Hearing begins for Alberta pastor who wrote anti-gay letter

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070717.RIGHTS17/TPStory/National

[Globe and Mail] 19 July 2007--Darren Lund was shocked when he first read a letter five years ago in an Alberta newspaper written by a local pastor who urged people to "take whatever steps are necessary to reverse the wickedness" of the "homosexual machine."

Two weeks later, the former Red Deer high-school teacher and now university professor was devastated to hear the news: A 17-year-old local gay youth was followed home and asked, "You're a faggot, right?" before allegedly being beaten by another young man.

Nobody was ever charged in the case, but Prof. Lund, who teaches education at the University of Calgary, was convinced letters like the pastor's could cause harm. He filed a complaint against the pastor with the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission, which yesterday began hearing evidence.

"I do stand on the principle that I think the letter did expose people to hatred and I think the government, if it's serious about its human-rights legislation, needs to make a ruling in this case and I think it's very clear what they need to do," Prof. Lund told reporters outside the hearing room.