Politics
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21 November 2006Gay activists encourage shopping for solidarity + As the official beginning of the holiday shopping season is set to start, US gay group the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), has released a new guide listing hundreds of popular American brands ranked by their company's gay friendliness.The publication, Buying for Equality, breaks products into easily distinguishable purchasing categories. -
21 November 2006Democrats seek more gay candidates + Howard Dean said the Democratic Party must work toward getting gay and minority leaders on the ballot."We've got to share power, not just responsibility, from now on," Dean told a crowd of about 200 at the International Gay Lesbian Leadership Conference last weekend, an annual gathering of gay public officials. -
21 November 2006Superheroes help gay community fight Hepatitis 1 'The Vaccinators', the sexual health superheroes, have rolled into town in their Sorted bus to encourage gay men to vaccinate against Hepatitis B.The Sorted bus will be on Old Compton Street every Thursday throughout November from 5.30pm until 7.30pm.Even though Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV, only one in two gay men in London is vaccinated. -
21 November 2006Latvia chooses homophobe for human rights role + Gay campaigners in the European Union have criticised the Latvian Parliament after it confirmed the nomination of Janis Smits for the post of chairperson of the Parliamentary Human Rights and Social Affairs Committee, despite his history of hate speech and incitements to hatred and violence against the gay community.The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights has urged the Latvian Parliament to reconsider its choice, asking the Latvian Parliament to follow the courageous acts of its European counterpart when it refused to accept the nomination of Rocco Buttiglione for similar reasons. -
21 November 2006Campaigners call for better HIV prevention + AIDS awareness groups have called for better prevention programmes after a report revealed that many schemes are not reaching the people most at risk from infection in some countries such as gay men.The global AIDS epidemic continues to grow and there is concerning evidence that some countries are seeing a resurgence in new HIV infection rates which were previously stable or declining, the UNAIDS/WHO 2006 AIDS Epidemic Update states. -
21 November 2006Court upholds gay partner benefit rights 1 A US court has rejected a case which would have taken away domestic partner benefits for employees of Miami University in Ohio.In response to papers filed by gay law group, Lambda Legal, the Butler County Court of Common Pleas dismissed a lawsuit brought by a legislator seeking to take away the domestic partner benefits of employees of Miami University. -
21 November 2006UK ‘out of step’ over gay marriage 1 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveBritain risk becoming out of step with the rest of the world after yet another country gave its backing to couples in same sex marriages, a campaigner warned today.Israel's High Court of Justice this morning ruled that gay couples legally wedded abroad can be registered as married in the population registry, echoing support for gay marriage in Sweden. -
21 November 2006Lib Dems go online to fight homophobic bullying + Gay Bristol Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams, has produced a YouTube video about homophobic bullying as the party highlights its campaign during anti-bullying week.Mr Williams uses the video to discuss the unique aspects of homophobic bullying and calls on people to support the Liberal Democrat campaign against it. -
21 November 2006UNISON backs total gay equality 1 The UK's largest trade union has backed calls for sexual orientation regulations to be universal.UNISON President Malcom Cantello, speaking at the group's LGBT network conference in Manchester, said there should not be any exemptions for religious groups in the new goods and services bill, which is due next April. -
20 November 2006Barker faces party snub over alleged gay affair 10 A Conservative spokesman who's marriage ended allegedly because of a gay affair may be deselected, according to reports.Environment spokesperson, Greg Barker, split from his wife Celeste earlier this year, telling his local party that there was no-one else involved, but reports recently claimed that he had been having an affair with an interior designer. -
20 November 2006Victorian gays welcome local union registry + Victorian human rights group, Civil Union Action! (CUA), has welcomed Melbourne City Council's pledge to set up a relationship registry for same-sex couples, noting that the council acted because the State Government had failed to do so.CUA spokesman John Kloprogge said the council's scheme would provide evidence of a relationship, but could not fix discrimination at the state level. -
20 November 2006Gay councillor questions Brighton’s HIV/AIDS cuts + Gay Green Party Councillor Simon Williams is leading calls for Brighton and Hove City Council to investigate the impact of recent budget cuts on people living with HIV and AIDS in the city.NHS HIV/AIDS budgets in the city have been cut by a third in three years if inflation is included, the party claims. -
20 November 2006Irish Labour faces revolt over gay marriage + The leader of Ireland's Labour Party is facing a revolt amongst members over his stance on same sex marriage.Pat Rabbitte, who leads the Republic of Ireland's opposition party, has raised concern after telling a Labour Youth conference that he supported same sex marriage but doubted whether now is the right time to back it in a referendum. -
20 November 2006Campaigners back transgender rights + Gay activists in the US are today commemorating the International Transgender Day of Remembrance by reflecting on the loss of members of the transgender community due to hate or prejudice."The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a solemn time to reflect on those who have been murdered because of their gender identity or expression," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Centre for Transgender Equality (NCTE). -
20 November 2006Romney demands gay marriage vote 2 Outgoing Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is getting desperate in his attempt to leave an anti-gay legacy in the state.The Governor has previously called for a new debate on gay marriage laws in Massachusetts in the hope of rescinding the current law which makes it the only state to allow same sex couples to marry. -
20 November 2006Manchester educates against homophobia + A new Manchester initiative aimed at ending homophobia through education has been launched today.The scheme, called 'Exceeding Expectations,' has launched a newsletter to be distributed to all adults working at secondary schools across the city. -
20 November 2006Police making gaydar a reliable force for community 2 Seven police forces across the UK are now signing up with social networking site gaydar.co.uk in the ongoing fight against homophobic crime.Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community liaison police officers from the West Midlands, Staffordshire and South Wales forces are now considering profiles on gaydar.co.uk following successful trial partnerships with the Metropolitan Police in London and the Sussex police force. -
20 November 2006Gay penguin book sends parents flapping 3 A children's book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin has some St Louis area parents grumbling about the book's appropriateness for elementary students.Some have suggested And Tango Makes Three be moved from a general shelf in the school library to a restricted area where parental permission is needed in order for students to check out the books, the St Louis Post-Dispatch reports. -
17 November 2006Outrage expressed over Iran + Gay activists will hold a protest against recent executions in Iran this weekend.The demonstration, outside the Iranian Embassy in London, will highlight human rights abuses inside the dictatorship.It comes after reports that a man was executed in Iran for being gay. -
17 November 2006Wedding planner seeks gay support 1 A gay wedding planner is calling for support for an equality campaign he is taking to Downing Street on December 5th.Gino Meriano from Pink Weddings is asking gay and lesbians to sign a petition to ensure the new Equality Act doesn't allow any exemptions which would allow venues to refuse providing a location for civil partnerships.
