Non-binary pronouns, lesbian smokers and the gay whisperer

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


AP stylebook to include gender neutral “they”

The stylebook for the Associate Press, the US’s principal news wire service, now accepts the pronoun “they” for gender non-binary people. Not everyone is happy with the entry, however, as it directs journalists to avoid using singular “they” whenever possible.

Read more at CBS News.

US study: Lesbian teens twice as likely to smoke

A study of teenagers across the United States concluded that teenage lesbians were more than twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as straight girls, while gay boys were no more likely to smoke than straight boys. The researchers said stress was likely to blame for the pattern.

Read more from Reuters.

Canadian Conservative candidate won’t apologize for gay comments

A spokesman for Canadian Conservative leadership candidate Brad Trost says the politician is “not entirely comfortable with the whole gay thing” and won’t take back comments opposing “the gay lifestyle.”

Read more from the National Post.

Veteran lesbian journalist sues former employer for age-discrimination

Sixty-seven year old lesbian journalist Karen Ocamb is suing her former employer, the owner of the Los Angeles queer newspaper Frontiers, for age discrimination. Ocamb was allegedly kicked out of the company to make way for a younger “millennial” voice.

Read more from the Advocate.

Lawsuit: New York police targeted gay men for masturbation charges

A class-action lawsuit brought by two men in New York claims the city’s police targeted men they perceived as gay for spurious public masturbation charges. One officer who was particularly good at entrapping men was allegedly referred to as “the gay whisperer.”

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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