Tag: gay uk
Gay Couples to Tie the Knot in First Same-Sex Marriages in Britain
London — Peter McGraith and David Cabreza will marry in London a stroke after midnight on Friday, marking the culmination of a campaign to end a distinction many British gay couples say made them feel like second class citizens. Saturday will be the first day gay couples will be allowed to tie the knot in… Read more »
UK budget: Alan Turing £42m research institute announced
Mathematician who helped the Allies win World War II was convicted for having gay sex was only finally pardoned in December 2013 A £42 million research institute is to be set up in the name of Alan Turing, the gay genius who helped the Allies win World War 2. A research fund honoring Alan Turing,… Read more »
Stephen Fry named presenter of the year for global homophobia documentary
Actor, presenter and journalist Stephen Fry has been honoured with an award as presenter of the year for a BBC series which saw him travel around the world looking at homophobia. Mr Fry beat David Attenborough and Davina McCall to win the honour at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards on Tuesday. The award was… Read more »
Sir Ian McKellen leads 27 Nobel laureates in protesting Russia’s ‘gay propaganda’ law
Sir Ian McKellen and his friend the chemist Sir Harry Kroto have penned an open letter to the Russian Government signed by 27 Nobel prize winners, protesting its ban on so-called ‘homosexual propaganda to minors’ Sir Ian McKellen has joined forces with the noted chemist Sir Harry Kroto to co-write a protest letter to the… Read more »
Gay son of child abuse campaigner killed himself after years of bullying at school
Tearful Shy Keenan tells how she could not protect son Ayden who suffered years of abuse at school over his sexuality The son of a prominent child abuse campaigner killed himself after revealing that he was gay and being “bullied to death” at school, an inquest heard. Ayden Keenan-Olson, 14, took his own life three… Read more »
David Cameron explains what equal marriage means to him
The passing of equal marriage for England and Wales cements the UK’s position “as the best place in Europe for LGBT equality”, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. He has spoken of his pride at equal marriage becoming law for England and Wales. Writing exclusively for PinkNews.co.uk and the London Evening Standard, Mr Cameron thanked… Read more »
Gay marriage reveals surprise contrast between ‘starchy’ Britain and ‘freewheeling’ France
London — The French like to make fun of the British, joking about their repressed ways in matters of the heart. But when it came time to debate same-sex marriage, it was France that betrayed a deep conservative streak in sometimes violent protests — while the British showed themselves to be modern and tolerant. With… Read more »
Equal marriage bill for England and Wales given Royal Assent and is now law
The equal marriage bill for England and Wales was today given Royal Assent, and is now officially law. The Queen’s Royal Assent was granted to the bill on Wednesday at 15:06, turning it into the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, after clearing the final stage in Parliament yesterday, following two hours of debate, and the… Read more »
British House Of Lords Approves Gay Marriage Bill
On Monday, the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber of the British Parliament, approved a bill which seeks to make Britain the 15th nation to legalize gay marriage. The measure now heads back to the House of Commons to reconcile amendments between the two chambers. According to Bloomberg, the upper house approved the bill… Read more »
Putin: The Czar of Homophobia
Russian anti-gay repression condemned Violation of Russian constitution & European human rights law Sign the petition against homophobic repression in Russia London’s LGBT Pride Parade last Saturday included protests against Russia’s new anti-gay law and condemnation of President Vladimir Putin as the “Czar of Homophobia”. See photos of the Peter Tatchell Foundation contingent at London… Read more »
Lords follow marriage victory with call for gay sex to be legal globally
Britain’s House of Lords have heard the need for 78 countries to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide, just after voting for gay marriage The criminalization of homosexuality is ‘abhorrent’ and needs to be scrapped on human rights and HIV-prevention grounds, the House of Lords has heard. The comment was made by senior Conservative Lord Norman Fowler as… Read more »
Landslide vote for gay marriage in House of Lords
House of Lords backs gay and lesbian marriage bill for England and Wales and will now scrutinize it in detail The House of Lords has backed the further passage of the equal marriage bill – meaning it has now passed a crucial hurdle. The upper chamber of the British parliament spent two days debating the… Read more »
MPs pass same-sex marriage bill in final third reading
MPs have voted 366 – 161 overwhelmingly in favour of passing the Marriage (Same Sex Couples Bill) – in its third reading in the House of Commons – giving it a majority of 205. Shortly before the vote took place, Culture Secretary and Minister for Equalities, Maria Miller told MPs: “I accept that for some… Read more »
Gay Star News flashmob brings you sunshine for IDAHO
GSN teams up with London Gay Men’s Chorus and London Gay Big Band to Bring Me Sunshine and spread the word about fighting homophobia and transphobia Gay Star News joined forces with the UK capital’s talented LGBT singers and musicians to make a video to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). While reports… Read more »
Queen Elizabeth ‘Stands Up’ for Gay Rights Without Mentioning Them
While Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is being hailed as a progressive leader for signing a new Commonwealth charter that opposes discrimination based on gender, LGBT activists note that the monarch has never actually uttered the words ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian.’ Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday backed a new commonwealth charter for the United Kingdom, which some… Read more »
Circumcision makes no difference to HIV infection in UK gay men
An analysis of an online and gay-venue survey of white, British-born, gay and bisexual men in the UK has found no association between whether they were circumcised and whether they had HIV, even among men who were mainly or exclusively ‘tops’ (who take the insertive role in anal intercourse). The study While a couple of… Read more »
‘Inhuman and degrading’: Gay asylum seekers feel they must go to extreme lengths to prove their sexuality, including filming themselves having sex
S Chelvan, a barrister at No 5 Chambers, blames strict UK Border Agency demands for the desperate measures A leading barrister has warned that gay asylum seekers believe they have to go to extreme lengths to prove their sexuality in order to meet strict UK Border Agency demands. S Chelvan, a barrister at No 5… Read more »
Prove You’re Gay Or Go Home, Home Office Tells Senegales Student
A gay student has been told to prove his sexuality or face deportation to his home country Senegal, where homosexuality is outlawed. Serigne Tacko Mbengue, who studies at Newham College in east London, and is a LGBT campaigner for the NUS, fled to the UK in 2008 to escape homophobic persecution. But the 26-year-old is… Read more »
Poll: Strong support across Europe for equal marriage and adoption – but France divided
A majority of people in several European countries believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to get married and adopt children, but in France the public is divided, according to YouGov. It’s latest poll shows a slim majority of French people (51%) are against allowing gay couples to adopt. The findings come ahead of an… Read more »
Comment: The truth about being a gay 16-year-old at an all boys boarding school
16-year-old Olly Hudson writes for PinkNews.co.uk about his experiences of being gay at a private all boys boarding school in the UK. He despairs at the homophobic environment and the lack of acknowledgement by the school that homosexuality even exists. My name’s Olly, and I’m a 16-year-old from South Wales. I’m also gay. I decided… Read more »
Senior Anglican Condemns Gay Bishops As A Compromise Too Far
The leader of a global group of traditional Anglicans has condemned the Church of England for “compromising with the secular preoccupations of the West” in an attack that significantly ratchets up the latest fallout between liberals and conservative over the thorny issue of homosexuality. Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, the Primate of Kenya and the leader of… Read more »
UK lawyers help Cambodia with LGBT rights
Advocates for International Development helps UK lawyers to help a Cambodian human rights group improve LGBT rights UK lawyers are helping a Cambodian human rights center draft proposals for law reform to protect LGBT people in the southeast Asian nation. Lawyers from Linklaters in the UK working for free for charity Advocates for International Development… Read more »
Young, Gay and Homeless
Christmas is almost here, and many of us are looking forward to spending time with our loved ones. But there are some people who don’t have that to look forward to. That is because they are homeless. Being homeless is one of the worst things can happen to someone. I know because I have been… Read more »
British government should take responsibility for colonial sodomy laws, says Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch deputy director, Asia, tells Gay Star News that the UK government should publicly denounce anti-gay laws that were set up by the British empire The British government should do more to persuade ex-colonies to repeal anti-gay laws, Phil Robertson the deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch told Gay… Read more »
UK: Home Office threatens to ban Ugandan politicians from entering Britain over anti-gay law
The Home Office has indicated that if Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill is passed by the country’s parliament, the UK may ban senior Ugandan politicians from entering Britain It comes after Conservative MP Mike Freer tabled a question in parliament calling on Home Office Minister Mark Harper to ban Ugandan parliamentarians who are complicit in passing the… Read more »
Princes William and Harry back gay-run HIV charity
Princes William and Harry follow in mom Diana’s footsteps by backing Terrence Higgins Trust Britain’s pin-up Princes, William and Harry, have been asked to be ambassadors for the country’s leading HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT). The organization was started when Terry Higgins became one of the first to die of AIDS in the UK… Read more »
Comment: Coming out as gay at a Catholic high school
PinkNews.co.uk reader Andrew Doughty writes about what it’s like to be a gay teenager in a British Catholic school in 2012. I’m sure we’ve all the heard the words ‘Faggot’, ‘Queer’, ‘Dyke’ and many other, ‘pleasant’ terms thrown around at some point in our lives. In a high school setting this could seriously knock a… Read more »
Obituary: Allan Horsfall – LGBT pioneer 1927-2012
Campaigner for UK gay law reform & equality Peter Tatchell recalls the contribution of LGBT rights pioneer Allan Horsfall, who died from heart failure on 27 August 2012, aged 84. Allan Horsfall was one of the grandfathers of the modern gay rights movement in Britain, with a campaigning record that stretches back more than 50… Read more »
From today, HIV treatment is free for all who need it in England
The removal of charges for undocumented migrants and non-UK citizens accessing HIV treatment and care in England comes into effect today. From now on, HIV treatment will be provided free of charge to all who need it, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The move was first announced in February and the relevant legislation passed… Read more »
Lesbian Poet Laureate’s dark take on fairytale to go on tour
Britain’s lesbian Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has turned the fairytale Rapunzel into a ballet which will tour in the UK from October A ballet written by Britain’s lesbian Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is to go on tour in the UK from October. Commissioned by London dance house Sadler’s Wells and choreographed by Liv… Read more »
UK’s first Olympic boxing champ celebrates gold at G-A-Y
Olympic champion Nicola Adams toasts her success at 2012 games by visiting one of London’s biggest gay clubs Boxing champion Nicola Adams proved she is a knock-out in the club as well as the ring after being spotted celebrating winning Olympic gold at G-A-Y. The first time games winner was smiling ear to ear when… Read more »
Ten out gay Olympians win gold at the games
Ten openly LGBT Olympians have taken home Gold from the London 2012 summer games. Were they a team, they would have tied with Mexico and Ethiopia in total medals. Over a third of all out LGBT athletes won a medal, beating off the USA team. Cyd Ziegler, founder of outsports.com said: “If ‘Team Gay’ was… Read more »
Gay influence at London Olympics is quietly strong
It’s not easy being gay anywhere. In sports competition it’s harder than most places. At the Olympics, it’s gotta be tougher than nails. That is, to be an “out’’ gay or lesbian. According to various reports, which are necessarily without a certain level of fact-checking, there are 21 openly gay athletes out of more than… Read more »
Poll: Gay men take twice as many holidays
A new poll suggested gay men take double the national average number of holidays each year. Ipsos Mori polled 2,174 gay men for Gaydar and has released both the pattern for gay holidays and the most popular destinations. San Francisco was the most popular city, followed by Amsterdam. The resort of Gran Canaria came third… Read more »
Stonewall launches advice leaflets for gay tourists in Britain
Gay rights charity Stonewall has launched a series of multilingual leaflets designed to promote gay freedoms in Britain to foreign visitors. The polyglot range will advise gay visitors of the legal protections available to them and what to do if they run into difficulties in the UK. ‘You’re Welcome!’ will be available in English, French,… Read more »
London: First national conference on LGBT end of life care tomorrow
The first ever national conference on end of life care for LGBT people will take place this Thursday in London. Policymakers, service providers, academics and people who are themselves dying will come together on Thursday to discuss how to improve end of life care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The conference is organised… Read more »
Hillary Clinton accepts World Pride Award
The US Secretary of State sends ‘powerful’ message to world on gay rights as four men are due to be hanged for sodomy in Iran World Pride organizers say Hillary Clinton’s formal acceptance of a gay rights award sends a ‘powerful’ and ‘poignant’ message to the world as four men in Iran await execution for… Read more »
Britain pledges to keep fighting for LGBT rights abroad
Annual report on human rights and democracy outlines steps UK took to promote LGBT rights abroad Britain will continue fighting for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights around the globe despite a backlash for some countries. That’s the pledge the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave Gay Star News as it released an annual report on… Read more »
Protesters call for release of gay Ugandan refugee
Campaigners picketed Dutch embassy in London and handed over petition demanding asylum for gay man fleeing persecution in Uganda Campaigners demonstrated outside the Dutch embassy in London yesterday (2 April) demanding freedom and asylum for a gay Ugandan. Members of the Movement for Justice group called for the Netherlands to release Kalanzi Marvin Richard, who… Read more »
London buses carry pro-gay marriage posters
You wait ages for a pro-gay marriage poster, then 1,000 come along at once, courtesy of Stonewall Some buses have gay adverts on them, get over it – that’s the message from gay group Stonewall. Leading British gay campaign organization Stonewall have put posters on the side of 1,000 London buses to campaign for same-sex… Read more »
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