversial subject in a respectful manner.

The debate has been particularly focused on which changerooms should be used by people who identify as transgender men and women.

The discussion, however, brought out people passionate about both sides of the issue — though the majority of those who spoke voiced support for maintaining the city policy as it is.

About 20 people spoke during the debate, with Mark Friesen, a former Buffalo Party candidate from Saskatoon, speaking first.

“If we’re creating policy that allows predators to gain access to these changerooms where women and girls are changing, then I suggest we’re on the wrong path,” Friesen said.

Friesen said his concerns were not about transgender women, but men who he feels will use the city policy as a means to prey on women and children in female changing areas.

“If the trans movement is uncomfortable, they can very easily change in the family changing areas,” Friesen said.

Friesen was both booed and applauded when the five-minute timer cut him off, though those in attendance were instructed to not acknowledge speakers.

Blake Tait, a trans man, spoke next. He said the current city policy is in line with the Human Rights Code.

“Any person using a public changeroom for the purpose of changing or showering is well within their rights,” Tait said, offering statistics about the low rates of sexual violence documented in the transgender community.

After the meeting, Tait said in an interview that he attended the debate after seeing Friesen’s posts about it on social media. He published a post himself, calling on gender diversity allies to also attend the meeting.

Gabriela Fuentealba and her baby broke the tension for a moment when Fuentealba took the microphone. She was holding her child during her presentation as someone who wanted to support the transgender community. While she was providing some statistics about the high rates of transphobia experienced by members of the community in Canada, her baby cried out.

“I know – it sucks!” she responded to her child, drawing a laugh.

Zipp Neufeld, a 10-year-old non-binary transgender child, surprised the crowd when they stepped up to speak.

Zipp Neufeld speaks to council. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

“At what point do I go from being someone you protect to someone who is a threat?” Neufeld asked.

Neufeld – who uses they/them pronouns – shared that as they get older, they want to be able to choose which change room they used based on where they feel the most safe.

“When trans adults thrive, trans kids survive,” they said.

Friesen walked out as Neufeld began speaking.

Some members of city council spoke on the issue as well, condemning transphobia and hate and offering support to the transgender community.

“Let me say clearly: trans identities are valid,” said Ward 2 city councillor, Hilary Gough. “Trans women are women. Trans bodies are not a problem to be solved.”

Gough said she does see a number of problems that need to be addressed, namely: “Fear, misinformation, othering and transphobia.”

Mayor Charlie Clark said he learned a lot from listening to the debate.

Tait called the comments from city councillors “beautiful.”

Some members of the gender diverse community said they were thrilled at the support on Wednesday.

“There’s been a lot of transphobic rhetoric in Saskatoon recently, and I don’t think we can leave that unchecked. We need to condemn transphobia whenever we encounter it,” Alexander Edmund said.

He said he was grateful for council’s response.

“They received the transphobic commentary and I think they directly condemned it,” Edmund said.

Milo Hill said it was frustrating to hear Friesen’s comments, which he feels were minimizing the trans community.

“We are not pretending in the slightest,” he said.

“We are not trying to dress up or seem anything we’re not. We’re literally just existing, trying to live our lives as safely as possible.”

–Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct an error. The comments at the outset of the meeting came from Troy Davies.