The Government of Yukon is taking significant steps to ensure its laws reflect the diversity of Yukon families by tabling the Inclusive Family Act, which includes amendments to the Children’s Law Act, the Vital Statistics Act and the Change of Name Act.
If passed, these amendments will modernize the laws to recognize diverse family structures and provide more inclusive parentage recognition. The legislative amendments aim to broaden options for individuals seeking to parent without removing or limiting any existing rights or choices. Yukoners who are members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, are transgender, nonbinary or gender nonconforming and those who use assisted reproduction, surrogacy, or reproductive material donation, will be enabled to establish legal parentage in a way that reflects their families.
The amendments will also remove legislative barriers to allow more inclusive diverse naming conventions and eliminate fees for Yukoners reclaiming their traditional Indigenous names. The Government of Yukon remains committed to further enhancing inclusivity by working towards recognizing additional letters, symbols, accent marks and single-name formats in the future. These changes align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #17, which calls for the federal, provincial and territorial governments to waive administrative fees to allow Indigenous Peoples to reclaim their names on official identity documents.
The Bill also introduces language to authorize gender-neutral revisions to Yukon legislation, ensuring that government laws and policies reflect inclusivity and respect for all Yukoners.
Every Yukoner deserves the opportunity for legal recognition of their family in a way that reflects who they are. If passed, these amendments broaden the available options for parenthood without diminishing any existing rights, ensuring our laws are inclusive, modern and fair. They directly respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #17 and uphold our commitment to the LGBTQ2S+ Inclusion Action Plan. By breaking down barriers to name reclamation and updating parentage laws, we are improving the legal framework to better represent and support all Yukoners.
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The proposed amendments will allow Yukoners who use assisted reproduction, surrogacy or gamete donation to establish parentage through written agreements before conception, ensuring clarity and inclusivity for all families.
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The Change of Name Act and the Vital Statistics Act amendments will remove fees for Indigenous Yukoners reclaiming their traditional names, aligning with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #17.
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The Vital Statistics Act will be updated to allow for single-name registrations and include additional characters, symbols and accent marks, particularly those from Indigenous languages used in Canada, once it is operationally possible.
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The proposed amendments will authorize gender-neutral revisions across Yukon legislation to replace gendered terms such as “mother” and “father” with inclusive language.
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If passed, the proposed changes will be implemented in phases. The elimination of fees for Yukoners reclaiming their Indigenous names is expected to take effect by June 2025, while changes related to parentage are anticipated to be completed within 18 months. Further changes related to naming will take longer, as they require coordination at the national level to ensure alignment with other official documents, such as passports.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
Nigel Allan
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-332-9576
[email protected]