October 29, 2026
She Opposed a Pride Crosswalk. Now She’s Facing a Human Rights Tribunal.
With Allan and Corri Hunsperger · Guest: Benita Pedersen
An Alberta woman who distributed flyers opposing a Pride crosswalk in Westlock is now defending herself before the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal. Benita Pedersen explains why she challenged the town's plans, the statements in her flyer that prompted a complaint alleging incitement of hatred, and how the case has affected her life. She discusses the support of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, testimony from two transgender witnesses who defended her freedom of expression, and what's at stake as the tribunal prepares for closing arguments on December 8.
Join our newsletter
The best of Talk Truth, straight to your inbox.
Catch the conversations you missed, see who’s coming on next, and get a word of encouragement from Allan and Corri.
In this episode
Tap a time to jump to that part of the conversation.
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:06 A political flyer leads to a human rights complaint
- 01:44 Meet Benita Pedersen
- 02:46 The Westlock Pride crosswalk controversy
- 03:34 The complaint alleging incitement of hatred
- 04:21 The case advances to a human rights tribunal
- 05:31 Political expression and public disagreement
- 06:30 Why Benita distributed the flyers
- 07:36 The statements cited in the complaint
- 08:24 What the flyer actually said
- 10:45 Benita explains her views and testimony
- 13:41 Two transgender witnesses support her free speech rights
- 16:49 The complainant and the town council election
- 18:17 An invitation to hear the complainant's side
- 18:59 Testimony about concerns for personal safety
- 21:39 The personal cost of the proceedings
- 22:02 December 8 closing arguments
- 22:54 Legal support and expert witnesses
- 24:09 Preparing for the tribunal's decision
- 25:27 Allan's biblical reflection
- 27:31 Closing remarks
Stand with Talk Truth
Your support makes conversations like this possible. Together we can continue to shine a light in the darkness.