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Video: Gays among unusual couples in Google Valentine doodle

2012-02-14T23:18:00.003-08:00

A seventy-second animated short featuring on Google's home page for Valentine's Day features a gay couple among an unusual collection of romantic pairings.

As a man tries to win over a skipping woman with increasing exasperation and non-traditional gifts, it is only when he begins skipping too that she rushes over to kiss him.

A diverse montage of couples then fills the miniature screen above Google's search term box.

A gay couple features alongside a cat and a dog, a princess and a frog, an elderly couple, a cookie embracing a carton of milk and an astronaut and an alien.

Drawing on the recent overruling of Proposition 8 in California, one amused Youtube commenter wrote: "Say NO to extraterrestrial marriage! extraterrestrial marriages are the thing that are destroying our earth! Proposition Infinity!"

The gay couple, both wearing dinner suits and standing in front of a few other people appear to be getting married.

The animation is set to Tony Bennett's rendition of Cold Cold Heart.

Google was honoured by the Trevor Project last year for its work championing equal benefits for gay and trans employees.

In November, Google doubled its healthcare benefits for transgender employees.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/14/video-gays-among-unusual-couples-in-google-valentine-doodle/

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Gaydar’s £300,000 fraudster must repay £2 this month

2012-02-14T23:18:00.001-08:00

A man who was jailed after trawling Gaydar to steal from gay men must repay only £2 of the £300,000 he acquired and forfeit any future windfalls when he leaves prison.

Mark Andrew Bishop, 38, was given a four year custodial sentence in 2011 after he stole nearly a third of a million pounds, including over £210,000 from one man.

Bishop had nine known victims and police said at the time of his conviction he may have targeted many more.

Now he must repay only £2 within four weeks after Gloucester Crown Court was told he had no assets, local media reports.

For years, Bishop had told Gaydar and other gay website users a story about being a wealthy Old Etonian and needing a place to stay. He would then steal from them before moving on to his next victim.

Prosecutor Philip Warren had said at his trial: "His general theme was to attach himself to a series of men, deceive them as to his prospects and status, sometimes using assumed names, and tell them tales of hardship and bereavement to help him relieve them of significant sums of money."

Bishop extracted a total of £297,103 from the men he defrauded, and £212,488 from a single man over three years both through loans and theft.

On Monday, he was given 28 days to repay the £2 sum or face an extra day in prison under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

One of bishops victims who lost £3,000 told the Gloucestershire Echo: "The fact he is not going to have to pay any money back is disappointing but not unexpected. Ever since reporting it to police I have pretty much written it off.

"From my experience of knowing Bishop, I'm sure he spent any money he had almost straight away. It is no surprise he has nothing left.

"It has left the people he took from with no chance of getting reimbursed, which is very frustrating indeed."

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/14/gaydars-300000-fraudster-must-repay-two-pounds/

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Actor Matt Bomer comes out

2012-02-14T23:17:00.002-08:00

US actor Matt Bomer revealed this weekend he is gay.

The star of White Collar, 34, came out at the weekend as he accepted an award for HIV/AIDS activism in California.

At the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards ceremony, he told the audience: "I like to give a special shout out to my table… and I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry – thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment."

He was referring to publicist boyfriend Simon Halls and their three children.

Bomer has made enigmatic statements in the past when faced with rumours about his sexuality.

In 2010 he said: "I don't care about that at all. I'm completely happy and fulfilled in my personal life."

Referring to his programme, he added: "I have a network and a show riding on my shoulders."

Bomer is set to appear alongside Channing Tatum in Magic Mike this year as well as the film version of Larry Kramer's HIV/ AIDs play The Normal Heart.

Bomer added at the gala where he received the New Generation Arts and Activism award: "My world has really been rocked by doing research for Normal Heart, just in terms of the history of HIV and AIDS.

"And so I'm very proud to receive this award from an organization that is at the forefront of carrying the torch into a very, very bright future."

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/14/actor-matt-bomer-comes-out/

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Whitney Houston was ‘at her happiest in lesbian relationship’, Peter Tatchell claims

2012-02-14T23:17:00.001-08:00

The late singer Whitney Houston was at her happiest in the 1980s when she was with a "female partner", human rights activist Peter Tatchell said today.

Mr Tatchell wrote: "Whitney Houston RIP. She was happiest and at her peak in the 1980s, when she was with her female partner. They were so loved up and joyful together.

"It's important to tell the truth about this aspect of her life. Colluding with the cover-up of her same-sex relationship is not right."

Rumours of gay relationships were denied by Houston, who died on Saturday aged 48.

She was married to Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2007.

The Daily Beast reports Houston saying about a rumoured relationship with her personal assistant in 1987: "My mother taught me that when you stand in the truth and someone tells a lie about you, don't fight it. I'm not with any man. I'm not in love. People see Robyn with me, and they draw their own conclusions.

"Anyway, whose business is it if you're gay or like dogs? What others do shouldn't matter. Let people talk. It doesn't bother me because I know I'm not gay. I don't care."

Mr Tatchell continued: "I met Whitney and her partner at the Reach Out & Touch HIV rally in London in 1991, organised by Vernal Scott. Whitney spoke very movingly in support of people with HIV, at a time when many other stars kept their distance.

"She was pressured into the Bobby Brown marriage. It was a disaster. Her life started going downhill soon afterwards.

"Perhaps her inability to accept and express her same-sex love contributed to her substance abuse and decline?

"Whitney's death is a tragic loss of a great vocal talent."

In 2009, Houston's former sister-in-law said the singer had had cocaine-fuelled gay encounters.

She had said she was making the claims in order to help the late musical legend overcome a drug habit.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/13/whitney-houston-was-at-her-happiest-in-lesbian-relationship/

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‘Gay is not okay’ church forced to change sign

2012-02-14T23:16:00.001-08:00

A reverend has had to change a sign at his Des Moines church from reading "Gay is not okay" after a hundred protesters gathered outside.

The sign was situated outside the non-denominational Fort Des Moines Church of Christ.

It had been put up to publicise a sermon Reverend Mike Demastus was giving on Sunday at which he said people could not be "God-fearing" and be gay.

He asked why people thought homosexuality could be hard-wired at birth, but alcoholism could not be endorsed in the same way, the Des Moines Register reported.

Demastus was forced to amend the sign ahead of the sermon.

He told Fox News: "This has opened up a pretty decent dialogue for those that are willing to have the dialogue. But for those that are just spewing anger and hate and all that kind of stuff, I just think that's awful. But the reality is I can only speak where God's word speaks."

The sign had been vandalised before the reverend changed it to read 'Adultery is not okay'. Demastus also reportedly received threats.

In 2009, he wrote on his blog that when it came to gays and marriage: "The fact is, it is very proper for society to discriminate against this for its very propogation [sic]. Civilization cannot be advanced by homosexual couples."

After Iowa lifted the ban on gay marriage, Demastus wrote that some equal marriage supporters "compare very real civil rights struggles of blacks in American society with that of the same-sex marriage movement today. Here's the deal, I have met many people who used to be 'gay' but I have never met anyone who used to be black (except possibly Michael Jackson) [...]

"Having someone try to have their identity and class status be defined by what they do with certain body parts is absolutely laughable. And the only way we are going to make head-way in this debate is to not budge one inch on the terms of this debate. We must not let the homosexual movement set the terms."

In 2010, he wrote: "Those in support of the acceptance of homosexuality have stated that Bible is not clear in it's view of homosexuals[sic]. On the contrary, I believe it couldn't be any more clear", and drew the reader's attention to Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

Patrick Boltinghouse, whose photograph of the sign created a storm on Facebook and led to the protest on Sunday, told the Des Moines Register: "We're in the 21st Century. You'd think that gays could be part of humanity."

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/13/gay-is-not-okay-church-forced-to-change-sign/

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Malta: Lesbian assault victims ‘to be charged with breaching peace’

2012-02-14T23:15:00.000-08:00

The lesbian victims of an assault in Malta which led the prime minister to promise gay hate crime laws now face charges themselves for breaching the peace, reports said today.

The young women were dancing in the Fra Diegu square in Hamrun, a town in central Malta when the incident took place.

Two brothers were then arrested and charged.

But Natasha-Leah Davis and Roxanne Micallef will now appear in court beside their alleged attackers after the latter told police the lesbians had been breaching the peace, Malta Today reports.

Luke and Carlo Debono are due to appear in court with Mary Aquilina, who was also allegedly involved.

Following a second attack against two lesbians who had been kissing on a bus, Malta's prime minister stepped in last week to announce the creation of new hate crime laws that would encompass homophobia.

At a press conference, Prime Minister Gonzi said: "We are sending a message to society in general, not to pass judgement of people, and that we expect the forces of law to enforce laws and eliminate all forms of discrimination."

In an interview with Malta's Sunday Times after the attack, one of the girls claimed attackers called her and her girlfriend "twisted" before and left her with bruises and facial injuries.

She said: "It was a horrible experience… All of a sudden one of the boys picked me up and punched me in my eye… He grabbed me my breasts then head-butted my nose and threw me onto the ground, grabbed my hair and pulled me across the ground."

The Malta Gay Rights Movement said a 2003 study showed one in every 10 gay people on the two main Maltese islands are subjected to some form of violence because of their sexual orientation.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/13/malta-lesbian-attack-victims-to-be-charged-with-breaching-peace/

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Lost man ‘jumped’ from gay cruise

2012-02-06T16:50:00.007-08:00

A man is feared dead after reportedly jumping from a gay cruise near Mexico.

The publicly unidentified man, 30, fell from his balcony on deck 11 of luxury liner Allure of the Seas, the world's largest cruise liner.

Royal Caribbean International said that the incident, witnessed by a fellow passenger and CCTV footage, showed the man intentionally going overboard.

In a statement, the cruise line said the man had not responded to attempts to contact him in his room: "When the guest did not respond to the pages and was not found on board, the captain alerted the local authorities of the situation.

"A review of the ship's closed-circuit camera footage observed the 30-year-old British male guest going over the balcony railing in his stateroom on deck 11.

"The location of the ship at the time the guest went overboard was marked on the ship's Global Positioning System (GPS) and the US and Mexican coastguard were alerted.

"Our care team is providing support to the guest's family and our thoughts and prayers are with them."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware that a British national has been reported missing in Mexico.

"His family have been informed and we are providing consular assistance."

The man reportedly fell at 12.10pm GMT, or 7.10am local time, on Friday of last week.

The ship had been chartered by Atlantis Events.

In November of last year, an American man was jailed for selling drugs on the Allure of the Seas from what the sentencing judge termed an "apothecary" in his cabin.

Steven Krumholz, 51, from California, was found with more than 142 ecstasy pills, methamphetamine, a small amount of ketamine, and about $51,000 (£31,000) in cash.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 21 months in prison for dealing drugs to fellow passengers on the gay cruise.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/06/lost-man-jumped-from-gay-cruise/

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Amazon sells book on ‘gays going to hell’

2012-02-06T16:50:00.005-08:00

Amazon's Kindle Store has sparked a backlash by offering a fundamentalist religious text which tells gay and trans people they are going to hell.

The book is one of 849 listed in Amazon's Christian fundamentalist section.

The e-book's synopsis says: "LGBT Going To Hell is a small fundamentalist Christian book that seeks to tell the LGBT community that it is in sin and lives a lifestyle that is against God's Holy Word the Bible.

"This is not a book to win friends but to call sinners to repentance."

One American reviewer wrote: "There is no doubt that books like this are part of the reason why so many young LGBT people in USA commit suicide."

Another wrote: "I have no idea if it is meant to be a serious work, or a satirical look at stereotypical christian attitudes, but either way, its mostly useless."

The e-book, which costs 77p, begins by commenting on the world's progress in medicine, science and technology, but condemns its fall into an "evil pit of violence, green, sexual immorality and paganism".

PinkNews.co.uk has approached Amazon for comment.

At the end of last year, Amazon pulled a calendar by 'Christian cartoonist' Joe King.

I'm Not Gay, I'm Just a Sissy: 12 Months of Sexual Confusion, included jokes about AIDS and effeminacy in gay men.

While some questioned whether the cartoons were genuine satire not designed to cause offence, King took to his own Facebook page to rant about the gays who complained adding that it was not the first time he had been banned.

He said: "Hoo-we! Hell hath no fury like a he/she scorned…"

He added that AIDS was an "elective disease" which would stop "the day guys quit sticking it to each other. And for the tragedy of women and children infected… THAT stops the day their gay husbands and fathers stop cheating on them. Anyone need MORE education, science or funding to understand THAT?"

In 2009, Amazon apologised after a cataloguing glitch meant many important gay works were mislabeled as 'adult' products.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/06/amazon-sells-book-about-gays-going-to-hell/

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Top Tory blog editor backs gay marriage

2012-02-06T16:50:00.003-08:00

A prominent Tory commentator and editor of the Conservative Home website has come out in favour of gay marriage.

Tim Montgomerie has previously been noted for his activities combining religion and politics, having founded the Conservative Christian Fellowship in 1990.

Talking to the Independent this weekend, he said many in the CCF were "upset, very perplexed" and felt "real disappointment" at his move to back equal marriage.

On his blog today, Montgomerie wrote: "It is because I value marriage so much that I have come to believe it should be extended to gay people and not kept exclusive."

He continues: "Marriage is, for want of a better word, conservatising. I don't mean in a party political sense. I mean it is one of the key social institutions that conservatives admire. It is about drawing people together.

"Not just the couple but also their extended family and other friends and loved ones. It is a deeply important social act that draws others to the care of the couple and draws the couple to the care of others, not least ageing parents."

He writes: "I hope, over time, we will get to a policy where we can combine gay rights with religious liberty. On occasions – such as with Catholic adoption agencies – religious liberty has been compromised in unacceptable ways.

"The Government has promised that any gay marriage bill will protect the rights of religious groups to hold firm to their view that marriage must remain between a man and a woman. I may no longer share other Christians' opposition to this social reform but we should live in a society where the state guards freedom of religion and association."

Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall, welcomed Montgomerie's announcement, saying: "We're delighted that, having heard the arguments, one of Britain's most influential evangelical Christians is now able fully to support marriage for gay people without compromising his faith in any way.

"Many people of faith are considerably more progressive than the religious leaders, such as Dr Sentamu, who often speak intemperately in their name."

In his interview with the Independent, Montgomerie said the Archbishop of York, who compared a government move to introduce equal marriage with the actions of a dictatorship, was a "very good man", but questioned the language he had used.

MediaGuardian put Montgomerie in 90th place on their 2010 list of the most powerful people in the media.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/06/top-tory-blog-editor-backs-gay-marriage/

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The shocking truth about religious ‘gay cure’ therapy by someone who failed to turn straight

2012-02-06T16:50:00.001-08:00

Last month, a state funded Jewish school in North London, JFS, was accused by the Jewish Chronicle of showing students the logo and central message of JONAH, a so called 'gay cure' group and implicitly portrayed it as something they should explore if they thought they might be gay. The chief rabbi of Amsterdam was suspended from his position after he signed a document alleging homosexuality could be "modified and healed". And Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, backed a Christian 'gay cure' therapist struck off by her professional body. But very little has been written about what actually happens at so called reparative therapy. Chaim Levin enrolled on a Jewish scheme to try to turn himself straight. This is his story.

I grew up in a traditional Jewish family in Crown Heights. I love my mother, my father and my family. I had always felt different and was the subject of relentless bullying by other boys for "seeming" gay. When I was 17 I confided to a friend that I was attracted to men and not sexually attracted to women at all. When it came out, I was thrown out of yeshiva (Jewish religious school). For the longest time I felt so alone because I truly believed that I was the only person battling this secret war. My older siblings were getting married and having kids, and all I ever wanted was to be a part of the beautiful world my parents had raised me in. My dream was to marry a woman and live the life my family hoped and dreamed for me. I would never have chosen to be gay; I could not imagine anyone growing up in the Orthodox world who would choose to be someone who doesn't fit into the values and norms of everyone around them.

So do I think that I was "born gay"? I don't know and I am not sure how important that is. What is important is that it certainly is not something that I chose or had anything to do with. And I felt immense pressure to somehow change who I was.

After much time and research I found a well-known organisation that "specialised" in reparative therapy. This organisation had endorsements from a wide range of rabbis and I was sure that it was the answer to all my problems. The organisation's executive director told me that he believes everyone can change if they simply put in the hard work. I would have done anything to change, and this message was just the hope I was looking for. I spent two years attending every group meeting, weekend, and individual life coaching sessions they offered. My parents and I paid thousands of dollars. Every day, every session, I was working and waiting to feel a shift in my desires or experience authentic change. That moment never came. I didn't change, I never developed any sexual desire for women, and never stopped being attracted to men. Instead, I only felt more and more helpless because I wasn't changing. The organisation and its staff taught us that change only comes to those who truly want it and are willing to put in the work. So if I wasn't changing, I was seen as someone who either really didn't sincerely want it, or would not put in the necessary work. In other words, there was no one to blame but myself.

The worst part of my experience in reparative therapy came at the end. In a locked office, alone with my unlicensed 'life coach', who said he was an 'ex-gay man' I was told to undress, stand in front of the counsellor and do things too graphic to describe in this article. I was extremely uncomfortable, but he said that I must do this for the sake of changing and that if I didn't remove my clothing I wouldn't be doing the work it takes to achieve change. I would do anything to change, and so I did what he asked me to do. It was probably the most traumatising experience of my life.

I tried to tell people what happened, but the organisation said it wasn't true and refused to fire the life coach. But I have spoken to other men who all underwent the same experience. And I can only imagine how many other young men who this has happened to who have not yet come forward. One of the most frustrating aspects was that because this coach is not licensed by any professional board, he is unaccountable to any licensing committee. Since I was over eighteen and agreed to this kind of therapy, I am told that I have no legal recourse. But I do have my voice! Yet, even after coming forward with what happened, nothing has changed. I often hear that this therapy has helped people, that it is wonderful, but I wonder, how helpful can an organisation be when it causes great suffering and pain to many who come to them for hope.

The recent Torah Declaration, signed by so many rabbis, only serves to perpetuate the notion that all homosexuals in the Orthodox community must change in reparative therapy. Unlike the helpful recent RCA statement on welcoming homosexuals or the "Statement of Principles" written and signed by over 200 responsible rabbis, the Torah Declaration does not demand that therapists must be board licensed. Unlike these other statements, it does not allow those for whom this kind of therapy is harmful or not working to seek other options. It kills me that this Torah Declaration will be used by parents to force their children into therapies that may be harmful to them. It frightens me that this Torah Declaration says that "change is mandated by the Torah," when I know personally that change therapy has not worked and was so harmful for me. It hurts me to know that I am now being blamed by these rabbis and therapists for this failed therapy.

It confuses me that this Torah Declaration contains so many flawed arguments. Saying that God would never make a gay person unable to change is simplistic, inconsistent and flat-out wrong. If someone gets into an accident we would never say that we know he can be "cured" simply because his affliction is not genetic and he wasn't born this way. We would never tell a deaf person (born deaf or not) that his 'test' is to find a way to hear again, so that he can be observe the positive commandment of hearing the shofar (horn) in the synagogue at new year? Yet the Torah Declaration uses all of these arguments to make gay people feel that their 'test' from God in life is to change their sexuality, simply because it may not be genetic and God would never make it unchangeable. This is the worst kind of rationalised homophobia.

I know first hand how this kind of societal bullying can lead to self-harm and suicide. I know of too many young men who have been pressured to stay in these kinds of therapies only to be tormented to point of taking their own lives. No one can bring these boys back. However, there are many Orthodox rabbis, religious therapists and organisations that remind us we are loved and that we belong. In the darkness of my days, a grass roots support community organisation in New York called JQY saved my life. JQY is a group of over five hundred young Jews who grew up in the religious community. Their goal is to combat shame, bullying and ostracising, while making families, religious schools and communities safe and welcoming to their gay members. They do not advocate for any change in religious law, but rather assert that one can believe that certain behaviours are technically prohibited and still be a happy, healthy and fulfilled person.

In JQY the right path for an individual is unique for each person. There are some members of JQY who are trying to change their orientation and many like me, who have tried for years and have discovered that it is not possible for them. We are all just trying to be the best that we can be. We learn from each other and are there for each other because we know how hard it is to be gay in a religious family. JQY is my logical family. We have support meetings, crisis resources, festival get togethers and sabbath meals where we know it is safe to be ourselves.

I now have a sense of pride about who I am. However, I understand the concept of "pride" as combating the years of self-shame and instead promoting a sense of personal self worth. Pride is not a celebration of any personal behaviour or desire. Nowhere in my story do I ever mention prohibited behaviours. I know that "being gay" does not express anything about personal intimate behaviour; it merely expresses an orientation. I adhere to the religious concepts of modesty, which demands that intimate behaviour stays private and discrete, and has no place in the public forum. In fact I do not know any gay person from a religious background who doesn't believe the same way.

This is not an appeal to change religious law or anyone's political views. This is not a push for gay marriage or any legitimising of gay marriage within the orthodox Jewish community. I am simply asking my community not to judge and not to pressure someone to participate in a program or therapy which causes harm. Just because someone is honest about being gay, does not mean that he engages in anything wrong. No one should feel silenced or asked to lie about who they are. Abuse and cruelty should never be tolerated or ignored. A little humility goes a long way. Sometimes the kindest and most thoughtful response when it comes to very difficult situations is, "I don't know, but I'm here for you because you are part of my family and community."

This comment has been adapted from an article first published in the Jewish Free Press by the author. Chaim blogs at http://gottagivemhope.blogspot.com/ and tweets at @chaim89

PinkNews.co.uk's founder Benjamin Cohen recently recorded an It Gets Better Video to explain that it gets better to be Jewish and Gay and that gay cures don't work.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/05/the-shocking-truth-about-religious-gay-cure-therapy-by-someone-who-failed-to-turn-straight/

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Video: PinkNews.co.uk founder records It Gets Better video on being gay, Jewish and condemning gay c

2012-02-06T16:49:00.005-08:00

PinkNews.co.uk founder and Channel 4 technology correspondent Benjamin Cohen has recorded a video for the It Gets Better Project.

Cohen, 29, discusses coming out to his Jewish family in the time of Section 28, when discussion about being gay was limited in schools. He also condemns repartive therapy for same sex attractions. His former school, JFS, was criticised last month for showing sixth form students a slide about gay cure treatments.

He says: "I first began the process of coming out when I was fifteen. For a few years, I wondered if the feelings I had would go away and maybe whether they were a test from God.

"When I look back at it now, I can't believe how scared I was when I first started telling my family and friends. I knew that there were already openly gay people in my extended family and that my parents had a few gay friends. But I remembered a rather nasty comment my Dad said about gay people when I was younger, something I really focused on.

"In reality when I told my family, they were more surprised that my ex-boyfriend wasn't Jewish than that he was a guy. They just wanted to me be happy and more recently, my Dad has become vocal adovactes for LGBT rights in their professional and communal lives.

"Although, back when I came out were were living in a totally different world, section 28 meant homosexuality wasn't really discussed in schools, there wasn't an equal age of consent, no civil partnerships and no prospect of same sex marriage- something our prime minister wants to introduce.

"But I realise that despite the advances in equality, coming out is still difficult, especially if like me you come from a faith background. For some it's not just about how your family reacts, it's about how you fit into a community that you love."

Cohen was a pupil at JFS, the school which came under fire last month for showing pupils a slide depicting the logo of a 'gay cure' group during a discussion on homosexuality.

He says: "Unfortunately some young people are still being told that homosexuality is a choice, a wrong choice, NOT something that you can't help. In some religious insitutions young people are being told about so called repartive therapy for same sex attraction. In other words, courses and treatments to turn you straight.

"I know people who've spent tens of thousands of pounds trying to unsuccessfully alter their sexuality and other people have harmed themselves after failing. On both sides of the Atlantic, medical associations condemn the practise.

"But, there is another way, I feel twice blessed that I was born into the Jewish and LGBT community and in part it's because I've discovered that there are tens of thousands of people like me.

"In Britain we have Keshet UK, the national LGBT Jewish forum and groups including Gay Jews in London, JGLG, Engayje, the gay and lesbian orthodox network and Imaot v avot – the group for LGBT parents. And in the wider faith community there's the lesbian and gay christian movement, and imaan the group for LGBT Muslims.

"The point is that there are people like you, lots of them and you'll find by supporting each other, it gets better."

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/03/video-pinknews-co-uk-founder-records-it-gets-better-video-on-being-gay-and-jewish/

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Jewish paper’s ‘gay cure’ column provokes anger

2012-02-06T16:49:00.003-08:00

A column in the regional Jewish Telegraph newspaper has provoked a backlash from Jewish figures who have criticised "malevolence" towards gay Jews in the piece.

Doreen Wachmann's column today explores her "reservations" about the "desirability" of living an openly gay lifestyle.

At one point, Wachmann refers to a particular doctor's experience treating "desire for sex with the dead" before mentioning the "Orthodox Jewish, Muslim and fundamentalist patients, who come to him because they know he will respect their religious beliefs and help them heal their homosexual tendencies if that is their choice."

She continues: "The choice of whether someone wants to be cured of any condition should be the patient's.

"Not that I'm saying that gay "cures" always work.

"I am sure they don't, just as all cures do not work and just as most medication and medical procedures have potentially damaging side-effects. But patients are still encouraged to try them."

The columnist goes on to ask why, when abortion and euthanasia "are being almost encouraged", religious people do not have the "right to try to see whether their homosexuality can be cured".

Rabbi Mark Solomon, Manchester Liberal Jewish Community said: "Doreen Wachmann's article "Gays should be able to see if they can be 'cured'" displays a shocking ignorance and malevolence towards gay Jews.

"Gay people have been systematically stigmatised, marginalised and persecuted for many centuries, and are still subject to imprisonment, violence and death in many parts of the world. In the West our hard-won freedom to express our loving sexual nature, as gay, lesbian or bi people, is still brand new, vulnerable and precious.

"The consensus of all respectable medical and psychological opinion not fettered by fundamentalist religious dogma is that same-sex attraction is utterly natural and deeply ingrained in the personality, not a disease or pathology of any kind.

"The language of "cure" simply does not apply, and any suggestion that it does reeks of bigotry."

"To suggest that the popular consensus supporting gay rights is somehow fascist, in the third sentence of her article, is like saying that Jews who fight for their rights are victimising the anti-Semites. It is the classic persecutors' technique of blaming the victim.

"Gay people who have been subjected to so-called "reparative therapy" overwhelmingly testify that it is humiliating, abusive and ultimately useless. Left-handed people were once forced to act right-handed – this might produce some temporary unnatural behaviour modification, but at the cost of the individual's thriving and integrity.

"Of course no-one should be forced to come out, or declare themselves gay if they are really bisexual – these are deeply personal decisions that should be made freely, perhaps with the help of sympathetic and non-judgemental counselling. But that is worlds away from telling a person who is insecure about their sexual identity that there is something sick about them that could be cured.

"It is Jewish tradition that was infected, millennia ago, with the sickness of homophobia. It is the Doreen Wachmanns of this world who are in need of curing."

Ronete Cohen, Jewish bisexual Advice Columnist, psychologist, and psychotherapist of the London based Rainbow Couch practice said: "Therapists don't serve some hidden agenda. We take care of the person and help them find the best way to live a better life.

"No one is forced to come out of the closet. The biggest cause of distress for LGBT people is rejection by those around them. How does further rejection by trying to "cure" them – thereby suggesting an illness – help? Therapists are obliged not to knowingly damage or administer treatment that doesn't work.

"Research shows that, contrary to claims by advocates of gay "cures", treatment doesn't change sexual orientation, but can potentially harm (there have been suicides in "Ex-Gay" programs). Those who claim to have become heterosexual will often later admit that they were never cured and were living a lie, including leaders and founders of the Ex-Gay movement. This "cure" is based on pseudo science and faulty reasoning. It harms. Ms Bachmann should get her facts right."

Noam Fischer, a 32 year old Jewish gay health professional in the NHS London said: "I think Orhtodox Jews should realise that homosexuality is not an illness. Perhaps their particular view from within Judaism (though by no means largely shared by other Jews) doesn't agree with homosexuality, but it is not an illness.

"There are female Rabbis and that is against their views, is there a cure for that?"

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/03/jewish-columnists-gay-cure-backing-provokes-anger/

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Gay verger ‘shocked’ by woman’s sexual assault claim

2012-02-06T16:49:00.001-08:00

A gay verger told a court today he had "no wish" to touch the breasts of a woman he stands accused of sexually assaulting in Wakefield Cathedral.

Nicholas Whitaker, 34, said the "brief hug from behind" was only intended as a platonic greeting, the Yorkshire Post reports.

He told Leeds County Court: "Certainly not my intention to touch her breasts. I would have no reason to touch her breasts, no wish to touch her breasts."

The gay church assistant denied the charges, which relate to a meeting last July at Wakefield Cathedral, the tallest church in Yorkshire. Whitaker said he may have touched the woman's breasts, but it would have been unintentional.

Whitaker said the embrace lasted for around two seconds. The woman he is alleged to have assaulted said it was between thirty seconds and a minute.

The unnamed woman had previously told the court: "He put his arms underneath my arms and just grabbed hold of my bust and groped and felt and squeezed. It was awful.

"He just stopped doing it and went off … I just felt sick, really sick.

"I just went straight to the toilet and stood there in disbelief. I gathered my thoughts, I just couldn't believe what had happened."

The verger said he had never "made a secret" of being gay.

The case continues.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/03/gay-verger-shocked-by-womans-sexual-assault-claim/

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Coach x Hugo Guinness Collection for Men

2012-02-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I featured gifts for girls by Coach. Today, here are some perfect gift ideas for the man in your life if you're still looking for a Valentine's Day gift, maybe some of these items from the Coach's latest collaboration - a capsule collection with British artist Hugo Guinness - might suit him.

Hugo Bag with Logo RM 2050

Hugo Boxer Bags RM 2050 each

Hugo Coffee Cup Bag RM 2050

Hugo Coffee Cup Key Fob: RM 350

Hugo Eye Glass/Sunglass Case RM 775

Hugo Key Chain RM625

Hugo Story Patch RM 2050

For the techie guy, this is perfect to organize your cables

Hugo Zip Cord Case RM 875

Personally, my favourite is the Zip Cord case which could also work as a travel wallet ;). In fact, it is something that I would use too!

So which would your guy like?

Images courtesy of Coach

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BagaddictsAnonymous/~3/eOoDDntA4Oc/coach-x-hugo-guinness-collection-for.html

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One Million Moms to JC Penney: Fire Ellen, She’s Gay

2012-02-02T15:31:00.003-08:00

One Million Moms — a project of the American Family Association — is very angry at JC Penney. No, not because it sells sweater vests (heck, Rick Santorum is a fan of those), but because the Texas-based department store has hired Ellen DeGeneres as a spokeswoman. And DeGeneres is — cue the scary music — gay, and open about it.

Read the full story from Reuters.

http://biggaynews.com/one-million-moms-to-jc-penney-fire-ellen-shes-gay/9825

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Pastor Calls for Nationwide Starbucks Boycott Over Gay Marriage

2012-02-02T15:31:00.001-08:00

A Christian pastor is calling for a nationwide boycott of Starbucks for the company's support of same-sex marriage in Washington. In a message published online a day before Washington's Senate passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, Pastor Steven Andrew of USA Christian Ministries predicted that the Seattle-based coffee giant could lose 80 percent of its customers if Christians get their coffee somewhere else — a number he bases on his contention that 80 percent of Americans are Christian while just 1-to-2 percent of the population is homosexual.

Read the full story from KING5.com.

http://biggaynews.com/pastor-calls-for-nationwide-starbucks-boycott-over-gay-marriage/9823

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Group Blasts Macy’s for Catalog Showing Gay Couple on Wedding Cake

2012-02-02T15:30:00.003-08:00

Department store giant Macy's is reportedly under attack by a group affiliated with the American Family Association for the retailer's apparent support of gay marriage.
A Macy's catalogue sent to customers in the mail shows a wedding cake with two groom figurines on top, mynorthwest.com reported Tuesday. The cake is stuffed in the back of an automobile with a license plate that reads "I do." The image was reportedly part of an advertisement seeking to convince people to join Macy's Star Rewards Program and does not appear in an online version of the company's catalogue.

Read the full story from FOXNews.com.

http://biggaynews.com/group-blasts-macys-for-catalog-showing-gay-couple-on-wedding-cake/9804

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Archbishop Tells UK Prime Minister Not to Allow Gay Marriage

2012-02-02T15:30:00.001-08:00

Ministers should not overrule the Bible by allowing same-sex marriage, the Archbishop of York has said. David Cameron would be acting like a 'dictator' and overruling the Bible if he legalises gay marriage, Dr John Sentamu has warned. He told the prime minister that he will face a rebellion if he pushes ahead with plans to allow fully-fledged gay marriages.

Read the full story from the Daily Mail.

http://biggaynews.com/archbishop-tells-uk-prime-minister-not-to-allow-gay-marriage/9796

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Where to Travel in 2012 Lists: Link Roundup

2012-02-02T15:29:00.001-08:00

I previously expressed my disappointment with Lonely Planet's top 2012 travel destinations. Looking elsewhere for ideas, I Google'd. Unsurprisingly, everybody and their cousin puts out a top 2012 travel destinations list. Here's a roundup of the posts for your convenience. Find your inspiration. If I missed a link or if you have a decent list of your own, get in touch.

New York Times - 45 Places to go in 2012

Travel + Leisure - Hottest travel destinations of 2012

Budget Travel - Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2012

Frommers - Top Destinations of 2012

Fodor's - Top 21 Places to Go in 2012

The Telegraph - Where to travel on Holiday in 2012

IB Times - Top Travel Destinations for 2012

CNN GO - Best Places to visit in 2012

National Geographic - Top trips of 2012

Tangent:

US News - Places Not to travel in 2012

NY Times - Top websites of 2012.

http://www.budgetglobetrotting.com/2012/where-to-travel-in-2012-lists-link-roundup/

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Josh Swickard by Adam Reynolds

2012-02-02T15:28:00.001-08:00

Chosen model Josh Swickard by Adam Reynolds

THERE IS MORE, CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE POST

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Homotography/~3/l9VX_rBL8sU/josh-swickard-by-adam-reynolds.html

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Inside the Mind of Your Buyers

2012-02-02T15:25:00.001-08:00

A look at what motivates customers to buy -- and six ways to tailor your sales pitch.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/entrepreneur/latest/~3/1tAGqWSNE74/222708

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Premier League clubs sign anti-homophobia charter

2012-02-02T15:23:00.005-08:00

The twenty football clubs which make up the Premier League have signed the Sports Charter aiming to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sport.

The Sports Charter was launched in June 2011 at 10 Downing Street when Chief Executive Richard Scudamore signed on behalf of the Premier League.

All 20 Premier League clubs have now signed the Charter individually, the League said today.

Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League said: "We are pleased to reaffirm our commitment with each of our clubs signing the Charter.

"The Premier League and our member clubs believe that everyone should be able to participate in, watch and enjoy sport – whoever they are and whatever their background.

"When the Sports Charter to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sport was launched in June 2011 the Premier League signed it and we are pleased to re-affirm our commitment to it today with each of our clubs signing it individually."

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone added: "Nearly 3,000 individuals and clubs have already signed up and I'm delighted that Premier League clubs have taken a stand by signing the Charter too.

"It sends a really strong signal when clubs in the best league in the world say enough is enough."

The Charter is made up of four points:

- We believe that everyone should be able to participate in, watch and enjoy sport – whoever they are and whatever their background.
- We believe that sport is about fairness and equality, respect and dignity. Sport teaches individuals how to strive and succeed, how to cope with success and disappointment, and brings people together with a common goal.
- We are committed to making these values a reality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. We will work together, and individually, to rid sport of homophobia and transphobia.
- We will make football a welcome place for everyone – for those participating in the sport, those attending matches and for those working or volunteering in it. We will work with all these groups to ensure they have a voice, and to challenge unacceptable behaviour.

Chris Basiurski, Chair of the Gay Football Supporters' Network said: "We are delighted that the Premier League Clubs have decided to sign the Government's charter but we are conscious that is just the first step.

"We are keen to ensure that the clubs are not just making an empty gesture but are truly committed to the cause of tackling homophobia and we are calling on them to commit as much time and resources to this cause as they have previously demonstrated in the largely successful fight against racism.

"With the recent BBC3 documentary highlighting that the issue of homophobia is prevalent in the game today, creating a safe and tolerant atmosphere in football for LGBT people has never been more important and we hope to see some real progress from the Clubs in the wake of their signing the Charter."

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/02/premier-league-clubs-sign-anti-homophobia-charter/

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Comment: No more stalling, gay and straight couples deserve equality now

2012-02-02T15:23:00.004-08:00

One year ago today, four gay couples and four heterosexual couples, sponsored by the Equal Love campaign, filed a historic joint appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Their appeal argues that Britain's twin legal bans on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships amount to illegal discrimination, contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights. The bans violate Articles 8, 12 and 14 – respectively the right to privacy and family life, the right to marry and the right to non-discrimination.

The 31-page application, drafted by Robert Wintemute, Professor of Human Rights Law at King's College London, presents a compelling case. Since there are no significant differences in the rights and responsibilities involved in civil marriages and civil partnerships, there can be no justification for the segregation of gay and straight couples into two mutually exclusive legal systems. It is discrimination based on sexual orientation. For this reason, we are hopeful that when the ECHR eventually delivers a judgement, probably in 2014, it will be in favour of equality.

Soon after the ECHR appeal was filed, the government announced its intention to consult on the issue of same-sex marriage. Mere coincidence? Perhaps. But the government was surely mindful that it will be required to explain to the ECHR its rationale for excluding gay couples from civil marriages and heterosexual couples from civil partnerships. It can now report to the ECHR that it is consulting. This consultation is, however, flawed. It is limited to same-sex marriage.

David Cameron mistakenly calculated that we'll be satisfied with marriage equality. We won't. So long as heterosexual couples remain banned from civil partnerships, which is the Prime Minister's apparent intention, the Equal Love campaign will continue. We believe in straight equality just as passionately as we care about equal rights for lesbians and gay men.

In our estimation, there is a sizeable minority of heterosexual couples who would prefer a civil partnership. They dislike the patriarchal history and language of marriage; viewing civil partnerships as a more modern, egalitarian alternative. In the Netherlands, where civil partnerships are open to both gay and heterosexual couples, two-thirds of civil partners are straight men and women. We could expect a similar take-up by heterosexual couples in Britain, if civil partnerships were open to everyone.

Cameron also miscalculated by ruling out any legalisation of religious same-sex marriages, even by faith organisations, such as the Quakers and Unitarians, who want to conduct them. This is an attack on religious freedom, as well as perpetrating homophobic discrimination. Moreover, given that the government has recently authorised religious same-sex civil partnerships, a continued blanket ban on religious same-sex marriages looks inconsistent and petty.

For all these reasons, the Equal Love campaign is building momentum. The right of gay couples to marry is backed by David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Boris Johnson and a growing number of Tory MPs, including Chloe Smith, Mike Weatherley and Margot James.

In 2010, the Green Party national conference was the first to vote to end the twin bans on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships. It was followed by the Liberal Democrat and Plaid Cymru conferences. Oddly, the Labour conference has declined to vote on the issue; although the GMB, Unison and all 13 Labour MEPs want the twin bans overturned.

The SNP government in Scotland is leading the way, with its public consultation period already concluded; while David Cameron inexplicably postponed the start of his consultation from last summer to next month.

Some people argue: what's there to consult about? Homophobic discrimination is wrong and should therefore be abolished pronto. Would the government have a long drawn out consultation about repealing racist laws? I doubt it. It would immediately abolish them on the grounds that they were incompatible with a democratic society. Why should homophobic bans be treated any differently?

The public is on our side. A Populus poll in 2009 found that 61% of the public believe: "Gay couples should have an equal right to get married, not just to have civil partnerships." Only 33% disagreed. It's likely that there is similar support for heterosexual civil partnerships.

What's the government waiting for? The time for equality is now.

This article first appeared in the Guardian.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/02/comment-no-more-stalling-gay-and-straight-couples-deserve-equality-now/

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Ann Widdecombe: Let unhappy gays try to turn straight

2012-02-02T15:23:00.003-08:00

Ann Widdecombe has backed the ability of therapists to offer so-called 'gay cure' treatments to clients who want to become straight.

In her column in the Daily Express, she questions the lack of availability of therapy for "gays who do not want to be gay".

Widdecombe wrote about the case of Lesley Pilkington, who was found guilty of malpractice by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy last year.

She argues that if a gay person wants to change their sexuality, professional help should be available to them, despite a lack of scientific evidence for it working.

She wrote: "When I was training as a Samaritan in the Eighties the first principle was never to dismiss another's priorities.

"If a man rang in and said he was gay we should never say, "Oh, that doesn't matter, it's OK to be gay," if he took the opposite view."

The former minister is the second high-profile voice this week to back 'reparative therapy' in the face of general medical opinion against it.

Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, is backing Lesley Pilkington's appeal.

He wrote to the BACP, which is hearing the appeal, with other bishops to say that such 'gay cure' attempts do not "produce harm despite the Royal College of Psychiatrists and others maintaining the contrary".

The Royal College of Psychiatrists' official position on the issue says: "There is no sound scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish."

Widdecombe says the "homosexual lobby" has directed particular attention to Pilkington's religion.

The retired minister herself famously converted to Catholicism, leaving the Church of England in favour of a denomination which, she said, "doesn't care if something is unpopular".

Drawing a comparison with the case of the Muslim men found guilty of distributing material intended to stir up anti-gay hatred, she queries why Christians, who make up 72% of the British population, are "targeted by gay activists" more frequently than Muslims, who make up 3%.

Widdecombe did not support ParliOut, the first LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) network for the Parliamentary staff, MPs and Lords in 2010.

She said: "No I do not. MPs are supposed to be there to help other people not to go whingeing on their own behalf. I cannot understand the modern day emphasis and fascination and obsession with people's private lives.

She added: "We have had gay MPs since we've had MPs…we've had gay everythings. It is not an issue and what we are doing now is encouraging your profession to go into everybody's private lives."

Widdecombe's comments add to an ongoing public debate about 'gay cure' practices.

Last week, the New York-based rabbi who heads Amsterdam's Orthodox Ashkenazi community had said he feared for his life after he was suspended for signing a 'gay cure' declaration.

One of the signatories to the Torah declaration signed by Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag is Arthur Goldberg, a co-director of JONAH.

JONAH, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing (formerly Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality), was in the news this month after JFS, a Jewish school in London, showed students a slide displaying its logo during a discussion on homosexuality.

The school strongly denied promoting the ex-gay group as an option for possibly gay students to explore.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/02/ann-widdecombe-let-unhappy-gays-try-to-turn-straight/

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Guilty verdict for killer of gay teen Jack Frew

2012-02-02T15:23:00.001-08:00

A jury in Scotland has unanimously found gay teenager Craig Roy guilty of the murder of Jack Frew in 2010.

Returning its verdict in Glasgow today, the jury rejected Roy's argument that he was suffering from an undiagnosed personality disorder.

Roy had admitted causing the death of the gay schoolboy, who was found with 20 stab wounds and his throat cut in woodland over a year ago, but denied full responsibility for his actions.

Now 19, Roy said he had no memory of the attack itself.

A picture of the complicated relationship between Roy and Frew emerged during the trial.

The teenagers had been schoolmates at East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire.

Psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee told the court Roy had admitted having a sexual encounter with the murdered teen in January 2010.

The court previously heard Roy's claim that he saw Frew as a threat to his new relationship, describing him as a "sex pest."

The court had heard that Roy and Jack Frew met in woods on 6 May 2010 at the murdered teenager's request.

Roy was said to have been concerned Frew, then 16, would tell his boyfriend about their sexual encounters and brought a knife to the meeting.

He told a psychiatrist Frew had exposed himself, but thereafter his memory failed.

Roy's boyfriend Christopher Hannah, 20, a student at Glasgow Caledonian University, was the first person to arrive at the scene after being called by Roy.

The jury less than two hours to reach its verdict.

The BBC reported Jack Frew's father saying Roy should "rot in hell".

Roy will be sentenced on 1 March. Though he faces a mandatory life sentence, the minimum term he must spend in custody is yet to be determined.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/02/guilty-verdict-at-gay-teen-jack-frews-murder-trial/

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