I Stand Behind My 2002 Letter (Red Deer Advocate Defies Alberta Human Rights Commissars Alert)

Red Deer Advocate ^ | 7/17/2008 | Stephen Boisson

[goldstategop]

Re. June 7 Advocate news story Human rights ruling disputed:

The story is about the Alberta human rights commission ruling that orders me to offer Darren Lund a written public apology.

It quotes Lund saying, “I certainly didn’t request an apology, so that was a bit of a surprise.”

“I don’t see the value in an insincere apology.”

Lund’s response fails to surprise me.

What’s interesting is that an apology is precisely what he sought for almost six years.

Lund’s original complaint to the rights commission asked that I pay thousands of dollars in fines to him and to Egale Canada, a pro-gay lobby group, in addition to a written apology.

He further requested that if I failed to provide the apology, an order be put into place that would ban me from having my opinions published in every major newspaper in Alberta.

Egale responded publicly by refusing to accept a fine designated to them.

Egale further stated that though it does not agree with my opinions, more importantly, it did not support Lund’s complaint against me.

After Lund’s original complaint was rejected, he appealed on University of Calgary letterhead.

Unfortunately, his appeal was granted and he amended his request for a remedy.

He asked for $5,000 for himself, $5,000 payable to an arm of the Alberta Teachers’ Association plus, once again, a written apology.

Here is his request for the apology word for word: “Dr. Lund requests the panel provide an order directing Mr. Boissoin to publish a full apology in the Red Deer Advocate within one month of this panel’s decision. Mr. Boissoin is to apologize for submitting the article and for his views on homosexuality.”

Lund did not just request an apology for my letter to the editor but also for my personal, deeply held religious views.

He went on to request that “If Mr. Boissoin fails to comply with the order, that the panel provide an order disallowing the publication of Mr. Boissoin’s views on homosexuality in any of the major print media in Alberta, including the Red Deer Advocate, Red Deer Express, Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun and Lethbridge Herald.”

These excerpts can be verified at http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/LundDarren113007Pa.pdf

Lund is correct when he says that there is no value in an insincere apology.

But instead of acknowledging that for the last six years he has sought an order that I provide one, he acts totally surprised.

I will never offer an apology. I stand behind what I said (my interpretation of it) in my 2002 letter to the editor.

Stephen Boissoin

Red Deer

[goldstategop]

Alberta's Human Rights Commissar, Lori Andreakchuk, ordered the good Rev. Stephen Boisson to renounce his views on homosexuality in the Red Deer Advocate. He had the gumption to defy her by standing by his 2002 letter. This is not the stuff Canada's Speech Police was expecting. We'll be looking to see if they have Boisson hauled off to prison for violating the order not to say anything "disparaging" - i.e, negative - about gays for the rest of his life.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[CondorFlight]

Good for him!

Sometimes if you want freedom of speech (or anything else) you have to be willing to stand up and fight for it.

I hope this man gets the backing he deserves.

[sasafras]

All the members of his church need to publicly stand behind this man and courageously state the same thing he has said. This is coming to a town near you if we dont stand up as a group and stand together - there will be no free speech allowed.

[chickpundit]

I’m glad he’s standing up to them. We simply cannot allow our opinions and even our thoughts and deeply held beliefs to be policed. I realize the U.S. has more specific protections available, but it won’t be long until the left tries to pull this stuff here.

[Wallace T.]

It is happening here, where a local soviet, er, Human Rights Commission, in New Mexico fined a photographer for refusing to photograph the “wedding” of sexual perverts. In Colorado, the state government is planning to require public accomodations to allow transgendered degenerates access to restrooms. I hate to think what is going on in the most liberal states like New York, Massachusetts, and California.