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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20 February 2006Paedophile raped boy he met in gay chatroom 2 A 27 year old paedophile posed as a teenager in a gay chat room to rape a 14 year old boy.Luton Crown Court was told that John Lloyd indecently assaulted the boy in his own bed after grooming him on the internet and convincing the parents he was 15. He was jailed for eight years. -
20 February 2006Gay icon Laurel Hester dies + A gay rights icon who spent her last years campaigning to have her pension benefits extended to her partner has died of cancer.Laurel Hester was a member of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. She died at the Point Pleasant home she shared with her partner, Stacie Andree. The couple had been together for six years and were registered as domestic partners in 2004. -
20 February 2006Kate Moss in lesbian role + Controversial model Kate Moss is being lined up for a lesbian role in Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee's latest film.The film is based on the life of singer Dusty Springfield, and Ms Moss is expected to play a socialite who became one of her early lovers.Charlize Theron, 30, is rumoured to be playing Dusty Springfield. -
20 February 2006Teachers find it hard to stop homophobic bullying 4 Teachers are cracking down on bullying in schools but still find it hard to deal with homophobic abuse according to the Anti Bullying Alliance.Data obtained by the Evening Standard showed school exclusions rose in 17 boroughs and went down in only five. There were wide variations between authorities. Children were suspended or expelled for bullying on 860 occasions in London schools last year, up 52 per cent from 567 in the previous 12 months. -
20 February 2006Fake gay marriages could get immigrants British passports + Immigrants could be encouraged to have a gay marriage in order to get a passport, according to reports.Undercover reporters from the Sunday Times discovered that lawyers are prepared to advise potential immigrants to sign up for gay marriages in order to get British Citizenship, even if they are heterosexual. -
20 February 2006South African gay groups fear increased homophobia + South African gay rights groups are becoming increasingly concerned about homophobia after a spate of attacks on lesbians in the country.Organisations spoke out after the murder of a young lesbian in a township in Cape Town. The groups say that lesbians are seen as a challenge to male dominance and the patriarchal society. -
17 February 2006US Scouts gay leader ban causes land row + A San Diego appellate court panel is assessing arguments over whether the Boy Scouts of America, which bans gay troop leaders and insists people make a pledge to God, has the right to use city-owned parkland.Mark Danis, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told the appeals panel, "San Diego city land can't be used as the headquarters of a discriminatory organisation," Mr Danis said. -
17 February 2006“Homophobic” Conservative canidate stands down 1 Conservative Party leader David Cameron forced a Welsh Assembly candidate to stand down just 24 hours after he had been selected, over rows about "homophobic" remarks.John Jenkins, 25, stood down as the Conservative candidate for the key seat of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire after continued controversy over claims he made in 2003 that being gay was a "medical mental condition." -
17 February 2006Complaints over lesbian FCUKing ad 3 A new French Connection advertising campaign has received over 60 complaints since its launch this week.Controversial designers, are looking to launch a fashion or style debate through the adverts which featuring raunchy lesbian scenes.In the fashion label's latest television and cinema ad campaign, two women are shown kissing and tearing each other's clothes off in between exchanging kicks and punches. -
17 February 2006London Mayor urged to help resurrect Moscow Pride 1 The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has called on the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, to appeal to his counterpart in Moscow to lift the ban on a gay pride parade in the city.The Mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov, has said that all attempts to organise a gay parade, in any form, open or disguised, will be "resolutely quashed". His press secretary, Sergey Tsoy, said that the reports about the proposed parade "have evoked outrage on society, in particular among religious leaders." -
16 February 2006Brokeback Mountain stars become “gay action figures” 1 The stars of gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain are to be transformed into action figures.The Mirror reports that a fan has turned Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall into dolls based on their characters in the hit film.They come equipped with two horses, a campfire, a dog, a tent, a liquor bottle and a tree. -
16 February 2006Gay MPs and cancer charities welcome smoking ban 10 The smoking ban has been met with mainly positive reactions amongstthe gay community since Parliament voted for it on Tuesday.PinkNews.co.uk reported earlier in the week that many gay bars andvenues felt they could easily cope with a ban and therefore would be pretty much unaffected. -
16 February 2006Boston schools appoint gay headteachers 2 Two schools in Boston have appointed openly gay principals amid mixed feeling from parents.Brian Salzer, 38, who will be the principal at Newton South High School, comes from Sauk Prairie, a small Wisconsin school district near the state capital of Madison, and was the first openly gay principal in Wisconsin. -
16 February 2006Radio host sued over “homophobic” comments + A radio host in Australia is being sued over comments he made about Queer Eye for the Straight Guy presenter Carson Kressley.John Laws is being sued by Gary Burns for the on air comments on Sydney's 2UE. Mr Burns argues that the words used were of homosexual vilification and a breach of the states Anti Discrimination Act. -
15 February 2006Canada’s first gay marriage minister to wed partner + The minister who performed Canada's first gay marriage had his own application for a ceremony granted yesterday with his partner of 25 years.The Rev Brent Hawkes applied for a same sex union with John Sproule on Valentines Day morning at Toronto City Hall.The couple will wed on March 7, their 25th anniversary. -
15 February 2006Fashion ad to feature lesbian kiss 3 Controversial designers, French Connection have attracted more controversy over a series of adverts featuring raunchy lesbian scenes.In the fashion label's latest television and cinema ad campaign, two women are shown kissing and tearing each other's clothes off in between exchanging kicks and punches.
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15 February 2006US education to include homosexuality + School districts around the USA are experiencing opposition to a new health curriculum that includes teaching about gay issues.The schools describe it as making the curriculum more modern and expanding diversity education to stave off homophobic assualts like gay-bashing.However, David Parker, the father of a 5-year-old at an elementary school in Massachusetts, called the move an advance for the "homosexual agenda." -
14 February 2006Gay bars not ready for smoking ban 1 Research conducted by PinkNews.co.uk has revealed that gay venues in London are unprepared for a possible ban on smoking in public places.The city's top pubs and clubs were phoned and asked how much of an impact a ban would have on their trade. Some places had little idea about the legislation and others felt it would make no difference. -
14 February 2006Gay marriage creates healthy body and mind + Civil partnerships help boost mental and physical health among homosexuals and lesbians, according to research.British researchers highlight evidence that, among heterosexuals, individuals who are married have generally lower rates of depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide and are in better physical shape than single people. -
14 February 2006Isle of Man minister labelled a ‘homophobe’ + The Isle of Man's education minister, David Anderson, is facing allegations of homophobia and has been told to quit over comments that homosexuality has 'huge health implications, it's being claimed.The Glenfaba MHK is also said to believe gay lifestyles should not be promoted as equal to heterosexual relationships.
