A human rights panel says an Alberta man and a group called the Concerned Christian Coalition broke the province's human rights law by writing a letter that likely exposed gays to hatred and contempt.
The letter, written by Stephen Boissoin in 2002 when he was a member of the coalition, was published in the Red Deer Advocate newspaper.
The letter was entitled "Homosexual agenda wicked" and suggested gays are as immoral as pedophiles, drug dealers and pimps.
Darren Lund, a high school teacher at the time, filed the complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission after a gay youth was assaulted in Red Deer two weeks after the letter was published.
Friday's ruling also notes that Mr. Boissoin testified that Craig Chandler - another member of the coalition who recently won a provincial Progressive Conservative nomination in Calgary - was aware of and supported what he was doing.
Panel chairwoman Lori Andreachuk says the commission will hold a hearing at a later date to determine what remedies it will impose in the case.