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-
26 August 2008Emmerdale: Val finds herself with an unwelcome new best friend + Val's doing her best to get Pollard to forgive her. But she has to deal with a setback when her holiday chum, Bonnie, turns up. -
15 August 2008Coronation Street: Mercenary Tony threatens Jed + The only thing missing in Coronation Street this week is a mad cackle of laughter and a thunder clap to accompany mercenary Tony. He's forcing pensioners from their homes while rubbing his hands with glee. We've all heard of cold-hearted business people, but he really takes that concept to a whole new level. -
30 July 2007Comment: How PinkNews.co.uk changed the gay media 2 PinkNews.co.uk founder Benjamin Cohen reflects on the first two years of this unique publication.PinkNews.co.uk was born minutes before the 38th anniversary of the Royal Assent of the Sexual Offences Act - the legislation that partially decriminalised male homosexuality in England and Wales.This weekend we have been celebrating four decades of laws making the lives of British LGBT people better, while I was also celebrating two years of this website. -
5 June 2007Vacancy + If you're a fan of psycho killer thrillers, this should be right up your street. It's classic, almost clichéd slasher movie material.Young couple getting lost in a remote part of the countryside? Check. Car breaks down? Check.They find a remote motel in which to spend the night? Check. It all turns out to be a bit creepy and they end up having to run for their lives? Check. -
5 June 2007Ocean’s Thirteen + After the dire second outing in the Steven Soderbergh/George Clooney caper series, it looked rather as if the magic had gone. Not only that, but some began to question the very concept of movies with massive ensemble casts, made up largely of A-list actors. After all, how many massive egos can any screenwriter realistically accommodate while maintaining a coherent and entertaining script?Of course, the first Ocean's Eleven film - at least, the first in the Soderbergh series, as it was a remake of a 1960s classic - was a real treat. -
27 May 2007Peter Tatchell speaks out after his violent Moscow assault 62 PinkNews.co.uk Exclusive"I'm not deterred one iota from coming back to protest in Moscow," Peter Tatchell told PinkNews.co.uk from Moscow, just hours after he was attacked by suspected neo-Nazis and then arrested by the Russian riot police the OMON. "Gay Russians need overseas support to protect them against state and neo-Nazi violence."Mr Tatchell told PinkNews.co.uk: "I urge people to protest to the Russian Ambassador and to ask their local MP to send a letter of protest to the Russian embassy." -
2 May 2007Comment: Browne shouldn’t have been outed 15 Peter Tatchell writesIt was ethically wrong for the Mail on Sunday to seek to expose Lord Browne's homosexuality, and especially wrong for the newspaper to plan the publication of uncorroborated 'kiss and tell' revelations from his ex-partner, Jeff Chevalier.The newspaper colluded with a bitter, greedy former boyfriend who demanded money from Lord Browne, and who implicitly threatened him if he did not pay up. -
1 March 2007Comment: The politics of religion and gay adoption + By Ben Cohen The debate over exemption for religious groups from the Equality Act exposed a division within the government and the country.While we don't know exactly what happened behind closed doors, it appears that Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality, was persuaded by her friends within the Catholic Church to exempt their adoption agencies from being forced to treat gay and lesbian couples in the same way that they would a straight couple. -
7 November 2006PinkNews.co.uk Archive + -
28 September 2006October’s The Pink News is out now! + October's The Pink News is dominated by religion and politics. From Christain's attacking the NSPCC for supporting gay children to the rising gay stars at the heart of British politics."A charity claiming to protect the interests of children has launched a bizarre attack on the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and its Childline service...." You can download the latest edition of The Pink News online. -
1 September 2006September issue of The Pink News out now + September's The Pink News is dominated by the Middle East, exploring the impact of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel on World Pride."IT'S BEEN a tough month for Middle East politics with Israel trying to secure its borders and stop Hezbollah rocket attacks while thousands of Lebanese citizens have been displaced, but beyond the diplomatic, democratic and ideological consequences of the current saga, the international gay community has also felt the brunt of the conflict...." -
3 August 2006Gay campaigner calls for solidarity with Iranian activists + Gay and human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell has called on the gay community to show solidarity with the Ahwazi community within Iran following the suspected execution of two gay, Ahwazi teenagers in the country last month."The Iranian regime is planning the imminent execution of 10 Ahwazi human rights activists from Khuzestan province in the south-west of Iran. They were sentenced to death after secret trials in June." -
31 July 2006Madrid Mayor conducts gay wedding despite opposition from his own party + The mayor of Madrid has been criticised by his own party for officiating at the gay wedding of one of his staffAlberto Ruiz Gallardon is a member of the Spanish People's Party (PP), who themselves opposed the introduction of gay marriage in the country last year.Señor Ruiz Gallardon conducted the ceremony of Javier Gomez, a PP strategist and Manuel Rodenas, a city council employee. -
13 July 2006Cameron rejects alliance with Polish homophobes + Conservative Leader, David Cameron is due to sign a joint declaration of intent with the Czech Civic Democrats (ODS) at 4pm today, announcing their intention to leave the EPP (European Peoples Party) after the next European elections. However, he has avoided consternation within the gay community by rejecting for now an alliance with the homophobic Polish Law and Justice Party (LJP).Conservative MEPs stood for the 2004 European elections as British candidates for the EPP, the right of centre alliance of like minded parties. -
13 July 2006HIV awareness concert cancelled following protests 3 A concert to raise awayness of HIV and AIDs due to take place next week has been cancelled after protests relating to the homophobic lyrics of two of the performers.The gig, due to have been held in New York was to feature Jamaican reggae acts Beenie Man and TOK sparked protests from black LGBT campaigners outraged at the inclusion of the two acts. -
13 July 2006Senior clergyman attacks “witch hunt”of gays + A senior Church of England clergyman has attacked evangelical Christians for conducting what he calls a "witch hunt" against gay people."The thought that anybody should be shown the door by the Church, I just find deeply offensive," the Very Reverend Dr John Moses said prior to his final service as Dean of St Paul's Cathedral. -
12 July 2006Gay Conservative tipped for Mayor of London challenge 1 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveFollowing the decision of prominent lesbian businesswoman Margot James to declare that she will not be seeking the Conservative nomination for Mayor of London, a further gay candidate has emerged.PinkNews.co.uk has learnt that Nicholas Boles, Director of the Conservative party aligned think tank, the Policy Exchange is considering standing for the Conservative nomination in an open primary to be held later this year. -
11 July 2006Police officers resign after lesbian abuse + Six police officers who called a former drug addict a lesbian have resigned from Lincolnshire police force.Mark Connolly, 36, and Simon Alderson, 35, Matthew Dossett, 30, Ryan Duffy, 22, Jody Senior, 27, and Neill Webster, 23, were found guilty of disorderly conduct at Gainsborough Magistrates' Court. They then lost an appeal at Nottingham Crown Court. -
8 July 2006Clinton disappoints gay community over marriage 3 Presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton has disappointed the New York gay community by specifically leaving out any pledges on gay marriage in her call for equality for gay people.Mrs Clinton, who is a New York Senator, was reacting to the judgement of the New York State Court of Appeals who ruled on Thursday that only a change in law would allow gay marriage and that banning gay marriage was therefore constitutional. -
7 July 2006Murder toilets popular for gay cruising + Toilets where an eight-year-old girl was killed last week have emerged as a popular cruising ground for gay men.Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu was murdered last week in the toilets of the Livingston Marketplace shopping centre in the outskirts of Perth, Australia.The toilets had previously been featured on a popular cruising website, Squirt, promoted as "the dating site that caters to the sex pig".
