South Dakota pulls “Don’t jerk and drive” campaign
It’s not what you think. South Dakota has decided to pull an ad campaign urging drivers not to “jerk and drive,” by which they mean jerking the steering wheel to overcorrect during slippery conditions. Officials decided the campaign, which urged drivers to “think before you jerk,” was distracting from the real issue of dangerous driving. And here we all thought jerking during slippery conditions was a good idea.
Read more at the Star Tribune.
Face-sitters protest UK porn law
Protesters chanted while sitting on each others’ faces in front of the UK parliament Dec 12 to protest a new law banning face-sitting, fisting, urination, more than “gentle” spanking and caning, and even female ejaculation in porn produced in the UK. The prohibition against face-sitting is based on the theory that it restricts breathing and can be dangerous.
Hope turns to fear in Sissi’s Egypt
Activists who hoped the Arab spring would bring new freedoms and acceptance for gay people are being thoroughly disappointed, reports the Washington Post. Under the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, Egypt is cracking down hard on gay people to bolster nationalist and religious support. Gay Egyptians are particularly concerned after a television journalist led police to a bathhouse, participated in a raid arresting dozens of men, and photographed the victims against their will, an action many Egyptian gay rights groups say was an illegal invasion of privacy.
French magazine outs rightwing politician
French magazine Closer has published photos of the deputy leader of France’s far-right Front National party, claiming to show him vacationing with his boyfriend in Vienna. Front National has been playing a delicate political game, trying to court gay voters concerned about Muslim extremism while simultaneously appeasing the conservative base. Florian Philippot, the target of the photos, says he will sue Closer for breaching his privacy.
Seoul mayor apologizes for delaying LGBT protections
After protesters occupied the ground floor of city hall for a week, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon has apologized for caving in to conservative groups and cancelling a proposed city charter that would have protected LGBT rights. Park said he was sorry for the emotional pain he caused and promised to work toward protecting LGBT rights. Protesters said the mayor’s statement was enough and agreed to leave city hall.
What to do when all your heroes are misogynists
At Slate, lesbian writer Vanessa Vitiello Urquhart writes about her literary dilemma: all the man’s-man writers she idolized as a young butch were also terrible woman-haters. Can you still be a feminist and love Hemingway?
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