EDMONTON — The Human Rights Tribunal case against a Westlock woman began on Monday, as her team argued her anti-Pride rainbow crosswalk flyer aimed to protect children, while the applicant claimed it caused distress and community deterioration. The human rights violation case centred on a flyer distributed by Westlock resident Benita Pederson in 2023, in which she called on residents to oppose the town's plans to paint a rainbow-coloured sidewalk, saying there must be healthy boundaries. It encouraged people to attend a town council meeting. Pederson's flyer also includes an information bulletin about the "Pride" movement, and how some individuals within the transgender community are using it to push the "transgender agenda," including their goal to "confuse children about gender and sexual identity so that they are less likely to grow up and have happy, healthy, heterosexual relationships and produce children." ."Although it isn't every transgender individual that aggressively pushes the transgender agenda, many of them do," read the bulletin. "The transgender agenda is focused on engaging children in an inappropriate and insidious manner. This agenda is now in many municipalities, schools, libraries, and even swimming pools." "Boundaries are being crossed, and children are being exposed to inappropriate knowledge about gender and sexuality. This is leading children to start questioning things, even their own genders." Pederson's counsel argued that the intent of the flyer was to voice her opinion, protect children, inform parents, and educate the public about what she views as the transgender agenda. .The Alberta Human Rights Commission and applicant/current Westlock town councillor Laurie Hodge claim that, regardless of the intent of the flyer and other publications, they equated sexual minority people, especially trans individuals, with pedophilia, predation, grooming, and being a danger to children. They also claim the publications spread misinformation about sexual minorities education, the harms of "gender-affirming care," the intentions of the sexual minorities community, and pushed "existential denial” of transgender ideology. In the broader context of the then-ongoing petition and subsequent plebiscite against the crosswalk, Hodge claimed she experienced significant emotional and mental distress when reviewing the flyer. She and the commission also claim it deteriorated the school environment and social climate for sexual minorities in Westlock. The application seeks between $2,500 and $35,000 in damages to be paid to either Hodge or a charity, the removal of the publications, a declaration that they violated section 3 of the Alberta Human Rights Act and an order for Pederson to undergo human rights training. .Hodge spoke as a witness on Monday and said she believes the flyer and its language are intended to incite a reaction. A key event in the claim was the town council meeting that Pederson encouraged individuals to attend. According to Hodge, a large, intimidating group opposed the crosswalk at a rally outside the meeting. Counsel for Pederson questioned Hodge about the rally and said she spoke with no one there; it is possible that individuals on both sides of the debate were outside the meeting. Additionally, they said it is possible that individuals in opposition were motivated to attend the meeting by the Westlock Neutrality Team, who was going door-to-door at the time and collecting signatures on their petition that would lead to the crosswalk's ultimate removal. .A biological male, who had transitioned to a female, also spoke on Monday. They shared how, after Westlock's plebiscite, they believed some individuals in the town held hate towards transgender people, and Pederson's flyer gave her proof. Their father lived in Westlock, and though the letter did not make any suggestions or threats towards transgender people, they said they worried about facing judgment, hostility, or violence if they visited the town. Pederson's counsel questioned them on this, and they later said their worries were speculative. Monday was the first of what is scheduled to be eight days of hearings in the case. Hearings will continue with more witnesses on Tuesday.
