Critics accuse Kenney of 'pinkwashing' in targeted emails

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney speaks with the media in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday Sept. 24, 2012. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is being accused of 'pinkwashing' after thousands of Canadians received an unsolicited email lauding the government's policy on gay and lesbian refugees.

The email with the subject line, "LGBT Refugees from Iran," which was signed by the minister and sent Friday afternoon.

Addressing its recipients as "Friends," the message noted Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird's recent comments about Canada's position against the persecution and marginalization of gays and lesbian and women around the world.

"We are proud of the emphasis our Conservative Government has placed on gay and lesbian refugee protection, which is without precedent in Canada’s immigration history," Kenney wrote, highlighting efforts in Iran.

"In particular, we have taken the lead in helping gay refugees who have fled often violent persecution in Iran to begin new, safe lives in Canada."

But some of the note's recipients have expressed their surprise and displeasure to learn that Kenney's office would have any idea about their sexual orientation or support for issues in LGBT communities.

According to an open letter penned by a group of people unhappy to have been targeted, Kenney's email "is a poor attempt at 'pinkwashing' the Conservative government's obvious desire to encourage war with Iran."

The letter alleges Kenney compiled a "propaganda spam list" without the recipients' permission, and is using it to try to drum up their support.

"By inflating and exaggerating claims about your government's concern for LGBT rights, it seems that your office is attempting to instrumentally highlight the homophobia faced by LGBT people in Iran in order to generate, ahead of any declaration of war, a negative shift in public opinion surrounding Iran."

In a statement to CTVNews.ca Tuesday, Kenney's press secretary Alexis Pavlich said, "The email was a response sent to individuals who communicated with the office about gay refugee issues.  It is standard practice for Members of Parliament to reply to correspondence."

In 2011, nearly 10,000 people added their names to an electronic petition aimed at stopping the deportation of gay artist Alvaro Orozco.

Whenever someone registered their support for the petition posted on the website change.org, a form letter including the signatory's email address was automatically sent to Kenney's office.

Whenever someone registered their support for the petition posted on the website change.org, a form letter including the signatory's email address was automatically sent to Kenney's office.

A spokesperson for the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner said reports of the mass-mailing are "troubling."

But Anne-Marie Hayden explained in an email to CTVNews.ca that the privacy watchdog does not have authority to oversee the actions of political parties.

"From the information we currently have available it does not appear that we have jurisdiction," Hayden wrote.