Legal briefs on Trinity Western and QuAIA

Toronto LGBT groups see court action


Two organizations representing young professionals and law students have been granted intervenor status in Trinity Western’s upcoming challenge to the Law Society of Upper Canada’s (LSUC) decision to not accredit their law graduates.

Out on Bay Street and OUTlaws were granted intervenor status in a decision released Sept 24, along with six other organizations, including the Christian Legal Fellowship, the Judicial Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, The Advocates Society and the Criminal Lawyers’ Association.

Douglas Judson, a member of Out on Bay Street’s board of directors, says his organization is very pleased with the decision. “We’re happy to advance that [LGBT] perspective and assist the court in their decision,” he says.

The case will be heard in December of this year.

. . .

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ruled that Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) marching in the Pride Parade does not discriminate against those who may take issue with the political views of the group.

In the ruling released Sept 23, the tribunal found that the applicant, Barry Dennison, provided no evidence that he was excluded from Pride events because of his own beliefs, “simply that Pride Toronto failed to exclude a group whose views he disagreed with.”

In Ontario human rights law, previous cases have found that political opinions are not grounds of discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code. The tribunal noted that it was political opinion at the root of Dennison’s claim.

According to the decision, Dennison also failed to explain how QuAIA’s involvement caused discrimination against him based on any of the grounds found in the Code, which include age, place of origin, gender identity and sexual orientation, among others.

HG Watson is Xtra's former Toronto news reporter.

Read More About:
Power, Activism, News, Human Rights, Toronto

Keep Reading

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight

Elon Musk and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are suing Media Matters. Here’s why queer and trans people should care

OPINION: When politicians and the rich leverage the power of the state to quell dissent, we all lose