Pinke.biz Default RSS Feed http://www.pinke.biz Copyright Pinke.BizBritain is Europe’s gay rights capital. This according to the European International Lesbian and Gay Association Europe (ILGA-Europe) index, which is set to be published tomorrow, Tuesday. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6836/Britain_Europes_gay_capitalMon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100Obama is on the cover of Newsweek as the US’s first ‘gay’ president. Politico.com was given a preview of Blogger Andrew Sullivan’s 21 May cover story. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6837/Obama_is_Americas_first_gay_presidentMon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100Reaction from within America and around the world is pouring in following US President Barack Obama’s announcement that he supports gay marriage.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6834/Reaction_pours_in_to_Obamas_gay_marriage_announcementFri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100After receiving a homophobic tweet from a footballer at his club, a man has organised a charity match to draw attention to anti-gay abuse in the sport.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6835/Man_organises_football_charity_match_after_homophobic_tweetFri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100A day after the conservative Evangelical Christian state of North Carolina initiated a ban against same-sex marriage, US President Barack Obama declares his support for gay marriage. In an interview with Robin Roberts of ABC news, Obama said: “I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6832/Obama_backs_equal_marriageThu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100EuroGames fans now have a new airline option called FreshAir, what’s deemed a ‘gay airline.’ Promotional materials say the airline was launched to “fill the gap left by traditional, boring airlines and to satisfy the increasing demand by all sorts of consumers – sporting a rainbow of tastes and sexual orientations – for services provided in a gay atmosphere.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6833/Gay_airlines_launches_for_EuroGamesThu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100One Indiana mother took a new approach to her son’s homophobic bullying and allowed him to take a stun gun to school. The mother, Chelsea Grimes, made the comments on CNN to gay anchor Don Lemon. Her son, Darnell “Dynasty” Young, has been suspended from school after threatening his school-mates with the stun gun, which he pulled out after he was surrounded by bullies who threatened to beat him up. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6830/Mom_allows_gay_son_to_bring_gun_to_school_to_stop_bullyingWed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100South Africa’s National House of Traditional Leaders – or its House of Chiefs in South Africa – is asking the government to strip LGBT of their rights, according to local reports. House of Chiefs advises the government on Zulu and the Xhosa and the laws and customs among those ethnic groups. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6831/South_Africas_traditional_body_calls_for_a_stripping_of_LGBT_rightsWed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100First US vice-president Joe Biden threw his support behind gay marriage over the weekend; now education secretary, Arne Duncan, has also backed marriage equality. In an interview with MSNBC, Duncan responded with “Yes, I do” when asked by Time magazine’s Mark Halperin whether he thought gay couples should be allowed to wed. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6828/Following_in_Bidens_steps_US_education_secretary_backs_equal_marriageTue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100A gay man being deported back to Cameroon refused to board a plane from London to Paris, according to the BBC. Saying his life was in danger should he be sent back to his native country, Ediage Valerie Ekwadde, 26, came to the UK last November. At that time, three gay men were sentenced to prison for being gay in Cameroon. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6829/Gay_Cameroonian_man_avoids_deportation_from_UKTue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100Nadine Dorries is at it again. After a scathing attack against gay marriage and the Prime Minister in the Daily Mail, the Conservative MP has said that most gay people don’t even want to get married. “We need to jettison both the policy of gay marriage and Lords reform,” wrote Dorries, who is divorced and had a relationship with a married man, on the Conservative Home website. “Gay marriage is a policy which has been pursued by the metro elite gay activists and needs to be put into the same bin. I have yet to meet a gay couple in my constituency or beyond who support it; in fact, the reaction has been quite the opposite. Great Britain and its gay couples don’t live on Canal Street in Manchester, shop in The Lanes in Brighton or socialise at Gaydar in London. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6826/Nadine_Dorries_once_again_attacks_gay_marriageSun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100Joe Biden, United States’ Vice President said that he is “absolutely comfortable” with gay marriage. In an interview yesterday with ‘Meet the Press’ Biden credited the sitcom Will and Grace for the changing attitudes of Americans toward gay people and homosexuality. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6827/US_Vice_President_declares_support_for_gay_marriageSun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100Worcestershire is celebrating Pride differently this year: With a series of picnics across the county. Rory Shannon, Bromsgrove resident, is organizing Worcestershire Rainbow Picnics in June with the aim of bringing together LGBT from across the county. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6824/Pride_picnics_coming_to_WorcestershireFri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100After promising a month ago to produce manifesto for LGBT ahead of the city’s election, incumbent London mayor Boris Johnson has come up short. He promised the manifesto at the mayoral hustings held by Stonewall last month. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6825/Boris_Johnson_fails_to_deliver_gay_manifestoFri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100David Cameron promised to wipe aware the convictions for consensual gay sex and that promise was fulfilled on Tuesday. 16,000 convictions of “buggery,” including that of “loitering with intent,” would be disregarded. The convictions, despite such laws being long repealed, remained on a citizen’s criminal record. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6822/Gay_sex_convictions_wiped_away_with_Royal_AssentThu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100“I think we’re living in really pivotal times. It’s the next great battle,” Furnish told the Metro. “Look at the history of civil rights relating to people’s nationality and colour. Black people were getting the right to vote in America not that long ago – within lifetimes – and parts of the world, where women don’t have any rights at all or have very limited rights.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6823/David_Furnish_calls_gay_marriage_the_next_civil_rights_battleThu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100London Mayor Boris Johnson said he will unveil his LGBT manifesto ahead of the city’s elections this week. “The best thing you can do is devour it, it’s going to be good,” said Johnson in an interview with Scott Roberts for GaydarRadio. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6820/Boris_Johnson_to_unveil_gay_manifestoWed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100The southern Indian town of Villupuram was once again home to its annual Koovagam transgender festival, the largest in India and Asia. The annual affair, known as Kuthandavar-Aravan Festival, is believed to be centuries old but has gained more prominence in recent years with more LGBT visibility in the country and more recognition of transgender people across the globe. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6821/Transgender_festival_underway_in_IndiaWed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100At the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, US President Barack Obama cracked a few gay-friendly jokes. During his speech he said that during his first term he repealed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and said that during his second term “we will replace it with a policy known as ‘It’s Raining Men.’” The event is largely attended by politicians and journalists from around the country. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6817/Obama_and_Kimmel_crack_gaypositive_jokesTue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100For its 75th anniversary campaign, the eyewear company, Ray-Ban has unveiled an advertisement featuring two gay men holding hands. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6818/RayBan_unveils_gay_adTue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100Numbers were severely reduced at this year’s Pride march in Phuket, Thailand, after rumours of a devastating tsunami frightened away participants. “The rumour was that there'd be a tsunami that would swallow up not just the coastline but the whole of Phuket,” said Rob Vermeer, one of the organizers, speaking to Gay Star News. “Thais are very superstitious and easily believe things like that. Some Thais came, but quite a few staff and boys were ordered back home by their mothers. In Thai culture if mother says you jump, you jump. So a lot of boys just simply left because of that.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6819/Tsunami_rumours_diminish_Phuket_Pride_numbersTue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100A 17-year-old gay boy in Northern Utah has killed himself because of homophobic bullying, in a region of the state where one official claims such suicides happen once a week. Jack Reese was from Moutain Green, Utah and his funeral is being held today. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6814/Weekly_gay_suicides_in_Northern_UtahMon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100After the Prime Minister’s office has stated its support for gay marriage, the Tory Chief Whip, Patrick McLoughlin, has told Tory backbenchers that such a proposal will “not come to a vote.” The Mail on Sunday reports that McLoughlin told the backbenchers privately that an equal marriage proposal would be “kicked into the long grass.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6815/Tory_Chief_Whip_says_there_wont_be_an_equal_marriage_proposalMon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Around 2,500 people marched in Tokyo’s gay Pride parade yesterday, including sex workers and supporters of LGBT rights. The crowd marched through the district of Shibuya, the Japanese capital’s entertainment and shopping district. Some of the marchers wore samurai warrior outfits, while others waved rainbow flags. The crowd was a mix of Japanese and foreigners. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6816/2500_come_out_for_Tokyo_PrideMon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The Cutting Edge Consortium annual conference in central London this past weekend say a coming together of religious leaders, humanists, trade unionists, politicians and others to combat faith-based and legal homophobia. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6809/Coalition_calls_for_rational_voices_to_fight_religiousbased_homophobiaFri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Ever heard of Fred Karger? Probably not. He’s one of the marginal contenders for the Republican presidential nomination with aspirations of becoming the US’s first openly gay and Jewish president. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6810/Fred_Karger_Fred_whoFri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100International Day Against Homophobia in May and fifty companies and organizations in Merseyside have agree to participate by flying the rainbow flag or including some kind of visual display as a statement. 17 May is IDAHO, which was developed by Liverpool based arts organizations Homotopia. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6811/Companies_and_organizations_show_supporting_for_IDAHOFri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Joe McElderry, the X Factor star winner who came out as gay after his Twitter account was hacked, has once again become a victim of homophobia on the popular social media platform. Bryden Morgan, who uses the handle @Bryden_morgie, tweeted: “ahahaha nice success you’ve had after x-factor you gay ****!!” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6812/Joe_McElderry_victim_of_homophobic_attack_once_again_on_TwitterFri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Ivan Kharchenko came out when he was 16 before his father put him in the Marshak rehab facility under the guise of treating drug addiction. Russian human rights campaigners staged a siege at the facility and Kharchenko was released after 12 days. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6813/Russian_gay_teen_escapes_facility_to_treat_his_sexualityFri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A campaign against North Carolina’s Amendment One, which would outlaw all recognition of same-sex relationships in the conservative state, is underway to sway voters before the May 8 vote. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6808/Campaign_against_North_Carolinas_Amendment_OneThu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The police forces of Scotland have received free Bibles with their badges, and that has raised concern with the Gay Police Association in Scotland and UNISON, which says that the force should not “endorse a book containing text which condemns homosexuality.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6806/Gay_police_force_condemns_distribution_of_BiblesWed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A straight attorney in Russia was cleared of the charges he was hoping to be convicted of: Spreading gay propaganda. Sergey Kondrashov was arrested two weeks ago for holding up a gay rights banner in Saint Petersburg that read, 'A dear family friend is lesbian. My wife and I love and respect her … and her family is just as equal as ours.' http://www.pinke.biz/news/6807/Straight_man_not_charged_with_gay_propagandaWed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Lady Gaga draws attention wherever the world she visits, and her concert stop in South Korea is no exception, where Christian conservatives protested the singer’s stance on LGBT rights. Gaga arrive in South Korea – an economic powerhouse in Asia – on Friday, one week before her concert at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6804/Gaga_concert_draws_protests_in_SeoulTue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A constituent has requested that Karl McCartney – Lincoln’s conservative MP – to support equal marriage. His response: gay people have “exhausted the cause of equal rights.” The constituent used text from the British Humanist Association to request the MP support gay marriage. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6805/Conservative_MP_derides_gay_marriageTue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A gay couple in Dubai that allegedly admitted to having sex at a petrol station now says they were simply kissing and cuddling. Twenty-seven year-old Paul Brandt told the Scottish Sun that he will appeal the three-year sentenced handed down to him, claiming the penalty was harsh because of his sexual orientation. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6799/A_gay_couple_in_Dubai_that_allegedly_admitted_to_having_sex_at_a_petrol_station_now_says_they_were_simply_kissing_and_cuddlingMon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100In a video uploaded on Youtube, a street preacher called comedian and former talk show host Rosie O’Donnell a ‘lesbian pig’ after telling her to go home and do the dishes. The video – which was posted in March but emerged this week – shows O’Donnell walking on the street with her family when a preacher says that her kids can be “saved” because they are “so young.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6800/ODonnell_called_a_lesbian_pig_by_street_preacherMon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The Boy Scouts of America continues to exclude LGBT youth from the organization, but that could change if one Ohio woman gets her way. A gay mother in Ohio has started a petition calling for a reversal of the youth organization’s discriminatory policy. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6801/Ohio_woman_challenges_youth_group_antigay_policyMon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A gay rights activist who was beaten to death earlier this week by a mentally ill man in Halifax, Canada is prompting debate in the country about how patients with mental problems should be treated. Andre Denny, 32, was on an unescorted pass from the East Coast Forensic Hospital. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6803/Death_of_gay_rights_activists_prompts_concern_over_treatment_of_mentally_illMon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The winner of the Miss Gay Philippines Universe pageant has said that only ‘real women’ should be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe international pageant to the exclusion of those who are transgender. Eriz Lanseta made the comments during a radio interview, which were reported in the Sun Star newspaper. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6797/Gay_Philippines_pageant_winner_says_transgender_women_arent_realWed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Nineteen-year-old Josh Hutcherson, star of The Hunger Games, is set to receive a major media award for his stance on gay rights. Hutcherson will receive GLAAD’s Vanguard Award this weekend in Los Angeles during the media watchdog’s annual awards ceremony. The star revealed that he had two uncles who passed away from AIDS, which prompted his gay equality work. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6798/The_Hunger_Games_star_recognized_for_gay_equalityWed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The cost to hold a civil partnership on a religious premise is 10 times the cost as a heterosexual marriage. Religious leaders are lashing out at the UK government for charging an astronomical fee to churches, synagogues and mosques that allow civil partnership ceremonies on their grounds. The cost for a three-year licence to perform civil partnerships can be upwards of 12 times the cost of performing marriages, effectively making it highly difficult for smaller dominations to acquire the licence. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6795/Religious_institutions_required_to_pay_more_to_perform_civil_partnershipsTue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Police in Budapest have tried to stop Pride from happening in the capital but to no avail. A court of Budapest has ruled that police should grant a licence for the city’s Pride parade. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6796/Court_overturns_police_decision_not_to_grant_licence_for_Pride_in_BudapestTue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are getting married, effectively abandoning their pledge not to do so until equal marriage is the rule of law in the US. The celebrity power couple says they decided to tie the knot after pressure from their children. Jolie was spotted in Los Angeles wearing a diamond ring on her finger, leading to rumors the couple were gearing up to marry. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6793/Brad_Pitt_and_Angelina_Jolie_are_set_to_tie_the_knotMon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The National Organization for Marriage, a vehemently homophobic US group, has taken its campaign to boycott Starbucks, which supports equal marriage, to the Chinese and Muslim world. The “Dump Starbucks” campaign kicked off last month in the US and has since gone global with an online campaign in Arabic and Mandarin. The campaign has largely failed in the US, having garnered only 30,000 signatures for its petition. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6794/Homophobic_marriage_campaign_goes_globalMon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Ben Bradshaw – a gay Labour MP – has said his comments in which he says same-sex marriage was not a priority for the LGBT community were ‘out of context rather grotesquely’ and ‘quoted selectively.’ “I’m a strong supporter of gay marriage,” Bradshaw told Scott Roberts of GaydarRadio yesterday. “Few people have fought as hard as I have over a lifetime and in politics for gay equality and I support gay marriage and I will support whatever legislation this government brings forward.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6791/Ben_Bradshaw_says_he_fully_backs_samesex_marriageFri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A study out of Boston University has found that those who come out to their loved and supportive ones are likely to experience greater health benefits compared to those who remain in the closet. Those who do come out are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Those who didn’t receive support from family and close ones were six or seven times more likely to suffer depression and abuse alcohol. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6792/Coming_out_leads_to_greater_health_benefits_according_to_US_studyFri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Two gay Muslim men have married in France by an imam. Although France doesn’t recognize equal marriage, French-Algerian Ludovic Mohamed Zahed and his partner, Qiyam al-Din, a South African, previously married in South Africa, which has permitted same-sex marriage for years. On France 24 TV, Zahed recalls how he met Din last year at a convention on AIDS in South Africa. “I was in the lecture hall when an imam – who incidentally, is gay himself – introduced me to Din. We discovered we had a lot in common and a mutual admiration was cemented. I stayed on after the convention for two months, deciding to get married, since South African laws were more friendly [to same-sex unions],” he said. After marrying, the couple returned to France hoping the government would recognize their marriage but to no avail. Zahed says he’s surprised the French government isn’t recognizing his marriage while his Muslim family has accepted who he is and attended the wedding. “Being married in front of my family, was like a new start of life for me. I could have never imagined such a day would come, seeing the joy in my parents’ eyes after they had battled with my sexuality and tried with all their might to change the course of my sexual orientation,” Zahed said. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6787/Imam_marries_two_gay_Muslims_in_FranceThu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100John Kerry is working to help prevent a Pakistani national – who is lesbian and married to her female partner – from being deported back to her native country.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6788/John_Kerry_appeals_to_have_Pakistani_lesbian_remain_in_the_USThu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100For the first time in its 27 year history, the soap-opera ‘Neighbours’ saw its first gay kiss on Monday’s episode. The characters Chris Pappas (James Mason) and Aidan Foster (Bob Morley) kissed on the lips during a party on Ramsay Street, where the set of the Australian drama is located. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6789/Neighbours_sees_its_first_gay_kissThu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Rick Santorum has dropped out of the Republican presidential, and with that the proportion of gay-friendly policies in the race got a six percent boost. Since the summer of 2011, Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) has examined the views of presidential hopefuls that affect the LGBT community. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6790/Santorums_exit_boosts_gayfriendly_views_in_presidential_raceThu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A gay couple will be featured for the first time on the new version of Mr and Mrs. The couple is Berwyn Rowlands and Grant Vidgen on the new version of the popular show on S4C, Channel 4’s Welsh sister channel. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6784/Gay_couple_on_Mr_and_MrsWed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior said today that the deceased companion of a gay or lesbian should be referred to as “partner” as opposed to some euphemism like "close brotherly or close sisterly relationship" in the obituary. The Ministry made the suggestion in the publication of its funeral etiquette, which will be released this June. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6785/Taiwan_to_use_partner_in_gay_and_lesbian_obitsWed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Moldova’s third city Balti has passed a bill banning the “progogandising of homosexuality,” prompting the Alliance for European Integration to attempt to pass an anti-discrimination bill in the country. The AIE is up against two powerful foes: the Orthodox Church and the opposition Community Party. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6786/Antidiscrimination_bill_would_bring_homosexualism_to_MoldovaWed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has launched a survey across the EU and Croatia to assess the life experiences of LGBT.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6782/EUwide_survey_to_assess_life_experiences_of_LGBTThu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Men who have sex with men across the UK are seen to have an increase in dysentery caused by shigella – often associated with and contracted through foreign travel – according to the Health Protection Agency.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6783/Cases_of_shigella_rising_among_MSMThu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Former California governor and Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger has emerged as the likely replacement for Mickey Rourke, who dropped out of training to play Gareth Thomas in a new biopic. Rourke initially gave birth to the idea of playing Thomas during an arm wrestling match with a gay rugby player. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6780/Arnold_Schwarzenegger_again_derides_effeminate_menTue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100An investigation is underway by military police into an alleged sexual assault on a soldier at an airbase near Stowmarket, Suffolk. The soldier was allegedly sexually assaulted by three servicemen inside the army helicopter base. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6781/Alleged_male_sexual_assault_being_investigated_on_soldier_baseTue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100The Republic of Ireland’s Fine Gael, a centrist party, has voted to consider legalizing gay marriage during its upcoming Constitution Convention. The Irish media is reporting that members of FG have passed motions calling on the government to “ensure that the Constitutional Convention prioritises an analysis of the proposals for same-sex marriage in Ireland.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6778/Fine_Gael_bends_toward_gay_marriageMon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100Taiwan’s gay rights movement suffered a setback last week when a court denied a petition by two gay men to be recognized as a same-sex household. According to the island’s law, a public ceremony with two witnesses is enough to form a legal marriage. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6779/Taiwanese_gay_couple_denied_samesex_household_statusMon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100A gay photography exhibit in Delhi was shut down last week by police after someone complained anonymously that the content was obscene. Sunil Gupta featured his work at Alliance Française, titled Sun City and Other Stories: Paris-San Francisco-Delhi. The exhibit was supposed to run until mid-April before it was suddenly shutdown by police. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6776/Gay_photography_exhibit_shutdown_in_DelhiFri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100Israel may consider amending its gay blood ban when a Health Ministry advisory committee convenes next month. If amended, a man who hasn’t had sex with another man in 10 or more years will be allowed to donate blood. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6777/Israel_considering_amending_blood_banFri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100On the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, the Quakers – in their address to the monarch - have called on the Queen to support same-sex marriage. The Quakers are part of the Privileged Bodies invited to address Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday at Buckingham Palace. Twelve representatives from the Quaker community attended the ceremony. Joycelin Dawes read the Royal Address to the Queen. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6774/Quakers_call_on_Queen_to_support_equal_marriageThu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams – a man who has routinely denounced homosexuality – told a room of teenagers that gay rights and feminism only serve to “fragment” British society. As Williams moves to a new role as the mastership of Magdalene College, Cambridge, he promised to be more vocal against gay rights in the coming weeks. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6775/Rowan_Williams_denounces_gay_identity_politicsThu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100If gay Turkish men want to avoid mandatory military service, they must “prove” their sexual orientation. Although homosexuality isn’t illegal in the Muslim, secular country, gay men aren’t welcomed in the military because they would cause “disclipinary problems,” according to retired Turkish army general Armagan Kuloglu. He also said that allowing gay men to serve would require “separate facilities, separate dormitories, showers, training areas” which would be costly. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6771/Gay_Turkish_soldiers_must_prove_homosexuality_to_avoid_military_serviceWed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100London Mayoral candidate Kin Livingstone defended his relationship with Muslim preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a homophobic and anti-semitic man who visited City Hall back in 2004.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6772/Livingstone_defends_relationship_with_Yusuf_alQaradawiWed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100The European Court of Human Rights, in the case of a lesbian couple in a civil partnership who could not adopt as a couple, ruled that gay marriage is not a fundamental human right.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6773/European_Court_Of_Human_Rights_Gay_Marriage_Is_Not_A_Human_RightWed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100Lady Gaga was honoured at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) awards on Sunday. GLAAD honours accurate and inclusive representations of LGBT. Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith from Glee hosted the show in New York. More awards are planned for April and June. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6769/GLAAD_hands_out_awardsTue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100The Coalition for Marriage has received more than 300,000 signatures in support of its petition that marriage should remain between heterosexuals. Campaign director, Colin Hart, says the petition proves that equal marriage is unpopular with the general public. He also said it was the biggest campaign the 2010 parliamentary election. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6770/Gay_marriage_opponents_garner_hundreds_of_thousands_of_signaturesTue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100A gay couple are speaking out after being arrested for allegedly having sex in public, saying their treatment at the hands of authorities was “horrendous.” The couple, Dennis Jay Mayer, 53, and his partner of 17 years, John Robert Hart, plead guilty to indecent exposure last week while on an Atlantis Cruise in the Dominican. They paid the $4,000 fine and were subsequently released. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6767/Gay_couple_talk_about_horrendous_conditions_after_being_detainedMon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100Because she was born male, a transgender woman was thrown out of the Miss Universe Canada. After it emerged that Jenna Talachova, 23, had completed her gender reassignment surgery at the age of 19, she was promptly thrown out of the beauty pageant, organized by Donald Trump. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6768/Canadian_transgender_woman_booted_from_beauty_pageantMon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100A man is in jail after hurling homophobic abuse at male air stewards and comprising the safety of a flight. John Hawkins, 32, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside was on a flight to the Canary Islands. He become aggressive with other passengers and shouted homophobic insults at the male air stewards.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6765/Man_jailed_for_homophobic_abuse_aboard_aircraftFri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000India’s government today said that it would stand by the Delhi High Court verdict from July 2009 decriminalizing homosexuality. Attorney General G E Vahanvati said the government was "learnt and subsequently got enlightened" from the court’s decision nearly three years ago.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6766/India_government_favours_decriminalizing_homosexualityFri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000The Muslim Council of Britain has joined the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church in its opposition to gay marriage, calling it an “unnecessary and unhelpful.” The UK government launched its consultations on gay marriage last week. The Council is an umbrella organization for 500 national, regional and local mosques, charities, school and other organizations. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6763/Muslim_organization_denounces_gay_marriageThu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Dubai’s Chief of Police is denying reports that 30 men at a gay private party were arrested earlier this month. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim denied that the men were arrested at a party on March 9 at the Shangri-La hotel in Dubai. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6764/Dubai_head_of_police_denies_arrests_at_gay_partyThu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Stonewall – the gay rights charity – has called civil partnerships insufficient in fighting prejudice against gay people. The charity’s comments come on the heels of the government’s launch of consultations on gay marriage last week. Chief Executive Ben Summerskill called for gay and lesbian voices to be heard during the process. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6761/Stonewall_lauds_start_of_gay_marriage_consultationsWed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Liberia’s anti-gay laws were not a topic former UK prime minister Tony Blair wished to address. In a Guardian interview with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Blair, who was in Liberia for his Africa Governance Initiative charity, which he founded, Blair skirted the issue of decriminalizing homosexuality in the African country. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6762/Tony_Blair_skirts_questions_of_gay_rights_in_LiberiaWed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000The London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard has gone digital adding email and instant messaging to its service, a volunteer run phone line for LGBT in need of confidential advice and support in the UK. Questions can now be asked through the LLGS website using email, which will be answered within hours. The instant messaging will be treated like phone calls and responded to immediately. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6759/Gay_switchboard_offers_new_digital_servicesTue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000On the heels of the government’s plans to allow gay couples to marry, the Telegraph has published an editorial saying that such plans would “risk reigniting anti-homosexual bigotry” and have consequences for the Church of England. The public consultation on marriage, which was launched last week “runs into an immediate problem since there are powerful voices opposed in principle, notably the churches,” the paper wrote. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6760/The_Telegraph_condemns_consultation_on_gay_marriageTue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Thirty people in Dubai were arrested at a party on Friday March 9 at the Shangri La Hotel for being gay. According to the United Arab Emirates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender group, the party was raided and many were taken in for questioning, including those from prominent Emirati families. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6757/30_people_arrested_at_gay_hotel_party_in_DubaiMon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000A man who posted a video of his gay roommate having sex with another man has been found guilty of a hate crime. Dharun Ravi taped his roommate 18-year-old Tyler Clementi in a romantic encounter with another man. Soon after, Clementi killed himself by jumping to his death off the George Washington Bridge. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6758/US_student_found_guilty_of_hate_crimes_leading_to_roommates_suicideMon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000With over a third lighting up, the British Heart Foundation is urging gay men to quit smoking for the annual No Smoking Day. “Make No Smoking Day the day you say goodbye to an expensive habit that can ruin your health and your looks, and say hello to a brighter, healthier smokefree future,” said Vishnee Sauntoo, from the No Smoking Day campaign. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6755/Gay_men_urged_to_quit_smokingFri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000The British government launched a 12-week consultation yesterday on how to lift the country’s gay marriage ban. The consultation – long anticipated – will also address how to allow civil partnerships to upgrade to marriage should couples wish and the possibility to allow heterosexuals to enter civil partnerships, which are presently limited to same-sex couples. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6756/Consultation_on_gay_marriage_is_launchedFri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Never shy of controversy and provocation, ice cream maker Ben and Jerry’s announced this week a renaming of one of its flavors in support of gay marriage. Oh! My! Apple Pie! has been changed to Apple-y Ever After and features a couple and a wedding cake decorated with rainbows. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6753/Ben_and_Jerrys_renames_another_flavor_to_support_gay_marriageThu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000St Petersburg’s anti-gay propaganda law, which has drawn much international attention, has been signed into law by the city’s governor, making it the fourth jurisdiction in Russia with such a law in place. The law forbids the “promotion” of LGBT persons and homosexuality to minors and punishment can include a range of fines. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6754/Antigay_propaganda_bill_passes_in_St_PetersburgThu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Daniela Despothttp://www.pinke.biz/news/6749/Revamped_Tina_Turner_song_mocks_Margaret_CourtWed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Mauro Catebhttp://www.pinke.biz/news/6750/More_people_in_favour_of_gay_marriage_than_opposedWed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000It could be a first for a religious body. The Cross Street Unitarian Chapel in Manchester said it has received permission from the municipal council to conduct partnerships on its grounds. The move is considered a first in England and Wales. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6751/Church_in_Manchester_is_a_firstWed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Support for gay marriage is at 49 per cent in Australia, placing the country ahead of Britain and the United States in popular support. In Britain, 43 per cent of the public backs equal marriage and 42 per cent are supportive in the US, according to an Angus Reid Public Opinion survey.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6752/Australians_support_equal_marriageWed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000MSNBC won’t screen an advertisement critical of one of its frequent homophobic guests Tony Perkins.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6747/MSNBC_wont_play_ad_countering_homophobic_views_of_regular_guestMon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone has called the language used by the Church of England and the Catholic Church homophobic, with views that belong in the Dark Ages.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6748/Featherstone_lashes_out_at_religious_bodiesMon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Calls for hate crime laws in Chile are intensifying after a young man in Chile was brutally attacked and left with permanent scars of swastikas on his chest.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6745/Antidiscrimination_bill_given_more_urgency_following_gay_bashingFri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Reform Judaism in the UK has backed gay marriage.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6746/Reform_Judaism_backs_marriage_equalityFri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Olympic volunteers are being quizzed on how to deal with complaints of gay couples holding hands, but that and other questions have been derided as ‘a bit patronising.’ http://www.pinke.biz/news/6739/Olympic_volunteers_quizzed_on_gay_couples_holding_handsThu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000MEP Roger Helmer has praised Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s comments that gay marriage is “grotesque.” Helmer said on his blog Straight Talking that O’Brien’s comments were “impressive” and “brilliant.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6740/Roger_Helmer_praises_Cardinals_grotesque_commentThu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Ed Miliband – Labour opposition leader – has signed a pledge to support the Scottish Equal Marriage campaign and civil partnerships for heterosexuals. The move comes after all leaders of Scotland’s political parties have pledged support for gay marriage. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6741/Ed_Miliband_pledges_support_for_gay_marriageWed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Following Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s diatribe published in The Times over the weekend, the newspaper has written an editorial in support of gay marriage. “When David Cameron told his party conference in October that he supported gay marriage because he was a Conservative, he may not have fully anticipated the range and force of the opposition that he would elicit. He knows now,” said the editorial. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6742/The_Times_backs_gay_marriageWed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Anti-gay comments on Twitter are becoming commonplace. This time two more footballers received fines for making homophobic comments on the micro blogging site. Nile Ranger a forward for Newcastle has been fined £6,000 and Manny Smith £1,200 by the FA. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6743/More_footballers_fined_for_homophobic_tweetsTue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000The most senior Catholic in Scotland wrote a scathing attack on gay marriage over the weekend. Cardinal Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, called same-sex marriage a “grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6744/Scathing_attack_against_gay_marriage_by_Scottish_CardinalTue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Support for gay marriage in California – a state that has flip-flopped on gay marriage over the past few years – is now at 59%, according to the latest Field Poll results. Back in 2008, Proposition 8 measure came into effect banning gay marriage. But twice courts in the state found the ban to be a violation of gay rights and equality, but appeals by opposition groups have effectively kept the ban in place. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6735/Support_for_gay_marriage_in_California_hits_59Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000Ann Widdecombe is at it again, this time calling for a referendum on gay marriage because she believes opposition consists of more than just religious groups. Widdecombe, writing in her Daily Express column on Wednesday, said that it fits politicians to portray opposition to equal marriage as religious when in fact it’s more widespread. “I have no doubt that as gay marriage is debated we shall see bishops deployed against gay activists but it is simply not true that only the Church is opposed to redefining marriage,” she said. “An opinion poll, independently carried out for the Coalition for Marriage, suggests 86 per cent of the population believes it perfectly possible to promote gay rights without redefining marriage.” Widdecombe was referring to the January ComRes poll that asked the following question: “Since gay and lesbian couples already have the same rights as married couples available to them under civil partnership, they should not be allowed to redefine marriage for everyone else.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6736/Ann_Widdecombe_calls_for_equal_marriage_referendumMon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000China’s government has come up with an action plan to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. The plan – released last week – will make condoms available in 95% of hotels and ‘public places’ – among other measures – to reduce HIV by 25% http://www.pinke.biz/news/6737/China_seeks_to_stem_rise_of_HIV_through_condom_campaignMon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000International pressure is mounting against a St. Petersburg’s law which bans the “promotion” of “sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism.” Violator’s of the new law could face a fine from 5,000 roubles (£107) to 50,000 roubles, (£1,070) for those who hold public positions, such as teachers. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6738/Global_pressure_mounts_against_antigay_St_Petersburg_lawMon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000A home-coming kiss between a gay US marine and his boyfriend has gone viral on the internet. The kiss between Sgt Brandon Morgan of Oakdale, California and his partner took place in Hawaii and was posted on Facebook where it received thousands of ‘Likes’ and spread across the internet. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6733/Gay_US_marine_kiss_goes_viralThu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000A case is underway at the Supreme Court in India to reintroduce a ban on gay sex which was struck down back in 2009, but judges are warning ministers to get their act together regarding contradictory statements on homosexuality. Government officials seemed unsure as to whether or not gay sex should be illegal and judges warned them to not “make a mockery of the system.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6734/Case_underway_to_reintroduce_ban_on_gay_sex_in_IndiaThu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000We were recently contacted by a young gay family who were looking to protect their mortgage in case of death. Lawrence and Patrick had been looking at taking cover through their current mortgage lender, but felt intimidated by the HIV questions on the bank’s application form. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6726/Do_you_have_life_assurance_Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000British Prime Minister David Cameron’s call for gay rights across Africa has unleashed a harsh attack from Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe. On his birthday on Saturday, Mugabe said of Cameron “to hell with you” regarding the latter’s speech at the Commonwealth summit last year when he said that British aid should be conditional on gay and human rights. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6727/Mugabe_lashes_out_at_Cameron_over_gay_rightsWed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Police in Lancashire are asking the public for help after a teenage boy was a victim of a homophobic attack, one that left him with a broken jaw. The 16-year-old was walking through the Nelson town centre along Netherfield Road with his sister on the evening of 11th February when three men hurled homophobic insults at him before the attack. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6728/Lancashire_police_appeal_for_help_following_gay_bashingWed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Labour MP for Falkirk in Scotland, Eric Joyce, has been suspended following an altercation with openly gay MP Stuart Andrew in a House of Commons bar last Wednesday. “This is an extremely serious incident,” said a Labour Party spokesperson. “We have suspended Eric Joyce pending the results of the police investigation.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6729/Labour_MP_suspended_following_assault_on_Stuart_AndrewWed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Canadian actor Christopher Plummer won the Oscar for best supporting actor at Sunday’s ceremony for his portrayal of a gay man in the film Beginners. After being widowed, Plummer’s character comes out later in life. The story is based on the real life experience of director Mike Mills after his father came out at 75. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6730/Oscar_wrapWed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Facebook will no longer allow slurs like ‘faggot’ and ‘sissy’ to be used in its automated system by advertisers to target customers. The social media giant has confirmed to PinkNews.co.uk that the terms will be removed. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6731/Facebook_to_remove_gay_slurs_as_search_items_for_advertisersWed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Colin Ireland – dubbed the ‘Gay Slayer’ for murdering five gay men in the early 1990s – has died in prison while serving a life sentence. Ireland has reportedly died of natural causes at the age of 57. “As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation,” a Prison Service spokeswoman told the Yorkshire Post. Ireland found his victims at the Coleherne Pub in Earls Court, London, after making a New Year’s resolution in 1993 to become a serial killer. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6724/Gay_Slayer_dies_in_prisonFri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Twelve percent of tourists to Cape Town are gay travelers, bringing an economic boon to the South African city. Visitors from Europe and the United States – which make up the bulk of LGBT travelers – say the city’s beauty and large gay population are major attractions. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6725/LGBT_travelers_flocking_to_Cape_TownFri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000The UK may see its youngest transgender yet after the NHS diagnosed a five-year-old with Gender Identity Disorder. Zach Avery – born male identified but now lives as a girl - was told he had GID at the age of four, according to the Daily Telegraph. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6720/NHS_diagnoses_youngest_ever_with_gender_identity_disorderThu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000SurvivorsUK is using London’s Tube to promote an awareness campaign regarding sexual crimes committed against men, who are often overlooked as victims of rape. The poster in the Tube reads: “Real Men Get Raped and Talking About It Takes Real Strength.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6721/Campaign_on_Tube_for_male_rape_awarenessThu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000When are homophobic texts permitted to be shown in a classroom in Lancashire? That’s the question facing Education Secretary Michael Gove whose response to such an enquiry has left many gay rights activists scratching their heads. Brendan Barber, Trade Union Congress’s general secretary, sent Gove a question asking why students at Roman Catholic schools were given a homophobic text written by an American preacher. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6722/Education_Secretarys_comments_on_homophobic_school_material_lead_to_confusionThu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 A South Korean court granted a Nigerian gay man asylum after he claimed he could not return home for fear of his safety. An earlier government decision which wouldn’t grant the man – who cannot be named – refugee status was overturned by this latest court challenge, which ruled that the man faced significant persecution should he be forced to return home. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6723/Nigerian_gay_man_granted_asylum_in_South_KoreaThu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A portrait of Lady Gaga and an image of Elton John’s face – compiled from thousands of Gaydar users’ profile pictures – are among a collection of works celebrating LGBT History Month. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6718/Elton_John_portrait_of_Gaydar_profiles_featured_for_LGBT_History_MonthTue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Sun Media has come under fire for its attempts to track down a Tran’s man who gave birth, prompting one advocacy organization to call for more respect for the privacy of Tran’s persons.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6719/Sun_Media_derided_for_tracking_down_Trans_mans_identityTue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Maryland is set to join a league of US states that have legalized gay marriage after a bill passed the House of Delegates and is expected to pass the senate.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6716/Maryland_one_step_closer_to_marriage_equalityMon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Two Catholic priests in Colombia asked for their own death after reportedly asking two hitmen to kill them.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6717/Two_priests_in_Columbia_paid_hitmen_to_dieMon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A new social networking site is helping rural gay and trans people find each other.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6713/Social_networking_site_to_connect_rural_gays_and_transFri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000In an auction lot offered by the Terrence Higgins Trust, the winning bidder will cook the catch of the day in Dermont O’Leary’s restaurant Fishy Fishy in Brighton.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6714/16th_annual_Lighthouse_Gala_Auction_next_monthFri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Ealing Council is holding a special Pink Fostering and Adoption event to encourage more gay and lesbian people to consider becoming foster carers or to adopt.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6715/Ealing_Pink_Fostering_and_Adoption_EventFri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000While accepting an award for HIV/AIDS activism work in California, US actor Matt Bomer revealed that he is gay. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6711/Matt_Bomer_publicly_comes_outThu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Stonewall – the gay rights charity – has published its own draft marriage bill which extends equal marriage to same-sex couples and allows those in a civil partnership the option of upgrading to a full marriage.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6712/Stonewall_drafts_marriage_billThu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Peter Tatchell says that Whitney Houston, who died on Saturday, was at her peak happiness when she was in a relationship with a “female partner.”http://www.pinke.biz/news/6709/Tatchell_says_Whitney_Houston_was_happiest_with_a_female_partnerWed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A 22-year-old man has been jailed for eight weeks after spraying anti-gay and racist graffiti on a housing block in London’s Shadwell.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6710/Man_jailed_for_homophobic_graffitiWed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Parents Elton John and David Furnish fear their baby son Zachary may be stigmatized for having gay parents.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6707/Elton_John_and_David_Furnish_worry_for_their_sonTue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A support group is shorting on funding a documentary examining the experiences of parents of gay and trans folks in Turkey and is appealing for help.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6708/Turkish_gay_rights_support_group_short_on_funding_for_documentaryTue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Tom Cruise’s adopted son Connor has apologized to his PR representative after sending a tweet his way using ‘gay’ pejoratively. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6705/Tom_Cruises_son_apologizes_for_antigay_tweetMon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Uganda’s ‘kill the gays’ bill – one that has drawn international scorn over the past two years – has been reintroduced to parliament this week.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6706/Uganda_antigay_bill_back_in_parliamentMon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Benjamin Cohen - technology correspondent for Channel 4 News and founding publisher of PinkNews.co.uk - has contributed to the ‘It Gets Better’ campaign by making a video on coming out and being Jewish.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6703/Benjamin_Cohen_joins_the_It_Gets_Better_campaignFri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Despite being a party full of “hypocrisy,” Ken Livingstone said in an interview with the New Statesman that the Conservative party was “riddled” with homosexuality.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6704/Livingstone_says_Conservatives_were_a_party_full_of_gay_menFri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Two women were attacked for kissing by an off-duty bus driver in Malta at a time when the country is debating hate crime legislation and homophobia. Footage filmed by another passenger should Marco Borg, 43, attacking two women, aged 17 and 21 last Friday. The driver in charge of the bus restrained Borg after the attack. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6701/Two_women_attacked_in_Malta_for_kissingThu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Brighton Pride is in major debt that could leave future events in doubt. According to released financial statements, Brighton Pride owes creditors up to £200,000. But Pride (South East) called the release of the documents tallying the debt as “unhelpful” and a “misrepresentation” of its current reality and that negotiations with creditors continued. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6702/Brighton_Pride_faces_crushing_debtThu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000An image of a model intended for a gay audience was singled out as inappropriate on a Facebook page, which was then temporarily shut down Friday afternoon.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6699/Facebook_temporarily_shuts_down_gay_pageWed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A Canadian Trans woman was humiliated in the United States after customs officials questioned her gender identity.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6700/A_Canadian_Trans_woman_humiliated_by_US_customs_officialsWed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000JC Penny doesn’t believe having a gay spokesperson would result in bad business.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6696/JC_Penny_sticks_to_Ellen_DeGeneresTue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000In an article for PinkNews.co.uk, a gay Jewish man discusses his experience with gay cure therapy.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6697/Gay_Jewish_man_describes_horrifying_gay_cure_therapyTue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A gay church assistant told a court yesterday that he had no desire to touch the breasts of a woman who accused him of sexual assault.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6698/Gay_church_assistant_denies_touching_womans_breastsTue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000An opinion piece in a Jewish newspaper that insists the decision to cure homosexuality should be left up to gays and lesbians has resulted in a major backlash.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6691/Columnist_says_gay_cures_deserve_a_chanceMon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A London law firm that sacked a gay barrister because of his sexual orientation has lost its appeal against an earlier ruling that it practiced discrimination.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6693/Law_firm_loses_on_appeal_for_sacking_gay_barristerMon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Britain’s Derby Crown Court found three men guilty of inciting hatred based on sexual orientation, a first in the country, with sentencing scheduled for this month.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6695/Three_men_to_be_sentenced_this_month_for_distributing_antigay_materialMon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000His character’s plan to break up Glee’s young gay couple has earned Grant Gustin some death threats from fans. Gustin, who plays Sebastian Smythe on the hit show, said he received threats on the micro-blogging site Twitter to the tune of ‘If you break up Klaine, I will find you and I will kill you.’” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6692/Glee_actor_receives_death_threatsSun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000An absent father has intervened in the life of his transgender daughter in Berlin and wants her committed to a mental institution because she refuses to live like a male.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6694/German_trans_youth_could_be_institutionalizedSun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000A rabbi who signed a ‘gay cure’ declaration and heads the Orthodox Ashkenazi community in Amsterdam said that he won’t return to the Netherlands because he fears for his life.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6686/Rabbi_in_Amsterdam_suspended_for_gay_cure_beliefsThu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Close to 200 hundred members of the European Parliament signed a pledge in support of LGBT rights across the EU. Following a two-day long awareness event, 184 MEPs, including the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, signed the pledge of support to mark the halfway point of the parliament’s current mandate. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6687/MEPs_pledge_support_for_EUwide_LGBTI_rightsThu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000LGBT people in the United Arab Emirates are under attack, this time through a video which instructs how to cure gay men of their sexuality.http://www.pinke.biz/news/6688/UAE_video_attacks_effeminacy_in_menThu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000LGBT history month kicks off tonight across the UK. The event is in its eighth year and the theme is the issue of homophobia in sport. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6690/February_is_LGBT_history_monthWed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000Kylie Minogue is returning to Sydney’s Mardi Gras in March. In a video, Minogue said, “I am coming home for Mardi Gras this year!” She said she was disappointed that she wasn’t able to attend Australia Day in Sydney. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6684/Kylie_Minogue_returns_to_Sydney_Mardi_GrasMon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A civil rights law firm in the ultra conservative state of Alabama has demanded that schools allow students to bring their same-sex partners to the prom. The letter, by the Southern Poverty Law Center to the County Board of Education in Tuscaloosa, made reference to a case last month in which a student at Brookwood High School was told by her principal that she was prohibited from attending the prom with another female. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6685/Letter_demands_that_US_county_allow_samesex_couples_to_attend_promMon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000The ‘gay panic’ defence is no more in the Australian state of Queensland following a petition by a Catholic priest that gathered over 25,000 signatures and international support. Defendants in murder cases employ the “gay panic” defence in an effort to dwindle down their murder charge to manslaughter. After a man was killed on the grounds of his church, Father Kelly began the petition. At the time he said, “It is simply intolerable that anyone can rely on a defence or an excuse that an alleged homosexual advance could somehow mitigate against violence that leads to death.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6682/Gay_panic_defence_no_more_in_QueenslandFri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A petition submitted to the Scottish government denouncing gay marriage has been derided by rights groups as “outdated, inaccurate and homophobic” and put on hold by parliament. The petitioner, Amy King, put forward her ‘Preserving Marriage’ petition to the Scottish Parliament, which claims that gay people shouldn’t have access to marriage because of “poor social outcomes for homosexual adults” including “higher rates of domestic violence, suicide, STDs, and mental illness.” King writes: “Marriage should not be redefined for the whole of society given the tiny percentage of society actually affected by the issue.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6683/Antiequal_marriage_petition_put_on_hold_by_Scottish_governmentFri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A teacher diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and depression is banned from teaching indefinitely following allegation of verbal and physical abuse by a number of students. While teaching at the East Brighton College of Media, the teacher Jason Gibbs used language such as “batty boys” and “poofs,” a disciplinary panel heard. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6678/Teacher_banned_from_profession_after_abusing_studentsThu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Ecuador’s new health minister has promised to shut down the county’s remaining “lesbian cure” clinics. Rafael Correa appointed American-born activist Carina Vance Mafla, who is openly gay, to his cabinet. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6679/New_Ecuadorean_health_minister_promises_to_shut_down_remaining_cure_clinicsThu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000South Africa’s Human Rights Commission will investigate homophobic comments made by the Zulu king. “If it is indeed accurate that His Majesty, the Zulu king, made the utterances as reported, they constitute hate speech [...] and are inflammatory,” said Human Rights Commission spokesman Vincent Moaga. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6680/South_African_human_rights_body_to_investigate_antigay_comments_by_Zulu_kingThu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000The cross-dressing comedy Work It on the US network ABC was dropped after two episodes following criticism of transphobia from the LGBT community. Work It centered on two straight men who, after losing their jobs as car salesmen, dress as women to find new work in a difficult economy. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6681/US_sitcom_pulled_for_transphobiaThu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A battle over adoption legislation is underway in the US state of Virginia and right in the thick of it is whether prospective gay or lesbian parents will be permitted to adopt. Legislation introduced by Senator Adam Ebbin would prohibit the state to fund or contract adoption agencies that discriminate against hopeful parents on the grounds of ‘race, religion, national origin, sex, age, family status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.’ http://www.pinke.biz/news/6676/Virginia_continues_to_discriminate_against_hopeful_gay_parentsTue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A coalition of groups is calling on the Lord Provost of Edinburgh – a twin city to St Petersburg – to protest the latter city’s vehemently homophobic “propaganda” law. Last year lawmakers in Russia’s second largest city passed the “gay propaganda” law on a vote of 27 to 1. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6677/Lord_Provost_of_Edinburg_asked_to_stop_antigay_St_Petersburg_billTue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A new study adds to the growing body of evidence that gay parents are just as capable as their heterosexual counterparts of raising children. Published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the study found that teens raised by lesbian parents developed the same levels of happiness and quality of life as those of straight parents. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6674/Another_study_shows_gay_parents_do_a_good_job_raising_kidsMon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Picketers targeted an ‘ex-gay’ conference last week in Northern Ireland, which has referred to gay people are lepers. Organizers of “The Lepers Among Us” claim that lepers in biblical times compare with how people with “conflicted in religious and sexual identity” are treated now. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6675/Picketers_protest_exgay_Belfast_conferenceMon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A UK man serving time for killing four gay men with a combat knife for his own sexual gratification lost his appeal to overturn his sentence in the European Court of Human Rights. The Chamber of seven ruled that there is ‘No violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment)’ and that Peter Moore had ‘no hope of release.’ http://www.pinke.biz/news/6672/UK_man_serving_whole_life_sentence_for_killing_gay_men_loses_appealSat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A university in the US state of Illinois became the first in the country to ask prospective students about their sexual orientation. Elmhurst College in Chicago asked an optional question on its application form regarding the sexual orientation and found that 5% of applicants noted being gay. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6673/US_university_asks_question_of_applicants_sexual_orientationSat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000The Tory government’s March consultation could witness a backlash against gay marriage by some backbench MPs. The Independent reports that some backbenchers are adamantly opposed to the government’s plans to consult on gay marriage, seeing the move as heading down the path of legalization. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6670/Backbench_Tory_revolt_against_equal_marriage_brewingThu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Human Rights Watch which has released a report documenting the torture and abuse of transgender women at the hands of authorities in the tiny Middle Eastern country of Kuwait. The report, titled “They Hunt us Down for Fun’: Discrimination and Police Violence Against Transgender Women in Kuwait,” is 63 pages and documents abuses at the hands of police, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6671/Human_Rights_Watch_releases_report_of_abuses_against_trans_women_in_KuwaitThu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A transgender man has made history in Israel by become the first in state history to give birth. Yuval Topper, 24, underwent sex change surgery three years ago. Last week, he gave birth at the Sheba Medical Center. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6668/Israeli_trans_man_gives_birthWed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000After winning a Golden Globe at Sunday’s award show, George Clooney said republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was the wrong man to lead the country given his attitude on gay rights. “I’m not much concerned until there is an actual nominee,” Clooney said, saying Romney’s stance on gay rights is on “the wrong side of history.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6669/George_Clooney_derides_Mitt_Romney_on_gay_rightsWed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Chris Bryant, Labour MP, said that on some days a part of the Westminster complex is “virtually a gay bar.” Speaking at a debate on Parliamentary representation over the weekend, he said, “It is significant that we now have more out gay Members of Parliament than ever before. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6666/Chris_Bryant_Westminster_is_often_resembles_a_gay_barTue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Peter Tatchell says that the world is moving toward a post-gay society in which sexual orientation matters little and more folks engage in same-sex relations. “As homophobia diminishes and as future societies eventually embrace a post-homophobic culture, how will this transition to equality, dignity, understanding and acceptance affect the expression of sexuality?” Tatchell wrote in an op-ed piece in PinkNews.co.uk. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6667/Tatchell_Sexual_expression_is_everchangingTue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000LGBT are invited to attend an Adoption and Fostering Week next month in an effort to boost adoption, which is its lowest in a decade, among this segment of the population. The New Family Social says LGBT adoption has hit the radar and authorities have come to value the potential of gay and lesbian parents. In a New Family Social survey of 130 social workers, 72% said there was value in allowing LGBT to adopt. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6664/Adoption_week_to_raise_profile_of_LGBT_parentsMon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000An online poll by American Airlines and the gay travel site Gaycities.com has found Tel Aviv in Israel to be the greatest gay travel destination of 2011. Tel Aviv – Israel’s most cosmopolitan and liberal city – nabbed 43% of the vote followed by New York at 14% and Toronto at 7%. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6665/Tel_Aviv_tops_poll_for_best_gay_travel_destinationMon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Ernst & Young has grabbed top spot on Stonewall’s list of the 100 best places to work for gay and bi employees this year. The UK’s counter-intelligence and security agency, MI5, debuted at number 62. Back in 1989, the agency felt that gays were too “vulnerable to corruption” to work at the higher ranks of the spy agency because of the possibility of blackmail. Ernst & Young leaped to the top spot after a third place finish last year. The Home Office fell from the top spot last year to second this year. Barclays took the third spot. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6662/Ernst__Young_best_place_for_LGB_to_workSat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000After making a homophobic comment against gay rugby player Gareth Thomas, a player with Oxford City has been let go of the team. Regarding Thomas’ appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, Lee Steele, 38, tweeted: "I wouldn't fancy the bed next to Gareth Thomas #padlockmyarse." http://www.pinke.biz/news/6663/Club_releases_player_after_homophobic_tweetSat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000In a speech on Monday, Pope Benedict XVI said that gay marriage is a threat to the future of humanity. The comments came during an address to a meeting of 180 diplomats at the Vatican. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6660/Pope_says_gay_marriage_threat_to_humanityFri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A Catholic priest in Queensland, Australia has drawn massive support for his petition against the “gay panic” defence used in the state. The petition, signed up 8,500 folks, says the defence – which if applied successfully reduces a charge to manslaughter - “belongs in the dark ages.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6661/Petition_against_gay_panic_defence_in_Queensland_draws_thousandsFri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Following a homophobic tweet to gay rugby star Gareth Thomas, Oxford City striker Lee Steele didn’t play a match over the weekend. “I wouldn’t fancy the bed next to Gareth Thomas #padlockeda**ehole,” Steele, 38, wrote on Twitter, referencing Thomas’ appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. The comment against the now retired Thomas was removed, but not until the following day. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6658/Lee_Steele_doesnt_play_game_after_homophobic_tweetThu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Bisexual actor Alan Cumming and his partner Grant Shaffer celebrated the fifth anniversary of their British civil partnership by marrying in New York. New York became the sixth and largest state in the US to legalize gay marriage back in June last year. Cumming, who is originally from Scotland, made the announcement on Twitter and included a message for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6659/Alan_Cumming_marries_in_New_YorkThu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Sir Ian McKellen says that he has “no doubt” that given the nature of his plays, Shakespeare was gay. “I’d say Shakespeare slept with men,” said McKellen, the Daily Mail reports. “The Merchant of Venice, centering on how the world treats gays as well as Jews, has a love triangle between an older man, younger man and a woman. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6655/Ian_McKellen_Shakespeare_was_gayTue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000A recent tampon ad was pulled after criticism of transphobia, but now the featured drag queen has lashed back against complaints he’s calling “dragphobic.” Sandee Crack – his stage name – points out that he doesn’t consider himself trans and “never” will. In the ad, which Libra pulled earlier last week, a drag queen competes against a woman in the mirror. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6656/Performer_hits_back_dragphopic_criticsTue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Last week Jamaica swore in a new prime minister, Portia Simpson-Miller, who has taken a strongly pro-gay stance compared to her predecessor. In a live television debate, Simpson-Miller said she won’t bar gay and lesbians from serving in her cabinet – unlike the country’s previous prime minister, Bruce Golding, did. She also said that the criminalization of homosexuality will be reviewed. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6653/Progay_politician_becomes_Jamaicas_new_leaderMon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Simon Doonan, always tongue-in-cheek, has come out with a new book on the differences between “gay” and “straight” foods. Doonan book is a nod to the best-seller French Women Don’t Get Fat. He says that “gay men really are French women, from their delight in fashion, to their brilliant choices in accessories and décor, to their awe-inspiring ability to limit calorie intake.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6654/Gay_foods_straight_foods_whats_the_differenceMon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Stars the Sherlock have denied the existence of a gay relationship between the characters. Sherlock returned to huge acclaim on New Year’s Day and once more raise the possibility of a gay undercurrent on the show. According to PinkNews.co.uk, the characters deny the claim. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6649/Stars_of_Sherlock_deny_gay_undercurrentFri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000In his bid for the 2012 Republican US presidential nomination, Rick Santorum has made some wildly homophobic comments. Santorum – who finished second in the Iowa caucuses – said that should he become president, he would invalidate gay marriages in the country. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6650/Santorum_puts_homophobic_on_displayFri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Justin Timberlake could be playing Elton John once again, this time in a biopic. John, 64, told the LA Times that he would like to produce a “surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a Moulin Rouge” and that he would like Timberlake to play him, saying “I’ve got a wish list of people. Number one on my wishlist is Justin Timberlake, because he played me before in a David LaChapelle video of Rocket Man and he was superb.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6651/Justin_Timberlake_could_play_Elton_John_in_biopicFri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Transgender air stewardesses in Thailand flew for the first time on PC Air’s inaugural flight from Bangkok to Surat Thani last month. Last year, the new airline hired thirty in-flight staff, four of whom were transgender. “I think these people can have many careers – not just in the entertainment business – and many of them have a dream to be an air hostess,” said PC Air boss Peter Chan, speaking to the Daily Telegraph. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6652/Transgender_flight_crew_take_off_in_ThailandFri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000After coming under pressure, Amazon has removed a heavily homophobic calendar by a Christian cartoonist. The calendar by American Christian cartoonist Joe King, was pulled earlier by Barnes and Noble, but remained available through Amazon in the US and the UK. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6645/Amazon_removes_homophobic_cartoonist_calendarWed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Chrisie Edkins – trans singer and DJ – said that she would play at any pride event for free this year in the name of promoting the LGBT community across the globe. Edkins – who said she would perform provided she transportation and accommodation are paid for – performed in Spain and Exeter this year and Las Vegas Pride in 2009. She told PinkNews.co.uk that she would like to perform at as many pride events as possible in the New Year. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6646/Chrisie_Edkins_offers_to_play_at_pride_events_across_the_globe_for_freeWed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Stephen Fry is the LGBT community’s most influential Twitter user according to a list compiled by PinkNews.co.uk. “It’s a very remarkable honour to top such a list. Thank you,” he told the news media outlet. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6647/Stephen_Fry_tops_list_of_influential_LGBT_Twitter_usersWed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists late last year said that homosexuality isn’t a psychiatric disorder. The College made the announcement following the coverage of faith-based ‘therapies’ in Hong Kong, which have garnered wide-spread media attention over the last several months. “The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists opines that homosexuality is not a psychiatric disorder,” the body said in a statement. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6648/Hong_Kong_College_of_Psychiatrists_homosexuality_isnt_a_disorderWed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000Twitter is often home to plenty of homophobic ranting, and on Sunday night Will Young got a taste of it firsthand. On the micro-blogging site, Young was told he was “such a bender” by a Twitter user. Young, 32, responded to the user by saying “now Bender? Is that homophobia? Do clarify…. Cos if so I can get the police on to you….. Have a think about it mate…. [sic],” before adding that he would “report it anyway and see what they say.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6641/Will_Young_reports_homophobic_comment_by_Twitter_userTue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000A judicial review hearing in Northern Ireland on the ban against gay and unmarried couples adopting children will reconvene in March. Questions have now surfaced concerning whether the ban was a mistake. Mr Justice Treacy called for the hearing to be adjourned so the legislation could be further studied by lawyers. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6642/Judicial_review_on_gay_adoption_ban_in_Northern_Ireland_adjourned_until_next_yearTue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000A school in Utah isn’t backing down on its decision to out a 14-year-old student to his parents, arguing it was to protect him from potential bullying. The boy revealed his sexual orientation in a school project. His teacher then asked if he wanted his sexual orientation to be publicly known. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6643/Utah_school_defends_decision_to_out_boy_to_parentsTue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000The Labour Party’s 13 representatives at the European Parliament have all pledged their support for the equal love campaign in support of civil partnerships and marriage for LGBT and straight couples. “I hope Labour MPs at Westminster will follow the positive example of these MEPs and oppose sexual orientation discrimination in marriage and partnership law,” said international gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, who coordinated the equal love campaign. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6644/Labours_MEPs_pledge_support_for_gay_marriageTue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000A Catholic school in Australia refused a child because her parents are gay. The school has since changed its mind, but it was the parents’ turn to refuse. The diocese’s bishop intervened when he learned that the Sacred Heart Primary School in Broken Hill, New South Wales turned away a child because of her parents’ sexual orientation. “There’s no way in the world one can penalise a child for what his or her parents do,” said Bishop Kevin Manning. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6634/Catholic_school_in_Australia_denies_enrolment_to_child_because_of_gay_parentsFri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000Fans say agents are to blame for a lack of openly gay footballers, according to a survey out of the University of Staffordshire. The research of 3,500 football fans found that 90 per cent of those questioned said homophoba doesn’t belong in sport and they would support an openly gay player. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6635/No_gay_players_in_football_Blame_the_agentsFri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000A homophobic attack last week in Walsall last month left one man with a swollen eye. West Midlands police are looking for five men connected to the attack. The victim, 20, was at the Lion Bar and Club in Reedswood with friends on the night of November 26th. He was approached by the men and declined to speak with them. When he left the bar he was followed out by the men. When the victim was walking away from the venue, one of the men made a homophobic comment. The victim was then knocked to the ground and kicked in the head before the men ran off. “This was a particularly nasty attack which was unprovoked,” said West Midlands police spokesman Lee Page speaking to the Express and Star. “Violence of any kind will not be tolerated, but the homophobic nature of this assault makes it an especially nasty assault and we would like to speak to any witnesses who may know the people involved or have any information on the attack.” http://www.pinke.biz/news/6636/Man_injured_in_Walsall_homophobic_attackFri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000Ghana’s Education Ministry said that if it has its way, homosexuality in the African nation will be a thing of the past. Speaking to the Accra Mail, Paul Krampah, a Public Relations Officer, said his department has been educating teachers on the health risks associated with sexual activity, such as sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. The plan is to illustrate the consequences of homosexuality to students with the hope that it will disappear in the future. The ministry believes it can stop young people from being gay. “We are very optimistic that things will change and the incidence of homosexuality in the country will be a thing of the past,” said Krampah. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6637/Ghana_plans_to_eliminate_homosexuality_through_educationFri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000Winning the title of Mr Gay Mamibia has come at a price. Wendelinus Hamutenya was assaulted outside his home in Katutra on the December 4 when the attackers demanded the money he won from the competition. He ended up being hospitalised for 24 hours with head injuries and injuries to his ribs after he was attacked with a bottle. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6638/Mr_Gay_Namibia_assaultedFri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000The sister of Kevin Rudd – Australia’s former Prime Minister – has referred to gay marriage as “utter nonsense” and has left the Labor Party as a result. “I couldn’t work for a party that had endorsed homosexuals marrying,” Loree Rudd told Fairfax. “It is a horrible thing for them to be discriminated against and that’s why my brother introduced laws so they are not discriminated against. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6639/Former_Australian_PMs_sister_calls_gay_marriage_nonsenseFri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000A zoo in China is giving a pair of gay penguins a baby chick to raise. Last month a zoo in Toronto garnered international attention when it chose to separate two gay penguins from each other and use them for mating purposes. http://www.pinke.biz/news/6632/Zoo_in_China_give_gay_penguin_couple_a_baby_chick_to_raiseThu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000