Politics
-
4 December 2006Minister welcomes gay partnership explosion 2 A government minister has spoken of her delight at the number of gay and lesbians entering civil partnerships.Deputy Equality minister Meg Munn called the Civil Partnership Act, which came into force last December, one of the most significant pieces of legislation introduced by the Blair government.The Office of National Statistics revealed today that over 15,000 partnerships were registered up to September this year. -
1 December 2006HIV stigma causing ‘extreme poverty’ 1 HIV stigma and discrimination is driving people living with the virus into extreme poverty, a report revealed today.AIDS charities Crusaid and the National AIDS Trust launched a report into the rising numbers of people living with HIV in poverty to coincide with World AIDS Day this morning. -
1 December 2006Sweden upholds gay blood ban for at least a year 5 Plans to repeal Sweden's ban on gay blood donors have been delayed for at least a year.Last August, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare announced they would be reviewing the rule, introduced to prevent the spread of HIV, with many thinking it would be amended to allow donations from gay men who had not had sex for six months.But a medical adviser told the Board that more analysis is needed. -
1 December 2006World AIDS Day ‘focuses’ work 1 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveThe government will continue supporting efforts to prevent HIV transmission in the UK, the Public Health Minster said today.Welcoming World AIDS Day, Caroline Flint said today is an opportunity to focus on what needs to be done to tackle the virus.She warned that the UK should not be complacent about its attitude, "Here in the UK whilst we remain a relatively low prevalence country for HIV, rates of HIV are rising and we need to ensure that we reinvigorate HIV and AIDS awareness for the 21st Century." -
1 December 2006Gay students ‘ignored’ in sex education 2 On the 18th anniversary of the founding of World AIDS Day, and 25 years after HIV was identified, gay campaign group Schools Out is calling upon the government for a total re-think on its teaching policy.The group, which pushes for LGBT equality in education, claims that the government should be doing more about raising awareness of sexual health amongst school pupils. -
1 December 2006Gay teens ‘failed’ by sex education + A survey of gay teenagers has revealed worrying statistics about underage and unprotected sex.An annual questionnaire by teen website puffta.co.uk found that 58% of gay teens had sex before the legal age of 16, and 23% had had sex at 13-years-old or younger. -
1 December 2006Hilary Benn calls for HIV action + Silence is not an option in the battle against HIV and AIDS, the International Development Secretary said last night.Speaking at the London School of Economics on the eve of World AIDS Day, Hilary Benn warned that it is unacceptable to ignore the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV and AIDS while "7,500 people will die of AIDS tomorrow, while 11,000 will be infected with HIV." -
1 December 2006Prime Minister backs HIV fight 1 Gay men are amongst groups who get the least help because of the stigma surrounding HIV, the Prime Minister said today.Writing in the Daily Mirror, Tony Blair vowed to keep up the fight against HIV and AIDS.His remarks come on World AIDS Day, 25-years after the first diagnoses of the virus. -
1 December 2006Gay activist reveals Harmondsworth homophobia + Harmondsworth and all Britain's asylum detention centres are inhuman hell-holes that should be closed down, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said today.He spoke after a riot at Harmondsworth asylum detention centre over conditions this week.The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, issued a damning report on Tuesday, describing conditions in Harmondsworth as the worst she has ever seen in an immigration and asylum detention centre. -
1 December 2006‘My Grandpa fought fascism, now the gay community must’ + The death of ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko has raised questions about the state of Russian society, but gay rights campaigner, Nikolai Alekseev, has also uncovered hostile elements of homophobia simmering under the facade of democracy. -
1 December 2006Gay venues smoke free by July 2007 5 All enclosed public places and workplaces in the UK will become smokefree from 1st July 2007, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt announced today.Gay venues have already told PinkNews.co.uk that they feel they can cope with a ban, which will be introduced in Wales and Northern Ireland in April 2007 and in England in July 2007. -
1 December 2006Americans urged to fight HIV 1 Gay campaigners in the US are urging people to support local AIDS organisations and to make sure political representatives push for funding and support.Today is World AIDS Day, and 2006 marks the 25th anniversary of the very first report of an HIV/AIDS case in the US by the Centre for Disease Control. -
1 December 2006Gay guide ends HIV insurance fears 1 The ABI (Association of British Insurers) has launched a new Consumer Guide for gay men on HIV and Life Insurance to coincide with World AIDS Day today.The guide explains the changes that have been made to how insurance companies deal with issues of sexuality and explodes many of the myths surrounding the treatment of gay men applying for life and protection insurance. -
1 December 2006South Africa holds first gay wedding 10 Just 24 hours after its same sex marriage laws were sealed, South Africa has had its first gay wedding.Vernon Gibbs and Tony Halls married today in the Southern Cape, making them the first couple to wed under the Civil Unions Act.The couple said they have been planning the occasion for the last eight months. -
30 November 2006Gay MEP attacks ‘un-Christian’ Church equality reaction 18 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveLabour MEP Michael Cashman has joined government condemnation of remarks made by Christian leaders regarding the new Sexual Orientation Regulations.Former EastEnder turned politician, Mr Cashman, the head of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Lesbian and Gay Rights, described comments by the Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, Vincent Nichols, and the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, as well as a controversial advert in the Times, as "totally un-Christian." -
30 November 2006Thai military amends gay view but upholds ban + The gay and transgender community will no longer be viewed as mentally ill by the Thai military, but are still unfit for service, a court has ruled.The country's Central Administration Court made the decision after transsexual Samart Meecharoen complained about the policy claiming it incites discrimination and hatred. -
30 November 2006Gay marriage laws sealed in South Africa 10 South Africa's gay marriage laws have been given the final seal of approval after the country's Vice-President signed off on the bill.In a low key process, reflecting the controversial nature of the law, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka signed the bill while President Thabo Mbeki was away in Nigeria. -
30 November 2006European Parliament rejects gay discrimination claims + The European Parliament's Bureau has rejected accusations that it has ignored anti-discrimination policies regarding sexual orientation.The department was criticised by the International Lesbian and Gay Association after a draft resolution of the European Parliament's Secretariat, the administrative arm of the political body, had initially included sexual orientation, but was later amended. -
30 November 2006PinkNews leads opposition to Christian ad 18 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveAn anti-gay advert from Christian groups in the Times on Tuesday has already prompted an influx of complaints to the advertising watchdog as a result of a campaign launched by PinkNews.co.uk.The gay community reacted with outrage earlier this week after a group of Christian leaders calling themselves Coherent and Cohesive Voice, placed an advert in the newspaper accusing the government of taking away "freedom of conscience" through the new Sexual Orientation Regulations. -
30 November 2006India gay ban raises HIV cases 1 Calls for a repeal of India's ban on homosexuality have increased after a UNAIDS representative claimed the prohibition is contributing to an increase of HIV.Denis Broun's remarks come on the eve of World AIDS Day, and echoes calls from Indian activists, celebrities and scholars to abandon the colonial era law.
