A Facebook page has a new reason to buy Canadian oil: because we Canucks just love those sexy, sexy lesbians.
It was posted on "Canada Oil Sands Community" a page that promotes Alberta's oil industry. The basic message is that while Saudi Arabia criminalizes sexuality, Canada considers girl-on-girl action totally hot.
"Why are we getting oil from countries that don't think lesbians are hot?" the ad asks.
"Choose equality! Choose Canadian oil!"
As you could imagine, not everyone was on board with sexualizing a marginalized group to promote domestic oil. Just look at the comments on the image itself.
The dragging continued on Twitter.
I actually buy all my oil from lesbians. https://t.co/I9RkawPvS2
@purpledocket C'mon guys, just jump straight to patriotic hot lesbian oil wrestling. Canada Oilsands: We fuel Excitement!
Jaw-droppingly awful: hetero-masculine lasciviousness over lesbians + ignorant orientalism as selling point for oil?
Sexualizing lesbians & our relationships isn't the way to send a message about Saudi oil & their cultural homophobia.
The Facebook page is run by Robbie Picard, a resident of Fort MacMurray and a steadfast advocate for Alberta's oilsands industry.
Picard — who is gay himself — apparently didn't expect such backlash. He told the National Post the image was simply created with a stock photo and was meant to draw attention to a bigger issue.
“When I say lesbians are hot, I don’t think there is anything wrong about saying that,” he told the Post.
“I think all lesbians are hot and I’m not opposed to putting a picture of two guys up there."
In case you doubt his love of lesbians, he also told CBC News: "I will go on the record saying all lesbians are hot, and I think that people in Canada really need to understand Canadian oil is the best choice."
Picard has not responded to BuzzFeed Canada's requests for comment.
Late Monday, however, Picard apparently had a change of heart. The image has been deleted and the page posted an apology saying "it was not my intent [to demean] women or any people of any sexual orientation."
