Close X
Saturday, December 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

Edmonton Man Says He Is Filing A Complaint With Police Over Homophobic Valentine

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Feb, 2016 12:45 PM
    EDMONTON — A man says he is filing a complaint with police after he received a Valentine at work that was defaced with a homophobic slur.
     
    Degas Sikorski, 20, said the Valentine that he received from a Party City store in Edmonton where he has worked for years said he wasn't getting any shifts for a reason.
     
    Sikorski says police have given him witness forms to fill out that could lead to the slur being investigated as a hate crime.
     
    "They said it is a hate crime," Sikorski said Monday. "The guy at the police station said absolutely this is a hate crime. We will absolutely have to look into this."
     
    Edmonton police were not available for comment.
     
    A public relations firm that speaks for Party City issued a statement on the weekend that said the company does not condone the behaviour and is committed to creating a fair and inclusive work environment.
     
     
    Company officials were not available for comment Monday, but have indicated they will release more information when it becomes available.
     
    Sikorski, who has been working at the party supply store while putting himself through the University of Alberta, said no one should have to face such treatment.
     
    He wants an explanation as well as apologies from the person who wrote the Valentine and from company management, he said.
     
    "The name is Party City for Pete's sake. It should be about a friendly and welcoming atmosphere."
     
    Sikorski said he is still not on the company's work schedule and isn't sure he wants to go back.
     
    Support from family, friends, strangers and community leaders has helped him speak out about what happened, he said. 
     
    "It is terrifying being seen in the public eye like this and for something as horrible as this hate speech."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Cool Art Exhibition In Two Cities Showcases Struggle For Women's Rights

    Cool Art Exhibition In Two Cities Showcases Struggle For Women's Rights
    WINNIPEG — Outdoor exhibitions depicting women who have broken gender barriers are opening in two Canadian cities.

    Cool Art Exhibition In Two Cities Showcases Struggle For Women's Rights

    Saskatchewan Or Is It Saskquatchewan? -- Gets The Attention Of Fox Sports

    Saskatchewan Or Is It Saskquatchewan? -- Gets The Attention Of Fox Sports
     Fox Sports announcer’s claim that Saskatchewan is named after the sasquatch because the province is home to the hairy, ape-like creature is getting a lot of laughs.

    Saskatchewan Or Is It Saskquatchewan? -- Gets The Attention Of Fox Sports

    Grey Seal Pup Hit By Vehicle In Nova Scotia, Being Treated For Injuries

    Grey Seal Pup Hit By Vehicle In Nova Scotia, Being Treated For Injuries
    The injured seal arrived at Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth early Thursday afternoon after spending the night in a nearby emergency clinic.

    Grey Seal Pup Hit By Vehicle In Nova Scotia, Being Treated For Injuries

    B.C. Ministers Rich Coleman Say Throne Speech Comments Weren't Meant To Insult Alberta

    A day after British Columbia suggested Alberta hasn't done a good job of managing its oil revenue, a B.C. cabinet minister blamed it for adding to his province's homeless population.

    B.C. Ministers Rich Coleman Say Throne Speech Comments Weren't Meant To Insult Alberta

    And The Oscar Goes To... 4 B.C. Key Grips For Inventing Inflatable Green Screen

    And The Oscar Goes To... 4 B.C. Key Grips For Inventing Inflatable Green Screen
    As Godzilla rises from the ocean depths and attacks the Golden Gate Bridge, movie audiences suspend disbelief at the captivating on-screen spectacle.

    And The Oscar Goes To... 4 B.C. Key Grips For Inventing Inflatable Green Screen

    Two Alleged Human Smugglers On Trial Over Alan Kurdi's Death

    Two Alleged Human Smugglers On Trial Over Alan Kurdi's Death
    Two alleged people-smugglers are on trial in Turkey accused of causing the death of 3-year-old Syrian migrant boy Alan Kurdi and four other people.

    Two Alleged Human Smugglers On Trial Over Alan Kurdi's Death