In the case of Vriend v Alberta, what was the primary legal issue regarding sexual orientation?

In the case of Vriend v. Alberta, the primary legal issue revolved around the exclusion of sexual orientation from the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Alberta Human Rights Act. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the failure to include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination constituted a violation of the equality rights guaranteed under Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This landmark decision underscored the importance of including sexual orientation in discrimination protections, affirming that individuals should not face discrimination based solely on their sexual orientation.

The reasoning behind this ruling highlights a significant shift towards recognizing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals within Canadian law, emphasizing that equality before the law must encompass all aspects of individual identity, including sexual orientation.