The Alberta government under Premier Danielle Smith’s government has banned gender-affirming health care for youth in the province. This legislation bans access to puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy for youth aged 15 and younger for the treatment of gender dysphoria, with few exceptions.
In 2024, two organizations, Skipping Stone and Egale Canada, challenged the legislation in court and secured a temporary injunction on the grounds that the ban would inflict irreparable harm.
Instead of appealing this decision, in December 2025, the Alberta government invoked the notwithstanding clause to guard Bill 26, along with two other anti-2SLGBTQIA+ bills (Bills 27 and 29), from court oversight.
