Gay News Headlines

Tuesday 28 April 2015

2015-04-28T16:34:00.000+01:00

UK Green Party candidate reveals he nearly died of AIDS
	David Kirwan told BuzzFeed News he was diagnosed with HIV so late that doctors didn't expect him to live. He is the first election candidate to go public about an AIDS diagnosis, and only the third to reveal he is HIV positive. The first and second were Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett and Paul Childs of the Liberal Democrats buzzfeed.com 28 Apr 15
UKIP would give Christians the right to discriminate
	'We will also extend the legal concept of ‘reasonable accommodation’ to give protection in law to those expressing a religious conscience in the workplace on this issue,' says UKIP's Christian Manifesto election2015.org.uk 28 Apr 15
GAY MARRIAGE NI Assembly rejects motion for fourth time
	A total of 96 MLAs took part in the vote, and 49 voted against the Sinn Féin motion calling for civil marriage equality for all, with 47 in favour bbc.co.uk 28 Apr 15
SHOW BIZ Sandi Toksvig steps down from Radio 4's News Quiz
	The 56-year-old will step down at the end of the upcoming series, which begins on Friday 15 May. Toksvig said she had made the "difficult decision" to leave in order "to embark on a new and exciting stage of her career" bbc.co.uk 28 Apr 15

Monday 27 April 2015

2015-04-27T16:46:00.000+01:00

UK DUP minister Jim Wells quits as gay abuse comments cause huge online backlash
	NI Health Minister Jim Wells has quit his Executive post after facing massive pressure after he claimed children brought up by gay parents were more likely to be abused belfasttelegraph.co.uk 27 Apr 15
Election candidate wants gay people jailed, adultery made illegal
	Susan Anne White is aiming to become MP for West Tyrone. The devout Christian says her campaign will focus on moral issues including society's "dangerous" homosexual agenda belfasttelegraph.co.uk 27 Apr 15
HIV AIDS HIV home test kit goes on sale in UK
	The first HIV self-test kit that allows people to get a result in 15 minutes at home has gone on sale in the UK. Unlike other kits, these tests do not need to be sent off to a lab to get the results. It works by detecting antibodies on a small drop of blood, which are often only detectable three months after the infection is caught bbc.co.uk 27 Apr 15 Find an HIV test near you - its free and confidential tht.org.uk On sale now - £29.95 freedoms-shop.com
YOUTH AWARDS **Stonewall name Sirina-Monique and Christian Webb its Young Campaigners of the Year 2015**
Gok Wan hosted the annual Youth Awards, supported by Lloyds Banking Group. Stonewall Youth Volunteering Programme helps hundreds of young people develop and run campaigns to tackle discrimination against LGBT people youngstonewall.org.uk 27 Apr 15
GAY MARRIAGE Supreme Court seems on verge of ruling for Marriage Equality
	The U.S. Supreme Court's arguments on Tuesday over same-sex marriage will cap more than two decades of litigation and a transformation in public attitudes huffingtonpost.com 27 Apr 15
GAY BUSINESS Black gay privilege is a ridiculous notion
	A recent study alleges that black gay men get similar salaries to white straight men. That couldn't sound further from the truth theguardian.com 27 Apr 15
LGBT Week NYC rings the Nasdaq stock market closing bell
	Matt Skallerud and Thom Roth, co-producers of the event, will ring the Closing Bell. LGBT Week NYC was all about connections. How can you identify the best markets within LGBT to maximize ROI? Which mix of elements should be in your plans? How will you measure success? nasdaq.com 27 Apr 15 lgbtweek.nyc

17-26 April 2015

2015-04-26T16:37:00.001+01:00

GAY PARENTS NI Health Minister called to explain his comments on same sex relationships
	Jim Wells apologised on Friday after he linked gay relationships and the abuse of children at a hustings meeting on Thursday night. Police are investigating the comments by Mr Wells bbc.co.uk 26 Apr 15
GAY MARRIAGE Dublin mural supporting 'yes' vote in equality referendum may have to be removed
	Dublin City Council has written to artist and advised him it might have to be taken down as there was no planning permission granted for artwork independent.ie 26 Apr 15
Hollyoaks star Kieron Richardson ties the knot in Buxton
	The couple had 12 bridesmaids each wearing a wedding dress Co-stars including Jennifer Metcalfe and Gemma Merna were among the bridesmaids buxtonadvertiser.co.uk 26 Apr 15

STICKS AND STONES Phrase 'that's gay' acceptable to nearly half of young people
	Almost half of young people (49%) think the term "that's gay" is acceptable to use. Newsbeat asked YouGov to survey 3,000 18 to 29-year-olds about where they draw the line with offence when it comes to sexuality, race and sexism bbc.co.uk 23 Apr 15

GAY BUSINESS Stonewall: We've come a long way but much more remains to be done in business arena
	At its annual Workplace Conference, Stonewall's chief executive, Ruth Hunt, said that the organization's Workplace Equality Index will now include questions about transgender equality gaystarnews.com 21 Apr 15
Anti-gay auto shop seeks business licence
	Grandville City Council earlier this year notified anti-gay Brian Klawiter that he needed to get a local business license, prompting Klawiter to tell the city that he views the licensing process as a violation of his constitutional rights mlive.com 21 Apr 15
IBM to Louisiana: Mind our business before passing religious freedom bill
	"A bill that legally protects discrimination based on same-sex marriage status will create a hostile environment for our current and prospective employees, and is antithetical to our company's values" wrote James Driesse, a senior state executive for IBM rt.com 21 Apr 15

Thursday 16 April 2015

2015-04-16T16:28:00.001+01:00

UK Campaign for the future of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern
	Join the campaign for the RVT to be the nation's first building to be listed in recognition of its importance to LGBTQ community history. Because we think the RVT is such a unique and indispensable part of our country's LGBTQ history, we want it to become a listed building with English Heritage rvt.community 16 Apr 15 Protest outside Black Cap Saturday 18 April, 1-5pm facebook
GAY MARRIAGE Call for Indiana-style conscience clause in Irish same-sex marriage referendum
	A petition calling on Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald to include a conscience clause as part of the same-sex marriage referendum has been initiated online rte.ie 16 Apr 15
Hillary Clinton's views evolve on gay marriage, just in time for presidential campaign
	After dodging questions and facing Bill Clinton's legacy, team shifts support from state-by-state decisions to federal, right ahead of supreme court arguments theguardian.com 16 Apr 15
SHOW BIZ Hollywood shows increase in the racial diversity of LGBT characters
	GLAAD's 2014 Studio Responsibility Index looked at 114 releases from the major studios and found 20 (17.5%) contained characters identified as either LGB or T. This is a slight increase from the 16.7% in 2013 glaad.org 16 Apr 15

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Wednesday 15 April 2015

2015-04-15T15:52:00.000+01:00

UK The Black Cap Camden: Iconic gay and drag pub closed despite 'community asset' listing
	The Black Cap in Camden was unexpectedly closed last night after owners Faucet Inn pulled down the shutters on the pub, which has been open since the 1960s standard.co.uk 15 Apr 15
HIV AIDS Future HIV vaccine could flush virus out of hiding
	Researchers believe the injection could flush out dormant HIV hiding in white blood cells with a chemical 'kick', allowing a boosted immune system to identify and kill the cells dailymail.co.uk 15 Apr 15
Terrence Higgins Trust urges future Government to make four key changes on HIV policy
	Terrence Higgins Trust sent out a briefing HIV in the UK - What you need to know to all parliamentary candidates. As well as the call to action, it provides future MPs with all the facts and figures they need to know about HIV in the UK. Our four key aims are listed on THT's General Election web page 15 Apr 15
THT's members four key measures: 1. Introduce, in the first session of a new UK Parliament, compulsory Sex and Relationships Education for all schools, which is inclusive of young people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and which has appropriate sexual health and HIV content. 2. Make HIV prevention a national public health priority, with effective funding, more varied testing options and access to the full range of prevention information and choices for all who need them. 3. End HIV stigma in health and social care settings through the training of all NHS and care staff. 4. Commit to the Disability Benefits Consortium's Five Things You And Your Party Can Do For Disabled People, to help ensure that people affected by HIV-related sickness or disability have the support they need.
UK £25,000 raised for record number of LGBT Labour general election candidates
	35 openly-LGBT candidates (including nine sitting MPs seeking re-election) will be on the ballot for the Labour Party on 7 May, with the £25,000 being distributed to 26 seats with new candidates, including nine standing in seats on Labour's 106 target list lgbtlabour.org.uk 15 Apr 15

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12-14 April 2015

2015-04-14T16:30:00.001+01:00

UK Cameron pledges pardons for 'outdated' UK gay-sex convictions
	Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to posthumously pardon people convicted of historic gay-sex offenses if his Conservative Party wins the May 7 general election. The commitment closely matches one made by opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband in March bloomberg.com 14 Apr 15
13,000 sign petition to have 'gay cure' conference in London axed
	Second conference with talks on 'gay conversions' is going ahead today. A similar event named the Holy Sexuality Conference, organised by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, was set to take place in Marylebone next week but was called off after more than 13,000 people signed a petition calling for it to be banned standard.co.uk 14 Apr 15
ALAN TURING Alan Turing's handwritten journal sells for more than $1m
	A handwritten notebook that belonged to the celebrated World War II code-breaker Alan Turing has sold in the US for more more than $1m. The 56-page journal, written in a simple notebook bought from a stationers in Cambridge, was sold at an auction on Monday for $1,025,000 independent.co.uk 14 Apr 15
GAY BUSINESS Indiana plans to spend $2 million to repair image after RFRA
	Indiana's economic development and tourism agencies announced Monday they have hired global PR firm Porter Novelli to help rebuild the state's image in the wake of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act debacle indystar.com 14 Apr 15

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9-11 April 2015

2015-04-14T16:27:00.000+01:00

Weekend
GAY BUSINESS Aetna insurance targets LGBT community
	as insurers seek ways to market more to individual customers usnews.com 11 Apr 15
O-M-G Vatican silent over French gay ambassador
	The Vatican has declined to comment on reports that it has not accepted a new French ambassador because he is gay bbc.co.uk 11 Apr 15
GAY HISTORY Were Lincoln and Nixon gay? The 'history' book that is dividing America
	Award-winning author and gay-rights activist Larry Kramer's new book, The American People: Volume 1, aims to counter the exclusion of homosexuality from history theguardian.com 11 Apr 15 Buy Book

Friday
UK The Conservative Party is winning over some gay voters
	Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron decided to champion same-sex marriage in 2011 ... When, in 2014, the act passed into law, 133 Conservatives voted against it and many disgruntled activists left the party. But, as he seeks re-election, Mr Cameron's gamble may gradually be paying off economist.com 9 Apr 15
SHOW BIZ Sue Perkins denies she will replace Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear
	Despite being 2nd favourite the 45-year-old TV presenter - who fronts The Great British Bake Off alongside Mel Giedroyc - took to Twitter to shoot down speculation she is in line to takeover from the sacked former host mirror.co.uk 9 Apr 15

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5-8 April 2015 |

2015-04-09T00:14:00.000+01:00

SHOW BIZ Our Gay Wedding: The Musical nominated for BAFTA
	Bafta TV awards 2015 include the Channel 4 musical about same-sex weddings; The Graham Norton Show; and Grayson Perry: Who Are You? theguardian.com 8 Apr 15 2015 nominations
Barry Manilow secretly married his longtime male lover
	The Copacabana crooner said "I do" to Garry Kief, his manager and the president of Barry Manilow Productions, an insider said. The intimate ceremony was attended by 50 guests who were led to believe they were invited to lunch at the couple's multi-million dollar Palm Springs mansion! nationalenquirer.com 8 Apr 15
GAY BUSINESS Sexual orientation discrimination in the UK labour market
	A study by Anglia Ruskin University shows the probability of gay or lesbian applicants receiving an invitation for a job iinterview was 5.1% lower than that for heterosexuals, and salaries offered were 1.9 % lower sagepub.com 8 Apr 15
What does it mean to be a role model?
	BP's Tamoor Ali, a senior commercial analyst, has been named Stonewall Role Model of the Year for his work in promoting LGBT equality in the workplace bp.com 8 Apr 15
Obama's Executive Order prohibiting LGBT discrimination goes into effect
	The order prohibits discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity by all federal contractors across the USA. The order is an important mile marker on the path toward LGBT workplace equality hrc.org 8 Apr 15

*Tuesday*
TRANS Police probe murder of trans woman found dead in Fulham flat
	Police are appealing for witnesses after 33-year-old Vanessa Santillan was murdered in a west London flat. Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 standard.co.uk 7 Apr 15
Transgender Kids: Louis Theroux: surprises with stories of his own
	A huge question is whether the parents begin the process of medical intervention when their child may be still experimenting with their identity. Louis Theroux: Transgender Kids, on BBC2 bbc.co.uk 7 Apr 15

Monday
SEX EDUCATION All schools should include a positive portrayal of same sex relationships in sex education lessons, says union
	Delegates at the National Union of Teachers' annual conference in Harrogate backed the idea that sex education should be a compulsory part of the curriculum independent.co.uk 6 Apr 15
GAY RESEARCH Is 10% of the population really gay?
	Drawing on the widest survey of sexual behaviour since the Kinsey Report, David Spiegelhalter, in his book Sex By Numbers, answers key questions about our private lives. Here he reveals how Kinsey's contested claim that 10% of us are gay is actually close to the mark theguardian.com 6 Apr 15 Buy Book

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Saturday 4 April 2015

2015-04-04T19:01:00.001+01:00


GAY MARRIAGE Clare Balding: I've been 'officially' married since 2006
	Balding, the sports presenter, said she and former Radio 4 announcer Alice Arnold have returned to the register office which performed their civil partnership ceremony in 2006 to officially tie the knot telegraph.co.uk 4 Apr 15
GAY ASYLUM Nigerian's asylum bid rejected - because judge doesn't believe she is lesbian
	Aderonke Apata was so desperate to convince the Government she was gay that she submitted a private DVD and photographs of her sex life as evidence - but the High Court judge ruled that she was pretending to be lesbian independent.co.uk 4 Apr 15
GAY BUSINESS Schwarzenegger: Indiana's religious freedom law is bad for Republicans
	Distracting, divisive laws like the one Indiana initially passed aren't just bad for the country, they're also bad for our party. If we want our party to grow and last, we must be focused on real solutions to problems Americans are facing washingtonpost.com 4 Apr 15
*Ex-HP CEO calls Apple's* CEO a 'hypocrite' on gay rights**
	If Tim Cook is serious about discrimination, says Carly Fiorina, he should pull out of China and Saudi Arabia fortune.com 4 Apr 15

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Friday 3 April 2015

2015-04-03T15:30:00.000+01:00

GAY EMPLOYMENT First standard in the world for 'rainbow-inclusive' workplaces
	The first standard in the world to assist organisations achieve a truly inclusive workplace has been published by Standards New Zealand standards.co.nz 3 Apr 15
*New York branch of Boy Scouts of America* hires gay adult employee**
	The New York chapter of the Boy Scouts of America has made history by hiring gutsy 18-year-old Eagle Scout Pascal Tessier to work as a camp counselor this summer at the Ten Mile River Scout Camp in upstate New York nydailynews.com 3 Apr 15
O-M-G Girls' Brigade taught homosexuality is a sin - equal to murder, stealing and adultery
	A mother whose daughters attended the lesson reported the Northern Ireland Christian organisation to the PSNI for an alleged hate crime. She said she believed the teachings were "bigoted" and "tantamount to incitement to hatred" belfasttelegraph.co.uk 3 Apr 15
Why Religious Freedom Bills could be great for gay rights
	Suddenly, a community that has been unsuccessfully championing LGBT non-discrimination measures for decades has the nation's attention time.com 3 Apr 15
HIV AIDS Nigel Farage told he should be "ashamed" after blaming HIV-positive migrants for NHS funding pressure
	During the ITV Leaders Debate, the seven leaders were asked how they would protect the long term funding of the health service. Mr Farage used his minute on the subject to launch an attack on "health tourism" claiming it costs taxpayers £2billion a year mirror.co.uk 3 Apr 15
Richard Littlejohn asks why Lib Dem who admitted trying to catch HIV and taking drugs isn't under same scrutiny as some members of Ukip
	Daily Mail columnists asks: 'Would you want an ex-porn star who has tried to commit suicide by HIV, while under the influence of recreational drugs, representing you at Westminster?' dailymail.co.uk 3 Apr 15

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Thursday 2 April 2015

2015-04-02T17:23:00.001+01:00

COMING OUT Great British Bake Off star Ruby Tandoh reveals she's gay
	The Great British Bake Off star revealed she's gay and that she told her parents with Diana Ross's I'm Coming Out mirror.co.uk 2 Apr 15
UK I cried at film of gays who went to aid of striking miners, says Ed Miliband
	The Labour leader has confessed he cried when he and his wife Justine watched a DVD of Pride, the 2014 movie starring Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton, which tells the story of coal miners in a tough working-class community in Wales and their gay and lesbian supporters dailymail.co.uk 2 Apr 15
"Why cant I say in my own bloody country black is still a colour and gay are still queers."
	Pressure group Hope Not Hate claimed Alan Harris, the UKIP prospective parliamentary candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon, posted the homophobic messages on Facebook between 2011 and 2013 oxfordmail.co.uk 2 Apr 15
O-M-G Indiana and Arkansas struggle with changes to 'Religious Freedom' Laws Lawmakers in Indiana and Arkansas are wrestling with new language for "religious freedom" measures that have sparked controversy for what critics say amounts to an open invitation for businesses to deny service to gays and lesbians npr.org 2 Apr 15 Small-town Indiana pizzeria forced to close after refusing to cater gay weddings metro.co.uk 2 Apr 15 Conservatives go on the attack in religious freedom debate politico.com 2 Apr 15
TRANS Malta is first country to pass Gender Identity bill The law has removed the need to undergo sex reassignment surgery before official documents - such as an ID card or passport - are changed to reflect the holder's gender identity maltatoday.com.mt 2 Apr 15

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Wednesday 1 April 2015

2015-04-01T16:25:00.000+01:00

UK Man 'rejected from London flatshare because he is gay' offered room ...
	... by someone who had same experience last year. Since posting the message on Twitter Olly Barter, 29, has been inundated with messages of support - and has even been offered a room by someone who had a similar experience last year standard.co.uk s1 Apr 15
*David Cameron tells Attitude: 'Clare Balding is my gay hero'*
	Asked which LGBT person he most admired in the new issue, the Prime Minister says that while World War Two code breaker Alan Turing was also an "amazing man", he's a "big fan" of the 44-year-old sports broadcaster attitude.co.uk 1 Apr 15
Head of Christian Party UK is Parliamentary Candidate in Cardiff
	A Christian guesthouse owner Jeff Green, who was warned it was illegal to turn away unmarried couples from his B&B, has revealed plans to stand as a general election candidate walesonline.co.uk 1 Apr 15
JAMAICA Pro-gay reggae singer defies Jamaican homophobia
	Ground-breaking pro-gay Jamaican reggae singer Mista Majah P, aka The Maverick and the King of Tolerance, has launched a two-part stinging video rebuke to the homophobia and murder music commonplace throughout Jamaican reggae and dancehall scene ibtimes.co.uk 1 Apr 15 youtube.com 1 Apr 15
USA Walmart takes firm stand against Arkansas Religious Freedom Bill
	Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is asking Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to veto a bill that "threatens to undermine the spirit of inclusion." On Tuesday, Arkansas' House approved a religious freedom measure that is similar to the one signed into law in Indiana abcnews.go.com 1 Apr 15
The political war over gay culture is over, and the gays won
	In a press conference Tuesday morning, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) announced that he was asking his state's legislature to amend a bill it passed last week to make explicit that discrimination against same-sex couples by businesses is not acceptable washingtonpost.com 1 Apr 15

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30-31 March 2015

2015-03-31T16:23:00.000+01:00

UK Meet Britain's first HIV-positive parliamentary candidate
	In a poignant interview, Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett, the Lib Dem candidate for Vauxhall, reveals the extraordinary, harrowing story of how he contracted the virus, and explains why he felt compelled to speak out buzzfeed.com 31 Mar 15 "Adrian has made a really brave decision in speaking so openly about his HIV status," says THT TerrenceHigginsTrust 31 Mar 15
Stonewall unveils equality manifesto ahead of election
	Statutory PSHE and SRE, combatting hate crime, a fairer international aid system and a review of trans laws top list of priorities. Homophobic, biphobic or transphobic comments from any political party will not be tolerated. Contact local candidates directly via Stonewall website to share your stories stonewall.org.uk 31 Mar 15
O-M-G Ashers Bakery 'gay cake' case: End of the hearing, but not the debate
	When Gareth Lee was told the order was cancelled because of religious beliefs, he said he felt: "I wasn't worthy of service because they were Christian." If the judge Isobel Brownlie should find in Mr Lee's favour it is unlikely that will be the end of the matter. belfasttelegraph.co.uk 31 Mar 15

Monday
SEX - LIFE *Inside The Met's* secret gay art collection**
	"There's so much homoeroticism in the history of art that you can't keep it out that easily," says New York tour guide Andrew Lear. "Even if you try, it's going to pop back up." thedailybeast.com 30 Mar 15

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Sunday 29 March 2015

2015-03-30T02:30:00.000+01:00

GAY MARRIAGE First year anniversary of UK same-sex marriages The Gay Wedding Guide has collated stats for Manchester, Brighton and three London boroughs: - Brighton: 165 same-sex weddings in the week running up to the 1st year anniversary - Manchester: 120 in the week running up to the 1st year anniversary - London Borough of Camden held 91 same-sex weddings in the first 11 months of the legalisation of same-sex marriage - London Borough of Westminster held 146 in the first 11 months of the legalisation of same-sex marriage - London Borough of Islington held 188 in the first 11 months of the legalisation of same-sex marriage thegayweddingguide.co.uk 29 Mar 15 USA There's an Internet conspiracy to make Indiana seem like anti-gay bigots, says Govenor
	Indiana Gov. Mike Pence insisted that people on the Internet had conspired to create a "misunderstanding" that a so-called "religious freedom" law was about denying services to LGBT people. But at the same time, he repeatedly refused to answer if it effectively gave Christians a legal defense for discriminating against same-sex couples rawstory.com 29 Mar 15 Over twenty anti-LGBT laws have been proposed in Texas this year thedailybeast.com 29 Mar 15
JAMAICA Jamaican Prime Minister rebukes gay-rights protestors at New York Townhall
	Protestors have complained that there have been no real efforts by Portia Simpson Miller and her Government to follow through on her 2011 election promise for a review of the buggery law jamaica-gleaner.com 29 Mar 15
SEX - LIFE Male students turn to sex work to make ends meet
	HE institutions must recognise that there are students who work in the sex industry, after Swansea University research found: - 2.4% of males had been escorts - 3.5% had made money through webcam shows or porn thestudentsexworkproject 29 Mar 15
'I went on a gay sex app with my mum'
	Irish radio journalist Riyadh Khalaf let his mum go through his Grindr messages. What possessed him to create this viral video? telegraph.co.uk 29 Mar 15

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27-28 March 2015

2015-03-28T19:55:00.000+00:00

UK Stonewall raises record £470,000 at its annual Equality Dinner
	The event took place at the Hilton on Park Lane and was supported by Aviva, with a champagne reception supported by E.ON. Money raised from the event will support Stonewall's work to go deeper into communities and help to improve the lives of LGBT people stonewall 28 Mar 15
Two murderers become the UK's first gay couple to marry in prison
	Mikhail Gallatinov and Marc Goodwin, who fell in love over two years spent at Full Sutton Prison in East Yorkshire, were wed in a small ceremony in the visitor centre independent.co.uk 28 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS Apple boss Tim Cook 'to donate millions' to charity
	Mr Cook told Fortune Magazine that he would leave his wealth to philanthropic causes but not before paying for his 10-year-old nephew's college education bbc.com 28 Mar 15
GAY EMPLOYMENT Co-pilot suffered "gay" taunts because of his background as cabin crew
	Andreas Lubitz, the 28-year-old co-pilot of crashed Germanwings plane, kept his depression secret from his bosses but had been signed off by two separate doctors mirror.co.uk 28 Mar 15

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Friday
GAY RESEARCH How many people in Ireland are gay?
	When the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI Family Values poll asked people to describe their sexuality, 4% of respondents described themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. The real figure may well be higher, given that 10% of people polled chose not to answer the question irishtimes.com 27 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS Blaze destroys club, hotel in Cherry Grove, Fire Island gay resort
	Two Fire Island landmarks - the Ice Palace bar and the Holly House Hotel - were destroyed and the boardwalk was damaged in the New York resort amny.com 27 Mar 15

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25-26 March 2015

2015-03-26T21:55:00.001+00:00

UK Ukip is a 'cult' that 'entertains bigots' says the party's former LGBT chairman
	Tom Booker, who set up the LGBT group three years ago, said Nigel Farage used the group purely as a public relations stunt to shield the party against accusations of homophobia independent.co.uk 25 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS Gay mayor Andrew Muir urges mediation as legal action begins against Christian bakery
	Andrew Muir, Northern Ireland's first openly gay mayor and the intended recipient of a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage message, has urged for "mediation" as the Equality Commission NI, and Ashers, the Christian bakers who refused to make the cake, head to court independent.co.uk 25 Mar 15
Govenor signs 'Religious Freedom' Bill, and the Indiana boycott begins
	Sales Force became the first major U.S. company to announce a travel boycott to the state, as Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signs bill allowing businesses to reject gay customers bloomberg.com 25 Mar 15
*"Do you think ice-cream has got an interesting voice in gay marriage? asks Microsoft's* marketing chief**
	Speaking at Advertising Week Europe, Philippa Snare said: "I wouldn't make a different decision about my ice-cream based on their beliefs." But Jon Goldstone of Unilever, defended the choice, saying the campaign both lifted sales and gave the brand an authentic voice marketingmagazine.co.uk 25 Mar 15

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22-24 March 2015

2015-03-24T18:22:00.000+00:00

UK UK Government awards £2 million homophobic bullying fund
	Eight organisations will share £2 million to help prevent and eradicate homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying. The funding was announced by Jo Swinson, Minister for Women and Equalities, and Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan gov.uk 24 Mar 15
The organisations awarded funding are: Anne Frank Trust - to run workshops and educate young people about prejudice and the impact of the Holocaust on lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Barnardo's - to provide face-to-face support for victims of HBT bullying and training for staff with a focus on cultural issues in schools in Leeds and Wakefield. Diversity Role Models with Brook - to develop and deliver training on tackling HBT bullying to 10,000 teachers and staff in 400 schools. EACH - to deliver a training and resource programme in schools across Avon and Somerset. Educate & Celebrate - to train staff in 60 schools, giving them confidence and strategies to address HBT language and bullying and promote inclusiveness throughout the school environment and the curriculum. National Children's Bureau - to train 1,500 teachers on tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia through PSHE. Show Racism the Red Card - to hold workshops with 2,000 young people at football clubs around England, train 200 teachers and run a film competition for young people on tackling HBT bullying. Stonewall - to extend and share its 'train the trainer' course with 60 partner organisations, enabling them to run the programme with schools in their local communities and giving them the skills to tackle HBT bullying.
*Gloucestershire now without an LGBT venue after The Westgate* closes**
	Gloucestershire is now thought to be the UK's only county without a dedicated gay venue after the closure of The Westgate Pub. The Westgate, in Westgate Street, was appealing for support to save the venue and was hoping to raise £25,000 to stay afloat gloucestercitizen.co.uk 24 Mar 15
O-M-G Taunton street preacher convicted for homophobic sermon
	Christian street preacher, Michael Overd, has been convicted of delivering homophobic sermons over loudspeakers in Taunton, Somerset, last summer. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay compensation and costs totalling £1,200 at Bristol Crown Court bbc.com 24 Mar 15
California lawyer seeks to put 'shoot the gays' proposal on 2016 ballot
	Matt McLaughlin wants homosexuality punished 'by bullets to the head'. State attorney general, Kamala Harris (pictured), may be powerless to stop the proposal going forward theguardian.com 24 Mar 15
GAY MARRIAGE Russia fails in bid to stop UN staff benefits for all gay couples
	Russia failed on Tuesday in a bid to stop the United Nations extending staff benefits to all same-sex couples after a U.N. General Assembly budget committee voted 80 to 43 against the proposal. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in July that the United Nations would recognize all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive U.N. benefits. dailymail.co.uk 24 Mar 15
SEX - LIFE I'm gay and my fashion sense is awful. Send help
	It's an outdated cliché to say that gay men are more stylish, so why does Shaun Kitchener feel he needs to smarten up his act? telegraph.co.uk 24 Mar 15

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Monday
UK Tories draw level with Labour in winning gay vote
	Survey of LGBT voting intentions puts Conservatives and Labour on 26% in poll as support for Liberal Democrats plummets and Greens make gains theguardian.com 23 Mar 15
Poll shows overwhelming support for 'gay cake' row bakery
	The ComRes poll measured opinion among 1,000 adults in Northern Ireland. It showed that only 27% of adults believe it is right for the Equality Commission NI to take Ashers Baking Company to court, while 71% disagree newsletter.co.uk 23 Mar 15

Sunday
UK HIV campaigners stage protest in local pub of UKIP leader Nigel Farage
	Protest organiser and HIV activist Dan Glass said: "Ukip are a con. By wrongfully shifting the blame for the economic crisis onto immigrants they have let the bankers off the hook." Protestors included "people who have been targeted by UKIP such as HIV activists, and gay people" sevenoakschronicle 22 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS 'Open For Service' stickers oppose religious freedom bill
	Indianapolis entrepreneur Josh Driver came up with the idea, and he says it's about doing what's right. But religious freedom advocates say the bill is about protecting religious liberty - not supporting discrimination indianapublicmedi a 22 Mar 15

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Saturday 21 March 2015

2015-03-21T18:47:00.000+00:00

GAY PARENTS Traditional views of parenthood drowned out by gay rights sharia
	'To think that a heterosexual man and a heterosexual woman, preferably married to one another, are - other things being equal - the best parents, is common sense,' writes Charles Moore. 'Yet now you can barely say this.' telegraph.co.uk 21 Mar 15
GAY SUICIDE My boyfriend killed himself because his family couldn't accept that he was gay
	Nazim Mahmood jumped to his death from a balcony seven months ago after coming out to his parents. His partner of 13 years, Matthew Ogston, talks to Sarfraz Manzoor theguardian.com 21 Mar 15 Tyler Clementi's tragic, senseless death was a turning point for me, says Monica Lewinsky bbc.com 21 Mar 15

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Friday 20 March 2015

2015-03-20T18:02:00.000+00:00

O-M-G Cardinal O'Brien renounces all 'rights and privileges' of being a cardinal
	Cardinal O'Brien resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh two years ago following allegations of sexual misconduct catholicherald.co.uk 20 Mar 15 Sex attack victim slams Catholic Church for delaying probe into shamed Cardinal Keith O'Brien dailyrecord.co.uk 20 Mar 15
GAY RESEARCH Churchgoers keeping liberal views on homosexuality 'secret'
	Four in 10 regular churchgoers no longer see same-sex relationships as a 'sin' but are unwilling or afraid to say so, says Rev Steve Chalke about a UK survey by Oasis Trust telegraph.co.uk 20 Mar 15
San Francisco has highest percentage of LGBT population
	Gallup research into the 50 largest metro areas in the USA finds 6.2% of San Francisco residents identify as LGBT. Birmingham Alabama has the lowest at 2.6% gallup.com 20 Mar 15

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18-19 March 2015

2015-03-20T03:01:00.000+00:00

UK London protest against Dolce & Gabbana
	"It is hypocritical for Stefano Gabbana to oppose gay parents, given that in 2006 he expressed a desire to have a child via artificial insemination and surrogacy," said Peter Tatchell petertatchellfoundation 19 Mar 15
SNP member suspended for homophobic tweet to Tory chief Ruth Davidson
	The abuse, which is littered with expletives attacking Ms Davidson's sexuality, was posted on the Twitter profile Laird O'Callaghan, under the username @SparkyBhoyHH stv.tv 19 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS Stonewall lists the 20 most inclusive law firms for LGB staff
	Baker & McKenzie top this list, which is populated by law firms that entered Stonewall's latest Workplace Equality Index stonewall.org.uk 19 Mar 15
USA Aaron Schock resigns after new questions about mileage expenses
	Republican Representative Schock billed the federal government and his campaign for logging roughly 170,000 miles on his personal car from January 2010 through July 2014. But when he sold that Chevrolet Tahoe in July 2014, it had roughly 80,000 miles on the odometer politico.com 19 Mar 15 Congressman Aaron Schock under fire for not disclosing companion on official trip to India towleroad.com 19 Mar 15 My son is different but not gay: Aaron Schock's father edgeboston.com 19 Mar 15
SEX - LIFE Here's what never to say when dating a gay black man
	What kind of lines do gay men of color really hear when they're out at a bar? Filmmaker Cameron Johnson set out to discover just that with his new short documentary, You're Cute for a Black Guy mic.com 19 Mar 15
SHOW BIZ Free's Andy Fraser dies aged 62
	The co-writer of classic hit All Right Now, was gay and HIV positive. In 2005, with the release of solo album, Naked... And Finally Free, he both came out and talked about the agonising - "to the point of incapacitation" - he'd gone through mojo4music.com 19 Mar 15
George Clarke's Amazing Spaces
	... are looking for new exciting builds to feature on the upcoming series. If your project is unique, creative and unusual they want to hear from you. Contact Plum Pictures with details of you and your project at: amazingspaces@plumpictures.co.uk or 020 7184 6774 19 Mar 15

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Tuesday 17 March 2015

2015-03-17T14:46:00.002+00:00

UK David Cameron supports Trans Rights - and says we need to tackle "Homophobic Bullying"
	"It's only when a society says marriage is there for everybody whether you're straight or gay - you end this idea that it's somehow fair to criticise people or do down people because of their sexuality." buzzfeed.com 17 Mar 15
Boycotts are just another word for bullying says Piers Morgan
	Boycotting Dolce and Gabbana may make Elton and a few celebrities feel better, but all it will do is damage the livelihoods of thousands of innocent Dolce employees and it won't make any difference to the debate on gay rights dailymail.co.uk 17 Mar 15
Job-seeker banned from wearing "gay T-shirt"
	A job-seeker from Burnley has accused the Jobcentre of "discrimination". Shaun Clark (28) claims staff at the Jobcentre in Victoria Street told him wearing the T-shirt was "inappropriate" lep.co.uk 17 Mar 15
Boy stabbed to death a gay man whom he believed was interested in him
	Usher Sawyers was 15 when he robbed and murdered Martin Thomas, 39, (pictured), at his home in Roehampton, London. Sawyers has been sentenced to at least 15 years in custody bbc.co.uk 17 Mar 15
Eric Pickles: I was 'narrow-minded' and 'prejudiced' to oppose gay marriage
	Communities Secretary reveals how he reprimanded himself for holding 'mean' views when switching '180 degrees' on gay marriage during frank radio appearance telegraph.co.uk 17 Mar 15
SHOW BIZ Michael Sam's booty is a hit on Dancing With The Stars
	You could win 'rear of the year', where I would win 'ass of the past', says "US Strictly" judge Len Goodman about NFL footballer Sam youtube.com 17 Mar 15

Monday 16 March 2015

2015-03-16T16:43:00.001+00:00

STICKS & STONES Facebook clarifies policy on hate speech
	The social network's updated guidelines also cover nudity, self-harm, bullying and harassment, violence and graphic content theguardian.com 16 Mar 15
GAY PARENTS Dolce and Gabbana clarify remarks: 'We do believe in freedom and love'
	Dolce and Gabbana have expanded on their views about gay adoptions following a social media boycott of their fashion line started by Sir Elton John. "We firmly believe in democracy and the fundamental principle of freedom of expression that upholds it," Stefano Gabbana said independent.co.uk 16 Mar 15 Dolce and Gabbana say 'Boycott Elton John' vigorously defending criticism of gay adoptions bbc.co.uk 16 Mar 15
GAY PRIDE Irish Dancing Queens float wins at Sydney's St Patrick's Day parade
	A Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras float had a second outing at Sydney's St Patrick's Day festivities yesterday - and walked away with the award for best in show starobserver.com.au 16 Mar 15

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14-15 March 2015

2015-03-15T15:33:00.001+00:00

UK Wife of radio DJ came home to find a naked teenager tied up
	Joanne O'Connor was giving evidence at the trial of her husband John, known as Ian Young, who was accused of attacking her. She told Kilmarnock Sheriff Court: "I knew our marriage was in trouble when I found an 18-year-old man naked and bound in the living room." dailyrecord.co.uk 15 Mar 15
GAY PARENTS Dolce & Gabbana say gays shouldn't raise babies
	The gay design duo have finally gone into detail about how anti-gay they are. "The only family is the traditional one," Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana told Italy's Panorama magazine fusion.net 15 Mar 15

Saturday
COMING OUT Is 15 too young to know your sexuality?
	The average age for young people to come out in Britain is now 15, says Underage and Gay - a touching and brave Channel 4 documentary about sexuality and gender channel4.com 14 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS *Oklahoma lawmaker wants anti-gay businesses to post "No Gays Allowed"* signs. Excellent!**
	The amendment to the "religious liberty" bill pointedly exposes the absurdity of creating a new era of legalized segregation slate.com 14 Mar 15
Ikea closes website in Russia over 'gay propaganda' fears
	In a statement, the furniture giant said some articles in Ikea Family Live could be viewed in Russia as gay "propaganda". It said the magazine "shows different aspects of people's lives at home, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality and religion" bbc.co.uk 14 Mar 15

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12-13 March 2015

2015-03-13T15:01:00.000+00:00

GAY HEALTH NAT 'deeply concerned' about delay in national HIV prevention spending
	The £1.2 million to HIV Prevention England (HPE) ... represents a 50% cut in funding for this project nat.org.uk 13 Mar 15 Cost of 1,500 cases of anal cancer £70-£90 million - whereas the cost to roll out the HPV vaccine would be £20 million telegraph.co.uk
Ex-weatherman Fred Talbot jailed for schoolboy abuse
	Ex-TV weatherman Fred Talbot has been jailed for five years for sex attacks on two boys while he was a teacher. Talbot, 65, was convicted in February of indecent assaults on two pupils from Altrincham Grammar School bbc.co.uk 13 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS Stonewall and Lend Lease help kick homophobia out of construction
	Lend Lease has embraced Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign, which aims to kick homophobia out of sport, and have reinterpreted it with thousands of builders at Lend Lease construction sites stonewall.org.uk 13 Mar 15

*Thursday*
UK Government unveils £650k in new HIV spending
	The Government has revealed that £800,000 of new money will be spent on HIV prevention, and to reduce the numbers of late diagnoses pinknews.co.uk 12 Mar 15
Coalition for Marriage tell Brighton supporters to vote for "anyone other than the Conservatives"
	Their senior activist in Kemptown said that whilst Tory support for gay marriage had angered many traditionalists in the area, it has attracted no additional support from the gay community breitbart.com 12 Mar 15
GAY BUSINESS *Tim Cook cites Apple's* record sales, vows to work on diversity**
	Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson urged Cook to improve diversity in the leadership and on the board. Apple has no black or Latino directors, and 12 of the 15 top executives are white men sfgate.com 12 Mar 15

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Wednesday 11 March 2015

2015-03-11T19:06:00.001+00:00

UK Calls to reform honours system to include same-sex spouses
	The current honours system permits a woman to use the title 'Lady' if she is married a man with the title 'Sir' - but does not recognise same-sex marriages at all pinknews.co.uk 11 Mar 15
Saving soho? Councillors to decide fate of stables bar
	The fate of Soho's last publicly accessible Victorian stable yard is being decided by councillors in what is being billed as a key test of Westminster's willingness to preserve the area standard.co.uk 11 Mar 15
*Ian McKellen and Pet Shop Boys featured in Stonewall's* star-studded Silent Auction**
	Lots on offer include a one of a kind signed self-portrait drawn by Ian McKellen (with thanks to Gay Star News), an original 7" Pet Shop Boys single signed by Dusty Springfield and the boys themselves, meet and greet tickets to The Clare Balding Show and signed tennis gear from sporting legend Martina Navratilova - closes Fri 27 Mar Stonewall Silent Auction 11 Mar 15
GAY BOOKS Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin
	When Alexander McQueen committed suicide in February 2010, aged just 40, a shocked world mourned the loss of its most visionary fashion designer. Biographer Andrew Wilson discusses his book at Gays The Word bookshop - Thu 16 Apr, 7pm Tickets £3 11 Mar 15

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