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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12 October 2006Gay rights politician in drug swab prank + A gay rights spokesman thought he was giving an impromptu political interview to eager reporters but ended up becoming one of the victims of a drug test prank for prime-time television this week, which has caused outcry in the Italian Parliament.Franco Grillini was one of 50 Italian politicians fooled by the prank which the programme Le Iene claims found 12 positive tests for cannabis and four for cocaine after secretly tested them for drugs when being asked to give an interview on the 2007 budget. -
12 October 2006Equality group welcomes gay carer compensation + The Equality Authority has welcomed a decision by the Irish government today to compensate a gay man for taking unpaid leave from his job to care for his partner.The equal rights group called it an "important recognition" for same sex couples in the Republic of Ireland, after the unnamed claimant won his case under the Equal Status Act. -
11 October 2006LGBT community talks about sexuality + Gay and lesbian campaigners, politicians and celebrities are encouraging other LGBT people to feel the freedom of admitting their sexuality openly to mark National Coming Out Day.The event, commemorated today, started in Washington in 1987 when half a million LGBT people and supporters marched together for gay equality, in its 19th year it is still campaigning for people to be out and proud. -
11 October 2006Scarlett Johansson ‘role model’ for sexual health + HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) has praised Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson for addressing the importance of sexual health.The group welcomed her comments which she made in an interview with Allure magazine.Speaking about her relationships she insists she is not promiscuous but said that getting tested for STD's is part of being a "socially aware." -
11 October 2006Lesbian couple drop marriage appeal 10 The lesbian couple whose legal Canadian marriage was declared invalid by the High Court earlier this year has given up its appeal due to a lack of funds but vows to fight on through campaigns.University professors Sue Wilkinson, 52, and Celia Kitzinger, 50, will not be taking their fight to the Court of Appeal because of their current court bill of £25,000 which covers the government's legal costs for the case. -
11 October 2006Gay ex-hostage promoting peace 1 Gay peace activist James Loney is looking to turn the experience of being held hostage in Iraq into a campaign to help promote peace between religions and confront extremism.Mr Loney's abduction by Iraqi militias between November 2005 and March 2006 became the focus of international media attention, his partner and family kept his homosexuality a secret in fear that his captors would execute him. -
11 October 2006Stonewall helps small business promote gay equality + Gay charity Stonewall has launched its first guide advising Britain's four million small businesses how to become more gay-friendly.Gay People, Your Business is designed to be read in 15 minutes for companies who may not understand or have the time to translate legal and business jargon. -
11 October 2006Clinton backs gay partner benefits 3 New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton looks set to mend her topsy-turvy relationship with the gay community after backing same sex partner rights to insurance benefits.Mrs Clinton, who has previously been criticised for opposing same sex marriage, has put her name down as a sponsor for a bill brought forward by Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. -
10 October 2006Stonewall denies preferential gay treatment 1 Gay charity Stonewall has rubbished a report which claims that special interest groups such as the gay community are turning the United Kingdom into a nation of victims and undermining legal equality.The book We're (Nearly) All Victims Now! published by the Civitas think tank estimates that around 73% of the population now make up victim groups which undermines equality before the law. -
10 October 2006Mental health day important for gay community 4 Mental health charities are joining together today to stop the increasing rates of suicide caused by severe depression, an issue of great importance to the gay community.World Mental Health Day, an international awareness campaign, aims to highlight the plight of those people suffering from severe mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia, which can lead to suicide. -
10 October 2006Gay bars to monitor street smoking 5 Gay bars in Soho welcomed the idea of a smoking ban when MPs passed a bill prohibiting it earlier this year, and now Westminster Council has taken another step by ensuring the smokers won't just be moved outside.The local authority of Westminster contains many gay venues which will have to ensure there customers no longer light up from next year, but the Council wants to make sure the new law doesn't result in customers smoking in the street. -
10 October 2006Gay activists oppose Iran deportations + As the Netherlands mulls resuming deportations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender asylum seekers back to Iran, and Sweden begins such deportations again, human rights activists are urging both European governments to adhere to their international legal obligations not to send people back to the risk of torture.Human Rights Watch has written letters toDutch and Swedish authorities saying the states cannot return people to countries where they face torture, ill-treatment or death, a fate known to be awaiting LGBT in Iran where Sharia law proscribes the death penalty for homosexuality. -
9 October 2006Scottish gay laws “jeopardising family life” 5 The Scottish Executive is "jeopardising family life" by allowing civil partnerships, a Catholic bishop has warned.The Bishop Of Paisley, Philip Tartaglia, used a speech to legal figures in Edinburgh yesterday to attack the concept of gay unions.He accused lawmakers of going against "God's purpose," he said: "A raft of legislative measures have jeopardised, recklessly I think, family life as intended by God's purpose for human beings. -
9 October 2006Foley sex scandal dates back to 2000 3 As the US Congressional elections draw nearer yet another embarrassment has emerged for the Republicans as it has emerged an Arizona representative knew about disgraced former Florida politician Mark Foley's controversial email exchanges back in 2000.It has now been revealed that Republican of Arizona, Jim Kolbe, previously confronted Mr Foley over his relationship with a page after the intern showed him internet messages. -
9 October 2006Gay marriage good for the economy + Giving same-sex couples marriage rights will be good for the economy, according to a new study.The research entitled Effect of Marriage Equality and Domestic Partnership On Business and the Economy from the University of California, Los Angeles documents gains to businesses from happier and healthier workers that would outweigh new costs for benefits. -
9 October 2006Prince Charles joins gay church debate 1 The British public usually expects controversial gaffes to come from Prince Philip, but now like father like son, the Prince of Wales looks set to anger the Church of England after backing the denomination's first openly gay clergyman.Prince Charles praised the openness of the late Harry Williams, who used his autobiography in 1982 to come out. -
9 October 2006Taiwan to promote gay equality + The Taiwanese Ministry of Education is offering courses to promote gender equality after a survey revealed that gay students are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts.The research conducted by the education department found that almost 13 percent of homosexual college students are suffering from severe depression and are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts. -
6 October 2006Brokeback Mountain opens cowboy wardrobe 5 Labour Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott will be able to feed his cowboy fetish this weekend when the entire wardrobe of gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain goes on sale.The film is auctioning outfits warn by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger to raise money for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). -
6 October 2006Campaigners seek to stop homophobic incitement 1 Gay charity Stonewall has received around £10,000 of donations towards plans for a campaign to stop incitement of anti gay hatred.The lobby group want homophobic incitement to be included in the next Criminal Justice Bill, which would make it illegal for anti gay statements to be made on public platforms such as in musical lyrics or political campaigns. -
6 October 2006Police treating pensioner murder as homophobic 1 Detectives investigating the death of pensioner Malcolm Bryan have today confirmed it is being treated as a homophobic incident.67-year-old Malcolm Bryan, who worked in the entertainment industry booking cabaret artists, was found dead at the bottom of a stairwell in a bock of flats in Portsmouth after midnight on September 21.
