Guy Earle comedy benefit update

I just received an e-mail from the Guy Earle comedy benefit, on right now in Toronto. Jason Kenney, the federal cabinet minister and Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, is there, along with his Director of Communications, Alykhan Velshi.

I have no information about the event itself -- whether the comics are funny; how political they are; what Earle himself said by way of introduction, etc. Those will be interesting details, and I'll publish them as I get them.

But the fact that a federal cabinet minister has attended this dissident event, in support of free speech and in solidarity with a Canadian who has been targeted by the illiberal human rights racket, is impressive to me.

I remain optimistic that the government will move from symbolic gestures, such as Kenney's appearance tonight, to substantive actions, such as gutting the Canadian Human Rights Act's section 13 -- the political censorship provision. It was the B.C. analog of that section that has trapped Guy Earle, and trapped me, too, in Alberta, for publishing the Danish cartoons of Mohammed nearly three years ago.

UPDATE 1: I'm reminded somewhat roughly by a commenter that the actual complaint proceeding against Earle is not for "discrimination" in his communication, but "discrimination" in his "provision of a service". That's even nuttier. The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal will have a hearing about whether Earle's "service" -- how he responds to hecklers -- meets their standards of non-discrimination. It's actually more absurd than a section 13 "hate speech" case, if that's possible. Will will now have "jurisprudence" about the right and wrong way for comedians to reply to heckles.

Fire. Them. All.

UPDATE 2: I'm told the event was full to capacity. I inquired about the political nature of the jokes -- because entertainers often show their political bravery by attacking, oh, George W. Bush, rather than anyone who might actually hurt them, Theo van Gogh-style. I'm told the comedians were not in that cliched rut at all.

There were quite a few lesbian jokes -- not surprising, given that Earle's persecutors are lesbians.

There was a hilarious routine about a Chinese guy named... Raymond Chan who loved playing World of Warcraft and whose pet peeves included... women with opinions. I don't know if that comic knows about the Liberal politician Raymond Chan, but I'm told it was the funniest segment of the night, either way.

I'm told the feeling in the room was pretty laid back -- and there was even a heckler, though he wasn't part of any official victim's group, so it's unlikely he'll file a human rights complaint about how he was handled.

Earle himself was the last comic standing, and he delivered a slightly longer routine than the rest. The event ended with him receiving a standing ovation.

It sounds like a great evening -- some good laughs, a little bit of bad behaviour and dissident comedy, and some encouragement and financial support for a comedian who is just the lastest victim of Canada's politically correct HRCs. It sounds like I missed a great night.

I hope that the 40 comedians who participated go forth and add a few jokes about human rights commissions to their schtick. They'd reach a whole group of Canadians who probably haven't heard about HRCs before -- and I'd be those 40 would be as persuasive advocates as any Op-Ed writer or politican.

Let the denormalization of the HRCs continue. 

If any reader was there, feel free to expand on this report in the comments section.