Marc Shoffman was chief correspondent of PinkNews.co.uk between 2005 and 2006. He was online editor between 2006 and 2007.
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18 October 2006Academics criticise Kelly over gay equality delay 18 Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly must resign if she continues to obstruct equal rights for gays and lesbians, says the University and College Union (UCU).The union, which represents 110,000 lecturers and academic related staff, today added its voice to others criticising the delay of legislation which would make it illegal for organisations and businesses to deny services to gays and lesbians. -
17 October 2006Gay football fans tackle homophobia + Gay fans in Europe are joining an international campaign to kick discrimination out of football starting today.LGBT supporters in Germany and Poland are participating in the Football Against Racism in Europe Action Week, which will see a series of events throughout the continent dedicated to promoting equality including anti-homophobia schemes. -
17 October 2006Geeling murder shows ‘school homophobia’ 7 PinkNews ExclusiveA gay school equality group has accused the media of pandering to homophobia over the reporting of the murder of 11-year-old Joe Geeling.Sue Sanders, co-chair of Schools Out, who campaign for LGBT equality in education, said this case shows the problems of homophobia between schoolchildren.Michael Hamer was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for the murder of Joe Geeling in a case which appears to centre around a letter luring the boy to the killer's home. -
17 October 2006Gay rights concern for Nepal talks + Gay rights in Nepal may become isolated as talks between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA - government) and the Maoists in Nepal continue, a local LGBT group has warned.The Blue Diamond Society has expressed concern that gay rights will be forgotten while the country discusses more controversial issues of the future of the monarchy and arms management. -
16 October 2006Gay campaigners attack Ruth Kelly over equality delay 19 Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly has once again come under criticism regarding her view on gay rights after it has emerged that exemptions may be allowed for Catholic groups in the upcoming Equality Act.The new law, which has now been delayed until April, aims to outlaw discrimination in the provision of goods and services for the LGBT community, but protests from Christian groups appear to have led to a delay. -
16 October 2006Conservatives join gay diversity scheme + The Conservative Party has over the last year aimed to change its image amongst the gay community, this has included inviting more gay and lesbian politicians to join the party and backing laws such as civil partnerships and the new Equality Act, now the party has become the latest major British employer to join Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme.The programme promotes good practice around sexual orientation issues and assists employers in recruiting and retaining lesbian and gay staff. -
16 October 2006Government defends gay equality delay 18 Demands for Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly to quit because of a delay in the new Sexual Orientation Regulations have been dismissed.The Liberal Democrat's Women and Equality spokesperson Lorely Burt has been leading calls for the minister to step down after reports that the new Equality Act may be amended to allay fears of Christian groups, her demands were echoed by the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association.
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16 October 2006Gay bashing victim dies + The gay man who was brutally beaten and then hit by a car near a popular New York gay cruise spot has died.Michael Sandy died on Friday after his family removed him from life support, after being attacked in Brooklyn last week,According to Newsday, the 29-year-old's family decided to remove him from the respirator after observing his birthday last Thursday at the hospital. -
13 October 2006Scotland supports gay campaigns against bullying + A gay youth group is helping lead a new anti bullying service in Scotland.LGBT Youth Scotland along with the Scottish Association for Mental Health have today launched a new awareness programme called Better Futures, aimed at tackling bullying wherever it occurs. -
13 October 2006Gay clubbing drug reclassified 5 The Government has moved to reclassify the highly-addictive popular gay clubbing drug crystal meth.An order was tabled in both Houses of Parliament yesterday to reclassify crystal methylamphetamine from Class B to Class A, following advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) earlier this year. -
13 October 2006Northern Cyprus decriminalises homosexuality 1 Northern Cyprus is set to decriminalise homosexuality, bringing it in line with European Union (EU) laws and human rights in the rest of the country.Current laws in the Turkish Cypriot controlled part of the country regard homosexuality as "a crime against nature," but all is about to change after analysts said it is vital to make the change to bring the country into modern society. -
13 October 2006Activists push for conscience clause in gay equality law 12 Religious leaders, academics and legal advisors have joined together to urge the government to protect freedom of conscience in the upcoming Sexual Orientation Regulations in the new Equality Act.The law, due next April, protects gays and lesbians from discrimination in the provision of goods and services, but critics have warned that the proposals infringe on religious beliefs. -
13 October 2006Judge considering lesbian marriage rights + The High Court in Dublin has reserved judgement today on a decision regarding whether a lesbian couple who married in Canada should have their rights recognised in Ireland.Over the last fortnight the court has heard arguments from Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan claiming discriminating against homosexuality can lead to clinical depression and that the current concept of marriage is outdated. -
13 October 2006Lesbian use of IVF increasing 2 The last five years have seen a 2.5 fold increase in numbers of single women having IVF and a 4 fold increase in lesbian couples having IVF, the UK's fertility regulator has revealed.Single women and lesbian couples across the UK are being urged to make their voice heard on the fertility services they receive by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority - the UK's Fertility regulator - as new figures showing that a growing number of these women are coming forward for fertility treatment. -
12 October 2006Gay vote vital for Congress 3 Gay voters will have a huge impact on the outcome of next month's Congressional elections after research has revealed that the lesbian, gay and bisexual electorate is above the national average in closely fought states.The Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy released a report on gay demographics today discovering a 30 percent increase in the number of same sex couples in the US over the last five years. -
12 October 2006UN criticises Cameroon’s anti-gay policies + The United Nations has criticised Cameroonian authorities for detaining 11 men on their basis of their presumed sexuality.The men were arrested at a bar frequented by gays and lesbians in Yaoundé, Cameroon last June and sentenced to 10 months imprisonment after being found guilty "sodomy." -
12 October 2006Disney characters taking the Mickey 3 Disney bosses are reported to be outraged after a video showing characters pretending to be having an orgy was circulated on the internet.The footage featuring Goofy simulating intimate clinches with the Chipmunks and Mickey Mouse getting intimate with the Snowman, was taken at Disneyland Paris and would definitely not be suitable for kids. -
12 October 2006Irish Greens back gay marriage + Ireland does not currently even have any laws regarding same sex unions, but the country's Green Party has today vowed to introduce total equality between the gay and straight community by promising same-sex marriage, civil partnerships for both same-sex and heterosexual couples, and legal rights for couples who live together.The Party believes legislative changes are necessary to ensure equality for all, to offer protection for the contemporary family and to provide a legal framework in areas including taxation, inheritance and maintenance.
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12 October 2006Norway host gay animals 2 There is a big gay buzz around Norway at the moment after the country's capital opened the world's first museum exhibition on gay animals today.The display, entitled Against Nature, at the Oslo Natural History Museum, documents homosexual behaviour amongst over a thousand members of the animal kingdom from beetles to whales. -
12 October 2006Gay banker appeals HSBC judgement 4 A gay former senior banker has won the right to appeal an employment tribunal judgement that he was not sacked by HSBC because of his sexuality.Peter Lewis, who earned in the region of £1 million a year, was seeking £5 million in damages from the bank last June in what was seen as one of the biggest gay discrimination cases in the UK.
