Altruism, censorship and a greased-up Tongan

Your Daily Package of newsy and naughty bits from around the world


The gay Olympics: day one

USA Today reports the first day of the Olympics showed promising signs of acceptance, including a gay kiss on TV and trans people in the parade of athletes, even as the games are held in a country struggling with anti-gay violence. Quartz points out that two British hockey players will be the first same-sex married couple to participate in the Olympics. Fans at opening soccer matches taunted players with homophobic slurs. And finally, a Tongan taekwondo athlete won over the gay internet with his greased-up abdomen.

Study: Altruism leads to more sex

A study by researchers at Guelph and Nipissing Universities shows that people, especially men, who act more altruistically also have more sex partners, more casual sex, and more sex within relationships. The authors suggest that men who share resources are attractive because they have an evolutionary advantage in reproduction.

Read more at the CBC.

Flatmates of murdered Syrian man fear for their lives

The men who lived with a gay Syrian man murdered in Istanbul say they worry they’re next. The three men say that the murderer of their flatmate has left voice messages for them, telling them he will kill them too. An EU deportation deal allows gay Syrians to be deported to Turkey, despite evidence that they are killed, raped and beaten without help from police.

Read more at the Guardian.

Delta Airlines removed the kissing from Carol

When lesbian comic Cameron Esposito watched the lesbian film Carol on a Delta flight, she realized all of the kissing between women had been removed, while heterosexual affection remained intact. Delta blamed an edited studio release of the film for the changes.

Read more at After Ellen.

Philippines president calls US ambassador “gay”

 

In a speech to the Philippines military, President Rodrigo Duterte called US Ambassador Philip Goldberg “gay” because Goldberg criticized him for making offensive comments about rape on the campaign trail. In the Philippines, “gay” remains a common insult, meaning “weak” or “wimpy.”

Read more at ABS CBN.

Niko Bell

Niko Bell is a writer, editor and translator from Vancouver. He writes about sexual health, science, food and language.

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