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-
27 April 2006Students demand dismissal of “homophobic” basketball coach + Students from Pennsylvania State University held a protest yesterday demanding the dismissal of a basketball coach who they allege is homophobic.The group of students representing gay and black students together with an HIV education group and delegates from the students' union protested outside the office of university president Graham Spainer.The students demanded a change in the way that the institution deals with issues relating to gay people and other minority groups. -
26 April 2006New Zealand civil unions branded a “waste of time” + The introduction of civil unions in New Zealand have been branded as a "waste of time" after only 458 gay and straight couples have chosen to civil unions over 20,000 straight couples who opted for marriages.New Zealand introduced civil unions a year ago today for both gay and straight couples although only straight couples are entitled to marry under the legislation within the Marriage Act. National Party MP Bill English, who opposed them said: "It was largely a waste of time." -
26 April 2006Gay BBC executive’s murder reconstructed on Crimewatch 1 The murder of a gay retired BBC executive was reconstructed on the BBC One Crimewatch programme last night in a bid to bring the killer to justice.Hallam Tennyson, the 85 year-old great-grandson of Victorian Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was discovered in his flat in Highgate, north London on December 21 2005. Mr Tennyson, who was gay had suffered serious head injuries, and had several stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. -
25 April 2006Vatican bans church service for gays 1 The Vatican has banned a service for gay Catholics at a church in Bavaria due to its close proximity to a gay pride festival being held in the area.Josef Heigl, vicar general for the diocese of Augsburg told the Reuters news agency that the Vatican had stopped the service, which has been taking place during the Christopher Street Day gay festival since 1999, to allay fears that it might give the impression that the Catholic Church endorsed gay rights. -
25 April 2006Gay love poem to Oscar Wilde among literary treasures donated to university + Rare documents chronicling the rise and fall of Oscar Wilde together with a poem by Wilde's gay lover, Lord Alfred Douglas are among the literary treasures donated to the University of Leeds yesterday by a wealthy New York based couple.The newly acquired treasures include Wilde's lectures notes from his 1882 tour of America, marking his rise to fame in addition to a rare copy of the Oxford University journal The Chameleon that played a part in his fall from grace. -
23 April 2006Dutch MP condemns Islam’s homophobia + A Dutch Muslim-born politician has condemned Islam's attitudes to homosexuality and claims that the Netherlands have not done enough to protect gay asylum seekers who face death in their country of origin.Ayaan Hirsi Ali, first gained international attention with a film documenting voilence against women within Islamic societies. Her new film claims that Islam is responsible for a great deal of homophobia. -
22 April 2006Elton John “shocked” that George Michael blames him for woes + The gay pop star Sir Elton John said yesterday that that he was shocked that fellow gay star George Michael blames him over his troubled lifestyle.In an interview to be broadcast this evening, George Michael will tell Michael Parkinson: "The trajectory of my particular soap opera launched from that statement Elton made about 18 months ago when he hadn't seen me for years." -
22 April 2006Spain still supports gay marriage a year on + Despite it being a predominantly Catholic country, most in Spain believe that introducing gay marriage was right.A survey by the Instituto Opina polling organisation found that 61 per cent of those questioned agreed with the statement: "Do you agree or disagree with the government's decision to legalize same-sex marriage."On June 30th 2004, Spanish minister of justice Juan Fernando López Aguilar announced legislation to extend the right to marriage to same-sex couples. -
22 April 2006Appeal court upholds ban on homophobic t-shirts in US schools 1 American high schools have been told by an appeal court that they can ban students from wearing t-shirts that can be hurtful to fellow students after a San Diego school banned a pupil from wearing a t-shirt proclaiming that "homosexuality is shameful."Teenager Tyler Harper student sued Poway High School, claiming that banning him from wearing the t-shirt violated his free speech, religious freedom and due process rights. -
21 April 200680 years of the Queen 2 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveTo celebrate the 80th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen, PinkNews.co.uk looks back at the tremendous changes to the rights of gay people during her lifetime and in particular her illustrious 54 year reign.At her birth on the 21st April 1926 , the then Princess Elizabeth of York would have found a country with a completely different view of homosexuality than we see today, homosexual activities between consenting males was still a serious criminal offence punishable by a spell in prison. -
19 April 2006Barrymore pool death case re-opened 1 Essex police have announced that they are reviewing the death of a man who was found dead in the swimming pool of the openly gay television personality Michael Barrymore.Stuart Lubbock, 31, was pronounced dead in hospital the morning after a party at Mr Barrymore's home in March 2001. During the inquest that followed, an open verdict was reached and to date no-one has been charged in connection with Mr Lubbock's death. -
19 April 2006Dave the Chameleon? 2 The Labour party have warned the gay community that Conservative leader David Cameron would "move stealthily" against the gay community if the Tories return to power.Katie Hanson, co-chair of the Labour committee for Lesbian and Gay Rights told PinkNews.co.uk, "David Cameron might appear to be fresher in his thinking but we believe he is out of kilter with the bulk of his Party. As we know, one day David the Chameleon is blue, the next pink, the next green." -
18 April 2006Gay club night proceeds as three face trial after police drugs bust 1 Three men are due to appear at a Tower Bridge court after a police drugs raid on a nightclub last weekend.Over two hundred police officers from the Metropolitan Police's CO14 specialist clubs and vice squad raided the Fridge nightclub in the Brixton, south London on Saturday. -
18 April 2006EastEnders’ Martin to kill lesbian wife + Sonia Fowler, lesbian nurse and estranged wife of Martin may be killed off in the hit soap EastEnders.The rumours of the dramatic storyline comes after Natalie Cassidy who plays Sonia and James Alexandrou who plays Martin both announced their decision to leave the long running drama.The Daily Star claims that Martin will either face life in jail or commit suicide after he kills his estranged wife. -
18 April 2006How to be an “A” list gay- according to the Sunday Times 1 The Sunday Times, the long-time bastion for middle class home counties readers, has produced its own guide to being a gay celebrity in 2006.It claims that the gay glitterati can be split into three camps, the "Business A lists", the "Party A lists" and the "Hip A lists".Surprisingly, they didn't include reading PinkNews.co.uk as being a characteristic of the "Business A lists." Over 30% of readers access us from their work computers at blue chip companies -
18 April 2006Gay clique runs Southwark- Muslim councillor claims + A councillor who was deselected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in Southwark, south London has claimed that a gay clique is running the borough. The vice chairman of the local party claims that he was deselected due to poor attendance at meetings.Dr Abdur-Rahman Olayiwola, councillor for the Chaucer ward in the borough resigned his membership of the Liberal Democrats after he was not chosen to be a candidate at the local election to be held on the 4th of May. -
18 April 2006“Gay clique” councillor deselected for poor attendance local party says + PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveA councillor who claimed that Southwark, south London was controlled by a gay clique was deselected as a Liberal Democrat councillor due to poor attendance, the local party's vice chairman claims.Dr Abdur-Rahman Olayiwola, councillor for the Chaucer ward in the borough resigned his membership of the Liberal Democrats after he was not chosen to be a candidate at the local election to be held on the 4th of May.
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16 April 2006Police raid club in drugs bust- gay club night may be cancelled 2 Breaking News (updated 1:00 pm)Over two hundred police officers from the Metropolitan Police's CO14 specialist clubs and vice squad have raided the Fridge nightclub in the Brixton, south London.The raid that begun at around 11.25 pm last night, was first reported on PinkNews.co.uk at around midnight on Sunday morning.
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15 April 2006H8 GAY numberplate finally banned by DVLA + A homophobic number plate has been withdrawn by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) after complaints by a leading gay MP who claimed that the number plate H8 GAY was offensive to gay people.The DVLA at first refused to recall the number plate H8 GAY which is read as "hate gay" as it believed that it was not offensive on the grounds of "political, racial or religious sensitivities". -
10 April 2006Do you fancy a bagel? Meet the Jewish gay students group + PinkNews.co.uk Exclusive FeatureBenjamin Cohen went to meet BaGeLs, the Jewish LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) students group meeting for the first time in Soho bar, the Friendly Society."What would you like on your bagel? We've got humus, cream cheese, salmon pate or smoked salmon with cream cheese." I was asked as I arrived to the inaugural meeting of BaGeLs (standing I think for Bisexual and Gay even Lesbian students).
