Thursday, January 25, 2007

PETA and the Gay Sheep

They just won't quit! Margory Cohen just sent me a link to this NYT piece on how PETA has distorted the research efforts of a biologist working with sheep, leading to misrepresentations of his work and even death threats!

"Dr. Roselli, a researcher at the Oregon Health and Science University, has searched for the past five years for physiological factors that might explain why about 8 percent of rams seek sex exclusively with other rams instead of ewes. The goal, he says, is to understand the fundamental mechanisms of sexual orientation in sheep. Other researchers might some day build on his findings to seek ways to determine which rams are likeliest to breed, he said.

"But since last fall, when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals started a campaign against the research, it has drawn a torrent of outrage from animal rights activists, gay advocates and ordinary citizens around the world — all of it based, Dr. Roselli and colleagues say, on a bizarre misinterpretation of what the work is about.

"The story of the gay sheep became a textbook example of the distortion and vituperation that can result when science meets the global news cycle."

(Snip)

"The controversy spilled into the blog world, with attacks on Dr. Roselli, his university and Oregon State University, which is also involved in the research. PETA began an e-mail campaign that the universities say resulted in 20,000 protests, some with language like “you are a worthless animal killer and you should be shot,” “I hope you burn in hell” and “please, die.” "

Libby suggests mandatory spay- neuter for PETA members and other A. R. activists. Hmmmm....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although I don't own any fur garments, I am incensed to think that the self-righteous little twits from PETA have intimidated normal people from exercising their own choice in the matter.

It is therefore with great satisfaction that I observe spectacular fur coats being worn by flamboyant rappers inevitably surrounded by refrigerator-sized bodyguards, and I await the day when some PETA member ignores the odds and advances with a tin of paint. Let the de-boning begin!

Tiktaalik said...

"It is therefore with great satisfaction that I observe spectacular fur coats being worn by flamboyant rappers inevitably surrounded by refrigerator-sized bodyguards, and I await the day when some PETA member ignores the odds and advances with a tin of paint. Let the de-boning begin!"

Yeah yeah yeah, you're a real humanitarian. I'm sure you consider yourself the epitome of 'cool' in your sycophantic worship of low-life misogynistic homophobic violence-glorifying street scum.