Politics
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27 May 2007Moscow authorities defend gay march arrests 61 Most of the team members of the Pride Committee have been arrested in Moscow. -
27 May 2007Peter Tatchell attacked at Moscow Pride 63 Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has been attacked by anti-gay protesters in Moscow. -
25 May 2007Gay MPs unite to condemn Pride ban + Gay MPs from the three main political parties have written to the Mayor of Moscow to protest at the banning of this year's Pride march.Chris Bryant, Labour Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has sent a joint letter with Conservative Nick Herbert and Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams calling on the mayor to repeal the ban on the Pride event, which is due to take place this weekend. -
25 May 2007Presidential hopeful rejects anti-gay image 2 Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney has denied he is homophobic, but failed to clarify his own views on whether homosexuality is immoral.Mr Romney is hoping to capture the nomination of the Republican party for President.In a short interview yesterday, he pointed out that he had appointed gay people to serve in his administration in Massachusetts. -
24 May 2007“European Commission now knows what it’s like to be gay” 1 West Midlands MEP Michael Cashman has said that the decision of the mayor of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius to ban the visit of a bus promoting the EU's "For Diversity; against discrimination" campaign should give Brussels bureaucrats some insight into LGBT experiences.The 30-tonne vehicle is designed to inform citizens of their rights under EU and national anti-discrimination legislation as part of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. -
24 May 2007Irish election could bring same-sex partnerships + The people of the Republic of Ireland are voting today in the country's general election.Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern asked the President to dissolve Parliament at the end of April.The result of today's poll is expected to be very close.Gay marriage has been an issue in the elections for the 166-seat Dáil Éireann. -
24 May 2007Dismissal of gay linguists riles US Congress 5 Members of the US House of Representatives have requested an investigation into Arabic speakers dismissed from the Army for being gay.Around 40 Congressmen and women signed a letter to the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, that the continued loss of such "capable, highly skilled Arabic linguists continues to compromise our national security during time of war." -
24 May 2007Trans mayor and mayoress take office in Cambridge + A woman who has transitioned sex has been elected to the largely ceremonial role of Mayor of Cambridge. -
24 May 2007Mary Cheney gives birth to a baby boy + The daughter of US Vice President Dick Cheney has given birth to a baby boy. -
23 May 2007London Tory leader announces civil partnership 1 The head of one of London's leading local authorities has publicly come out and announced he is to enter into a civil partnership.Sir Simon Milton is the leader of Westminster council and close to Conservative leader David Cameron.He is expected to be offered a seat in the Lords and possibly a job in government if the Tories win the next election. -
23 May 2007Lesbian candidate a first for Japan + Japan's second largest political party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), announced that Kanako Otsuji, the first openly lesbian politician in Japan, will be one of the party's official candidates for this summer's National Diet (parliament) election.Ms Otsuji, 32, was elected as an Osaka Assembly Member in April 2003.In August 2005, she came out of the closet in her book Coming Out. -
23 May 2007Analysis: British attitudes to gays are changing 28 The Stonewall survey published today is one of the most wide-ranging examinations of attitudes in the Britain towards the gay community.The results are heartening - even 49% of Daily Telegraph readers think that prejudice against gay and lesbian people should be tackled.Here, PinkNews.co.uk gives you some in-depth analysis of this landmark piece of research. -
23 May 2007Survey reveals most Brits support gay rights 28 A in-depth survey of more than 2,000 people from all backgrounds, ages and religious beliefs across Britain has found that the vast majority of them are not homophobic.Britons are on the whole comfortable with gay people and believe that discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual people should be tackled.Only one in 20 people said they don't like lesbians and gay men. -
22 May 2007Homophobic bullying not an issue for MEPs 57 Only 239 out of 785 members of the European Parliament have signed a declaration against homophobic bullying.Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford, a member of the European Parliament's intergroup on gay and lesbian rights, said:"While this result clearly signifies that combating homophobic bullying is more than a marginal issue for MEPs, we must work harder to make a majority understand the degree of misery and exclusion it can cause." -
22 May 2007Lithuanians protest against diversity 2 Anti-gay feeling has reached new heights in Lithuania after a Swedish ambassador called for tolerance towards LGBT people.Ambassador Malin Karre delivered a speech to the Lithuanian Parliament on Wednesday May 16th to commemorate the International Day of Fighting Homophobia.She told the Lithuanian parliament that the Swedish government was "opposed to any goals to trample human rights, including the rights of people with non-traditional sexual orientation." -
22 May 2007Republican presidential candidates want gay marriage ban 57 Republican presidential candidates Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee have both announced their support for a ban on gay marriage across America.Speaking at a Florida Family Policy Council dinner on Saturday night, the outsiders stuck to a strong message on family values.Kansas Senator Brownback said: "You need to redefine the definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman. -
22 May 2007Euro MPs speak up for Moscow Pride 4 Members of the European Parliament have written to the Mayor of Moscow urging him to respect human rights and allow a gay Pride parade this weekend to go ahead.Marco Cappato, an Italian MEP and Dutch parliamentarian Sophie In't Veld's open letter to Yuri Luzhkov asks him to authorise Sunday's "March in support for tolerance and respect for the rights and freedoms of homosexual people in Russia."Organisers of the Pride event in Moscow have applied to the city for permission to march. -
21 May 2007Opposition parties differ on homophobic incitement law 2 The Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have responded to the discussion of an offence of homophobic incitement.Candidates for the Deputy Leader of the Labour party have given their support to such a law.Peter Hain, Harriet Harman and Alan Johnson all backed calls for a new law to outlaw anti-gay hatred. -
21 May 2007Interview: Peter Hain sets out his stall + PinkNews.co.uk exclusiveWith the "battle" for the leadership of the Labour party over before it even started, all eyes are now on the deputy role. -
21 May 2007Homophobic poster campaign fails to swing Swiss voters + An overwhelming majority of voters in Geneva have voted in favour of granting gay and lesbian couples equal inheritance rights and other benefits.In a referendum yesterday 83% voted in favour of the changes, which were supported by all political parties except the Swiss People's Party (UDC).The right-wing party caused outrage earlier this month with advertising posters opposing the changes calling gay couples infertile.
