Yellowknife landlord says he tore up gay couple's lease over fear of God

Dan82 · Jun 25, 2010

http://www.am1150.ca/news/14/1159288

A landlord who said he feared God's wrath has found himself in front of the Human Rights Commission in the Northwest Territories after refusing two gay men an apartment.

Speaking in his own defence in a Yellowknife boardroom, property owner Will Goertzen read from the Bible as he attempted to justify his not honouring a lease with Scott Robertson and Richard Anthony after finding out they were a couple.

Homosexuality "isn't natural and it's a crime against nature. I can definitely not have a part in it," Goertzen told a commission adjudicator on Tuesday. "We all die and after that is the judgment."

Robertson and Anthony, who say they ended up homeless for 10 days, are asking the commission to award them $23,500 each, for punitive damages and damages for "injury to dignity, feelings and self respect." Robertson is also asking for $930 in compensation for time he missed at work to deal with the matter.

They have already taken Goertzen before the territory's rental court and received compensation for a $1,150 damage deposit Goertzen cashed after they signed the initial lease.

"I don't know how more clear the discrimination could be and I guess that's why it's so shocking for us," Robertson told the adjudicator.

The couple approached Goertzen about an apartment in May 2009 and signed a one-year lease. Anthony's sister and her son already lived in the building.

Robertson and Anthony said they had been looking forward to moving in and had a tight time frame to move after selling their house. Anthony said it was difficult to find a suitable home on such short notice because few properties were listed and the couple has two large dogs...
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NickT · Jun 25, 2010

Talk about paranoia...

LostandFound · Jun 25, 2010

Wow, I didn't realize gay people existed that far north.

Davy · Jun 25, 2010

Way to put words in god's mouth!

Charme · Jun 25, 2010

I loled.

Revan · Jun 25, 2010

I felt bad for the two. No one should be denied a home no matter if they're gay, straight, black, white, Muslim, Christian, man or woman. It's effing ridiculous.

Just Adam · Jun 26, 2010

how much money they want !

i hope they in but that is a lot of money lol....

i must be weird thinking of money before the social justice lol.

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and how many times i just say money lol money money money money money

Yellowknife landlord says he tore up gay couple's lease over fear of God

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