Canadian comedian Guy Earle |
Government-sponsored Human Rights Commissions in Canada have attacked the writings of author Mark Steyn and have told a pastor to renounce his faith. Now they're jumping into a fight over words from a comedian who is known for insulting interaction with audience members.
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal released a decision this week ruling there is enough evidence to review the alleged "tirade of homophobic and sexist comments" from the stand-up comedian, Guy Earle, during one of his shows, according to a report from Canwest News Service.
The dispute stems from a complaint filed by Vancouver's Lorna Pardy, who alleged she went to Zesty's Restaurant in Vancouver in 2007 where Earle was performing. She complained she was discriminated against over her sex and sexual orientation by Earle's comments, which were "intended to humiliate."
The report said the tribunal ruling found that Earle and Pardy "have very different versions of who was to blame for the incidents, how it came about and how it escalated."
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"Mr. Earle does, however, admit that he used comments which he now regrets," the tribunal's order said. "Those admitted comments may go to establish discrimination."
The comedian said he was performing a show when Pardy and two friends walked in, sat down close to the stage and began heckling him.
"Two of them started making out, flipping me the bird and saying I hated lesbians," he told the Canwest report.
He said the show is X-rated, edgy, controversial and offensive, "so when you walk in there you're making an agreement to be party to this controversial show."
He said Pardy misconstrued some statements and took others out of context.
"All of a sudden it's time for me to drink a glass of hemlock," he said. "They were drunk, they were being jerks and I was very rude and visceral to them because, like I said, if you have a heckler, what you want to do is put them in their place by offending them, so I tried to hit them where it hurts and the only thing I had to key on was the fact that they were lesbians.
"I don't care if they're lesbians, heterosexuals, homosexuals or giraffes," he said.
One anonymous participant in a forum for the Canwest report suggested, "If you can't take a joke then don't go to a comedy show."
Added another, Jack Marsh, "I am a firm believer that if you heckle a comic, then you are fair game for what ever comes your way. If you can not take the heat, then stay out of the kitchen."
As WND reported earlier, a similar human rights tribunal recently ordered a Christian pastor to renounce his faith and never again express moral opposition to homosexuality.
In that decision the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal ordered evangelical pastor Stephen Boisson banned from expressing his biblical perspective of homosexuality and to pay $5,000 for "damages for pain and suffering" as well as apologize to the activist who complained of being hurt.
According to a report from Pete Vere at the Catholic Exchange, the penalty could foreshadow the possible fate of the Rev. Alphonse de Valk, who also cited the biblical perspective on homosexuality in the nation's debate over same-sex "marriage" and now faces HRC charges.
"In essence, the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal is ordering to the minister to renounce his Christian faith, since his opposition to homosexuality is based upon the Judeo-Christian Bible," Vere wrote.
WND reported recently about de Valk, the target of a Human Rights Commission case over his biblical references regarding homosexuality.
"Father [de Valk] defended the [Catholic] Church's teaching on marriage during Canada's same-sex 'marriage' debate, quoting extensively from the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul II's encyclicals. Each of these documents contains official Catholic teaching. And like millions of other people throughout the world and the ages – many of whom are non-Catholics and non-Christians — Father believes that marriage is an exclusive union between a man and a woman," Vere wrote.
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