Benjamin Cohen founded PinkNews.co.uk in 2005 and was editor until 2006. He was technology correspondent at Channel 4 News between 2006 and 2012.
Twitter: @benjamincohen-
17 November 2005Church of England’s position on gay rights is evil, says right wing Bishops 2 The split in the Anglican Church over the issue of homosexuality has continued today, with ultra-conservative church leaders condemning the policies of the Church of England as evil.The "Global South", a group of ultra-right wing, anti-gay bishops led by the Nigerian archbishop, Dr Peter Akinola in letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, urge him to reconsider his personal views on homosexuality: "we urge you to rethink your personal view and embrace the Church's consensus and to act on it, based as it is on the clear witness of Scripture." -
17 November 2005Charles Clarke hints at Crystal Meth re-classification + The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke has made the strongest hints yet that Crystal Meth (methylamphetamine) could be reclassified as a class-A drug.His comments follow a report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which examined toxicity, risk, manufacture and prevalence of the drug and considered whether the current classification is appropriate.The ACMD did not recommend the immediate re-classification of the drug but voiced concern over the growing use of the drug. -
16 November 2005Gay Wedding expo hits London 1 Britain's first gay wedding exhibition is to take place in North London this weekend.The Modern Life show is billed as a one-stop shop to assist couples embarking on a civil partnership. Taking place at the Islington Design Centre it will feature exhibitors including Moss Bros, Debenhams, wedding venues, financial advisors, photographers and cake makers.The exhibition has been publicised across the gay media and through more traditional outlets including posters at tube stations. Tickets cost £10 (including a £1 donation to the Elton John Foundation). -
14 November 2005Northern Ireland murder may have been homophobic 57 Police say that the motive for the murder of a man in Armagh last week may be his sexuality.Martin Conlon, 35, has returned to Northern Ireland from a prison in Ireland where he had served four years for being a member of the Real IRA.Detective Superintendent Derek Williamson said he is "following a number of key lines of enquiry in this murder which will incorporate Mr Conlon's possible connections with paramilitary organisations and also allegations of involvement in criminal activity." -
10 November 2005Paintings of straight couples removed from Registry Office in preparation for gay weddings 5 Liverpool is replacing the pictures that hang on the walls of its Registry Office in order to avoid offending gay couples.The city, which has over recent years become one of the most gay friendly in Britain, is removing two paintings because they are too associated with straight marriage. One is of a young bride signing the register and the other is of Romeo and Juliet on a swing.Janet Taubman, a Registrar at the office said they were "they were innocent pictures but the new paintings are less likely to offend." -
9 November 2005Girl filmed gay barman being kicked to death on her mobile phone 3 A teenage schoolgirl filmed a gay barman being kicked to death by her friends using her mobile phone, a court was told.The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have told David Morley that she was making a documentary about happy slapping before her gang of friends kicked him to death.Mr Morley, 37, who survived the 1999 Soho nail bomb attack, was chatting with a friend, Alistair Whiteside, on the South Bank, when the gang pounced. -
9 November 2005Give gays full marriage rights says top woman judge 5 In a speech yesterday, Britain's most senior female judge, called for the gay couples to be allowed to marry.Lady Hale, the country's first female law lord said that the Civil Partnership Act allows gay couples "a status which is marriage in almost all but name"."If people want both the privileges and the responsibilities of marriage, I do not see why we should deny it to them."
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8 November 2005Straight man in coma after gang thought he was gay 2 A straight man was beaten-up by a gang because they thought he was gay, a court was told yesterday.Asa Freeman, 33, suffered serious brain damage after four men saw that he had a limp wrist caused by a stroke and thus assumed his sexuality, Swindon Crown Court was told.Mr Freeman and his friend, who is also straight were on a night out in Townbridge when they were set upon by the gang who poured out abuse, shouting, "faggot" and "queer" at the men. -
8 November 2005Westminster u-turn on gay rainbow flags ban 1 Westminster Council has performed a u-turn over its ban on the display of gay rainbow flags in Soho.Earlier this year, the council announced a policy that forced retailers to remove all rainbow flags from hanging above premises unless they had been granted planning permission.Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London had strongly criticised the Conservative run council and branded them "out of touch". -
8 November 2005Gay couples in online registration trials 5 Civil partnerships are to be registered online in a pilot scheme in Brighton and three other areas.Couples registering a civil partnership (or gay marriage as it has popularly become known) will be piloting an online registration procedure in the seaside resort together with Bath, Liverpool and Swansea over the next few weeks.Civil partnerships become legal in England and Wales on the 5th December of this year.
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8 November 2005Gays gain anti-discrimination rights but loose the right to run gay only bars clubs 5 The government will today accept an amendment that will outlaw discrimination of gay people in the service industry. Controversially it will also end the end the banning of straight people from gay venues.Until now, legislation has only banned discrimination of gay and lesbians in terms of employment law but the government has announced that the Equality Bill currently progressing through parliament will tackle discrimination by hotels, pubs, doctors and councils. -
6 November 2005Gay Bishop says God called him 29 Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Bishop in the Anglican Communion, claimed yesterday that he was called by God to become a Bishop.The comments were made in a speech during the Bishop's visit to Britain to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Changing Attitudes group of pro-Gay Christians."I've got to be honest I felt God was calling me out ... God is always calling us to a place of integrity." Bishop Robinson's claim flies in the face of evangelical doctrine that does not allow the ordination or consecration of practising homosexuals. -
4 November 2005Gay Bishop in talks with the Archbishop of Canterbury 29 The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, met the American gay Bishop, Gene Robinson, in London yesterday.The Archbishop's spokesman described the meeting as "friendly but candid".The spokesman added, "The encounter came as part of the Archbishop's commitment to listening to the voices of all concerned in the current challenges facing the Anglican Communion." -
4 November 2005Little Britian star David Walliams wishes he was gay 6 David Walliams the star of hit comedy sketch show, Little Britain has revealed that he wishes he was gay.In an interview with lads magazine, Loaded, he claims that his lifewould be so much easier if he fancied men."I must admit my life would be a lot simpler if I was just gay, but we can't choose these things. I'm going to have a sex change when I'm 70 for the last ten years of my life." -
4 November 2005Racist and anti-gay magazine publishers given jail sentences 1 Five white supremacist homophobes were jailed today for their producing and distributing 'Stormer', a magazine that published instructions on making bombs and aimed to initiate a "racial holy war.Articles included a tribute to David Copeland, who murdered three people in a series of nail bombs targeting members of ethnic minorities and the gay community in London. The bombing of the Admiral Duncan pub on Old Compton Street, Soho, in 1999 killed three people including a pregnant woman, her husband's best man and a her close friend. -
4 November 2005Gay Bishop says Church will eventually accept gays and lesbians 29 Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Anglican Bishop, said today that he believed that the Anglican Communion will eventually come to embrace gay men and women, although it is unlikely to be in his lifetime.He told the BBC, "I believe that the acceptance of gay and lesbian people into the life of the Church is something that is going to happen. It may not happen in my lifetime, but that is all right. It will happen in God's own time."
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4 November 2005About Us + PinkNews.co.uk is a new online news service for the gay community.For editorial enquiries and to suggest a news story email editor@pinknews.co.ukFor commercial and advertising enquiries please call 0870 906 4555 to speak to CyberBritain who manage the commercial aspects of PinkNews.co.ukFor press enquiries please call 07740345771
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3 November 2005Gay football stars are too scared to come out 4 There are at least two gay Premiership football stars that are gay, but are too afraid to come out. At least that's what Stonewall FC, the leading gay football team claim.Andrew Walmsley, the chairman of Stonewall FC, said the gay stars were staying quiet about their sexuality due to a deal of abuse from fans and fellow players. -
2 November 2005Gay shop worker claims he was treated as an infected animal after revealing he was HIV positive 1 A gay employee of Clinton Cards claims he was suspended the day after he told his boss that he had been diagnosed with HIV.Karl Nugent, 23 from Northallerton in north Yorkshire told an employment tribunal investigating his suspension that he was told to stay away from the other staff's mugs and cutlery in the staff kitchen. He also claims that he was given £20 to purchase his own towels and not to use the staff toilet in order "to avoid other staff catching HIV". -
1 November 2005Liverpool’s gay pride event kicks off 1 Homotopia, Liverpool's annual gay pride event kicked off on Monday and will last for the next two weeks.The event, which is in its second year, will feature gay films, exhibitions, artwork and stage shows.Homotopia will also feature a host of guest speakers including OutRage! founder Peter Tatchell.
