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7 January 2008Erect Jesus statue stirs controversy among Christians 8 An art gallery in the North East is under fire after exhibiting a 1ft high statue of Jesus with an erection.The artwork, by gay Chinese-born artist Terence Koh, is being exhibited by the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.The gallery has received complaints from Christians and visitors alike who argue the sculpture degrades the Christian faith. -
7 January 2008Sex overshadows De Beauvoir’s contribution to French society + Academics fear novelist and feminist icon Simone de Beauvoir's sex life may overshadow the celebration of her birth in France this week.Critics are concerned with the French press condemning her sex life instead of highlighting her contribution to modern thought.The author and philosopher shocked the Parisian society of the early 20th Century with her threesomes and affairs with women. -
7 January 2008Christian registrar refuses to perform civil partnerships 11 An official in the London Borough of Islington is taking the council to court because she claims she should be exempted from performing civil partnership ceremonies.The unnamed marriage registrar, who is a devout Christian, has refused to take part in any of the 600-plus civil partnerships entered into in the borough since they became legal just over two years ago.Yesterday an Islington council spokesperson told the Evening Standard:"A claim has been made to an employment tribunal." -
7 January 2008Barrowman: closeted actors are “just sad” 6 Torchwood leading man John Barrowman has criticised gay stars who refuse to come out of the closet.The openly gay actor said his sexuality did not influence the kind of roles you got offered as an actor and believes it is "just sad" that someone would deny their sexuality to the world."If it (being gay) has been a problem, no-one ever told me so. -
7 January 2008Amsterdam mayor to clean up red light district + Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen announced he will clean up the city's red light district in a bid to reduce human trafficking, money laundering and drug abuse, by replacing prostitutes' windows with clothes shops.Cohen said he wanted to put a stop to the criminals taking advantage of the city's prostitutes and corrupting the city centre."The romantic picture of the area is outdated if you see the abuses in the sex industry and that is why the council has to act," he told Reuters. -
7 January 2008Ireland to recognise UK civil partnerships 15 The Republic of Ireland will recognise same-sex marriages, civil unions and civil partnerships from other countries when it legalises same-sex unions later this year.The Irish Times reports that "civil unions or weddings will have the same legal recognition as new civil partnerships in Ireland, as long as they meet a number of conditions."The UK already recognises same-sex unions and marriages from nearly 20 countries, including Canada, the US and France. -
7 January 2008Anti-gay bishop in trouble after inflammatory Muslim comments 30 A senior Church of England clergyman best-known for his opposition to equality for gay people has been heavily criticised for making inflammatory comments about Britain's Muslim community.The Right Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, claimed in a newspaper article that parts of the country have become "no-go areas" because of extremist Muslims and suggested that mosques stop using speakers to broadcast the call to prayer.The bishop has previously spoken out against the Sexual Orientation Regulations and civil partnerships. -
7 January 2008Onscreen lesbian kiss upsets Egyptian academics 1 A lesbian sex scene in an Egyptian film has outraged religious scholars, who are telling people not to watch the 'sinful' movie.An Islamic Studies professor at Cairo University wants the Egyptian authorities to prosecute the director and both actresses involved in the scene, Ghada Abdel-Razeq and Sumaya Al-Khashab.Dr. -
7 January 2008Sweden: Gay man’s attacker may have struck before + A Swedish man arrested last weekend for beating up a gay man might be responsible for more homophobic attacks, Stockholm police said.The suspect, aged 35, allegedly attacked a 44-year-old man who was found injured in his home. -
8 January 2008Gay hate bill returns to Commons 5 MPs will debate the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill tomorrow, which includes a new offence of incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.Ann Widdecombe, a Roman Catholic former Tory minister, today defended her opposition to the bill.The government and the frontbenches of the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives both support the legislation, but MPs from the three main parties have signed up to the amendment. -
8 January 2008Trans woman denied breast enlargement surgery + A trans woman is suing a Catholic hospital, claiming medical officials blocked her from getting breast enlargement surgery there because she had a sex-change operation.Charlene Hastings, 57, told The [San Jose] Mercury News that when she called Seton Medical Centre, a Catholic hospital in in Daly City, California, to inquire about breast enlargement surgery, an official told her it wasn't "God's will" for her to have such a treatment, because "God made you a man." -
8 January 2008Students protest against gay blood donor ban 18 Student activists are putting pressure on the Canadian Blood Services to put a stop to its blood donor ban on sexually active gay men, despite the company having recently said it would not lift the ban.On their donation form, the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) bar any man who has had sex with another man since 1977, even if only once.The Canadian Federation of Students began to put pressure on CBS last year and the cause has been taken up by many universities across the country. -
8 January 2008Playing gay characters is not ‘brave’, says Fry 2 Gay actor Stephen Fry has said he is not impressed with straight actors who play gay characters.In a Radio Times interview, the QI host expressed frustration at how straight actors was seen as 'brave' for taking on a gay role.He said a gay man would never be considered 'brave' if he played an intimate scene with a woman.Fry's latest role on the small screen is that of solicitor PeterKingdom, in the ITV series Kingdom who is single and straight. -
8 January 2008Archaeology museum celebrates LGBT History month 57 The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology is running an open evening as part of LGBT History month to explore sexuality and gender in the ancient world.There will be a discussion on the subject, entitled 'Beyond Isis Osiris: Alternate sexuality in Ancient Egypt', hosted by Dr Debbie Challis, followed by an opportunity to explore the museum, which is located on the University College London Campus in central London. -
8 January 2008Openly gay soldiers still serving in US military + A US Army Sergeant has expressed his surprise that he wasn't dismissed after admitting he was gay on live American TV.Last month Army Sgt. -
8 January 2008Threesome actor backs gay marriage ban 6 A minor member of one of Hollywood's foremost families has come out in favour of Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and expressed his opposition to gay equality.Stephen Baldwin, who is the brother of actors Alec, Billy and Daniel, is best-known for his roles in the controversial 1994 film Threesome and 1995 thriller The Usual Suspects.He became a born-again Christian after the attacks on New York on September 11th 2001. -
8 January 2008Gay marriage opponents form new advisory group + Opponents of gay marriage in the US state of Vermont are to form an advisory council that will expound the benefits of traditional marriage.After spending months boycotting legislative hearings on expanding marriage rights to same-sex couples, now several prominent opponents of gay marriage will announce at a Statehouse press conference Tuesday morning the formation of the Vermont Marriage Advisory Council, a group that will hold hearings on the benefits of traditional marriage. -
8 January 2008Gay Nobel Peace Prize nominee gets married + South African HIV/AIDS activist Zackie Achmat has married his partner Dalli Weyers.The couple, who met in 2005, wed in front of 300 guests at the Imperial Yacht Club in Lakeside, Cape Town in a lavish ceremony performed by a judge.Mr Achmat was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 in recognition of his activist work. -
8 January 2008Pope orders continuous prayer to cleanse clergy 2 Pope Benedict XVI has instructed Roman Catholics to pray "in perpetuity" to cleanse the church of paedophile clergy.All dioceses, parishes, monasteries, convents and seminaries will be expected to organise continuous daily prayers to express penitence and to purify the clergy the Times has reported.Vatican officials said every day each parish or institution should designate a person or group to pray that the church rids itself of the scandal of sexual abuse by clergy. -
8 January 2008Dykes on Bikes trademark approved by US court + A San Francisco women's motorcycle club on Monday gained long-sought legal approval for its trademark of the name "Dykes on Bikes" when the US Supreme Court turned away a challenge from a lawyer who said the term denigrated men.Without comment, the justices denied review of an appeal by Michael McDermott of Dublin, California, who challenged a decision by the US Patent and Trademark Office to grant the San Francisco Women's Motorcycle Contingent exclusive rights over the commercial use of Dykes on Bikes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Articles from January 2008
Top stories
Pope Francis urges French delegates not to follow ‘fashionable’ ideas1
UK: Muslim group seeks mosques for all sexualities7
Bermuda: Anti-discrimination law adopted amid equal marriage controversy1
Gibraltar LGBT activist awarded OBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours list1
German Cabinet adopts bill to give gay couples equal tax benefits8
Gay rights opponent Tory MP Edward Leigh knighted in Queen’s Birthday Honours list25
Lord Tebbit: I wouldn’t have been surprised if Jimmy Savile was homosexual50
Mixed martial arts boss to fighter who linked equal marriage to incest: ‘Leave talking to smart people’6
TV presenter Clare Balding awarded OBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours list5
Canada: Hockey player apologises after tweeting anti-gay slur about NBA player2
- Lord Tebbit: I wouldn't have been surprised if Jimmy Savile was homosexual50
- Mixed martial arts boss to fighter who linked equal marriage to incest: 'Leave talking to smart people'6
Despite strong intolerance of gays, Pakistan leads in world for gay porn searches40- Gay rights opponent Tory MP Edward Leigh knighted in Queen's Birthday Honours list25
Gay police officer leaves Savile inquiry job in order to take part in Big Brother 13
Northern Ireland elects first openly gay mayor 5
French Olympic swimmers pose as 'imaginary gay couple' for anti-homophobia campaign12
San Francisco: Gay blogger sentenced for taking toilet photo of gay supervisor Scott Wiener 2- TV presenter Clare Balding awarded OBE in Queen's Birthday Honours list5
- Canada: Hockey player apologises after tweeting anti-gay slur about NBA player2
Daily Mail's Andrew Pierce: I'm called a 'homophobe' and 'Uncle Tom' for opposing equal marriage102-
Mixed martial arts fighter: 'Equal marriage could lead to incest, bestiality and child marriages'69
Baroness Knight: The gays are still good at antiques and Section 28 was right61
Tory Lord Mawhinney tables 'traditional marriage' amendment for equal marriage bill61
Lord Dear proposes new amendment to equal marriage bill concerning 'traditional marriage'60
Lord Hylton tables new wrecking amendment for the equal marriage bill60
French mayor: 'I will go to the gallows' before performing a same-sex wedding53
Labour's Clause 20 sex education amendment fails in the Commons51
Pope Francis: There is a 'gay lobby' at the heart of the Vatican 'it exists'50
Australia: Radio host sacked for asking Prime Minister Julia Gillard if her partner is gay50
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