Unfair play: Fairness should unite, not divide

With the start up of the school year, we have seen our sights justifiably focused on bargaining, but I wanted to take time to focus on another concern that many teachers have shared with me. 

Over the last several weeks, I have seen the word fair batted around a lot. As an English and drama teacher, I know the power words carry—and how they can be twisted and used in cruelly ironic ways. Teachers understand that fairness is not abstract; it’s something we live and model every day in our classrooms and on our playing fields. 

We also know when the word is being misused to mask discrimination. The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act (Bill 29) is not about fairness at all. It is government overreach that creates shame, stigma and fear.

The mandatory requirement for female athletes to prove their biological sex opens the door to invasive scrutiny of any girl’s body, strength or appearance. This blunt, sweeping policy mirrors the government’s failed book bans—using a heavy hand where nuance is needed, and, in the process, creating more harm than protection. Instead of fostering safety, the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act fosters anxiety. It is causing girls and trans students to shrink themselves from experiencing a full school life.

Parents and teachers are already reporting that girls are choosing not to play this year rather than risk being challenged. Entire girls’ divisions are collapsing because they no longer have enough athletes to field teams. This is a shameful outcome that punishes all students who simply want to play.

Teachers and coaches know that sport should build confidence, teamwork, resilience and respect. But this legislation corrodes those values. By casting suspicion on girls, it undermines decades of progress in gender equity and polices femininity in damaging ways. Far from keeping anyone safe, it leaves all female athletes more anxious about whether they will be judged, excluded or humiliated.

The risks are even greater for transgender students. We know three quarters of trans youth are already at higher risk of self-harm and suicide. Exclusionary policies like this reinforce stigma, legitimize bullying, and increase the likelihood of harassment and alienation. Forcing students into categories that deny their identity violates their safety and their human rights. Alberta now risks becoming a global outlier in discrimination.

Fairness should unite us, not be twisted into a weapon to divide. By standing together and demanding true fairness, we defend not only our students, but the very values of public education and sport.