Alberta woman faces human rights complaint for opposing Pride crosswalk
Author: Clayton DeMaine
Benita Pederson, an Alberta woman, is facing a human rights complaint for distributing flyers opposing a proposed Progress-Pride flag crosswalk in her town.
A Westlock, Alberta, resident is facing a human rights complaint after distributing flyers urging neighbours to oppose a proposed Pride crosswalk in the town.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms says it will assist Benita Pederson after a human rights complaint was filed against her for attempting to persuade community members to oppose a proposed crosswalk featuring the transgender flag.
According to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), Pederson is a local DJ, children’s entertainer, event coordinator and “workshop facilitator who wanted to oppose a project proposed by her municipality in June 2023 by handing out flyers.
A press release from the JCCF noted that the flyers urged residents to take action to stop public funds from going towards the project. The flyers read “Cancel the rainbow crosswalk.”
“Based on my personal experiences in interacting with parents and children, I have learned that the practice of ‘gender affirmation’ harms kids more than it helps,” Pederson said in a statement released by the JCCF. “When I composed the flyer, one of my objectives was to warn parents about the potential consequences of children pursuing the pathway of transgenderism.”
Pederson argued that by shutting down conversations around the public crosswalk in her community with accusations that she is “inciting hate” only serves to hinder the ability for people to solve problems through open dialogue.