Bill Whatcott, a hysterical anti-gay activist, male nurse, and former mayoral candidate, must pay a $17,000 fine for violating human rights after an appeal of a 2005 ruling was denied.

Whatcott was fined two years ago for what the human rights tribunal called “a clear pattern of practice of disregard for protected rights.” The complaint was launched against him in retaliation of a mass mailing that called gay people pedophiles and child molesters. He was found guilty to having incited hatred, but refused to pay the fine (and unwittingly raised money for some truly worthwhile causes).

As the mere thought of gay people being right makes all of Bill’s eye capillaries burst, he has vowed to bring his case to the provincial appeals court.

Incidentally, Bill was in the news earlier this year for his unusual campaign to run for Mayor in Edmonton’s October municipal election. His platform was based almost entirely on an anti-gay agenda, but included promises to alter zoning bylaws to prohibit abortion clinics, dismantle Edmonton’s hate crime’s unit, and end all funding for animal shelters and the arts.

He lost spectacularly.

• Whatcott’s appeal dismissed [Star Phoenix]
• Saskatchewan anti-gay crusader loses human rights appeal [Edmonton Journal]

Campus police at the University of Windsor have issued a security alert after several homophobic and racist messages were found across campus. While the content of the messages is a mystery, it was disturbing enough for the Office of the President to issue an open letter to the university community:

There have been [incidents that] deeply concern us involving abusive language and intimidating behaviour towards gay students at the Faculty of Law. The University of Windsor is committed to fostering an inclusive campus [...] however, considerable progress must be made before we are able to realize such an environment.

What, no attempt at sugar-coating the university’s progress on their vision of an diverse and tolerant campus? Why, that could only mean there’s a delightfully ironic twist somewhere here!

Yes, it turns out that one of the racist incidents mentioned in the letter involved members of a campus social justice community committed to “diversity and equity and the education of future generations of young people.”

I’d say the university’s vision needs work.

• Racist, anti-gay graffiti, flyers found at U of W [Windsor Star]
• An Open Letter to the University of Windsor Community [University of Windsor, Office of the President]