Jamaican police may get "sensitivity training"
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in Jamaica has said his officers need training to improve the way they deal with gay people.
The Commonwealth country is notorious as one of the most homophobic places on earth.
In the course of the last month a leading LGBT activist has fled the island claiming he was brutalised by police and an officer has gone into hiding after being abused by colleagues about his sexuality.
Gay film festival to showcase Japanese queer cinema
Now in its 23rd year, the Torino GLBT Film Festival or "Da Sodoma a Hollywood" will be held from 17th to 25th April 2008.
Organisers said it will be the third Turin festival jointly organised and administered with Itlay's National Museum of Cinema.
"23 years of exploration and construction of queer imagination," they said in a press release. "With a sharp discerning eye for perceiving new developments, the festival has gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the major drivers of dialogue between the GLBT community and the public.
Man, 70, wanted over gay village murder
Police have today released a second picture of a man they want to speak to in connection with the murder of a 25-year-old man.
Detectives need to speak to David Broady, 70, in connection with the murder of Craig Douglas.
They and are appealing for anyone who knows of his whereabouts to come forward.
Anyone who sees him is asked not to approach him, but call 999 immediately. Police believe he is in Manchester.
Man jailed for making porn film with 16-year-old
A 48-year-old man has been sentenced to two years and eleven months in prison for inciting a child into pornography.
Rufus Ffoulkes, of Alexander Road, Lowestoft, has 58 previous convictions, mostly for fraud and theft. In 1981 he was convicted for having sex with a 13-year-old boy.
Floulkes recruited young men for his homemade porn films from the website Gaydar. One brought along the 16-year-old boy.
Tutu to accept award from LGBT rights group
The former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu is to be honoured by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
The Anglican leader has been outspoken in his rejection of homophobia, often clashing with his more conservative African colleagues.
He will be appearing at IGLHRC's A Celebration of Courage event in San Francisco on April 8th to accept the OUTSPOKEN Award.
Report exposes exclusion and prejudice faced by gay parents
The first comprehensive study into lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families' experiences in education in America has found that they are more conscientious than straight parents but suffer high levels of discrimination.
Current estimates indicate there are more than seven million LGBT parents with school-age children in the United States.
53% of parents described various forms of exclusion from their school communities.
Teacher's victory in gay discrimination case
A young gay teacher has received an unqualified apology from the governors of a school which formerly employed him after a landmark case for harassment under sexual orientation employment regulations.
The school's governing body accepted guilt and made an unreserved apology before the case went to full procedure.
This was the first case in UK law that saw a teacher taking his school to tribunal under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003.
Iranian asylum seeker's deportation delayed
A gay teenager who was due to be deported to the UK earlier this week is still in detention in Holland.
19-year-old Medhi Kazemi, who faces possible execution by stoning if he returns to Iran, fled for the Netherlands last year after his appeal for asylum in the UK was refused.
He is awaiting the ruling of Dutch court next Monday on whether he should be returned to the UK, who want to deport him to Iran.
McCain addresses birthplace questions
Arizona Senator John McCain has finally spoken out about persistent rumours that he is not a 'natural born citizen' of the United States and therefore not eligible to become President.
McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone and some have argued that under the definition of 'natural born citizen', he is cannot be president according to the U.S. constitution.
He was born August 29, 1936 at the Coco Solo Air Base in the American-controlled Panama Canal Zone.
Feds to investigate death of Brokeback actor
Autopsy results in the death of 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger indicated the actor died of an accidental overdose of prescription medication.
Now, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency wants to know who prescribed the medications that killed Ledger, if the prescriptions were legal and how much the doctors responsible knew about the total medications Ledger was taking.
Presidential candidate picks Green running mate
Ralph Nader, who announced this week he will run again for President, has chosen former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzalez as his running mate.
Texas-born Gonzalez ran for mayor of San Francisco in 2003 as a Green Party candidate, but lost to Gavin Newsom.
"I want someone who shares my sense of justice and opposition to corporate state control over our society," Nader said of Gonzalez.
Analysis: Obama reaches out to LGBT community
Illinois Senator Barack Obama is appealing directly to LGBT voters with new advertisements in Ohio and Texas gay newspapers.
The Democratic Presidential contender also released a statement on Thursday targeted to the gay community, asking for support "so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans."
In a statement from the Obama campaign released on Thursday, titled "Open Letter from Barack Obama to the LGBT community," the Senator detailed his history of activism on behalf of gay Americans.
Car salesman loses employment tribunal
A man who claimed that he was forced to leave his job because of homophobic abuse from fellow workers has lost his case at an employment tribunal.
Ben Hamilton, 26, was claiming that persistent remarks about his sexuality amounted to constructive unfair dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
The tribunal questioned why he made no complaints about his treatment before he resigned from his job as a salesman at the BMW showroom in Chandler's Ford in October 2006.
Gay groups present report at Edinburgh Castle reception
The LGBT Hearts and Minds Agenda Group has presented a copy of their report into challenging prejudice at a special ministerial reception held yesterday evening at Edinburgh Castle.
Communities and Sport Minister Stewart Maxwell hosted the event which also marked LGBT History Month.
The group is facilitated by the Scottish Government Equality Unit and is made up of representatives from three national LGBT organisations.
Second man released in gay village murder investigation
A 66-year-old man, arrested on Monday on suspicion of murder of Craig Douglas, has been freed on police bail pending further inquiries until 24th March.
A 49-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the incident was earlier released without charge.
Inquiries into the circumstances of Mr Douglas' death continue and police are appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.
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