‘LGBT’ sandwich causes controversy: ‘Using an entire community for publicity and profit’
Article via FOXNews
A U.K. retail chain is getting toasted roasted on social media over a controversial sandwich.
In celebration of Pride festivities in the U.K., Marks and Spencer recently began offering its “LGBT” sandwich — a guacamole-inclusive twist on a BLT — complete with packaging decorated with the colors of the rainbow flag.
But despite praise from some within the LGBTQI+ communities, the item raised more than a few eyebrows on Twitter, with some accusing the retailer of marginalizing the community and culture.
“Shame on the good folks over at @marksandspencer for turning our culture and identity into a sandwich,” one woman wrote. ”Making an absolute mockery of lgbtq people,” she added.
“I identify as #lesbian @marksandspencer[,] not a f—ing lettuce,” wrote another critic. “Why don’t you make an ethnic minority or disability sandwich while you’re at it!!”
Others, meanwhile, likened Marks and Spencer’s marketing move as “propaganda” or an attempt to profit off the LGBTQ community.
“Good Morning Britain” host Piers Morgan also called the idea “truly pathetic on Twitter,” writing, “Is there no cynical virtue-signalling depth struggling companies won’t now plunge to make a profit?”
A representative for Marks and Spencer did not comment on the response to its sandwiches, but the retailer has released a statement detailing the charitable contributions Marks and Spencer is making in honor of Pride.
“M&S has an amazing LGBTQ+ colleague network and with them we’ll be celebrating Pride 2019. For the second year running, we have created a sandwich as part of the celebrations and have received great feedback from both colleagues and customers,” a spokesperson confirmed in a statement obtained by Fox News.
“Alongside this, we’re also donating £10,000 to [The Albert Kennedy Trust,] the national LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness charity.”
A statement obtained by The Sun also confirmed the chain would be donating 1,000 Euro to BeLonG To Youth Services, a charity supporting LGBTQ youth in Ireland.
Despite the controversy, the sandwich has its supporters within the LGBTQ community.
“It’s a shame I can’t eat the M&S #LGBTSandwich but I’m really glad such a famous corporate company is on our side,” one wrote.
“Yes it’s just a sandwich, but it goes a long way to [normalizing] being LGBT doesn’t it? Seeing something that supports you on every shelf in a massive shop. no?” added another.
“They do loads for LGBT communities internally within their business and through external support including the funds this raises… easy to [criticize] brands for ‘rainbow washing’ but by god I’d have f—ing killed for my mum to have to see an LGBT sandwich when I was growing up,” another user added.
Girl dies in Queens car fire with doors chained shut; father in custody
SPRINGFIELD GARDENS, Queens — A 3-year-old girl was killed in a car fire after her father allegedly set a fiery death trap in Queens, police said Monday morning.
FDNY responded to a car fire at 154th Street and Baisley Boulevard shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, after a passerby saw the car parked at an intersection and called 911, officials said.
Firefighters arrived to find a silver 2008 Audi sedan engulfed in flames with the doors of the car chained shut, police sources told PIX11.
Witnesses told responders they saw a girl “burning” in the vehicle.
Three-year-old Zoey Pereira was found on the backseat of the car, fire officials said.
The latch of the chains bolted on the doors gave way due to the heat, and firefighters were able to get the child out, FDNY sources said.
Pereira was rushed to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
FDNY firefighters found two fuel canisters and a propane tank inside of the car, they said.
A 39-year-old Valley Stream man, who sustained burns throughout his body, was found a short distance away near Baisely Pond, police said.
Witnesses told PIX11 they saw the man, who was “on fire”, running for his life while his child appeared to be seemingly clinging to life inside of the charred vehicle.
“The fire caught on him, also maybe he was running for his own life,” said Owen Johnson. “She was still a little bit alive, but I could tell the time range and the time the FDNY came, she was burned,” Johnson said.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken into custody and transported to the hospital in critical but stable condition, police said.
He has not yet been charged, police said.
PIX11 has learned that a separate interference 911 call was made around the same time of the fire regarding the well-being of Pereira.
The child lived with her mother in Jamaica, Queens, sources said.
The mother and the father of Pereira were not married and were in the midst of a bitter custody battle, sourced told PIX11.
The father holds a previous arrest record from 2013 for aggravated harassment. It is unknown if this arrest directly involved the mother of Pereira.
Police are investigating this incident as a homicide.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/05/06/girl-dies-in-car-fire-with-doors-chained-shut-father-in-custody-police/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
12-year-old boy charged in fatal shooting of brother, 10
CONROE, Texas — Authorities say a 12-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his 10-year-old brother in Texas.
The Montgomery County sheriff’s office says deputies on Saturday afternoon responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting in Conroe, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Houston. Authorities found the 10-year-old with a single gunshot wound to his chest area.
The child was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Authorities say the 12-year-old was placed in custody in the Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Further details of the shooting were not released. Authorities say it’s an active investigation.
This is the latest incident of a child being accused of killing another in recent weeks.
A 6-year-old Georgia girl died last month after her 4-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the head in a car outside their home, authorities said. In that case, the siblings were in a car in their driveway, preparing to go to the boy’s baseball game, when the vehicle failed to start. The mother exited to find out what was wrong with the car, authorities said.
The boy took a gun from the car’s console and accidentally fired it while his mother was outside, striking his sister in the head, the sheriff’s office said.
And in March, an 11-year-old girl was accused of first-degree child abuse after she assaulted a 1-year-old boy she was babysitting in Maryland, leaving him with injuries so severe, he died days later, police said.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/05/05/12-year-old-boy-charged-in-fatal-shooting-of-brother-10/
Photo Credit: Getty Images
FL Woman left alone in jail cell for nearly 7 hours while giving birth
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A pregnant Florida woman was left alone in a jail cell for nearly seven hours after asking for help and eventually gave birth alone, her attorney said Friday.
Public defender Howard Finkelstein demanded an immediate review of medical and isolation practices in a letter to Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony.
“I am incensed and heartbroken after learning that a mentally ill client was forced to deliver her child alone in a jail cell,” Finkelstein wrote.
Finkelstein said his 34-year-old client complained of contractions and bleeding in the early morning hours of April 10. Jail staff attempted to contact an on-call doctor rather than take the woman to a hospital, the letter said. The doctor advised that he would check on the inmate when he arrived at the jail.
The attorney wrote that the Broward Sheriff’s Office was aware of the woman’s pregnancy since her March arrest on drug charges. He said medical records indicate the baby was not premature or unexpected.
A sheriff’s office report said a guard entered the cell after seeing the inmate with her newborn but didn’t mention the earlier equests for help. A nurse and doctor entered the cell to check on the mother and child, the report said. They were eventually sent to a nearby hospital. No injuries were reported
The sheriff’s office released a statement saying an internal affairs investigation was launched two days after the birth. Child Protective Investigations Section was notified, and the baby was placed with an appropriate caregiver, officials said.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Man poses as ride-share drive, rapes woman at knife point, Delaware police say
Police in Delaware arrested a man accused of posing as a ride-share driver to lure a woman into his car and sexually assault her at knifepoint.
Roberto Rodriguez, 41, faces charges of first-degree rape, third-degree unlawful sexual contact and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, the Newark Police Department said.
Rodriguez is also accused of theft and malicious interference with emergency communications for allegedly taking the victim’s phone to prevent her from calling police.
CNN has reached out to Newark Police to find out if Rodriguez has a lawyer. We were unable to find another contact for him or anyone related to him.
The allegations
The 21-year-old woman called 911 early Saturday morning to report the attack, police said.
She said she was walking down a street near the University of Delaware when the driver approached her in a pickup truck.
She had not called for a ride, police said. He told her that he was driving for a ride-share service and offered her a ride.
She got into the car and the two rode for a bit until the driver pulled the car over, police said.
He pulled out a knife and told her to perform a sexual act, police said. After the act was completed, he kept driving.
Eventually, the woman was able to escape from the vehicle, police said. She went to a nearby residence where she called 911.
The investigation
Newark Police said they tracked the suspect through his vehicle, a silver 4-door GMC pickup truck with an extended cab and a tool chest behind the cab.
Police released photos to the public of the vehicle thought to have been used in the attack. Tips led police to a vehicle parked at a residence in Newark, where they began surveillance.
Police said they determined that the vehicle’s registered owner matched the suspect’s description. They arrested him as he was leaving the residence and found a knife in his possession.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Marital rape is no longer legal in Minnesota with new law
(CNN) — Jenny Teeson accused her husband of drugging and raping her while she slept two years ago.
The Minnesota woman found videos of the incident on her computer, according to the Star Tribune newspaper. However, when the couple went to court, Teeson’s husband agreed to a plea deal, was convicted of invading her privacy and received only a 45-day jail sentence.
That’s because until Thursday, a statute in Minnesota law referenced “the voluntary relationship defense” for criminal sexual conduct crimes that essentially allowed for marital rape. The statute protected people from prosecution if the sexual misconduct they committed was against a partner in an “ongoing, voluntary relationship.”
Gov. Tim Walz made the repeal of the statute official Thursday during a signing ceremony. The new law to eliminate the voluntary relationship defense is set to go into effect July 1.
“The concept of a pre-existing relationship defense should’ve never been part of our criminal statutes. It’s reprehensible and because of Jenny it is now going to be repealed,” Walz said Thursday.
Rep. Zack Stephenson, who sponsored the bill, said the signing ceremony made history in Minnesota as the state moved its laws “out of the 19th century.”
“All Minnesotans deserve to be safe, regardless of who they’re married to,” he said.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said the bill is “a testament to the hard work of victims, survivors and advocates” such as Teeson.
“This journey has definitely been a long one and today is a pivotal moment in Minnesota history,” Teeson said. “Today victims, former victims and people who are still in very difficult situations can know that if they are in an unsafe place, in an uncomfortable place, and things are happening to them that if they do go to the authorities that justice will be served.”
Photo Credit: Steve Karnowski/AP
Former priest who impregnated teen girl will keep his job as middle school teacher
(Meredith) — A man who impregnated a 16-year-old girl when he was a priest will be allowed to keep his job as a middle school teacher in New Jersey, a state arbitrator ruled.
Joseph Michael DeShan was a priest at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1988 when he engaged in longterm sexual abuse with the then-14-year-old girl. Church records list DeShan’s birth year as 1959, which would make him 29 when the abuse started.
The girl worked in the church rectory, according to the Connecticut Post. She became pregnant less than two years into their relationship when she was 16.
According to church records obtained by the Connecticut Post, the girl was fired from her rectory job and DeShan was removed from the ministry in 1989. The police were not informed of the situation, according to church records.
DeShan is included on a list of current and former clergy members credibly accused of sexual abuse released by the Diocese of Bridgeport. The church lists him as having one single allegation.
According to NJ.com, DeShan said the relationship with the teenager was consensual, and he was never prosecuted in Connecticut due to the statute of limitations law on sexual abuse.
In 1990, DeShan was hired as an elementary school teacher in the Cinnaminson School District in New Jersey. Now age 60, DeShan works as a sixth grade reaching teacher at a middle school teacher in the same district. He is listed as having a master’s degree in elementary education.
In 2002, school officials learned of DeShan’s previous sexual abuse allegations with the teen during his time as a priest. He was placed on leave for three weeks while the school investigated, according to NJ.com. But the website reports that DeShan was allowed to return to the classroom after parents and students rallied to his defense.
The issue came up again earlier this year when parents of current students found out about DeShan’s past. They complained to the school board, and tenure charges were filed against him in January.
But arbitrator Walt De Treux for New Jersey’s state Department of Education ruled April 2 that DeShan’s past was not enough to stop him from teaching because “he did not engage in inappropriate conduct while holding public employment [teaching].”
The Cinnaminson School District said they were not happy with the arbitrator’s ruling.
“The district is disappointed with the decision and currently exploring options to resolve the matter. However, it is our district policy to refrain from comments regarding open personnel and legal matters. The well-being of our entire school community is always our highest priority,” Stephen Cappello, Cinnaminson’s superintendent of schools, said in a statement to NJ.com.
The school district’s board of education can appeal the decision to the state Department of Education.
Photo Credit: kmov.com/Cinnaminson Middle School website
Man sought in Bronx robberies, steals $1 from 13-year-old boy
The BRONX — Police are looking for the man wanted in robberies in the Bronx, stealing $1 from a 13-year-old boy.
Around 1 p.m. Thursday, police said a 13-year-old was walking at the corner of East 233 Street and Laconia Avenue when he was approached by man.
He demanded cash from the teen as he simulated a firearm in his waistband, cops said.
The teen complied, and the man fled with $1 before fleeing.
An hour later, police received a report that a 19-year-old was robbed of his Apple Airpods in the corner of Holland Avenue and East Gun Hill Road.
According to cops, the alleged thief stated “If you say something funny, I will shoot you” while simulating a firearm in his waistband.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/05/04/man-sought-in-bronx-robberies-steals-1-from-13-year-old-boy-police/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
For the first time, Miss USA, Miss America and Miss Teen USA have all crowned black women
Get a room … in jail!
A horny “couple” were caught having drunken sex — right outside a Florida police station, according to reports.
Gary Hill and Crystal Frances were “actively engaging in sexual intercourse” when officers found them just steps outside their own police HQ in Key West, according to NBC Miami.
“I’m horny,” Hill, 46, told cops, according to the police report. “She was giving it up to me right then and there.”
Arresting officer Brian Leary said he found Hill with his “shorts down around his ankles” and his female companion wearing no pants or underwear, with a half-empty bottle of vodka beside them.
“I asked both parties what they were doing. Hill said, ‘It was a Key West moment,’” the officer wrote in his report, according to The Smoking Gun.
Hill was arrested and faces a charge of lewd and lascivious/indecent exposure and having sex in public.
Frances was so intoxicated that police took her to the hospital with officers planning a warrant for her arrest when she was fit to be interviewed, according to the police report.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/05/05/couple-caught-having-sex-outside-florida-police-station/
Photo Credit: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office