Chances are you have met Kent Hehr. As MLA of Calgary-Buffalo, Hehr has been as much a companion to community functions as dip is to chips. In a time when the 99 percent are fighting for a piece of the remaining one percent, an MLA like Mr. Hehr may be just the companion Alberta needs. With election time happening again next year, Hehr puts it that he would like to ‘toot his own horn’, and with a track record like his, I would too.
If you haven’t met him already, let me introduce you to this local MLA. He has been awarded the honour of Calgary Herald’s 20 Most Compelling Calgarians To Watch in 2008, and one of the Top 40 Under 40 by Calgary Inc. Magazine in 2006.
He studied law at The University of Calgary, and followed after graduation as a lawyer at Fraser Milner Casgrain. During this time he was well known for his community leadership with a large number of public service organizations such as the Downtown West Community Association, the United Way of Calgary, the Canadian Paraplegic Association, and the City of Calgary’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility.
Kent’s political and personal platform is as diverse as he is. He states that he understands Alberta’s financial prosperity lies in the energy sector and fosters that with plans for the future. He takes a firm stance on an adequate police presence in the Downtown core, and has proven successful in attaining this. Believing the root of much crime in the city is a lack of Family and Community Support Services, he advocates for more government spending on these programs.
He works tirelessly to combat homelessness and supports the City’s "Calgary’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness" as well as "A Place to Call Home: Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness" by keeping up with the Provincial Government’s plans, and ensuring they remains true to their word.
Above all else, and perhaps most beneficial to the LGBTQ community is Kent’s assiduous plight for universal human rights for all Albertan’s. It is not a secret that Mr. Hehr has attended every Pride celebration for as many years as we can remember, gone to AGM’s, attended Dyke Marches, advocated for gender reassignment surgery, attended Trans-Day of Remembrance events, ARGRA events, and other queer events throughout the year. It is what we don’t see that is so intriguing about this political friend of the underdog.
"One of the reasons that I got into politics was to fight the fact that personal characteristics determine who you are and where you stand," he explained when he talked with GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. "There is no place for this attitude in Alberta. I speak as a disabled person in saying that if you allow discrimination against one person, you can do it for everyone that is atypically discriminated against."
In his first term in office, Kent called on the Alberta Government to amend the Alberta Human Rights code to explicitly protect individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation. In the spring of 2009 that happened, but alas, at the same time, the Alberta Government set the queer communities rights back a few decades with the introduction of Bill 44 which is now law (giving parents the right to remove their children from classes that deal with sexual orientation or religion). Hehr understands that parents do reserve the right to determine what their children are being taught, however, he believes that making this a government decision reveals the Conservative government’s true colours.
"(GBLT) Albertans deserve the equal protection under Alberta law. When considering the effectiveness of our human rights legislation, how does this minister explain to gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgendered, or transsexual individuals the current decision of this government?" he stated in the Legislature.
"Bill 44 is a slap in the face for the LGBTQ community. We need to bring Alberta into the 21st Century and make all of Alberta conclusive," he added while chatting with us.
So, the next time you are at a major queer community event, keep an eye out for Kent Hehr as he most likely will be there. Take a minute to chat with him about what concerns you, and I’m certain he will be glad to lend an ear.