I Heart Edmonton

LGBTQ advocate Murray Billett has had an important impact on the local gay community and has no plans on slowing down now by emil tiedemann T HERE are few others in Edmonton who are as essential to the advancement of the local LGBTQ community as Murray Billett . Some might even go further and assess Billett’s work for LGBTQ equality and acceptance as amongst the most important in the whole province. Billett, on the other hand, would probably beg to differ.  The man himself, Murray Billett! Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Billett eventually made his way to Alberta. He married, had two sons, and worked in labour relations and conflict resolution, all while living with a secret that – if revealed – he knew would change everything in his life. “I was so very afraid to come out, the consequences I felt were insurmountable,” Billett admitted. After five years of marriage, Billett knew that he had to be honest with not just his family and friends, but more impor...

How one man changed everything for LGBTQ+ rights in the Canadian workplace By Murray Billett THE BEGINNING/ Delwin Vriend T HE importance of the 1998 Delwin Vriend Supreme Court case is best understood by sharing the fact that it is now studied in law schools around the world. Vriend was fired in 1991 from his teaching position at King's University College right here in Edmonton.  t To be clear, this turned into a human rights case with historical significance when our small LGBTQ+ community organized to take on the Government of Alberta. The Tory government of the day refused to accept his complaint, as Alberta’s Human Rights legislation did not include sexual orientation.  o Consequently, their position made it clear that it was legal to discriminate against us. We organized, reached out to our allies and took them to court! y VRIEND V. ALBERTA/ Delwin Vriend, Gala-Gay and Lesbian Awareness Society of Edmonton, Gay and Les...