Politics
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4 May 2007MEPs welcome Pride ban ruling + Yesterday's ruling that the ban on Warsaw Gay Pride 2005 violated the European Charter of Human Rights has been welcomed by MEPs.The European Court of Human Rights agreed that freedom of association and assembly, prohibition of discrimination and the right to an effective remedy had been denied, all of which are guaranteed in the convention.The judges of the Strasbourg Court were unanimous in their decision highlighting the 'crystal clear' nature of the situation. -
4 May 2007Homophobic posters cause outrage in Switzerland 2 A Swiss right-wing political party has agreed to either change or remove advertising posters which call gay couples infertile.The Swiss People's Party (UDC) is campaigning against a proposal to extend tax benefits to same-sex partners.The party's general secretary added to the controversy by telling Leman Bleu TV that gay people contribute nothing to society because they do not have children. -
4 May 2007Tories claim victory in elections + The Conservative Party say they are on course to win the next general election as the results from last night's council elections in England and Scotland and elections for the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament continue to come in.Eric Pickles, the party's vice-chairman, said: "We've got 41% of the vote. -
4 May 2007BNP vote in Wales nears 10% 10 The British National Party has polled nearly 10% in parts of Wales.The latest results show the party on 9.4% in Wrexham and 7.1% in both Alyn and Deeside and in Clwyd South. -
4 May 2007Small victory for Pride event in Moldova + Around 20 activists attempted to march for gay rights in the Moldovan capital Chisinau last week.People threw eggs at the gay Pride marchers, and the police stopped them from laying flowers at the Monument to the Victims of Repression.A government committee had banned the march on the grounds that it could pose a public disorder threat. -
4 May 2007Paisley gives £180,000 to “sodomite lobby” 3 The Northern Ireland government has allocated hundreds of thousands of pounds to help promote gay equality, and from next week the funds will be overseen by a department headed by Ian Paisley.The leader of the DUP becomes First Minister when the reformed Stormont administration takes office on Thursday.Sinn Fein, the DUP, the SDLP and the UUP will all have ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive. -
4 May 2007US hate crimes bill passes 7 The U.S. -
3 May 2007Bush will veto gay hate crimes bill 7 The White House has indicated that even if new federal hate crimes legislation passes Congress today, the President will veto it.Christian activists and homophobic lobby groups such as Concerned Women for America have waged a concerted campaign against the legislation in Congress.The new law would extend protections on the grounds of race or religion to cover LGBT people. -
3 May 2007Presidential hopeful: gay soldiers an “intolerable risk” 2 A candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States has said he backs current US policy on gays in the military.Senator John McCain thinks that troops will be put in danger if openly gay people are allowed to serve.McCain, 70, is almost certain to be the oldest Presidential hopeful in next year's contest. -
3 May 2007LGBT people urged to vote + Stonewall and other gay rights groups have urged the LGBT community to vote in today's elections.In Scotland, the 129-member Parliament is being elected.
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2 May 2007Comment: Is it right to call Lord Browne gay? 15 Most of the time, I feel perfectly comfortable with my sexuality at Channel 4 News. -
2 May 2007Black churches oppose protection for gays 7 Representatives of African-American religious groups have asked the US Congress to block a new hate-crimes bill that would cover homophobic offencesThey have called on the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, to block the proposed new law, claiming it would impede their freedom to preach against homosexuality."Ex-gay" Christian group Exodus International also oppose the hate crimes bill.
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2 May 2007DUP minister in gay Pride row 3 The Democratic Unionist Party are being challenged by their own supporters over a grant from a government department to Belfast Pride.A Free Presbyterian preacher has demanded that the new government minister block a grant to Pride, calling it a "celebration of sodomy."A coalition government will take power in the province next week. -
2 May 2007Gay ex-Governor wants civil union 1 Former New Jersey governor James McGreevey has revealed that he would eventually like to have a civil union with his boyfriend, Australian business executive Mark O'Donnell."What I want is what hopefully everyone wants, a loving family," McGreevey told New York Daily News. -
2 May 2007Croatia accused of homophobia in schools + A sex education programme in Croatia has been slammed by the European Parliament because it encourages homophobia.The programme is backed by the Roman Catholic Church and teaches that there should be no sex outside marriage, no safe sex, and no gay sex.Croatia is not a member of the EU, but has applied to join and is regarded as likely to be admitted in 2009 or 2010. -
1 May 2007Green MSP attacked over opposition to Catholic schools 2 An MSP who could be a member of the Executive in the next Scottish Parliament has been branded a militant homosexual.Patrick Harvie, a Green Party MSP, has campaigned for gay adoption and for homophobic abuse to be made a hate crime.The party has called for a ban on state funding for Catholic schools, and Mr Harvie is in the firing line because he supports the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA.) -
1 May 2007Human rights award for gay rights group + The Blue Diamond Society, Nepal's first gay rights organisation, will receive an international award for human rights today.The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission will present them with the Felipa de Souza Award for 2007 at a ceremony in New York.In recent years the Blue Diamond Society (BDS) has reported many cases of harassment and abuse of LGBT people. -
1 May 2007HIV and hepatitis crisis in UK prisons + Prisoners in the UK are 15 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population in the UK, experts say.The most recent figures, from 1997, show that prisons in the UK are facing a health crisis due to inadequate health services.The figures show that prisoners are 20 times more likely to have hepatitis C than the general population, but ten years on experts predict that prisoners are even more likely to be infected. -
30 April 2007Tory councillor’s gay dating profile a hoax 3 A London councillor who appeared as a contestant on The Apprentice has said a gay dating profile with his picture on it is a hoax.Ben Stanberry is a Conservative councillor in Richmond-upon-Thames. -
30 April 2007Gordon Brown’s homophobic abuse 3 The man expected to become Britain's next Prime Minister was verbally assaulted in Soho last week.A gang of hoodies taunted Gordon Brown with anti-gay jibes as he left a restaurant in Greek St.thelondonpaper reports that on Thursday evening the Chancellor was outside the Gay Hussar, a favourite with Westminster politicians, when the gang started to shout abuse.
