A: The Alberta Human Rights Act (AHRA) largely deals with discrimination. It was formerly called the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act.
The AHRA bans publications, statements, signs, and symbols that indicate discrimination or expose someone to hatred based on a prohibited ground of discrimination. This does not apply to things such as a Star of David on a synagogue or a female sign on a bathroom.
It is illegal to discriminate based on prohibited grounds against someone with respect to goods, services, accommodation, or facilities when they are normally made available to public.
Landlords cannot discriminate based on prohibited grounds against someone when renting out a commercial or residential space. This does not apply to situations where the landlord and tenant share space.
Employers cannot refuse to employ someone or terminate someone based on prohibited grounds and they cannot ask people to provide information about prohibited grounds. Employers must pay men and women the same amount of pay for the same type of work. Trade unions also cannot discriminate against people because of a prohibited ground. Discrimination is allowed where it is based on a valid work requirement. For example, some jobs, like firefighting, require that employees have physical strength. In these cases, it may be OK not to hire someone where they have a physical disability.
Parents and guardians have the right to exclude their child from school lessons that deal primarily and explicitly with religion, sexuality, or sexual orientation.
The AHRA also creates and sets out the rules for the Human Rights and Citizenship Commission.
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