Comedy benefit for Guy Earle, July 19th in Toronto

Regular readers will know that Guy Earle is the Toronto comedian who must now face a trial at the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, because of his response to hecklers. A drunk woman in the audience claimed that his rough reply to her disruption -- pretty much standard operating procedure for any comedian whose work is being interrupted by drunks -- was illegal discrimination, and the BCHRT agreed enough to schedule a hearing, as opposed to summarily dismiss the matter as a nuisance suit without legal basis.

The kangaroo judge in that kangaroo hearing? None other than Heather MacNaughton, the same one who chaired the five-day trial in to Mark Steyn and Maclean's alleged "discrimination" last month.

I've written about Earle here and here.

Earle must now pay for a lawyer, to defend his jokes as funny. The fact that preceding sentence is a true news report, and not a line from a science fiction story, is depressing.

Earle is having a comedy night, the proceeds of which will benefit his legal defence fund. It's scheduled for this Saturday night in Toronto at the Comedy Bar on Bloor Street West. Tickets are $20. I like the concept: 40 comedians, each giving their best one minute of work. Sounds like a great show -- and a good way to raise Earle's legal costs. I won't be in Toronto, but for readers who are, please consider attending.