...Because you not letting me use your hall violates my "human rights"

CBC reports that the BC Human Rights Tribunal has begun to hear the case of a Vancouver lesbian couple who were prevented from holding their wedding reception at a hall owned by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men's organisation.

I'll save my lengthy analysis (prediction?) of whether the tribunal will rule in favour of the couple wishing to hold the reception (I suspect, given the history of "human rights" jurisprudence in Canada that it will) for later this evening or tomorrow.

Quickly, though, the motivation of the couple involved seems somewhat suspect, at least given the facts that the CBC reports. Apparently, the women had placed a deposit down on the hall and had sent out invitations to attend the event; it was only subsequently that the K of C rescinded the use of the hall after discovering that the event was a reception for a lesbian marriage. Instead of making this a human-rights issue, wouldn't it make much more sense for the couple to sue the hall for breach of contract, if the proprietors were inappropriately reneging on the contract to provide the facilities?

But no, this is Canada in 2005. Instead of turning to the courts to adjudicate private disputes, we turn to the courts to label others "violators of human rights".