Articles written by the PinkNews.co.uk 'staff writer' are authored by one or more of the PinkNews.co.uk editorial team.
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19 January 2006Gay weddings “unbiblical” and “unworkable” 29 A senior Church of England bishop has criticised his colleague's stance over gay "weddings" for priests as "unbiblical" and unworkable.The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, said guidance issued by the House of Bishops in response to civil partnerships was against Church teaching and unity. -
18 January 2006Comment: Letter of the week 5 We regularly receive encouraging and inspiring letters and comments at the offices of PinkNews.co.uk, this week has been no different.PinkNews.co.uk's Marc Shoffman received one gem from a nice lady called Barbara, who has helped remind us why the struggle for sexual equality continues. -
17 January 2006Outrage at lack of respect for gay campaigner 3 Gay rights group, Outrage, is accusing a prominent member of George Galloway's Respect Party, of encouraging homophobia and violence against leader, Peter Tatchell.In his column in Asian weekly entertainment newspaper, Desi Xpress, Adam Yosef denounced Mr Tatchell as a "bigot" who "needs a good slap in the face." Yosef urges the Australian-born activist and his "queer campaign army" to "pack their bent bags and head back to Australia". -
16 January 2006EU debates homophobia 1 The European Parliament is this evening debating a resolution on homophobia in Europe.The resolution strongly condemns homophobia and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in EU member states and calls on European institutions to promote and protect the human rights of all persons regardless of their sexuality. -
14 January 2006“Gay horse” case dropped + A student from Oxford University who labelled a police horse as "gay" will not be prosecuted.Sam Brown, originally from Belfast, approached a mounted police officer during a night out with friends in Oxford and said: "Excuse me, do you realise your horse is gay?"Following the comments, police backup arrived in two squad cars and arrested Mr Brown under the Public Order Act. -
13 January 2006Gay Doctor Who star was too straight for Will and Grace 7 John Barrowman, the gay star of Doctor Who was told he was "too straight" to play the part of Will in the hit US comedy Will and Grace.The 38 year old actor who is well known across the world as Doctor Who's bisexual sidekick Captain Jack Harkness claimed that offering the led role in the gay sitcom to a straight actor, Eric McCormack was typical of "homophobic" Hollywood. -
12 January 2006South Africa bans gays from giving blood + South Africa has followed many other countries in banning sexually active gay men from donating blood"A man who has had sex with another man within the last five years, whether oral or anal sex, with or without a condom ... is not permitted to donate blood and must please not do so," Dr. Robert Crookes, head of the national blood service said today.South Africa has the world's highest number of HIV cases with more than 5 million people infected. -
10 January 2006Sony launches gay music label + Sony Music has launched the first major music label dedicated to nurturing lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gendered artists.The label, to be known as 'Music with a Twist', is a joint venture with a new gay media company, Wilderness, led by Matt Farber, the founder of MTV's gay entertainment channel, LOGO, which reaches 20 million homes across the USA.'Music With a Twist' will collaborate with Sony's other labels to cross promote gay artists with mainstream appeal. -
9 January 2006Tatchell savages Christian protesters 15 Gay activist Peter Tatchell has launched a stinging attack on Christians planning to protest about gay discrimination legislation outside Parliament later today.Evangelical Christian groups are due to be joined by Muslim activists on the torchlight protest, timed to coincide with a debate in the House of Lords on the new Sexual Orientation Regulations. -
9 January 2006Shameless gay characters return to Channel 4 + To the uninitiated, it might not sound like very appealing television. A family of scallies, living off their wits in a run down council estate in the North. As comedy goes, it is not exactly The Good Life. Tonight will see a triumphant return to our screens for the Gallagher family, among them a well-adjusted gay teenager and his maladjusted lesbian mother. -
9 January 2006COMMENT: Who is Lord Morrow? 15 PinkNews.co.uk's Tony Grew provides some background on today's debate in the House of Lords on the Sexual Orientation Regulations. Northern Ireland is a religious place, probably the most devout part of the UK. Church attendance is high, for both Protestants and Catholics. It is also a place used to bigotry.Those two aspects of Northern Irish society have come together over the new regulations that outlaw discrimination against LGBT people when trying to access services. -
9 January 2006NY court rules gay post-nup is legal but wedding is not + A legal agreement made between two gay men is still valid, despite the fact that that their wedding is not legal, a New York court has ruled.Steven Green, 41, and David Gonzalez, 29, travelled to Massachusetts on Valentines Day 2005 to get married.Seven months later, when the relationship broke down, lawyers for Mr Green drew up a separation agreement.
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9 January 2006Mormon cinema owner bans Brokeback Mountain + A cinema in Utah has pulled out of screening the gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain.The Jordan Commons Megaplex cinema in Salt Lake City is owner Larry Miller, a member of the anti-gay Mormon movement.Brokeback Mountain's distributor, Focus Features claims that Mr Miller "reneged on their licensing agreement" by not showing the critically acclaimed film. -
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6 January 2006Barbie turns you transsexual- US Christian group 8 A right wing fundamentalist Christian group has warned that Barbie is not just a child's toy, but also a tool for the "homosexual agenda."The Concerned Women for America, a conservative group that "promotes Biblical values," made the claim based on a survey on the doll's website, which asked users whether they were "A Boy," "A Girl" or "I Don't Know."The group claims that the toy's manufacturer, Mattel, has "overstepped a line" and accused it of joining forces with the "transgender movement." -
5 January 2006New York elects first gay speaker + New York City Council yesterday elected its first woman and first openly gay speaker.Christine Quinn, a 39-year-old Democrat, becomes the second highest-ranking official in the city after the mayor, Michael Bloomberg.The role of the speaker is to act as a check and balance to the executive authority of the mayor. It is, in effect, a similar position to the chairman of the London Assembly. -
4 January 2006Comment: Can we tolerate homophobia for much longer? 12 PinkNews.co.uk's Benjamin Cohen takes a personal look at the controversy concerning the comments made by Sir Iqbal Sacranie on the radio.It used to be the case that libertarians and liberals could argue with some justification that tolerance is a necessary part of a liberal society. As a liberal, I could say to Sir Iqbal: "I disagree with you but I tolerate the right for you to be intolerant." But can we still continue be tolerant of those who show so little respect for our liberal way of life. -
29 December 2005Sir Elton and David Furnish’s marriage certificate released + The civil partnership certificate documenting the marriage of Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish, has been released to the media.The couple married in a civil ceremony on December 21st at Windsor Guildhall followed by an extravagant party at their nearby home attended by a crowd of A-list celebrities. -
28 December 2005Ireland to consider gay marriages 2 Ireland may follow the UK in changing the law to allow gay marriages.Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell met with gay rights campaigners in Dublin following the first marriages in Britain and announced the creation of a government committee to examine the case for gay marriages."Our view is that the centre of gravity in Ireland has shifted," Mr McDowell told the gathering. -
28 December 2005Gay clubbing drug Special K to be re-classified 4 An anaesthetic used by vets to tranquilise horses, which has been increasingly popular on the gay clubbing scene, is to be re-classified to make it a serious crime to possess it.Ketamine, nicknamed "Special K", is currently classed as a controlled substance, but is not a classified drug. This means that the drug users caught by the police can only be charged with possessing a controlled substance.
