This fall, Alberta will implement new regulations prohibiting transgender athletes from women’s sports, though out-of-province transgender competitors will still be permitted.

Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko stated the discrepancy is beyond his control, telling the Canadian Press in an interview, “We don’t have authority to regulate athletes from different jurisdictions.”

Ministry spokesperson Vanessa Gomez later explained the exemption is due to outside sporting organizations being bound by out-of-province or international guidelines.

Effective September 1, Alberta will bar transgender athletes over 12 from competing in female amateur sports. This is part of broader changes to transgender policy introduced by Premier Danielle Smith's government last year.

The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, introduced last fall, establishes a balanced approach to protect the integrity of female athletic competitions, the province maintains.

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The Act requires in-scope organizations to create policies restricting female-only divisions to biologically female athletes. It also seeks to expand opportunities for biological male athletes identifying as female by potentially opening co-ed divisions.

“When individuals choose to participate in sport, they should be able to do so with the confidence that they will be able to compete fairly and safely. Through our Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, we are ensuring that athletes can rely on that fairness and safety,” Premier Smith told reporters last October 31. 

This legislation applies to amateur competitive sport organized by provincial sport organizations, post-secondary institutions, and school authorities. It received Royal Assent last December 4.

“We wanted to make sure we were watching what was happening in international jurisdictions,” Premier Smith told reporters on February 5, 2024. 

The law has sparked polarizing debate: proponents like Smith cite biological advantages for fairness, while detractors claim they stigmatize transgender individuals.

She explains how biological males competing in women's sports can put females at risk of injury, citing examples from rugby and MMA. "We have to make sure that we're protecting the safety of women and girls in sport."

Enforcement is complaint-driven, according to the Act. Female athletes must prove birth sex registration when complaints arise. 

Possible sanctions include written warnings or code of conduct violations, according to Boitchenko.

Alberta’s government consulted various groups, including sport organizations, educational institutions, coaches, parents, athletes, and transgender community members, to inform a fairer and safer sport system.