Brown aide named most powerful gay person in Britain
PinkNews.co.uk, Europe's largest gay news publication, has published its list of the fifty most powerful openly LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) people in British politics.
Gordon Brown's Director of Political Strategy, Spencer Livermore tops a list that contains 17 Labour party members, 11 Conservatives, seven Liberal Democrats, three greens and one Plaid Cymru. The list contains five senior civil servants and special advisers.
The 50 most powerful LGBT people in British politics
As we look forward to another year, we cannot help but ponder the fact that if Gordon Brown had called an autumn election we could have been hearing a very different Queen's Speech last month.
But if the Conservatives or even the Liberal Democrats had won the election, there would be gay people at the heart of government.
The purpose of this PinkNews.co.uk Top 50 list is to demonstrate the presence of gay and lesbian people at the highest levels of British politics.
Profile: The most powerful gay man in British politics
Spencer Livermore is one of the least-recognised names on the PinkNews.co.uk Top 50, but he wields a level of influence most politicians could only dream of.
As Director of Political Strategy at Number 10, he is planning the next election and the direction of the government and the Labour party next week, next month and next year.
David Beckham loves being a gay icon
Former England captain, David Beckham has confessed that his wife, Victoria, likes to dress him and that he loves being a gay icon.
The 32-year-old told BBC Radio 2's Lines of Enquiry: "I'm very honoured to have the tag of gay icon…Maybe it's things like (the fact) I like to look after myself, I like to look smart and presentable most of the time."
He also said: "Without a doubt Victoria has a huge part in the way I look these days."
Simon Hughes says Blair conversion isn't news
The openly bisexual, Christian, Liberal Democrat MP, Simon Hughes has criticised the media for overstating the importance of the conversion of former prime minister Tony Blair to Catholicism.
Mr Hughes said: "In the 21st century the news that a former prime minister has moved from one branch of the church to another should not rate major headlines…If Tony Blair had changed from Christianity to Buddhism, Islam or Judaism it would be much more significant."
David Starkey: The Queen is uncultured and poorly educated
The openly gay historian Dr David Starkey has said the Queen is uninterested in her predecessors because she was poorly educated.
He told the Guardian: "I think she's got elements a bit like Goebbels in her attitude to culture.
"You remember: 'Every time I hear the word culture I reach for my revolver'." He compared her to Elizabeth I, who also acceded the throne at 25, "was 20 times as well educated. And had either five or six languages".
Blair converts to Catholicism
Former prime minister, Tony Blair, has converted to Catholicism, his spokesman confirmed today.
He was welcomed into the church in a service last last night by the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor.
Mr Blair's relationship with the gay community was seriously damaged following his appointment of the devoutly Catholic Ruth Kelly to the post of Minister for Equality in 2006. Ms Kelly, a member of Opus Dei had never voted in favour of gay rights despite her role holding responsibility for LGBT issues.
Nepal "sets a new standard for LGBTI rights"
Nepal's gay rights organisation has released a statement celebrating the Supreme Court's decision to grant equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people.
Blue Diamond Society's Sunil B Pant said he was extremely happy and proud" of the court's decision, which the group hopes will mean a revolution for gay people in the Himilayan country.
"It is believed that LGBTI will enjoy, today onward, all the rights according their sexual and gender identities as other genders."
Graham Norton to search for new star of Oliver!
Gay comic Graham Norton will host a new show for the BBC next year, I'd Do Anything will try to find four new stars for the musical Oliver.
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber will lead the judges but will be joined by the musical theatre produer, Cameron Mackintosh, listed as the 16th most influential gay person in Britain in the Independent's 2007 list.
London HIV funding cuts reversed
Charity Gay Men Fighting AIDS has revealed that it has received an announcement from NHS London stating that HIV prevention funds for gay men will not be cut.
Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have been told to back down on their previous stance that money was too tight.
"HIV prevention work for gay men in London was going to be cut by 36%, which would have meant that some of the existing services would just stop," said Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes for GMFA.
Review: St Trinians impresses and amuses
With an all-star cast, the latest St Trinian's film brings the unruly schoolgirls kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century.
Facing closure from the bank, and under pressure from the government for her unorthodox teaching methods, headmistress Camilla Fritton (played with great relish by Rupert Everett), rallies her girls round.
Pitting their wits against former-flame, Education Minister Geoffrey Thwaites (Colin Firth), she joins her pupils in a plot to steal famous painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Jersey consults on gay marriage
The States of Jersey has set-up an advisory board to receive comments on four government proposals for new legislation which could introduce gay marriage to the island by the end of next year.
The four options put forward for further discussion are the right for same-sex couples to marry, same-sex civil partnerships as in the UK, civil partnership for both heterosexual and same-sex couples, or no change to the current law.
The closing date for comments is 31st March 2008.
Paddick calls on Met chief to resign over shooting
The Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London has again called on the capital's most senior police officer to resign over the shooting of an innocent man.
Brian Paddick's remarks follow the announcement today by the independent police watchdog that no officers from the Metropolitan police will face charges or disciplinary action over the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes on July 22nd 2005.
Mr Paddick was the UK's most senior out gay officer until he stood down as one of the Met's Deputy Assistant Commissioners in May.
Spanish embassy unaware of civil partnerships agreement
The Spanish Embassy in London was unaware UK civil partners should now receive the same benefit as married couples in Spain, despite advice from the British government that Spanish authorities should be contacted for guidance on the matter.
When contacted by PinkNews.co.uk today Fernando Villalba, the Spanish Embassy press councillor, said: "This is the first time I have heard about that. I haven't seen it in the news."
He said he had no advice for same-sex civil partners wishing to claim marriage benefits.
Christian MPs want to amend hate crime legislation
A cross-party group of MPs has tabled an amendment designed to ensure that homophobic Christians can continue to express their views on gay people.
Devout Roman Catholics Ann Widdecombe and Jim Dobbin are among the MPs attempting to amend the government's proposal to make incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation a criminal offence.
Christian Concern for our Nation is urging its supporters to pressure MPs into supporting the new amendment.
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