Sheila Greckol had delivered her opening arguments at the Supreme Court of Canada. It went well as she presented her submission in support of reading in sexual orientation as a protected ground in Alberta’s human rights legislation. Now it was the Government of Alberta’s turn to defend its stance. As the Province’s lead counsel took to the lecturn, the equality of countless Canadians hung in the balance. Welcome to episode 6 of Vriend Versus Alberta. *NOTE: The terms “Queer and Trans” and “sexual and gender minorities” are used in this series to refer to the 2SLGBTQI+ community as a whole. […]

The Supreme Court of Canada granted Delwin Vriend’s legal team the leave to appeal Justice McClung’s ruling in the Alberta Court of Appeal. As the team arrived in Ottawa, the excitement and tension was palpable. It was their last shot to compel the Government of Alberta to include “sexual orientation” as  protected ground in the Province’s human rights legislation. In this episode, we take a deep dive into Sheila Greckol’s opening argument and visit a few of the submissions from the many interveners who spoke in support of Delwin’s case. This would conclude the first half of the hearing before […]

With his legal team behind him, Delwin Vriend won his case at the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. Justice Russel pulled no punches in her written ruling, stating that discrimination against the gay and lesbian communities was an historical, universal, notorious, and indisputable social reality.  It was a big win for Delwin and his team, however it would be short lived as the Government of Alberta appealed the ruling. The next stage in the legal process would not be so kind to Delwin’s pursuit for equality for Alberta’s 2SLGBTQI+ community. Welcome to episode 4 of Vriend Versus Alberta. *NOTE: The […]

When Delwin Vriend was fired from his job at a Christian college for being gay, he had two choices; he could accept his termination, or fight back. He chose to fight. The first step was to file a complaint to the Alberta Human Rights Commission, but after the Commission denied his request it was time to take the Alberta Government to court. In this episode we look at the series of serendipitous events that brought Delwin’s legal team together to continue the arduous journey toward equality for Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ community.  Welcome to episode 3 of Vriend Versus Alberta. *NOTE: The […]