UK
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28 April 2006Half a century of gay progress 1 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveToday marks 52 years since the process of decriminalising homosexuality began. -
28 April 2006Robbie Williams to record album for gay fans 8 Rock DJ Robbie Williams is rumoured to be recording a dance album aimed at his gay fan base.The singer is reported to have teamed up with dance producer William Orbit, who has also worked with Madonna, for the tracks.Sources claim Williams wants to make a more pop and dance related record to be released under a different name. -
27 April 2006Gay MP lines up for Parliamentary swim + Westminster politicians including gay MP Chris Bryant and Minister for Women and Equality Meg Munn, are set to get a bit more slippery when they meet for a Commons vs Lords swimming race this summer.MPs and peers met for a photo shoot this week to publicise the race which aims to raise money for the Women Caring Trust and the Million Dollar Swim, which support children and families in Northern Ireland. -
27 April 2006Graham Norton: “I’m too old to be attractive to gay men” 3 Camp television personality Graham Norton claims that he is too old to find love.The 43-year-old gay presenter of Strictly Come Dancing things that he's too ancient to be attractive to other gay men.He told Closer magazine: "People don't ever throw themselves at me. -
27 April 2006Drug offences on the rise + Offences known to affect the gay community have risen , despite overall crime remaining stable, according to Home Office Figures.Although the report does not publish whether incidents were homophobic or gay related, violent crime which may include homophobia rose by one per cent and drug offences by 21 per cent. -
27 April 2006First gay church opens in Blackpool + Blackpool's first "gay affirming" church will hold its inaugural meeting tonight.Liberty Church, inspired by the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) network, is looking to set up a gay and lesbian congregation. -
27 April 2006BBC interview with homophobic reggae star sparks protests 7 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveA BBC radio interview with a reggae singer known for anti gay lyrics sparked complaints from gay activists this week.BBC radio station, 1Xtra, compiled a package celebrating dancehall culture and included an interview with Buju Banton, an artist who became notorious in the early 1990s with his homophobic hit single, Boom Bye Bye, which incited his audience to shoot gay people in the head in the head, pour acid over them and set them on fire. -
26 April 2006Dublin welcomes gay theatre + The third International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival launched last week, bringing an exciting line-up of World Premieres, European and Irish Premieres and five Edinburgh Festival Smash hits.Highlights of the Dublin Theatre Festival include productions from across the globe with performers from three continents performing. -
26 April 2006Lord Nelson was gay, historian claims 3 Many of Britain's legendary naval heroes could have been gay, according to a German historian.Klaus Hympenhahl, in a new book, Sins on the Open Sea- the Erotic History of Christian Voyages, claims seafarers such as Sir Francis Drake and Lord Nelson, resorted to homosexuality when they were on long voyages away from women. -
26 April 2006Arsonists target gay friendly pub + Two men are being questioned after a gay friendly pub was set on fire in Bolton.Arsonists targeted the Star and Garter Public House in the early hours of this morning, setting fire to the front door after pouring petrol around it. -
26 April 2006Lesbian drama in top five ad complaints + An advert for Living TV's lesbian drama, the L Word, received the second largest amount of complaints from viewers last year.The figures in the Advertising Standard Authority's (ASA) annual 2005 report revealed 650 complaints regarding posters for the series, which viewers complained were degrading to women. -
26 April 2006Mark Oaten’s wife reveals gay affair reaction 5 The wife of former Liberal Democrat leadership contender, Mark Oaten, attacked and threw her wedding ring at him after finding out about his six month gay affair.Belinda Oaten revealed her feelings in a five page magazine interview with Hello magazine, detailing her reaction to a News of the World story in January, which said the married father of two had been involved in a relationship with a "rent boy." -
26 April 2006Gay BBC executive’s murder reconstructed on Crimewatch 1 The murder of a gay retired BBC executive was reconstructed on the BBC One Crimewatch programme last night in a bid to bring the killer to justice.Hallam Tennyson, the 85 year-old great-grandson of Victorian Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was discovered in his flat in Highgate, north London on December 21 2005. -
26 April 2006Crystal meth use still low amongst UK gay men 5 New data from the annual National Gay Men's Sex Survey 2005 shows that only a small minority of gay men in the UK had used the drug crystal meth in the last year.The annual survey, undertaken by Sigma Research and funded by Terrence Higgins Trust, asked over 16,000 gay and bisexual men questions about their recreational drug use, during the summer of 2005. -
25 April 2006The trouble with a documentary on gay men 3 PinkNews.co.uk's Adam Smith expresses relief that he didn't tell his mum to watch last night's BBC3 Trouble With... -
25 April 2006Gay love poem to Oscar Wilde among literary treasures donated to university + Rare documents chronicling the rise and fall of Oscar Wilde together with a poem by Wilde's gay lover, Lord Alfred Douglas are among the literary treasures donated to the University of Leeds yesterday by a wealthy New York based couple.The newly acquired treasures include Wilde's lectures notes from his 1882 tour of America, marking his rise to fame in addition to a rare copy of the Oxford University journal The Chameleon that played a part in his fall from grace. -
25 April 2006Tim Healy joins Coronation Street to play gay Sean’s dad 1 Comedy actor Tim Healy is set to go from bricklaying in Newcastle to walking the cobbles of Coronation Street.The Auf Wiedersehen Pet star will play gay character, Sean Tully's long lost father in the prime time soap.According to the Sun, they will meet at a funeral, an insider told the paper, "Sean's forced into making contact with his dad and it opens a whole can of worms. -
25 April 2006Police investigate homophobic crime reporting fears + Surrey Police has commissioned the support and training charity EACH (Educational Action Challenging Homophobia) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into why residents of Surrey, particularly women, rarely report homophobic incidents to them.EACH will seek the views of Surrey residents and service users, leading to a report that will highlight the relevant issues, make recommendations to assist Surrey Police's understanding of homophobia and contribute to subsequent police practice. -
24 April 2006Scottish first minister rejects gay adoption debate invite 1 Scotland's first minister has been criticised by the country's most senior Roman Catholic bishop for refusing to attend a gay adoption radio debate.Jack McConnell rejected an invitation to discuss the issue on London based Christian station, Premier Radio, prompting Bishop Joseph Devine to reopen their conflict over controversial legislation regarding adoption rights for gays and lesbians in Scotland. -
24 April 2006Gay groups welcome Irish PM’s gay marriage promise + The Irish Prime Minister has reiterated his promise to introduce laws recognising gay partnerships.Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted his government is committed to legislation by the next election, echoing a previous statement made to the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), earlier this month.
