Marc Shoffman was chief correspondent of PinkNews.co.uk between 2005 and 2006. He was online editor between 2006 and 2007.
-
27 November 2006Christian magistrate resigns over gay adoption 4 A Christian judge is taking legal action against the UK Government after claiming he had to resign from his role because he was against ruling on adoption cases which would have placed children in the care of same sex couples.Andrew McClintock stepped down after his request to not have to deal with cases involving gay parents were dismissed. -
27 November 2006Gay stars join Diana memorial concert 1 A memorial concert including performances from gay stars George Michael and Sir Elton John will be held next year for the late Princess Diana, according to reports.Her son's Prince William and Prince Harry are reported to be arranging a concert at Wembley Arena to raise money for her favourite charities. -
24 November 2006Sexual health activists fight gay HIV increase 3 Sexual health campaigners are calling for better HIV awareness programmes after a Health Protection Agency report revealed that an estimated 63,500 adults are now living with HIV in the UK , with an increase in cases for gay men.This latest figure includes both those who have been diagnosed and also around a third (20,100) who remain unaware of their infection. -
24 November 2006Gay icons come to DVD + You have laughed at the outdated outfits, adopted their mispronunciations of words, and now the super camp comedy pairing of Australian mother and daughter Kath and Kim has come to DVD.The Neighbours meets Royle Family type show features the suburban Sheila's attempt to cope with all that life throws at them from sex, men, food and, well mainly sex, men and food. -
24 November 2006Gay Londoners asked about HIV + For the first time, gay men in London are being asked to give their views on the commissioning of HIV services in the capital city.A proposal for radical changes in the provision of HIV prevention work for gay men has been put forward and you can have your say.If the proposed HIV prevention work does not meet the needs of gay men, the community suffers and increasingly scarce resources are wasted. -
24 November 2006Scottish Tory leader backs gay adoption + Scotland's Conservative Party leader has echoed the gay friendly attitude of Tory head David Cameron by backing gay adoption.Annabel Goldie looks set to anger some of her own party members as well as religious groups ahead of a vote on the Scottish Executive's Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill by saying allowing gay couples to adopt will make Scottish law a fairer reflection of society. -
24 November 2006Northern Ireland to launch gay equality law 12 Gay activists are recommending Ulster as an ideal holiday destination for the LGBT community as Northern Ireland looks set to implement Sexual Orientation Regulations early in the New Year.The law, which guarantees equality in the provision of goods and services, is rumoured to be introduced in January 2007, while the legislation will be enforced in the rest of the UK in April. -
23 November 2006Christian students ‘under considerable opposition’ + Senior Bishops of the Church of England, and the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, have spoken out against "intolerant and unlawful" actions by several universities after a number of Christian Unions have been banned from campuses.Unions in Exeter, Birmingham and Edinburgh have been prohibited from using university faculties and in some cases from being recognised as a club because of alleged discrimination towards non-Christians and gay people. -
23 November 2006Gay clergy ‘divisive’ for Church relations + Gay bishops and female clergy are driving a wedge through the prospect of good relations between the Anglican and Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope concluded today.In his first official visit to the pontiff, Dr Rowan Williams spoke of the importance of unity in the church, the pair presented a declaration which highlighted certain issues straining Christian relations. -
23 November 2006Civil partners urged to write wills 1 December 5 marks the first anniversary of the Civil Partnership Bill but despite a year having passed since the introduction of this legislation, the Institute of Professional Willwriters is warning that many same sex couples have no idea of the impact their union has on their inheritance arrangements.The Institute of Professional Willwriters is so concerned about this situation that it has written to the National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales to highlight the lack of knowledge existing in relation to the impact of marriage, re-marriage and Civil Partnership on an existing will. -
23 November 2006South Africa backs gay inheritance rights 10 South Africa's gay community has been given more cause for celebration after the country's constitutional court today ruled that same sex partners should have equal inheritance rights to heterosexual couples.The case comes just weeks after South African politicians voted for gay marriage.This latest development orders that the law regarding inheritance rights should also include the term, "same-sex life partnership." -
22 November 2006Lesbian rocker tops Cool List 1 A lesbian punk rocker has topped a 'Cool List' of music icons.Beth Ditto, the larger than life lead singer of US band Gossip, beat big names such as Lily Allen, Jarvis Cocker and Liam Gallagher to become the first woman to top music magazine NME's Cool List.Ditto is an outspoken advocate for gay rights and has used her songs to back gay marriage legislation in the US. -
22 November 2006Phillips vows to uphold gay equality + LGBT issues should always be on the equality agenda, the incoming chair of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) said this week.Trevor Phillips outlined a commitment to LGBT rights in a statement read out by lesbian activist Sue Sanders for the launch of LGBT History Month. -
22 November 2006Homophobes cancel Wal-Mart boycott 3 An anti-gay group has called off a boycott of worldwide retailer Wal-Mart after the store vowed to remain neutral on "highly controversial issues."Homophobes inside the American Family Association are hailing a victory against the store claiming it reacted to their protest against it joining the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and stocking products appearing to promote same-sex marriage. -
22 November 2006European Parliament avoids gay friendly workplace + Campaigners have criticised the European Parliament after it adopted a declaration on diversity in its own workplace which knowingly excluded sexual orientation.The International Lesbian and Gay Association expressed surprise at the omission.A draft resolution of the European Parliament's Secretariat, the administrative arm of the political body, had included sexual orientation, but this was defeated by four votes to two, with two abstentions. -
21 November 2006Israel “bursts open” for gay marriage 1 Israel's orthodox community has only just recovered from a gay pride rally being held in Jerusalem, but now they must prepare themselves for gay marriage, after the High Court of Justice backed the unions this morning.The Association of Civil Rights (ACRI) in Israel submitted a petition on behalf of five gay couples in March against the Ministry of the Interior's Population Registrar, demanding the registration of same-sex couples who marry outside of Israel. -
21 November 2006Gay activists encourage shopping for solidarity + As the official beginning of the holiday shopping season is set to start, US gay group the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), has released a new guide listing hundreds of popular American brands ranked by their company's gay friendliness.The publication, Buying for Equality, breaks products into easily distinguishable purchasing categories. -
21 November 2006Gay talent shines at Emmy Awards + Last night's International Emmy Awards were dominated by British and gay orientated talent.Gay comedian Matt Lucas picked up an award along with co-star David Walliams for Little Britain, and lesbian drama Sugar Rush picked up an accolade.Little Britain won the Best Comedy Award while Sugar Rush, which won Broadcast of the Year at the UK Stonewall Awards earlier this month, won Best Children and Young People's Programme. -
21 November 2006Latvia chooses homophobe for human rights role + Gay campaigners in the European Union have criticised the Latvian Parliament after it confirmed the nomination of Janis Smits for the post of chairperson of the Parliamentary Human Rights and Social Affairs Committee, despite his history of hate speech and incitements to hatred and violence against the gay community.The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights has urged the Latvian Parliament to reconsider its choice, asking the Latvian Parliament to follow the courageous acts of its European counterpart when it refused to accept the nomination of Rocco Buttiglione for similar reasons. -
21 November 2006Campaigners call for better HIV prevention + AIDS awareness groups have called for better prevention programmes after a report revealed that many schemes are not reaching the people most at risk from infection in some countries such as gay men.The global AIDS epidemic continues to grow and there is concerning evidence that some countries are seeing a resurgence in new HIV infection rates which were previously stable or declining, the UNAIDS/WHO 2006 AIDS Epidemic Update states.
