UK
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26 May 2006Gay former mayors wed + Two former Derby mayors have had a civil ceremony together.Jeff Tillett and Robin Wood, who had a civil partnership this week after being together for 35 years, were both Conservative councillors and mayors of the city.Mr Wood, 54, told the Sun: We lived together for so long it was not a spur-of-the moment thing to marry. -
26 May 2006Plymouth prepares for Gay Pride + The Plymouth Pride Event community team has announced the final details of events taking place as part of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Week 2006 across the city of Plymouth from Saturday 27th May through to Sunday 4th June.There will be an array of events taking place across the city from a Pink Picnic up on the Hoe, LGBT Film Festival at the Arts Centre to parties galore at some of Plymouth's gay venues. -
26 May 2006Gay businesses call for Brighton councillor’s resignation 14 Brighton and Hove's gay and lesbian business community has called for the resignation of a Conservative local councillor after he was reported to have labelled gay people as paedophiles at a city council party last week.Peter Willows a Hangleton and Knoll ward councillor, faced widespread condemnation over the remarks and has been suspended from the local party pending a police investigation and Standards Board for England inquiry. -
26 May 2006Selfridges goes pink with Gay Pride + Birmingham Gay Pride takes place this weekend and the local Selfridges department store is looking to show real pink power.The outside of the chain has been illuminated with pink lighting to celebrate one of the largest gay festivals in the UK, making it only the second time that the original colour of blue has been changed, the last time being green for St Patrick's Day in March 2006. -
26 May 2006George Michael turns drug scandal to new single 4 Gay star George Michael is looking to turn his recent drugs shame into song after he was arrested on suspicion of possessing Class C drugs last February when a member of the public found him collapsed at the wheel of his car in Hyde Park, London, in February.The singer was given a police caution and released a statement stating it was "my own stupid fault as usual," and promising he would not make a song out of it, referring to his single Outside, which was made after he propositioned a police officer in a Los Angeles public toilet. -
26 May 2006HIV origin found in chimps + The HIV virus may have originated from wild chimpanzees living in South Cameroon, researchers claim.An international team, including scientists from the Universities of Nottingham, Montpellier and Alabama, has discovered a crucial missing link in the search for the origin of HIV, the virus responsible for human AIDs. -
25 May 2006Gay MP apologises over ‘insensitive’ Hutton auction 1 Gay Labour MP Chris Bryant and James Purnell have apologised after auctioning a copy of the Hutton report, following condemnation from the House of Commons.Mr Bryant, MP for Rhonnda and Mr Purnell, MP for Stalybridge Hyde, released a statement last night expressing regret for any distress caused after the document which investigated the death of scientist David Kelly, fetched £400 at a Labour Party auction last week. -
25 May 2006Pensioners make date to exercise ‘homophobic’ right 1 A Christian couple who planned to sue their local police and council for the right to be anti-gay, have been granted a court date for next month.The retired couple, devout Christians Joe and Helen Roberts faced a police investigation for "potentially homophobic" comments last December after objecting to Wyre Borough Council's stance on gay issues. -
24 May 2006First gay marriage army recruits split + The first lesbian army soldiers to have a civil partnership are to split.Sonya Gould, 19, and Vanessa Haydock, 19, privates in the Royal Logistics Corps, were the first gay army recruits to have a civil ceremony last February. -
24 May 2006Church of Scotland considers gay marriage + The Church of Scotland may become the first major denomination in Britain to bless gay "marriages" after agreeing that individual ministers should be free to decide on the issue.Scotland's national church considered the issue of civil partnerships in a legal questions session at a meeting of its General Assembly, which is taking place all this week.
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24 May 2006Elton John wins damages over ‘tinpot dictator’ slur + Gay star Sir Elton John has accepted £100,000 libel damages from the Daily Mail over claims he issued a "bizarre and absurd edict" telling guests at a charity fundraiser not to approach him.The singer disputed reports in the paper that he had told attendees of his annual White Tie and Tiara charity summer ball to only speak to "speak only when you're spoken to." -
24 May 2006Scottish church backs gay adoption + The Church of Scotland has given its backing to allow gay couples to adopt.In a meeting of the church and society council at the national church's general assembly yesterday, committee members agreed that legal recognition for gay adoption would create more solutions for looking after children safely and securely. -
24 May 2006HIV charities criticise MP’s ‘alien disease’ question + PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveA Conservative MP has caused alarm amongst HIV and AIDs charities after raising concerns from the Ascension island of St Helena regarding workers bringing "alien diseases such as HIV and AIDs."Anthony Steen, MP for Totnes, addressed the Foreign and Commonwealth questions session in Parliament yesterday and claimed residents of St Helena were worried that the planned building of an airport on the land by the UK would bring "health implications" and "diseases that are alien to the island like HIV and AIDs." -
23 May 2006UK falling behind in gay market + New UK laws will require companies to understand and meet the needs of Britain's 3 million gay and lesbian customers who now account for more than £70 billion pounds in earnings each year, according to research.A study between Australia and the US revealed today that UK companies risk falling behind overseas counterparts in marketing to lesbian and gay consumers. -
23 May 2006Conservative councillor suspended after ‘gay paedophile’ slur 15 PinkNews.co.uk ExclusiveA Brighton and Hove Conservative Councillor has been suspended from the local Party and is now facing a police investigation and a possible reference to the Standards Board for England regarding homophobic remarks.Peter Willows a Hangleton and Knoll ward councillor, faced widespread condemnation over comments labelling gay people as paedophiles, which he was reported to have made at an annual Brighton and Hove City Council party last week.
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23 May 2006British Airways to sponsor EuroPride gay festival 6 EuroPride London 06 today unveiled British Airways as the official airline of Europe's largest gay and lesbian cultural celebration, which will be hosted in London this year.EuroPride London 06 Chief Executive Jason Pollock said: "We are thrilled to welcome British Airways on board as the latest major brand to support EuroPride London 06.
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23 May 2006Gay activist voted top hero 2 Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has been named in the top ten of a list of greatest living heroes this week.The activist, who leads gay rights group, Outrage, and once attempted a citizen's arrest on Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, was voted by readers of the New Statesman as the sixth greatest living hero, beating writer Noam Chomsky, Microsoft chief Bill Gates, Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and documentary maker David Attenborough. -
23 May 2006AIDs charity back drug consumption rooms + The National AIDs Trust (NAT) has backed calls for drug consumption rooms amid rising numbers of drug related HIV infections, despite opposition from the government.The number of injecting drug users with HIV is the highest since 1992, with one in 62 injecting drug users now infected with HIV, according to the NAT. -
23 May 2006Gay asylum group push for Iraqi protection + The UK Lesbian Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) has reacted immediately to the replacement of immigration minister, Tony McNulty with Liam Byrne, by requesting an urgent review of the plight of lesbian and gay asylum seekers from Iraq.The UKLGIG wrote to Mr Byrne, MP for Hodge Hill in Birmingham, asking him ensure that no Iraqi lesbian or gay asylum seeker be removed from the UK whilst the current situation persists and that the guidance it gives to its decision makers (known as Operational Guidance Notes) is updated to include details of the risks faced in Iraq by lesbians and gay men. -
23 May 2006National Lottery supports deaf gay men + The Gay Men's Health Charity (GMFA) has been awarded funding to provide signers for deaf gay men, from the National Lottery.The money has come from Awards for All, and will mean that for the first time deaf gay men will be able to access any of GMFA's range of courses.
