5 takeaways from Pride vs. Prejudice panelists

Delwin Vriend’s landmark case, now the topic of a new documentary, Pride vs. Prejudice, helped set the precedent for the rights of sexual minorities in Canada and around the world.  The film, written and directed by Darrin Hagen, follows Vriend’s journey to the Supreme Court of Canada in the 1990s to challenge his firing for being gay.

On March 11, the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, in collaboration with the Centre for Constitutional Studies, OUTLaw, the Edmonton Queer History Project, MacEwan University and the Edmonton Community Foundation, hosted a screening of Pride vs Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story as part of Pride Week.

Following the screening, Fiona Kelly, dean of the Faculty of Law, moderated a panel discussion with former U of A Chancellor Doug Stollery ‘76 LLB, Justice Julie Lloyd, ‘91 LLB and Senator Paula Simons, ‘86 BA Hons.

Stollery and Lloyd both worked as lawyers on the Vriend case, while former journalist Simons closely followed developments from the newsroom of the Edmonton Journal.

Here are five lessons from the panel, as we honour the past and look towards a more equitable future:

1. Then and now: A transformed campus

   “In the entire five year period [I was] a student here, I did not meet a single person who was out of the closet.  Not one,” says Stollery.  He studied law at the University of Alberta in the early 1970s.  “That was the reality of living in Alberta in those days.”

   “It is so remarkable to be here, to watch this film with this wonderful audience, to know that this is Pride Week at the university,” he added.  “What a wonderful transformation over the last 50 years.”

2. The power of paper

   Simons brought her journalist’s perspective to the conversation, shedding light on the role the Edmonton Journal played in Vriend’s story.  The newspaper was able to keep the story at the forefront of public discourse with its extensive coverage.

   “The Journal was an extraordinary voice,” she said.  “It breaks my heart to think that, if this happened today, the newspaper is such a diminished voice in the community and has lost much of its moral authority.”

3. Cutting through the noise

   As a lawyer for one of the intervenors in the Vriend case, Lloyd recalled how loud the voices of the opposition sounded at the time and how the legal system counteracted this by providing a space where only truth mattered.

   “I would just encourage everyone to not get lost in the yelling,” she said.  “If you’re a lawyer, take a deep breath, figure out how to bring the argument that you think is right before the court, then release the balloon and see where it goes.  So much good can be done and must continue to be done – we just can’t lose hope.”

4. A fight worth having

   For Simons, the most important message from Vriend’s story – particularly in light of today’s volatile political climate – is that in the fight against injustice, people need to put aside their differences to work together.

   “This is a story about building alliances, about community.  Everybody came together to fight this fight,” she said.

5. The value of one

   As Stollery pointed out, Delwin Vriend was an unlikely hero: he was a young lab instructor with no money and no power.  Yet his courage has changed the laws in this province and has influenced legislation across the country and as far away as India and South Africa.

   “I think most powerfully what can be learned is the enormous impact that one individual can have,” he said.  “The message is that people have to stand up for what they know to be right, and they can and will succeed.”

We’d love to see you at our next Alumni event! Contact Law Alumni & Friends at lawalumni@ualberta.net with questions or for information on how to get involved.