The pinkwashing of Canadian oil (and everything else)
What makes conservative activists and Orthodox rabbis fawn over gay rights? At The Daily Beast, Jay Michaelson traces the campaign to attach LGBT rights to Canadian oil, through websites like opechatesgays.com. Meanwhile, a New York rabbi has taken out an ad in The New York Times praising Israel’s gay rights record. The ad sparked an article in Israeli newspaper Haaretz raising criticisms of pinkwashing, while the Jerusalem Post struck back with a defence of Israel’s pro-gay bona fides.
New Jersey lawmaker challenges gay-panic defence
New Jersey lawmaker Tim Eustace has introduced a bill to prevent the “gay panic” defence from being used in the state. The defence has been used in other states, including recently in California, to reduce murder convictions to manslaughter based on a supposed uncontrollable rage brought on by advances from a gay person. The gay-panic defence has been invoked more than 45 times in the United States, according to one LGBT group.
Rhode Island court throws out Catholic firefighter suit
Two firefighters were not discriminated against by being forced to drive a truck in a Pride parade, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has decided. The unanimous decision said that the job was a legitimate work assignment and that the two firefighters were “relatively anonymous.”
Read more from the Associated Press.
German MP: Western countries should open embassies to gay refugees
In an interview with Germany’s public broadcaster, German MP Volker Beck says Western states should consider opening their embassies to persecuted gay people in countries like Egypt. “It has to be made clear that it is not acceptable that the current regime gets a free pass for whatever human rights abuses occur in the name of Islam,” he said.
Read the whole interview here.
The year in ill-advised rectal insertion
In a venerable holiday tradition, Deadspin chronicles what objects we accidentally lodged in our orifices this year. Not for the faint of heart.
Photo credit: opechatesgays.com
Why you can trust Xtra
