Pink Lounge and Nightclub owner Skipp Anderson facing 2 sexual assault charges

The owner of Pink Lounge and Nightclub is facing two separate charges of sexual assault.

Skipp Edward Anderson is scheduled to stand trial before a judge and jury at Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon on April 24, 2017. The trial relates to a charge of sexual assault that isalleged to have happened on May 11, 2014.

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The second allegation is currently before provincial court.

This charge is dated from July 11, 2016. It is currently set for a preliminary hearing on March 7, 2017.

The identitiesof both male complainants areprotected by court-ordered publication bans.

Anderson's lawyerprovided CBC with a statement.

"Mr. Anderson vehemently denies these allegations and maintains his innocence. He looks forward to his day in court and is confident that the truth will ultimately prevail," the statement said.

Anderson is a prominent member of the city's gay community and a vocal advocate of gay rights. In addition to owning the Pink Lounge and Nightclub, according to his LinkedIn biography he is on the board of the Avenue Community Centre. It has since beenrebranded as OUTSaskatoon.