Student Activism In Action: The Letter Writing Campaign Regarding Bill 29

Written by Grace Horlings

Introduction

On the third floor of the University Library in the curriculum lab—faculty, employees, alumni, and students of all ages work to draw attention to the policy being put in place by the UCP government. This is regarding the “Fairness in Sport” policy, or Bill 29. This bill, as described by the Alberta government, aims to establish “a balanced approach to protect[ing] the integrity of female athletic competitions by ensuring women and girls have the opportunity to compete in biological female-only divisions” (Government of Alberta, 2025). The parameters of this are that, if questioned, female athletes ages 12 and up are required to produce proof of their biological sex by providing a birth certificate. Athletes and parents of athletes are encouraged to make claims against other team members and competitors. This Bill can only be enforced in the province of Alberta—when visiting or playing other provincial teams, this reporting system does not apply. The Conservative government views this legislation as a way to ensure fairness for all athletes, when in all likelihood it will put transgender players at risk and inevitably lead to false accusations against cisgender players. In the future, if written proof of biological sex becomes unsatisfactory, more damaging policing of female athletes’ bodies could follow. The University of Alberta and the University of Calgary put this policy into action soon after it was passed. When this Bill was brought to the UofL’s Board of Governors, they voted to approve it on an “interim basis” until October 10th. This was explained in a UWeekly email sent out to only faculty and employees of the University on September 16th, and then was later sent to students on the 18th.

The full statement reads:

“As many of you are aware, new provincial legislation requires all public post-secondary institutions to adopt a “Fairness in Sport Policy” by September 1, 2025. On August 28, 2025, the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors approved a policy on an interim basis, effective until October 10, 2025. This temporary approval allows time for our community to provide input through our regular policy review and approval process. That feedback will be carefully considered by the Board, alongside legislative obligations, and will also be shared with the Government of Alberta.

While this consultation process is underway, we, as individuals who care greatly about this campus community, want to speak directly to you and especially to trans and 2SLGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff and alumni.

We acknowledge the harm and distress this government-mandated policy has caused among many students, staff, faculty and supporters, but especially for trans and 2SLGBTQ+ community members. We, too, are troubled that we have been required to implement a policy that deeply affects valued members of our community who contribute so much to the life of our university. We have heard strongly from you that this is not solely about sport participation, but that policies of this nature create a broader environment where people are scrutinized, targeted, or made to feel or be unsafe by emboldening other discriminatory behaviours. Let us be clear: such behaviours have no place here. We are committed to doing everything within our power to prevent, address and respond to such behaviour.

University administration is actively meeting with impacted groups to better understand the supports, protections and actions that will best serve our community during this time. We are committed to moving beyond words and into meaningful actions that will create an inclusive environment at our university.

The University of Lethbridge remains firmly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and affirming environment for all. We acknowledge that the required policy challenges our ability to live out this commitment as fully as we aspire to, but we are resolved and will continue to advocate for trans and 2SLGBTQ+ community members. Your voices will remain central to this process and will continue to guide how we move forward together.” (UWeekly September 16, 2025)

This statement was signed by University President Digvir Jayas and Vice Presidents Michelle Helstein (Academic), Deborah Lucas (Finance and Administration), Dena McMartin (Research), and Kathy Greenwood (External Relation) I’ve included the full statement to highlight the conflicting nature of the University’s approach to this issue and because it was not immediately shared to the student body who are affected most by this action.

Educator and activist Brent Saccucci is spearheading the letter-writing campaign. He understands the value of using this interim time to bring attention to the University’s decision.

Brent pulls up their slideshow titled “Action Plan” and effortlessly commands the room. He gives the group a pep talk about how the UCP relies on activists becoming apathetic, and that continuous care and action is what will eventually breed change. The goal of this session was to get things done and sent out, as Brent stated: “Get used to B+ work in activism.” There is an understanding that it may not be entirely possible to sway the University, but demands can be made to supplement the potential damage this policy will have. Suggestions to fund QSpace, supplement the tuition of any trans athletes, and cover the mental health expenses of trans students. Making these already available resources more reliable.

It’s about putting forward results rather than creating a flawless plan. The strategy was to contact Alberta school boards, Uleth Athletics, and create a page of resources and FAQ’s available on the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association’s website. The room was split up into groups to ensure efficiency, and a timer put up on the Smart Board in true classroom fashion. I was sitting with the group that was focused on contacting the Pronghorns Athletic director, members of the Athletic Department, and individual Pronghorns teams. They created a letter that could be used by students, an easy-to-access template that could be found on the ULFA page. Athletes wanting to speak out against this policy could be hesitant because of how it might affect their scholarship standing or spot on the team. This is why versions were made that could be signed by multiple team members to avoid any one student being singled out.

The common goal was driving the teams to work quickly, along with a shared sense of anger, frustration, and undoubtedly fear. The group that came together to create this content was not composed of student athletes, but rather those concerned about how this policy might ultimately impact the students they teach and themselves. They discussed the potential for this legislation to evolve into more invasive and widespread policies. Despite all this, people were happy to be in each other’s company during this time, and a tray of freshly baked chocolate zucchini muffins was shared. This is how a community finds its strength in the face of an unfair and seemingly never-ending fight. The ULFA page has yet to be approved. These resources will hopefully be available to any students seeking further information about the nature of these policies or those who wish to take action and have their opinions heard.

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