Poilievre says 'biological males' should be banned from women's sports, change rooms and bathrooms

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre stepped into the debate over trans rights on Wednesday, saying "biological males" should be banned from women's sports, change rooms and bathrooms.

"Female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males," Poilievre said in Kitchener, Ont.

The Conservative leader made the comments after being asked if, as prime minister, he would introduce legislation to prevent "transgender women" or "biological men" from participating in female sports or entering female prisons and shelters. 

"A lot of the spaces … are provincially and municipally controlled, so it is unclear ... what reach federal legislation would have to change them," Poilievre said.

"But obviously female sports, female change rooms, female bathrooms should be for females, not for biological males," he added. 

Last month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled a slate of controversial legislative changes, expected to be tabled in the fall, that will significantly alter the province's student gender identity, sports and surgery policies. 

Those changes include a pledge to forbid transgender women in Alberta from competing in women's sports leagues. Smith did say, however, that her government will work with sports leagues in the province to set up co-ed or gender-neutral divisions for sports.

Advocates have said the terms "biological males" and "biological females" are problematic because they deny the identities of transgender and non-binary people.

Smith said that her government's policies will also prohibit hormonal treatment, puberty blockers and gender-affirming surgery for children 15 years and younger.

Poilievre said earlier this month that he does not support trans kids taking puberty blockers — medicines that are used to pause puberty before a possible gender transition or other interventions, like hormone therapy.

When questioned about Smith's changes in the foyer of the House of Commons, Poilievre said the decision to pursue transgender treatments should be reserved for adults alone.

"Puberty blockers for minors? I think we should protect children and their ability to make adult decisions when they're adults," he said.

Asked to state definitively if he was opposed to puberty blockers for people under the age of 18, Poilievre said he was.

Smith said her proposed changes mean top and bottom gender reassignment surgeries will be banned for minors aged 17 and under (though bottom surgery is already limited to adults) and teens aged 16 and 17 will only be able to start hormone therapy with permission from their parents, a physician and a psychologist.