| When defending women and girls comes at a cost Dear friend of freedom, Every day, Canadian students from kindergarten onward are exposed to a “gender ideology” that encourages changing genders, undergoing harmful and often irreversible gender-transition treatments – all while keeping parents in the dark.Increasingly, parents and teachers face serious consequences for challenging this unscientific ideology and for advocating for the safety, privacy, and dignity of women and girls. Right now, Canadians Bryony Dixon and Amy McKay are facing exclusion and professional sanctions for standing up for women and girls. Defend safe spaces for women and girls  |
| Bryony Dixon (Courtesy of Bryony Dixon) |
| On the west coast, mother-of-two Bryony Dixon opened her home to an international student during the 2023-2024 school year through her school district’s “Homestay” program, which connects international students with caring host families like Bryony’s. When another student asked to stay with her, Bryony submitted the same application to be a host family. This time, however, the school district ignored her application. After months of unanswered emails, she filed a Freedom of Information request to find out what had happened. What she learned was startling: school district officials had intentionally ignored her application because she had spoken publicly about the right of women and girls to access female-only spaces where biological males may not enter. Like thousands of parents across the country, Bryony cares about the privacy and safety of girls.Bryony had also raised concerns shared by many British Columbia parents about the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) school curriculum, which teaches that students are expected to use peers’ preferred pronouns and that teachers may support a student’s chosen gender identity, including new names or pronouns, without notifying parents.Behind closed doors, and without any opportunity for Bryony to respond, administrators decided that her views made her unfit to participate. A mother trusted to provide a stable home for a young student was rejected solely for advocating for female rights.Bryony said, “Evidently, this district denies girls their voice, and endeavours to bar anyone brave enough to advocate for them. The district’s ongoing discrimination against me has denied female students contact with one of the few adults willing to stick their neck out for their rights to safety, dignity, and fairness.”Our lawyers have filed a complaint with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of Bryony, arguing that her school district discriminated against her by barring her from its Homestay program because of her political views. |
| Help us defend Bryony Dixon |
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| Amy McKay (Courtesy of Amy McKay) |
| Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Ontario, former teacher and mother-of-two Amy McKay is facing the same problem. Amy has been an active member of her community for years: teaching with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, volunteering to run student clubs and activities, and hosting a neighborhood knitting and crochet group. In 2022, she decided to enhance her professional skills by studying counselling. During that time, she expressed her personal views online about the harms of gender ideology and gender-transition surgeries for minors. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board responded by banning her from teaching in any of its schools. Amy’s own School Board even filed a complaint against her with the Ontario College of Teachers. Nearly two years later, in 2025, she received an ultimatum from her College: permanently surrender your teaching licence or face a formal investigation. Both Amy and Bryony (and many other Canadians) are being forced to self-censor, just to participate in society. With help from the Justice Centre, Amy has rejected the College’s demand, asserting her Charter-protected freedom of expression, which the College must balance in its decision-making.Reflecting on the ordeal, she said, “In a diverse and multicultural country, everyone’s rights must be considered and all are important. Attempting to silence, intimidate, or punish anyone for speaking about their experiences and their rights is wrong.” She now awaits the College’s decision on whether it will proceed with a full investigation. |
| Help us defend Amy McKay |
| These two mothers—living thousands of kilometres apart—share a troubling connection. Both were deeply involved in their school communities. Both spoke sincerely about issues affecting children. And both were punished for it. Parents who raise concerns about their children’s wellbeing are now being removed, excluded, pressured, or professionally sanctioned. School districts are taking political positions. Regulatory bodies are policing lawful opinions. The message to parents across the country is unmistakable: your views are unwelcome unless they comply with politically correct narratives. Stay silent.This is not how a free country treats its citizens, and it is not how a healthy society treats its parents. When parents are silenced, children lose their strongest advocates. Your support can ensure that these mothers—and many others—are not forced to fight alone. Your generosity makes it possible for the Justice Centre to fund important cases like these. Please stand with Bryony, with Amy, and with every parent willing to defend the rights of women and girls. Yours sincerely, |
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| John Carpay, B.A., LL.B.President and FounderJustice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms |