News release details
Delwin Vriend never wanted to be a human rights activist. But when he was fired from his job as an Alberta teacher for being gay, he set in motion a chain of events that impacted 2SLGBTQI+ people across Canada and beyond.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is proud to host the Manitoba premiere of Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story as part of Reel Pride’s 40th International Film Festival. The film was directed by Darrin Hagen and produced by the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Queer History Project.
“This film is more than a historical reflection — it’s a call to action,” said director Darrin Hagen. “Delwin Vriend’s courage helped change Canada’s legal landscape, and his story is more relevant than ever as we see hard‐won rights coming under attack both at home and abroad.”
Vriend’s fight against discrimination resulted in a historic Supreme Court of Canada decision in 1998 recognizing sexual orientation as a protected human right. The ruling not only changed Alberta’s human rights legislation but also set a precedent that fueled progress across Canada, including marriage equality and protections for 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
The Vriend v. Alberta court case continues to be important in Canada’s legal landscape and is featured in the Museum’s Protecting Rights in Canada gallery.
The afternoon will feature a screening of the acclaimed documentary, followed by a panel discussion with director Darrin Hagen moderated by Noam Goninick.
Attendees will also have the chance explore Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada's LGBT Purge. The Purge was one of the longest‐running, largest‐scale violations of human rights in the workplace in Canadian history. Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge was created in partnership with The LGBT Purge Fund and brings to light stories from this dark period, which is well documented yet not well known.
Media interviews with director Darrin Hagen and members of Vriend’s legal team can be arranged through media contact.
What
Manitoba premiere screening of Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story
Date
September 21, 2025
Time
1:30 p.m. (doors) | 2–4 p.m. (film & panel)
Where
Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Level 1, Manitoba Teachers’ Society Classrooms
Cost
Trailer
Pride vs. Prejudice trailer on Vimeo
About Darrin Hagen
Playwright, actor, sound designer, composer, performer, director, and TV host, based in Edmonton, Alberta, since 1982. He grew up in a trailer court in Rocky Mountain House during the 1970s. Darrin Hagen has written or co‐written more than 40 plays, many of which deal with gay issues in an exuberant, comic style, often with flamboyant drag characters which he performs himself and produced by the company he formed in 1987 with his partner, Kevin Hendricks, "Guys in Disguise."