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-
21 March 2006Hate crimes against transsexuals to be targeted by police + Transphobic hate crimes against transsexuals and transvestites in Northern Ireland will from today be recorded separately from other hate crimes to allow the police to gain a greater understanding of the challenges faced by members of the transgendered community.The Democratic Unionist party (DUP) has labelled the move as "political correctness gone mad." -
21 March 2006International gay group still aiming for UN recognition + An international group representing lesbians and gays have said that they will seek to put pressure on the United Nations to grant full recognition of lesbian and gay human rights through their biannual conference to be held in Geneva next week.The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) said the conference would be addressed by delegates from all continents, including countries where homosexuality is banned. -
21 March 2006Human rights group condemns Islamists and the Metropolitan Police + PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveThe fifth annual Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund meeting was held in London last night despite the pulling out of the guest speaker, the liberal Islamic theologian, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf due to death threats.Instead the main speaker was the Iranian born secularist Maryam Namazie who claimed that supporters "should pay more to hear me speak than some Imam." -
20 March 2006Liberal Islamic scholar forced to pull out of gay rights speech by Muslim leaders + The liberal Islamic theologian, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf, has been pressured to pull out of a lecture he was due to give tonight in London to raise funds for the gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, following protests and warnings by Muslim leaders.Dr Yusuf was due to call for an "Islamic Reformation" to an audience primarily made up of gay men and women.The engagement has allegedly provoked the wrath of senior Islamic clerics, who warned they could not guarantee his safety if the lecture went ahead. -
20 March 2006Beverly Knight hits out against homophobia in black music 2 Pop diva Beverly Knight has spoken out against the blatant homophobia in a great deal of music from black artists including Beenie Man.Ms Knight first spoke out against homophobia in 2004 following the death of her friend, the television presenter Tyrone Jameson who died of AIDs.The pop star has in her own right become an icon of the gay community. -
20 March 2006Australian state premier bars gay marriage bill 1 The premier of the Australian state of Victoria has declared his opposition to proposals for a gay marriage bill similar to the British Civil Partnerships Act to be introduced in his state.Steve Bracks, the Australian Labor [sic] party Victoria premier has refused to allow an official who is responsible for drafting legislation to assist independent MP, Andrew Olexander to draft a civil unions bill. -
19 March 2006Gay Briton accused of murder released on bail in Crete + A gay British man accused of killing his parents following a rift over his homosexuality has been bailed in Crete.Ryan Johnson, 32, from Newlyn, was arrested on Monday and appeared in court on Crete on Thursday. He is charged with murdering Terry and Jo Johnson, aged 53 and 54, at the weekend. Members of his family arrived on the Greek island on Thursday night. -
19 March 2006British men jailed for gay abuse of children in India + Two British men have been jailed for six years in India after they were found guilty of abusing boys at a children's shelter that one of the pair had set-up in Bombay.The court found Duncan Grant, a charity worker, and Allan Waters guilty of child sex abuse and engaging in unnatural acts with children. They were sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of £20,000 each.
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19 March 2006Boyzone star holds gay wedding in London 2 Former Boyzone singer Stephen Gately today married his gay partner in a civil ceremony at an exclusive hotel next door to Buckingham Palace.The 30-year-old singer had previously held a commitment ceremony with the internet entrepreneur, Andy Cowles, in Las Vegas three years ago.A spokesman for the Goring Hotel said that Sir Elton John, who was expected to be one of the guests, was not present. -
19 March 2006Beckham’s ex says she’s not a lesbian, but is bisexual + Rebecca Loos, who famously enjoyed a brief affair with England and Real Madrid star David Beckham says that despite being bisexual, she would only settle down with a man.The former personal assistant said: "I love lesbians but I'm not one myself. I'm bisexual. I do fancy some women, but only very occasionally. I rarely walk into a room and am attracted to a girl. I'm very picky. But there is the potential for me to fancy women." -
19 March 2006Gay police chief believes he is being made the fall guy for the tube shooting 7 Sources close to the most senior gay police officer in Britain say that he has been made "the fall guy" in a campaign to save the job of Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner.Colleagues of Britain Paddick, the deputy assistant commissioner say that he is furious at being "hung out to dry" by the force after he gave a testimony on his boss, Sir Ian to the investigators looking into the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, a 27-year-old Brazilian at Stockwell tube station last year. -
15 March 2006Westlife star: “being a gay icon is a great challenge” 8 Gay Westlife star Mark Feehily has claimed that becoming a gay icon has been his biggest challenge so far.The singer who came out last August after announcing his relationship with Kevin McDaid, a former member of the boy band V.Mr Feehily told the Irish Mirror: "If somebody does come out that is in the public eye then they're going to represent all homosexuals, not just themselves." -
13 March 2006Hillary Clinton still banking on gay support despite gay marriage row 5 Ticket sales for a gay and lesbian fund-raising event for Hillary Clinton have remained high despite a high profile row concerning the New York senator's views on gay marriage.Mrs Clinton, the former first lady and wife of President Bill Clinton is widely believed to be considering standing to become the Democrat's nominee for the next Presidential election.Mrs Clinton supports civil unions, a similar system to the British civil partnership scheme, gay marriage in all but name. However, she continues to support the Defence of Marriage Act, enacted by her husband that maintains that marriages must be between partners of the opposite sex. -
11 March 2006Keanu Reeves brushes off gay rumours 7 The Hollywood star, Keanu Reeves, prefers to laugh off rumours questioning his sexuality rather than consult his expensive lawyer.He told the New York Post: "I try not to live my life by what other people say. People were gossiping about what the king and queen were doing way back when."It's just human nature. We like talking about other people." -
7 March 2006Scientologist John Travolta to play woman in camp film 7 The Scientologist, John Travolta is to play a the role of a woman in the a film version of the hit camp Broadway musical Hairspray.The Hollywood star has been cast to play the role of Edna Turnblad, the mother of a teenage aspiring dancer, in the silver screen adaptation of the hit musical, itself adapted from the 1988 cult movie of the same name, then staring Ricki Lake. -
6 March 2006Google may face legal action over Ashley Cole searches 5 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveThe internet search engine, Google, may face legal action following the way it presents search results relating to the Arsenal and England defender, Ashley Cole.Customers seeking information using the keywords, "Ashley Cole" are controversially now shown additional information for the keywords, "Ashley Cole gay" within the main body of their requested search results. -
6 March 2006Ex-stripper tops the UK music charts with “Chico Time” 1 The former stripper and X-Factor constant Chico, has topped the UK charts with his debut single, "Chico Time."The singer who has quickly grown a following in the gay community thanks to his cheesy pop tunes, knocked gay icon and pop queen Madonna off her perch at the top of the charts.Fellow gay icons, the Pussycat Dolls missed out on another number one, their single "Beep" went in just below Chico at number two. -
6 March 2006Madonna tries to explain away gay kiss to daughter 2 The "Queen" of pop, Madonna has revealed that her girl on girl kiss with the teen pop sensation, Britney Spears left her with some tough questions from her daughter Lourdes.Madonna told an American gay magazine how her nine-year old daughter became "obsessed" with gay questions after her stunt at the MTV awards. -
5 March 2006Lowri Turner criticised by Welsh Assembly over gay comments 5 The television presenter Lowri Turner has been publicly criticised by member's of the Welsh Assembly's equality committee in relation to a "homophobic" column she wrote for a Welsh newspaper.During the height of the controversy surrounding the revelations that Liberal Democrat leadership contender Mark Oaten had engaged in a lengthy relationship with a rent-boy and that Simon Hughes, fellow candidate was bisexual, Ms Turner claimed that gay men would not make good political leaders.
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5 March 2006Gay penguins book banned from children’s library + A children's book about a pair of gay penguins who raise a baby has been banned from the children's section of two libraries in America after parents complained that it promoted homosexuality."And Tango Makes Three," is based on the true story of two gay penguins, Roy and Silo who hatched an abandoned egg in New York's Central Park Zoo in the late 1990s.
