Jessica has been the editor of PinkNews.co.uk since 2009.
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13 September 2011New York clerk refuses to sign gay marriage licences 141 A town clerk in New York may be forced to resign over her refusal to sign marriage licences for gay couples. Rose Marie Belforti, the town clerk for Ledyard, suggested that the new gay marriage law could lead to people marrying animals. -
13 September 2011Gay Iranians come out on Facebook 24 A Facebook group has been set up for gay Iranians to come out and discuss their personal stories. Iran has the death penalty for homosexuality and there is no gay rights movement operating openly within the country. -
13 September 2011PayPal asked to block accounts of ‘gay hate’ groups 38 PayPal has been asked to cancel the accounts of religious groups accused of supporting anti-gay legislation. Campaign group AllOut says that as the e-payments site quickly banned white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan, it should also cancel the accounts of groups such as Abiding Truth Ministries. -
13 September 2011Jane Lynch: ‘I can’t tell anyone else how to come out as gay’ 9 Glee star Jane says she would never give anyone advice on how to come out as gay. The actress, 51, appears on the cover of this month's Advocate magazine and is one of Hollywood's most high-profile LGBT people. -
13 September 2011Episcopal bishop who ordained gay man dies aged 87 6 A retired US Episcopal bishop who was accused of heresy for ordaining a gay man has died aged 87. Walter C Righter was an assistant bishop in Newark, New Jersey, in 1990 when he ordained Barry Stopfel, who he knew was gay and not celibate, as a deacon. -
13 September 2011Lib Dems urge Scottish government not to give in to gay marriage threats 21 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has urged the government not to be swayed by Catholic threats over gay marriage. While the SNP government says it is inclined to back marriage equality, Catholic leaders say it will lose the support of 800,000 Catholics if it presses ahead with the proposals. -
13 September 2011Section 28 backer Brian Souter accuses Google of censoring his website 69 Scottish entrepreneur Brian Souter, who gave £1 million to the campaign to keep Section 28, has accused Google of blocking his personal website. The Stagecoach founder accused the search engine of censoring free speech and said his website, briansouter.com, had "mysteriously disappeared" from Google's top results for his name. -
13 September 2011North Carolina House approves referendum on gay marriage ban 10 North Carolina's House of Representatives have approved a measure for a voter referendum on a gay marriage ban. Although the US state does not currently recognise gay marriage, Republicans are seeking a constitutional ban on the practice, which would prevent courts from ruling for marriage equality. -
12 September 2011Harvard University hires ‘gay student life’ director 2 Harvard University has appointed a director of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life. Lisa 'Lee' Forest, who is currently the head of the GLTB and Allies Pride Center at Bridgewater State University in Massechusetts, will take up the post in November. -
12 September 2011LGBT foster parents condemned for ‘dressing boy in girl’s clothes’ 41 A couple in Australia have been condemned for allegedly dressing their six-year-old foster son in girl's clothes and putting a photo on Facebook. -
12 September 2011Gay senator David Norris ‘could re-enter race for Irish presidency’ 46 Openly gay independent senator David Norris could re-enter the race for the Irish presidency, it has been reported. The Sunday Independent reported that he is considering whether to stand again, following a "consistent outpouring of public support". -
12 September 2011Gay campaigners urge Northern Ireland health minister to overturn blood donation ban 2 Gay rights campaigners in Northern Ireland are pressuring health minister Edwin Poots to overturn the lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. -
12 September 2011Scottish Catholic Church steps up attack on gay marriage 127 The Catholic Church in Scotland has intensified its attacks on proposals to give gay couples the right to marry. Bishop of Paisley Philip Tartaglia, who is expected to become the next Archbishop of Glasgow when Mario Conti steps down, said marriage equality would be "an act of cultural vandalism". -
12 September 2011David Cameron backs new international gay rights charity 35 A new UK-based charity will be launched to support LGBT people suffering persecution around the world. The project has been backed by political leaders and prime minister David Cameron, who said Britain should be a "global beacon for reform" on the issue of LGBT rights. -
9 September 2011Police figures show rise in recorded anti-gay and transphobic crimes 86 Recorded hate crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland fell by seven per cent last year - but crimes based on sexual orientation, transgender status and disability rose. -
9 September 2011Lesbian MSP Ruth Davidson launches campaign to lead Scottish Tories 27 Lesbian MSP Ruth Davidson has launched her bid to lead the Scottish Conservative Party. The 32-year-old was only elected in May but is tipped to win the leadership contest. -
9 September 2011London charity for older LGBT people seeks volunteers 33 Opening Doors London, the charity for older LGBT people, is seeking donations and volunteers. The service, run by Age UK, offers information, help, 'befrienders' and social activities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people over the age of 50. -
9 September 2011Daily Mail writer Melanie Phillips and MSP Bill Walker tipped for Bigot of the Year 87 Gay rights charity Stonewall has announced the nominees for its annual Hero and Bigot of the Year awards. Those in the running for Bigot of the Year include Daily Mail columnist Melanie Phillips who claimed gay charities were "brainwashing children" and MSP Bill Walker, who said gay relationships should not be "in any way equal" to straight ones. -
9 September 2011Website tracks ‘gay homophobes’ 39 Barely a week seems to go by without a new case of 'gay homophobia' - that is, professional homophobes apparently caught in the act they claim to despise. Now, website Gayhomophobe.com tracks the number of days since the latest scandal. -
9 September 2011Archbishop of Glasgow hits out at ‘foolish’ gay marriage supporters 87 Another Scottish Catholic leader has attacked proposals to bring marriage equality to the country. Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, said that allowing gay marriage would be "foolish" and render marriage "meaningless".
