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Ruling a disappointment But Gabrielle Landrie sees positive side to human rights complaint loss
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 10, 2013
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
A transgender woman in Fort Smith is disappointed in losing a human rights case against a territorial cabinet minister, but is looking at the positive side of launching the complaint.
Gabrielle Landrie, a transgender woman in Fort Smith is disappointed by a recent ruling on human rights complaint. - NNSL file photo |
"My reaction is either way, win or lose, I've already won because I got it out in the public's eye," said Gabrielle Landrie.
She complained of discrimination to the NWT Human Rights Commission after Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger asked her to leave an Aurora College hallway to be used by Governor General David Johnston during a visit in December 2011.
Miltenberger told Landrie and a friend their presence "spooked" Johnston's security according to the complainant.
"In short, there is no nexus or connection proven between the words and actions taken by Mr. Miltenberger and Ms. Landrie's transgenderism," stated James R. Posynick of the NWT Human Rights Adjudication Panel in a May 27 decision.
Landrie said making the incident public not only helped her personally, but also helped others.
"I got it out in the public's eye to let people know that you don't have to be scared to be who you are, no matter who tries to get rid of you out of a certain building at any point in time," she said.
Landrie was seeking a public apology from Miltenberger. She claimed the case has made a difference by inspiring others in the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community to stand up for their rights.
"Trust me, it has helped other people," she said.
Looking back on the complaint process, Landrie, who represented herself at the panel hearing in Fort Smith in January, believes things might have been different if she had been represented by a lawyer. However, she claimed to have contacted hundreds of lawyers, but none of them wanted to take on the case.
"That's why I did it myself," she said. "I did my best."
The most significant impact of the controversy is that Landrie has not returned to Aurora College, after leaving over what she considered a lack of support from the institution following the 2011 incident.
At the time, she had completed the first semester in a two-year business administration program.
"I should have graduated this year," she said, adding she is instead now driving a cab in Fort Smith.
The 44 year old said she eventually wants to go back to school, but is not sure if that will be at Aurora College.
"I've got to really do some thinking on that," she said.
In her complaint, Landrie claimed Miltenberger asked her to leave the college premises, and that was a denial of services prohibited under the NWT Human Rights Act. However, Miltenberger told the adjudication panel she was asked to leave the hallway, not the premises.
The Thebacha MLA was representing the territorial government at the college event, and the complaint was against him and the GNWT.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Executive said Miltenberger will be making no public comment concerning the ruling on the human rights complaint.
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