Matthew Shepard anniversary marked with hate crime campaign
The mother of a murdered gay man will mark the ten years since his death by unveiling a new, aggressive anti-hate campaign.
The Matthew Shepard Foundation announced today that it plans to engage the general public in the mission to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion and Acceptance."
Judy Shepard will unveil the new campaign during the 7th Annual Bear to Make a Difference Gala, which will take place on Saturday, March 29th in Denver, Colorado.
Lesbian magazine cover censored
A sensual cover image featuring a lesbian embrace has been censored after objections from a major retailer.
DIVA, Europe's leading lesbian glossy, had chosen the photo, a homage to a legendary cover of Rolling Stone magazine featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono, for the cover of their SEX issue.
Jane Czyzselska, editor of DIVA magazine, said: "The cover image of Yoko and John taken by Annie Leibovitz for Rolling Stone magazine in 1981 is one of the most iconic of our time."
Pop star denies chaining escort to wall
Boy George, the DJ and former Culture Club singer, has appeared in court to deny assaulting and imprisoning a Norwegian rent boy last April.
At today's 20-minute hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London he appeared using his real name, George O'Dowd. He was bailed and he trial will begin on November 24th.
It is alleged that 28-year-old Auden Carlsen met the former Culture Club star on website Gaydar.
Socialists question First Minister about gay rights
The national convenor of the Scottish Socialist party has written to the First Minister of Scotland seeking an assurance that any future meetings with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly would raise the issue of attitudes towards lesbian and gay rights by its ministers.
Two DUP members of the Northern Ireland Executive, which operates as a coalition government with Republican party Sinn Fein, have been accused of homophobia.
Obama adverts target gay community
Presidential candidate Barack Obama has bought advertising in gay newspapers in four cities in the two key primary states of Texas and Ohio.
The Advocate reports that full page adverts will appear in titles in Dallas, Houston, Cleveland and Columbus.
Democratic primary and caucus participants in the two states vote next Tuesday, along with Rhode Island and Vermont. The delegate-rich Ohio and Texas contests are must-wins for Hillary Clinton.
Gay rights activist given Canada's highest honour
The Reverend Brent Hawkes, a campaigning clergyman and LGBT community leader and activist, has been invested into the Order of Canada.
Rev Hawkes is the senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. For more than three decades, Rev. Hawkes has been a champion of GLBT equality.
He is widely credited with inspiring the 2003 court case that led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ontario.
Parents pay tribute to son murdered in gay village
The parents of a 25-year-old man who was killed in Manchester city centre have paid tribute to their son.
Craig Douglas, who was straight and a father and stepfather, died on Monday after he was stabbed on Canal Street.
At about 7.30pm that evening, Craig and another man were approached by two men and the four got into an argument on Canal Street close to its junction with Minshull Street and Aytourn Street. Craig was then stabbed in the neck with a small knife.
Pride rioter running for office in Moscow
A notorious young Communist who headed mobs intent on homophobic violence during Moscow Pride in 2006 and 2007 is standing for election to the city's council.
Pavel Tarasov has also been appearing on national TV as a spokesman for the Communist candidate for President of the Russian Federation, Gennady Zyuganov.
Presidential and municipal elections are being held on Sunday. Mr Tarasov participated in two anti-gay riots in the centre of Moscow, according to GayRussia.Ru.
Gay charity wins councils grant
Galop has said it will use £300,000 funding from London's councils to improve its advice service for victims of homophobic hate crime.
Galop is a safety charity for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Theirs was one of five projects supporting the victims of hate crimes and promoting social cohesion have been given a total of £800,000 by London Councils.
Cornwall Pride to parade through Truro
Cornwall Pride 2008 will be held in the city of Truro on Saturday 23rd August, it has been announced.
After the first meeting of the board, the newly-elected Chairman of Cornwall Pride, Christian Diamant, said:
"The idea of Pride is to be an all inclusive celebration of diversity in Cornwall. Everyone will be welcome to participate in the parade through Truro and then onto celebrations afterwards."
Tutu calls on Ugandans to protect LGBT community
The former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu has joined 120 Christian and Jewish leaders in a call to the government of Uganda to stop homophobia in the country.
In a letter to President Yoweri Museveni they demanded an end to "verbal assaults and legal attacks of your government on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) people."
Most of the signatories were clergy in the Metropolitan Community Church.
Survey reveals extent of homophobic crime in Brighton
It is often regarded as the most gay-friendly place in the UK, but new research has revealed that transphobic and homophobic crime are a fact of life for many in Brighton.
The Count Me In survey by Dr Kath Browne, from the University of Brighton, and the Spectrum forum, revealed that 73% of lesbian, bisexual, trans or gay residents have been the victim of a hate crime.
The same number said they avoid public displays of affection. 55% of hate crime victims reported it to the police.
Princess to attend gay meeting and discuss prejudice
In an announcement described by LGBT activists as "historically significant," a spokesman for the Dutch Royal Family has confirmed that the country's future Queen will attend a gay rights conference.
Argentinean-born Princess Maxima, the wife of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, will meet delegates from Holland's major cities at the event and speak out against the exclusion of gay people.
A royal spokesman said: "The Princess is in favour of equal rights of all groups in the Netherlands."
Momentum's exploration of life comes to Highgate
A play commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company for the European Capital of Culture 2008 is to tour nationally and internationally throughout the year.
Momentum's third production follows successful European tours of previous shows, Tmesis and Memento Mori and completes their trilogy on the exploration of life.
Momentum's co-founders and artistic directors are Yorgos Karamalegos and Elinor Randle.
Police officer loses promotion over gay Facebook entries
Bedfordshire police have withdrawn a job offer to an Inspector with the British Transport police after discovering he was the subject of a written warning over his Facebook profile.
Chris Dreyfus, who is gay, had been offered the rank of Chief Inspector, but a background check revealed the disciplinary action.
On his Facebook page Inspector Dreyfus had posted graphic details of his sex life and photos of him posing in his uniform at a tube station in London.
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