Research by Oliver Paré Strategies for Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights highlights the need for Albertans to get offline and talk.
EDMONTON/OTTAWA, Sept 9, 2026
International influencers are playing an outsized role in shaping Alberta’s online conversation about the rights of transgender people, according to a new study by Oliver Paré Strategies for Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights.
After analyzing about 278,000 YouTube videos, researchers found that much of the content reaching Albertans is being produced by creators outside the province, particularly in the United States and Australia.
The findings are being released in support of Get Offline and Talk, an Action Canada campaign encouraging Albertans to move beyond social media and have real conversations with the people in their lives.
“What Albertans see online can feel like a local conversation, but much of it is being shaped by people who don’t live here and won’t live with the consequences,” said Jill Oba-McGrath, Director of Communications at Action Canada. “The best response isn’t another online argument. It’s having face-to-face conversations with people in our lives about issues that matter to our communities.”
The research found Alberta’s online conversation was evenly split between supportive and opposing content. But videos opposing rights of transgender people attracted significantly more views. Researchers found those creators relied heavily on anti-trans humour, mockery, short-form video and recycled clips to build audiences. Negative videos averaged nearly 26,000 views, compared with just over 18,000 for supportive content.
Anti-rights groups often use anti-trans rhetoric as an entry point to divide communities and push for broader restrictions on sexual and reproductive health and rights. “This playbook is used around the world to restrict access to abortion, sexual healthcare, and the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ communities,” said Oba-McGrath. “When polarizing tactics pit neighbours against each other, it harms the safety and well-being of local communities who are left to bear the real-world impact.”
The study found that social media platforms directly fuel this division. “Algorithms are designed to keep us watching, not to help us understand one another,” said Oliver Paré, Principal at OPS. “An international influencer can post something inflammatory, collect the clicks and move on. Albertans are left to deal with the consequences.”
The study also found that supportive content was published less consistently, leaving long stretches where a small number of prolific creators were able to define the conversation.
Learn more about Get Offline and Talk at www.getofflineandtalk.ca
-30-
Media contact
Quinn Lazenby
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
media@actioncanadashr.org
613-241-4474 x 13200