Critic of school pronoun policy is one of two new Alberta senators

A corporate lawyer and a professor who has been a vocal critic of Alberta’s planned legislation on pronouns in schools are both now senators representing the province.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday that Gov.-Gen. Mary Simon has named Daryl Fridhandler and Kristopher Wells to fill vacancies in the Senate.

Wells is an outspoken LGBTQ2 community champion based in Edmonton known for promoting diversity, inclusion, equality and human rights, and is openly opposed to the Alberta government’s plan for a policy requiring parents to consent before children under 16 can change their names or pronouns in schools.

Political scientist Duane Bratt said he expects the provincial government to be critical of the Wells appointment due to his opposition to the pronoun policy.

“This is the type of appointment that Senate should be made out of. It should reflect the diversity of Canada. It should include experts from all varieties of fields,” Bratt told Global News.

“I’m also aware this is going to cause tensions within social conservatives in Alberta, and the Alberta government in particular, because of his positions of sexual minority rights.”

Fridhandler, a partner at Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLC in Calgary, is a lawyer, arbitrator, mediator and businessman with 40 years of experience who has served as a legal advisor for a variety of companies, non-profits and projects.

He has served on many boards, including ENMAX, where he’s presently a director. In the past, he has served as chair of the Alberta Ballet, Calgary Economic Development, and Arts Commons.

It says Wells, who is a Canada Research Chair in the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth, is an educator, a scientific expert, and a champion for the