Almost half of HIV-positive gay men unaware, US study says

A US study estimates that almost half of HIV-positive gay and bisexual men are unaware they are infected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study also suggested that one in five of gay men in cities most affected by HIV have the virus.

The research studied more than 8,000 gay and bisexual men in the 21 cities which have the highest HIV rates. They were given HIV tests by CDC researchers.

In Baltimore, 38 per cent of the men tested were found to be HIV-positive, while just six per cent in Atlanta tested positive.

The highest number of infections occurred in black gay and bisexual men. This group were less likely to be aware of their infection with 59 per cent unaware, compared to 46 per cent of Hispanic men and 26 per cent of white men.

Men under the age of 30 were significantly less likely to be aware of having HIV. Sixty-three per cent of HIV-positive gay and bisexual men between the ages of 18 and 30 did not know they had the virus, compared to 37 per cent of HIV-positive gay and bisexual men over the age of 30.

Dr Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, told Reuters: “We can’t allow HIV to continue its devastating toll among gay and bisexual men, and in particular, among young black men.

“We need to reinvigorate our response to preventing HIV among gay and bisexual men.”

“The severity of the impact of HIV in the gay community is nothing new,” said Carl Schmid of the non-profit AIDS Institute.

“What has been missing is an appropriate response by our government, at the federal, state, and local levels, and the gay community itself.”

The research was published ahead of National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is on Monday September 27th.

According to CDC, gay and bisexual men represent approximately two per cent of the US population, yet are the population most severely affected by HIV and are the only risk group in which new HIV infections have been increasing steadily since the early 1990s.

Anti-gay pastor Eddie Long vows to 'fight' gay sex claims

Eddie Long, the anti-gay leader of one of America's largest church congregations, has said he will fight allegations he coerced young men in his flock to have sex with him.

Last week, three young men filed lawsuits alleging that Mr Long gave them money, cars and holidays in return for massages, oral sex and masturbation.

The leader of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, who preaches to 25,000 members, told his congregation on Sunday that he was "under attack" and would "fight" the allegations.

Speaking for the first time since the lawsuits were filed, he said: "I've been accused, I'm under attack.

"I want you to know, as I said earlier, that I am not a perfect man. But this thing, I'm going to fight," he said. "I feel like David against Goliath, but I've got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet."

CNN reports that he left his pulpit to overwhelming applause.

Mr Long is apparently being supported by his flock. Few have spoken to the media and those who have spoken out declared his innocence.

The married father of four has a long history of preaching against gay rights and same-sex marriage and claims his church has "delivered" people from homosexuality.

The three men accusing him of sexual impropriety are Maurice Robinson, 20, and Anthony Flagg, 21, and Jamal Parris, 23.

All have waived anonymity and claim Mr Long seduced them when they were aged 17 or 18.

Humphrey Bogart slept with 1,000 women out fear he was gay

A new biography of Humphrey Bogart claims he slept with a thousand women, partly because he feared that he was becoming homosexual.

'Humphrey Bogart, the Making of a Legend' by journalist Darwin Porter claims that before the Hollywood star married actress Lauren Bacall in 1945, he had slept with an estimated 1,000 women including Bette Davis, Jean Harlow, Marlene Dietrich and Ingrid Bergman.

The book claims that the actor was tormented with a fear that he was becoming both impotent and homosexual. It also suggests that he considered killing himself during his second marriage

During the 1920s, while appearing on Broadway, it is claimed that Bogart slept with a different woman, nearly every night. "He was keeping score with his first wife, Helen Menken, who had a lot of lesbian affairs," said Mr Porter. "They were both chased by the same women, including Jazz Age star Louise Brooks and the flamboyant Tallulah Bankhead."

On-off girl friend Joan Blondel said: "The zipper was invented in 1926. Bogie demanded one be sewed into all of his pants — sex was a lot faster that way. He was a busy boy back then, and rather handsome before he lost his hair and his looks."

Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5 says that Jake Gyllenhaal is not gay

The lead singer of Maroon 5, Adam Levine, came out in defense of his friend Jake Gyllenhaal.

Levine called it "childish and immature" the rumors about the sexuality of the star of "Brokeback Mountain."

During an interview, the musician spoke about the connection he has with Gyllenhaal. "Are people going to stop thinking that the guy is gay?" Said Levine. "Seriously, the media is very immature to say that he is gay - that's because he did 'Brokeback', right? I know this guy long ago. He is one of my oldest friends, is very strange to think so - is immature and child the way they treat this issue, "he complained.

The singer added: "If because he goes out with friends means he is gay, is as strange to perpetuate homophobia that exists in our culture, which is just stupid. Well, he's my friend. And I love him. "

Source: Scene G

Activist creates YouTube channel for the gay cause

The issue of gay activist Dan Savage, has created a YouTube channel to encourage young victims of prejudice to manifest.

The "It Gets Better", focuses published testimonies by other users.

According to Savage, the idea for creating the channel came after the suicide of young Billy Lucas, a victim of bullying committed by his classmates.

In all, 24 interviews are now available in the channel, including some celebrities, like the blogger Perez Hilton. Besides the canal, Savage keeps a blog and a podcast where he comments on news related to the cause gay.

Fede Gonzalez: From Size To Definition

Strong and aspiring: Fede Gonzalez is a 20-year-old natural bodybuilder from Buenos Aires, Argentina. In his Modelmayhem.com profile he writes: "I dedicate my whole time to improve my physique. I want to get bigger and take part in international bodybuilding competitions. And I would like to work as a fitness model."

Zac Compton: Intensive Dips

He knows how to get big triceps and massive arms. In this video 20-year-old bodybuilder Zac Compton takes 190 pounds plus his bodyweight for some repetitions on dips.

With Ed Miliband as Labour leader, two major parties are led by gay marriage advocates

Members of the the Labour party and affiliated trade unions together with MPs and MEPs have elected Ed Miliband as their new leader. Mr Miliband topped a poll for PinkNews.co.uk of Labour party and affiliated union members earlier this month.

The result means that both the Liberal Democrats and the Labour party have leaders who are in favour of full LGBT marriage equality. Both the Liberal Democrats and the Green party have marriage equality as official party policy.

Ed Miliband beat his brother by 50.65 per cent to 49.35 per cent after the votes in favour of Ed Balls, Diane Abbott and Andy Burnham were redistributed. In the first round, Diane Abbott scored 7.42 per cent, Ed Balls 11.79 per cent, Andy Burnham 8.68 per cent, David Miliband 37.78 per cent and Ed Miliband with 34.33 per cent.

Earlier this month, PinkNews.co.uk published a then surprising poll result, showing that Ed Miliband was the overwhelming choice of LGBT members of the Labour party (or affiliated union) for leader of the party with 42 per cent support. Despite the support from four leading lesbian and gay MPs in an open letter to PinkNews.co.uk during the polling period, David Miliband secured the support of just 31 per cent of LGBT party members. Diane Abbott was ranked third with the support of 16 per cent, Andy Burnham seven per cent and Ed Balls last with four per cent.

Gay rights record
Ed Miliband was only elected to the House of Commons in 2005, after the equalisation of the age of consent, the abolition of Section 28 and the Civil Partnerhips Act. But he was able to vote in favour of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation Regulations) in 2007 and against two amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill which sought to limit the rights of lesbians to access IVF treatment.

Pledges to the LGBT community
Writing for PinkNews.co.uk last month, Mr Miliband argued that civil partnerships were "not good enough". He added: "I know that civil partnerships were a major step forward, but I also hear those who want the genuine equality of gay marriage."

"'Separate but equal' is not good enough and PinkNews.co.uk’s own recent poll demonstrated the huge support in the LGBT community for a right to marry. The cruel consequence of the current compromise is trans people forced to divorce their partners before they could be legally recognised in their new gender. I want to see heterosexual and same-sex partnerships put on an equal basis and a Labour Party that I lead will campaign to make gay marriage happen."

Mr Miliband also used the editorial to call for an end to the ban on gay men donating blood, an end to LGBT asylum seekers being sent back to countries that persecute LGBT people and for stronger laws against inciting homophobic hatred.

PinkNews.co.uk comment
After PinkNews.co.uk published a poll showing that Ed Miliband was the favourite among LGBT Labour party and affiliated union members, this publication published a leader "Is Ed Miliband the leader to advance LGBT equality in Britain?". In it, we argued "with the current balance of the House of Commons it will be possible for the Liberal Democrats, Labour party and liberal Conservatives to form a coalition to fight for LGBT rights. There are enough Conservative MPs that if given the opportunity to vote on the issue would support marriage equality and the end of the ban on gay men donating blood (the Government already supports changes to asylum policy). This fight should be led by which ever Miliband becomes leader so they can fix the messy situation left behind by the Government they were key members of and turn nice sounding platitudes into real action."

We call on Mr Miliband to continue to fight for the LGBT equality changes he pledged as Labour leader.

Archbishop of Canterbury: Gay bishops are fine, so long as they are celibate

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in an interview published in The Times has revealed he has "no problem" with homosexuals becoming bishops, but only if they remain celibate. A leader column in the same newspaper criticises Dr Williams for his treatment of a homosexual twice rejected from becoming a bishop and calls on Dr Williams to affirm that discrimination against homosexuals is wrong.

In July of this year, for the second time, the dean of St Albans, the Rev Dr Jeffrey John, was rejected for a position as a bishop. Dr John entered into a civil partnership in 2006, but insists that his remains celibate. The Archbishop of Canterbury, reportedly decided decided that appointing Dr John as Bishop of Southwark would lead to a split in the church and that evangelical parishes would not recognise him as a bishop. Dr John was forced to abandon his appointment as Bishop of Reading in 2003 because of protests over his sexuality.

In the interview, published in today's Times, Dr Williams said: "To put it very simply, there’s no problem about a gay person who's a bishop. It’s about the fact that there are traditionally, historically, standards that the clergy are expected to observe. So there’s always a question about the personal life of the clergy." The standards that Dr Williams refers to include not engaging in sexual activity with someone of the same sex, informed by the teachings of the Bible. Although, since 1991, homosexuality has not been a bar to ordination in the Church of England.

Prior to his ascent to the top of the Church of England, Dr Williams was widely regarded as a liberal. Some have claimed that he turned his back on these liberal views as he has gripped the reins of power. He has been faced with the potential splintering of the Anglican Communion over homosexuality and the ordination of women bishops.

The Times challenged Dr Williams with a passage on the subject he wrote 21 year ago. "If we are looking for a sexual ethic that can be seriously informed by our Bible, there is a good deal to steer us away from assuming that reproductive sex is a norm."

Dr Williams responded by telling The Times: "That’s what I wrote as a theologian, putting forward a suggestion. That’s not the job I have now."

"I think if I were to say my job was not to be true to myself that might suggest that my job required me to be dishonest and if that were the case then I’d be really worried. I’m not elected on a manifesto to further this agenda or that. I have to be someone who holds the reins for the whole debate."

In June of this year, Dr Williams suspended members of the US Episcopalian Church from serving on any Anglican ecumenical bodies after it appointed the openly lesbian Mary Glasspool as assistant Los Angeles bishop.

Today, the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell told The Times: "Before he became Archbishop of Canterbury, he [Dr Williams] supported gay inclusion and equality. Now he victimises gay clergy like Jeffrey John and goes out of his way to accommodate some of the most hateful Christian homophobes in the world. In his eyes, Church unity is more important than the human rights of lesbian and gay people. "

In a somewhat surprising leader column, The Times backs Mr Tatchell's argument. It argues that "secular culture acknowledges the injustice of discrimination against homosexuals. The treatment of Canon Jeffrey John, a chaste homosexual twice rejected as a bishop, offends against a widely held sense of natural justice. In electing homosexual bishops, Anglicanism might suffer defections; but it would affirm its soul.

"This is not a call to choose modern mores over biblical authority, for Anglicans have long understood that the interpretation of Scripture lies in the hands of the Church. The Apostle Peter enjoined: 'Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.

"Interpretation belongs to the tradition of Christendom, in which Dr Williams takes an historic role. He should affirm as a Christian leader and a theologian that discrimination against homosexuals is wrong. In the Church, as in the nation, let justice be done — and the heavens will not fall."

Brian Paddick won't run for London mayor

Former London mayoral hopeful Brian Paddick has said he won't run for London mayor in 2012.

The former most senior out gay police officer in Britain was the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2008 race but came third with ten per cent of the vote behind winner Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone.

Instead, he told PinkNews.co.uk, he is supporting 32-year-old Duwayne Brooks, a Liberal Democrat councillor and friend of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, for the Liberal Democrat nomination.

"We have an excellent potential candidate. . . [if he wins the nomination], I would be throwing my weight behind that candidate," he said.

When asked why he would not seek the nomination, Mr Paddick said: "Because I think Duwayne Brooks is a better candidate. And has a better chance of winning. I think Londoners deserve a clear choice of candidate, not a mirror-image re-run of what happened last time."

He added: "I told a BBC Politics Show that one character in a London race is enough choice for Londoners.

Last week, Mr Paddick said Mr Brooks would be a "serious alternative" for Lib Dem supporters eager to see anyone but former Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik step up to the role.

He also ruled out becoming an MP, saying the long hours would mean he would barely see his husband Petter, who lives and works in Oslo.

The former reality TV star, who retired in 2007, says he would consider taking up a seat in the House of Lords. He was the most popular choice among Lib Dem supporters for a peerage at last year's party conference and sees the opportunity as a "platform" for highlighting issues he's interested in.

Yesterday, Ken Livingstone won the Labour nomination for the party's contender. He beat Oona King with 68.8 per cent of the vote.

Incumbent Tory mayor Boris Johnson will stand for re-election.

updated: Councillor accused of gay slur apologises

A Tory councillor accused of calling a gay city council leader a "faggot" has apologised.

Jim Farquharson denied calling Liberal Democrat city leader John Stewart the offensive term and said he had been misheard.

However, he admitted calling Mr Stewart a "fat git" and a "fascist".

The pair had a private meeting yesterday and Mr Farquharson said he believed the matter was closed.

He told the Press and Journal: “What was alleged was not true, I did not describe him in any homophobic terms at all.

“We shook hands and as far as I understand the matter is now closed. I have learned my lesson from this incident."

But Mr Stewart said of the apology: “You could break my nose and apologise and I would still have a broken nose.

“Just because someone apologises for something does not make it acceptable behaviour."

The row started on Monday after Mr Farquharson claimed Mr Stewart was showing preference to a rival Tory faction in the council.

A council official claimed to have overheard Mr Farquharson using the word "faggot" but the councillor claimed he was actually saying "fat git".

£5 billion marriage equality figure was calculated by Stonewall

The origin of the £5 billion figure quoted by Stonewall as a possible cost of marriage equality has been revealed.

According to Brian Paddick, the former deputy assistant commissioner of the Met Police and former Lib Dem London mayoral candidate, the figure was calculated for Stonewall by a former civil servant.

The charity is thought to have carried out research into the possible arguments against opening up marriage and civil partnerships to all couples and the figure was cited by chief executive Ben Summerskill at a Liberal Democrat debate on marriage equality this week.

It is understood that the figure relates to a theoretical increase in straight couples taking up the opportunity of civil partnerships, with knock-on implications to their entitlement to pension and tax benefits.

Mr Summerskill was accused by some present at the meeting of arguing against the party's motion on supporting marriage equality at the Monday meeting. The motion was overwhelmingly passed the next day.

Mr Paddick, who was at the meeting, said the figure was calculated by Stonewall, rather than the government.

He told PinkNews.co.uk: "The Treasury did do an impact assessment for the final reading of the Civil Partnerships Bill.

"And someone who was in the government, actually, who now works for Stonewall, took that assessment and extrapolated it to come up with the £5 billion figure, based on an estimated half a million straight people wanting to enter into civil partnerships if that option was available to them."

Mr Paddick added that he had been told this by a source within Stonewall.

Mr Summerskill said this evening that the £5 billion figure had been extrapolated from the final regulatory assessment of the Civil Partnership Bill and had been calculated by a former civil servant for Stonewall, as the original assessment made no mention of civil partnerships for heterosexuals.

He added that it was "ludicrous" to ask at 7pm on a Friday evening whether that figure was based on an estimate of half a million straight people.

"Our clear argument is that if people are told that the government will introduce [an equality measure] that may cost £5 billion over ten years, they may be skeptical," he said.

"Supporting straight people is not one of our objectives. They can look after themselves. It is an issue of strategy and tactics."

This evening, Stonewall announced that it was "consulting widely" on the future of civil partnerships and said it hoped its final position had the support of the wider gay, lesbian and bisexual public.

The charity, which used PinkPaper.com to publish its statement, said: “We’re consulting as widely as possible on the future of civil partnership and gay marriage.

“There are a number of different options which all have vocal supporters and detractors. That’s why we’re determined to try and build a broad consensus in the LGB community so we can be sure that our final position has the backing of Stonewall supporters and the wider lesbian, gay and bisexual public.

“We’re also determined that this issue shouldn’t be used as a party political football.”

1.5% figure is wrong, says gay website with 2.2 million members

Gay networking websites Gaydar and GaydarGirls say that estimates of 1.5 per cent of the population being gay or bisexual cannot be true as they have 2.2 million members in the UK.

Yesterday, the Office of National Statistics published a survey of 450,000 people – the second largest after the census – which suggested that only one per cent of British people are gay or lesbian and 0.5 per cent are bisexual.

However, the websites say their membership figures account for 6.7 per cent of the population – just above the government estimate of six per cent.

Yesterday's figures suggested that there are approximately 480,000 gay men and lesbians and 245,000 bisexual people in Britain – 725,000 LGB people in total.

But the websites, which offer members the chance to meet for dating and sex, say 2,185,072 British men and women have registered with them.

Trevor Martin, managing director at Gaydar said; “The Office for National Statistics figures don’t add up. With 2.2 million Gaydar profiles in the UK either there are a lot of straight guys playing away from girlfriends or every single gay and lesbian in the country tunes into GaydarRadio – or the ONS have got it terribly wrong.”

The 1.5 per cent figure has already been used by some figures to question government efforts to tackle homophobia.

Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: “A large amount of public money has been spent on the basis of higher figures, which have turned out to be a lie.”

Conservative MP Philip Davies added: “An awful lot of focus in diversity issues is given to people’s sexual preference and this difference is not as widespread as believed.”

Yesterday, gay lobby group Stonewall said the figures were likely to be an underestimation because many gay people may be unwilling to identify themselves as gay in a survey.

Spokeswoman Ruth Hunt said she would expect to see the figures rise as asking about sexual orientation becomes more commonplace.

In the national survey, 95 per cent of respondents said they were heterosexual.

Nearly four per cent of those asked refused to answer, said they did not know or described themselves as "other".

Of the five per cent who did not say they were heterosexual, one per cent said they were gay or lesbian, 0.5 per cent said they were bisexual and 3.5 per cent refused to answer the question, described themselves as "other" or said they did not know.

Stonewall and the government both use a figure of six per cent of the population being lesbian, gay or bisexual, which works out at 3.6 million people.

This figure comes from 2005 research by the Department for Trade and Industry.

Other studies on sexual orientation have found that the figure varies between six and ten per cent.

HIV quangos face the axe, while EHRC is 'at risk'

Two HIV quangos will reportedly be abolished as part of government plans to save money.

The Expert Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS and the Independent Advisory Group of Sexual Health and HIV are two of 177 taxpayer-funded bodies to be scrapped, a list leaked to the Daily Telegraph suggests.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is one of 94 bodies said to be under review.

Both of the HIV bodies offer advice to the government from a number of medical experts, while the EHRC acts as a human rights watchdog.

In the last year, the EHRC has suffered the loss of four commissioners, some of whom criticised its leader Trevor Phillips.

Earlier this year, a Commons report said its inception had been "patently flawed" and cost taxpayers almost £39 million.

In May, prime minister David Cameron promised a "bonfire of the quangos" designed to save billions of pounds of public money. Thousands of jobs are expected to be lost.

A similar list of 180 quangos to be abolished was sent to the BBC and the Cabinet has ordered an inquiry into the leaks.

A government spokeswoman did not comment on the leak but said the government had "made it clear that it is committed to radically increasing accountability and improving efficiency".

She added: "The Cabinet Secretary has this morning asked for an immediate investigation into the leak of a government document on public bodies reform.

"We deeply regret any extra uncertainty for employees that this irresponsible leak has caused".

A senior Whitehall source told the Daily Telegraph: “These reforms represent the most significant rolling back of bureaucracy and the state for decades.

"Our starting point has been that every quango must not only justify its existence but its reliance on public money.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Health are expected to suffer the most under Mr Cameron's "bonfire of the quangos".

Bodies said to be facing abolition are the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the Health Protection Agency and the Commission for Rural Communities.

Ninety-four others are at risk of being scrapped, four will be privatised and 129 will be merged, the list suggests.

Ken Livingstone backed by Labour to become London mayor in 2012

Ken Livingstone has won the Labour nomination for London mayor in the 2012 election.

He defeated rival Oona King with 68.8 per cent of the vote.

Mr Livingstone was mayor of London between 2000 and 2008, before he was defeated by incumbent Tory mayor Boris Johnson.

The results of the vote were announced in London today and Mr Livingstone said he would "unite Londoners" against coalition public spending cuts.

He has also promised lower transport fares if he wins the race.

Last week, he announced a series of gay equality promises, including appointing a LGBT advisory board and reinstating the annual Pride reception.

He also promised to re-enter the Greater London Authority into Stonewall's annual diversity index.

The former MP, 65, has a good gay rights record, implementing the first civil partnerships register for gay couples in London in 2001.

However, he was criticised in 2005 for inviting to London and embracing the homophobic Islamist cleric Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who has called for gays and lesbians to be killed.

Mr Johnson will stand for re-election in 2012 and former MP Lembit Opik hopes to win the Liberal Democrat nomination for the post.

Gay men achieve world's longest kiss

Two American gay men have broken the world record for the longest kiss – locking lips for almost 33 hours.

Students Matty Daley and Bobby Canciello, who are just friends, hope to win a place in the Guiness Book of World Records for their achievement.

The pair, from the College of New Jersey, said they did the record-breaking stunt to raise awareness of the Trevor Project, a helpline which works to prevent suicide in LGBT young people.

They began their attempt on campus on 11:32 am on Saturday September 18th and finished at 8:02 pm the following day, with their actual time being 32 hours, 30 minutes, 45 seconds and 20 milliseconds.

Guinness World Records rules state that contenders for the longest kiss must not sit down, use the bathroom or wear adult diapers.

The bid has to take place in public and participants' lips must be touching at all times.

Daley and Canciello said they prepared for the kiss for months, exercising, practising standing for hours and devising a system of hand signals for when one needed to stretch or move.

The pair's kiss was streamed live on the internet and officials from Guinness World Records will now review the footage to confirm whether they have broken the record.

Speaking afterwards, Canciello said muscle strain was the hardest part, while Daley said he got lockjaw.

But they said the pain was "worth it" for highlighting gay visibility.

Caniciello told NJ.com that a teenager sent them a message saying "because of what you guys did, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with my sexuality and I think I'm going to come out to my parents".

The student said: "All the pain was worth it. The second I read that message, I was just like, whatever, who cares about the pain, this is important."

The pair believe they have beaten the previous record by 23 minutes. This record was held by Nicola Matovik and Kristina Reinhart, a German couple.

Teenager jailed for extorting £87,000 in gay chatline sting

An Edinburgh teenager has been jailed for 45 months after he was found guilty of extorting £87,700 in a sting on men using gay and adult chatlines.

Kelz Sutherland, 19, last month admitted nine charges of extortion between January 1st 2008 and December 31st 2009.

Edinburgh sheriff court heard that he had been part of a gang who targeted chatline users, tricking them into talking about underage sex and then threatening to expose them to police, friends and family.

The sting involved talking to men on gay and adult chatlines and steering the conservation to underage sex.

Sutherland would then put on a different voice and pretend to be a chatline monitor, saying that recordings of the conversations would be passed to police.

The men were told that the recordings could be deleted if they paid substantial sums of money.

The scam was discovered after one man went to police after being told to pay £8,000.

When police raided Sutherland's home in Bath Street, Edinburgh, after a surveillance operation, they found details of the men's phone numbers, addresses and workplaces on his computer, along with details of a number of bank accounts.

Sutherland was sentenced yesterday and Sheriff Deirdre Macneill QC told him his behaviour had been "despicable".

Peter Tatchell: Tide is turning on gay marriage

Same-sex marriage is an idea whose time has come. It is the growing trend all over the world, from Canada to South Africa and Argentina.

Why can't we have marriage equality in Britain too?

Political support for ending the ban on gay marriage is growing rapidly. London mayor Boris Johnson and Conservative MP and former party vice-chair Margot James have both come out in favour of allowing lesbian and gay couples to marry in a registry office, on the same terms as heterosexual partners.

This view is also endorsed by the leader and the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg and Simon Hughes. Indeed, Hughes has predicted that the ban on same-sex marriage will go within five years.

All five Labour leadership contenders – Ed Balls, Diane Abbott, Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband and David Miliband – now back marriage equality, regardless of sexual orientation.

Public attitudes have also shifted strongly in favour of allowing gay couples to marry. A Populus poll for the Times newspaper in June 2009 found that 61 per cent of the public believe that: "Gay couples should have an equal right to get married, not just to have civil partnerships." Only 33 per cent disagreed.

Some people say that civil partnerships are sufficient for gay couples. This is hypocritical. They would not accept a similar ban on black people getting married.

They would never agree with a law that required black couples to register their relationships through a separate system called civil partnerships.

It would be racist to have separate laws for black and white couples. We'd call it apartheid, like what used to exist in South Africa. Well, black people are not banned from marriage but lesbian and gay couples are.

We are fobbed off with second class civil partnerships.

Personally, I don't like marriage. I share the feminist critique of its history of sexism and patriarchy. I would not want to get married. But as a democrat and human rights defender, I support the right of others to marry, if they wish.

That's why I believe that civil marriage in a registry office should be open to everyone without discrimination.

Don't get me wrong, civil partnerships are an important advance. They remedy many – though not all – of the injustices that used to be experienced by lesbian and gay couples. But they are not equality.

They are discrimination. Separate is not equal.

In terms of the law, civil partnerships are a form of sexual apartheid. They create a two-tier system of partnership recognition: one law for heterosexuals (civil marriage) and another law for same-sex couples (civil partnerships).

This perpetuates and extends discrimination. The homophobia of the ban on same-sex civil marriage is now compounded by the heterophobia of the ban on opposite-sex civil partnerships.

Just as a gay couple cannot have a civil marriage, a straight couple cannot have a civil partnership. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Sadly, the official policies of the Conservative and Labour parties do not support same-sex civil marriage. They oppose it. They support discrimination.

The Green Party and the Liberal Democrats are, so far, the only parties officially committed to giving same-sex partners the right to civil marriage – and heterosexual couples the right to civil partnerships.

In a democracy, we are all supposed to be equal under the law. The Con-Lib coalition's professed commitment to gay equality cannot be taken seriously while it upholds the ban on same-sex marriage. Over to you, Dave and Nick.

Polish equality minister 'outs gay man on television'

The Polish minister for equality has been accused of homophobia for outing a gay man on television and saying Catholic schools should have the right to sack gay teachers.

Elżbieta Radziszewska made the remarks about gay teachers to Catholic newspaper Gosc Niedzielny. She said that Catholic schools should be allowed to sack or refuse to employ gay or lesbian teachers, although she later said she would defend a teacher sacked from a state school for his or her sexual orientation.

She appeared on a breakfast show on TVN24 on Tuesday but provoked further anger when she apparently outed Krzysztof Śmiszek, the deputy president of the Polish Society of Anti-Discrimination Law (PSAL).

The pair were arguing about her remarks on gay teachers when Ms Radziszewska used Mr Śmiszek as an example of why cases should be treated individually.

According to the Warsaw Business Journal, she said: “If, for example, Mr Śmiszek, in a situation when we know that he is a member of the homosexual society and an activist for the Campaign Against Homophobia and it's no secret who his partner is…”

Ms Radziszewska was asked by the programme's presenters whether she should be on the other side of the argument but she apparently said that was the way she saw it. She later apologised but said Mr Mr Śmiszek's sexual orientation could easily be discovered on the internet.

Mr Śmiszek has reacted furiously to her comments and intends to sue.

“This is pure homophobia,” he told daily Gazeta Wyborcza on Tuesday. “In no other EU country would such a person still hold their post. I do not hide my sexual orientation, but it's my private business. My personal rights have been violated.”

Several members of Ms Radziszewska's Civic Platform colleages in the coalition government have criticised her, although others on the right claim she is the victim of a witch-hunt.

She has also been criticised by women's groups, who accused her of not doing enough for women's equality.

Homosexuality is legal in Poland but couples cannot adopt children and there is no legal recognition of their relationships. The Polish capital Warsaw hosted EuroPride this year.

Florida ends ban on gays and lesbians adopting

The US state of Florida has overturned its ban on gays and lesbians adopting children.

Governor Charlie Crist announced the 3rd District Court of Appeal ruling yesterday and said the ban would end immediately, although the decision can be appealed.

The 1977 law made Florida the only US state to ban gay adoption, despite permitting gays and lesbians to foster children.

Yesterday, the court upheld a 2008 ruling by a Miami-Dade judge who approved the adoption of two young brothers by Martin Gill and his male partner.

The boys were neglected by their biological parents and were placed with Mr Gill and his partner in 2004.

Writing on behalf of the three judges on the appeal court panel, Judge Gerald Cope pointed out the disparity of allowing gays and lesbians to foster but not adopt children.

"It is difficult to see any rational basis in utilising homosexual persons as foster parents or guardians on a temporary or permanent basis, while imposing a blanket prohibition on those same persons," he wrote.

"All other persons are eligible to be considered case-by-case to be adoptive parents."

Gay rights campaigners in Florida have warned that gay adoption opponents may seek to place a measure in the state constitution barring gay people from adopting.

Speaking after the ruling, Mr Gill said: “This is just the news that we have been waiting so anxiously for here.

“This is a giant step toward being able to give our sons the stability and permanency that they are being denied.”

Leslie Cooper, a senior staff attorney from the American Civil Liberties Union, which supported Mr Gill, said: “Florida’s law unconstitutionally singles out gay people and the children in their care for unequal treatment, denying many children the long-term security that comes with adoption.

"We are grateful that the court saw the cruel consequences this law has on children, especially those in foster care who may never know the security of a permanent home.”

First national survey finds 1.5 per cent of adults say they are gay, lesbian or bisexual

A survey of 450,000 UK adults has found that 1.5 per cent were willing to identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

The Integrated Household Survey, carried out by the Office for National Statistics, is the second largest after the census.

This is the first time the survey has asked about sexual identity and the ONS stressed that the question was "experimental".

Nearly four per cent of those asked refused to answer, said they did not know or described themselves as "other".

Of the five per cent who did not say they were heterosexual, one per cent said they were gay or lesbian, 0.5 per cent said they were bisexual and 3.5 per cent refused to answer the question, described themselves as "other" or said they did not know.

Gay rights charity Stonewall and the government both use a figure of six per cent of the population being lesbian, gay or bisexual, which works out at 3.6 million people.

This figure comes from 2005 research by the Department for Trade and Industry.

Other studies on sexual orientation have found that the figure varies between six and ten per cent.

In this study, the ONS used the phrase 'sexual identity' rather than 'sexual orientation'. No responses were collected by proxy (allowing, for example, another member of a household to answer).

Stonewall welcomed today's figures but said they must be treated with "caution".

Ruth Hunt, deputy director of public affairs at Stonewall, said the charity was pleased the research had been carried out but said it was a "shame it took so long".

She told PinkNews.co.uk: "Six per cent is the Treasury actuary figure. Based on this, the figure is still about right.

"We have to view these results with caution. It's the first time people have been asked and we expect the figures to rise in a few years."

Ms Hunt added that such data should be collected as a matter of course, including in the census, and said Stonewall had urged GPs' surgeries to ask patients about their sexual orientation.

On the danger of the 1.5 per cent figure being used to argue against gay equality, she said: "We know other equality strands such as faith have this problem [of surveys not being representative]. Even the figures for faith do not reflect the lived experience of those on the ground."

The largest numbers of gay, lesbian and bisexual people were found in London, while the lowest numbers were in Northern Ireland.

Men were twice as likely as women to describe themselves as gay/lesbian.

The research also asked about religion, with 71 per cent of people describing themselves as Christian and 21 per cent saying they had no religion.

The research carried out between April 2009 and March 2010 and comprises the results of six ONS surveys.

Participants were telephoned or presented with cards asking which of the following options best described how they see themselves: heterosexual/straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual or other.

Ninety-five per cent said they were heterosexual, one per cent said they were gay or lesbian and 0.5 per cent said they were bisexual.

Just under three per cent stated "don’t know" or refused the question, one per cent did not provide a response and 0.5 per cent defined themselves as "other".

Brian Paddick: My marriage is 'downgraded' in Britain

The former most senior out gay police officer in the UK, Brian Paddick, has revealed how his wedding in Norway changed his mind about civil partnerships.

Writing in the Independent, Mr Paddick recounted his 2009 wedding to Petter Belsvik in Oslo.

In 2008, the Norwegian government abolished civil partnerships and opted to make marriage accessible to all couples.

Mr Paddick, who was the Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor in 2008, wrote: "When civil partnerships came into effect here, I thought that was good enough. I did not want to go again into what some people in the gay community regard as the heterosexual institution of marriage.

"My opinion changed on that day in Oslo. It had quite an impact on me when I stood in front of the judge in the court and she said: 'We are here to witness the marriage of Brian and Petter.' It powerfully struck me how significant and how important it was for us to be treated exactly the same as if we were a straight couple."

He added that his status of being married was "downgraded" on his return to Britain and claimed that civil partnerships do not offer complete equality.

He wrote: "What people often do not realise is that civil partnerships are not exactly the same as marriages. For instance, if I was to be survived by my Norwegian husband he would only get two-fifths of my pension, rather than the half he would receive if we were regarded in this country as married.

"We are not treated the same in Britain as if I had married a woman on the same day last year. That isn't complete equality."

Yesterday, the Liberal Democrats backed a motion to support marriage equality at their annual conference in Liverpool.

Speaking at the debate, Mr Paddick said: “Yes, we have to be sensitive to religions and what they feel on this issue, and we are not talking necessarily about forcing religions to marry same-sex people in their synagogues and churches and temples. But there should be equality. If I want to marry my same-sex partner then I should be allowed to do that.”

Gay Lib Dem David Laws 'won't return to government'

Liberal Democrat MP David Laws is said to be unwilling to return to government after the stress of being outed as gay over his expenses claims.

Mr Laws was Chief Secretary to the Treasury for less than three weeks in May. He stood down after it was revealed he had paid £40,000 of taxpayers' money in rent to his partner James Lundie.

Until then, he had kept his sexuality a secret.

Prime minister David Cameron and deputy Nick Clegg are understood to be keen to see him return to the cabinet if he is cleared by a parliamentary investigation.

The MP did not attend his party's conference this week and a source told the Sun: "Everybody is saying when will David be allowed to come back, but the truth is he doesn't want to be a minister again. He's lost the hunger."

According to the Daily Mail, Mr Laws has told friends that he may step down as MP for Yeovil at the next election, depending on the findings of the report.

The newspaper added that he is working on a book titled 22 Days in May, which will be an account of how the coalition came to power and his own personal trauma.

Lesbian feminist writer Jill Johnston dies aged 81

The feminist author Jill Johnston has died of a stroke at the age of 81.

The London-born writer lived with her wife and partner of 30 years Ingrid Nyeboe in northwestern Connecticut after their second marriage last year.

She died on September 18th.

Johnston was the author of the seminal 1974 book Lesbian Nation: The Feminist Solution and a dance critic for Village Voice.

She also published a number of autobiographical texts, essays and critiques.

She was a feminist leader in the 1960s and 1970s, spearheading the lesbian separatist movement.

Johnston told The Gay and Lesbian Review in 2006: “Once I understood the feminist doctrines, a lesbian separatist position seemed the commonsensical position, especially since, conveniently, I was an L-person.

“Women wanted to remove their support from men, the ‘enemy’ in a movement for reform, power and self-determination.”

The author was married to Richard Lanham for six years before their divorce in 1964. In 1993 she married Ms Nyeboe in Denmark and the couple married again in Connecticut in 2009.

Johnston is survived by her children Richard Lanham and Winifred Lanham, her wife and four grandchildren.

Ms Nyeboe wrote on the author's website: "She left us peacefully and with dignity; let's honour her immense legacy of love, kindness and amazing intelligence by celebrating her life each and every moment in our own daily activities."

Lib Dem minister Lynne Featherstone affirms coalition's gay rights promises

Liberal Democrat junior equality minister Lynne Featherstone said today that the coalition government has a "long-term" strategy for equal rights.

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool today, she said was "proud" of yesterday's successful motion calling for marriage equality and promised that the government would tackle homophobic bullying, protect gay parents and use Britain's influence abroad to encourage an end to homophobic laws.

She added that the government would get its policies "in order" on gay and lesbian asylum seekers fleeing persecution.

Ms Featherstone also attacked Labour's record, saying the party which legalised civil partnerships had turned equalities into a "burden".

She said: "[Equality] became a byword for bureaucracy and red-tape.

"Less about liberation and more about frustration. And if ticking boxes and filling out forms led to equality, then Britain would be a utopia of fairness and optimism."

In May, Ms Featherstone criticised her own party's coalition negotiators for being too "male" and "pale".

Speaking today, she added: "We also recognise that transgender issues are often distinct and sometimes need to be addressed separately. That is why this government will be the first ever to produce an action plan on transgender equality."

Yesterday, the conference voted in favour of a motion supporting marriage equality.

The move means that the party will lobby for civil partnerships and marriage to be opened up to all couples regardless of sexuality.

Tory councillor and Lib Dem council leader in 'gay slur' row

A Conservative councillor in Aberdeen has denied calling the city's gay council leader a "faggot".

Jim Farquharson said he did insult Liberal Democrat council leader John Stewart by calling him a "fascist" and a "fat git" but denied using the homophobic slur.

The row took place after a heated committee meeting and a council official claimed he heard Mr Farquharson make the remark.

Mr Farquharson, who was described by the Sun as "tubby", told the newspaper: "I called him a fat git, not a faggot. If he thought it was homophobic I would definitely apologise to him because there is no way I said that.

"I called him a fascist as I was unhappy with the undemocratic aspects of the committee meeting. I was frustrated because of the way he handled the meeting.

"We were standing there face to face and I was still fuming and I said 'fascist'.

"He sort of walked by me and said 'what did you say?' and I said 'I called you a fat git'."

Mr Stewart, who was part of the second gay couple in Scotland to have a civil partnership in 2005, said on Monday he was "considering all my options" over the alleged incident.

Video: Senators block vote on repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' US military policy

Primarily Republican, US senators have voted to block a debate this evening into gay and lesbian people being able to serve openly in the military.

A minimum of 60 senators were required to be in favour of overturning a filibuster of the 'defense authorisation bill' which includes the repeal of the US military 'Don't ask, Don't tell' policy by senator John McCain but only 56 senators voted in favour. Although some of the senators who voted against did so because of an immigration amendment 'tacked' onto the bill.

The vote comes after a high-profile campaign by the singer Lady Gaga which has included her wearing a dress made from meat at the MTV Video Music Awards and posting a video message to YouTube where she appealed directly to a number of Republican senators to support the vote for a debate and ultimately to repeal the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy.

It is feared that tonight's vote will mean that it will not be possible for 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to be debated again before the United States goes to the polls for the mid term elections. Although it is still possible for the Senate to vote again during the so called 'lame-duck' session that takes place between the election and the swearing in of new members.

Several moderate Republican senators have actually said they would support the lifting of the ban, but only after a Pentagon review into the impact of repealing the ban on troop readiness and morale reports to President Obama on December 1st.

Former Republican presidential nominee senator John McCain spoke against holding the debate prior to the Pentagon review being published: "The most fundamental thing we could do to honour the sacrifice of our troops is to take the time to hear their views."

"This ain't over," Senator Joseph Lieberman, the Independent senator for Connecticut, who authored the repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. "It's long past time to repeal this policy."

"The Democrats have been against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' for more than a decade and why we allowed this law to remain in effect for another two years is beyond me," Richard Soccarides, a former gay rights adviser to President Bill Clinton told the Los Angeles Times. "I think we as a gay community all bear a significant share of responsibility for not insisting that the unconstitutional and discriminatory policy not be ended right away."

The failure to secure the debate will embarrass US president Barack Obama, who has on a number of occasions called for the law to be repealed. Tonight his spokesman Robert Gibbs said the White House was "disappointed" at the Senate vote, "but we'll keep trying."

"The president obviously continues to urge Congress to act, and is working as well with the Pentagon to see this come to fruition," he added.

An estimated 14,000 members of the US military have been discharged for revealing their sexuality since the law was introduced in 1993.

The majority of military leaders who have spoken publicly about the law support its repeal. However, some oppose lifting the ban and say it will harm morale and recruitment, especially in the middle of two wars.

The law allows gay soldiers to serve in the military but they must not reveal their sexual orientation.

Liberal Democrats back marriage equality for gay couples

Delegates at the Liberal Democrats' annual conference in Liverpool voted to back marriage equality for gay and straight couples this morning.

The motion called to open up marriage and civil partnerships to straight and gay couples, allow religious celebrants to hold same-sex marriages and civil partnerships if they wish to do so, and to allow trans men and women the right to stay married or civilly partnered when they legally change their gender.

It cited Liberal Democrat leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg's comments to PinkNews.co.uk earlier this year.

Mr Clegg said in February: "I support gay marriage. Love is the same, straight or gay, so the civil institution should be the same too. All couples should be able to make that commitment to one another."

Speaking after the motion passed, Liberal Democrat MP Steve Gilbert said: “This policy underlines, once again, that equality is in the DNA of our party. Today, Liberal Democrat members showed that the party remains in the vanguard of the progressive movement and won’t settle until everyone enjoys equal status.

“Current legislation degrades same-sex couples to a second-tier partnership and leads to unnecessary pain and trouble for anyone wishing to change their legally recognised gender, forcing them to divorce or dissolve their civil partnership and enter into a different commitment.

"It is time that Britain ends the current unfair legal situation and regains its position as a country leading the fight for full LGBT equality.”

Speaking to PinkNews.co.uk, Mr Gilbert said the move would give "MPs and ministers a platform to argue within the coalition that it is time we caught up with other European countries".

He added: "I'm really pleased the party has reaffirmed its commitment to equality."

The move means that the party is expected to lobby for the legal change and now officially supports it.

Eleven gay rights activists arrested for protest in Moscow

Eleven gay rights activists were arrested today for holding a protest outside Moscow's city hall in protest at the homophobia of mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

They were arrested by police at around 6.15pm local time after chaining themselves to a metal fence next to the building and were later released.

Russian gay rights leader Nikolai Alekseev, who was one of those arrested, spoke to PinkNews.co.uk while he was in Tverskoy police station and waiting for police to finish the "protocols" of the arrests.

He said: "We handcuffed ourselves to the fence and the police took us out by force. They broke the handcuffs, my hand is all [covered] in blood."

He estimated that between 40 and 50 participants joined the protest but said he did not know if others were being held at other police stations.

Later, Mr Alekseev told UKGayNews: “Today it was like a VIP service at the police station. The police did everything to write the protocols and get rid of us as fast as possible.

"We have been charged for taking part into an unsanctionned event only and not for disobying police orders. As a result, the maximum sentence is a fine. My case is scheduled for October 6th.

“I have never seen any such service from this police station in the last five years that I have been regularly taken there when conducting our actions."

The protest was banned by city authorities last week but campaigners decided to go ahead without permission after Mr Alekseev was apparently unlawfully detained for more than two days by authorities last week.

During the protest, campaigners held up gay rights posters and a doll of Mr Luzhkov.

The mayor has called gays and lesbians "satanic" in the past and refused permission to hold Pride marches.

Activists have attempted to hold them anyway and are taking a case against Moscow city authorities to the European Court of Human Rights.

London's gay art festival GFEST announces programme

London's gay art and culture festival GFEST has announced its programme for this year.

The event will be held across venues in London between November 8th-21st and is now in its fourth year.

The programme includes a range of artists in visual arts, performances and short films.

Venues include the National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Rich Mix, Hampstead Town Hall and Cochrane Theatre.

GFEST director Niranjan Kamatkar said: “We are proud to present young and trendsetting British talent alongside the International artists, filmmakers and performers. GFEST 2010 artists will benefit from presenting their work in celebrated venues and from GFEST 2010 media partners like BBC Film Network.”

He added: “I am confident that GFEST 2010 programme is a thrilling mix of diversity with the widest possible range of life-changing artistic expressions from the LGBT community.”

Artists were selected through an open-call process and the festival has been praised by London mayor Boris Johnson, culture secretary Jeremy Hunt and broadcaster Stephen Fry.

PinkNews.co.uk publisher and founder Benjamin Cohen is a trustee of GFEST.

Highlights:

Visual Arts: New Zealander Xavier Radic, who has exhibited in Strasbourg, New York and San Francisco. He is a curator of many art exhibitions in New Zealand and has been invited again to show at the Florence Biennale 2011.

Helen Churchill returns to GFEST after 2008, and has exhibited work at a number of venues and has completed several private commissions for clients in the UK.

London based Matthew Stradling was selected by Sothebys to represent Britain in the Young Artist International Touring Exhibition and was also selected for the BP Portrait Award Exhibition.

Maitree Siriboon has exhibited in Italy, Singapore, Indonesia, Netherlands, Malaysia – and Thailand, where he lives and works as artist and curator for Whitespace Gallery .

Short Films: Protect Me From What I Want by Dominic Leclerc opens with a cruising scene at an underground archway, where Saleem and Daz embark on a dangerous, thrilling sexual adventure.

Kent Thomas' Broken looks at young hustler who relives his dark journey from an upper-middle class home to living and working on the street.

A timely documentary from Michael Urwin, gay couples discuss love, marriage, religion and spirituality, heroes and hopes for the future generation in Mosaic: Love and Marriage.

Kiss Boxing by Corinne Bott: game in which the opponent is being knocked out – by a kiss.

Moby Longinotto's platinum blonde Jheri Jones lives on a remote trailer park in Mississippi. But unbeknown to her neighbours Jheri has a secret in The Joneses.

Performances: Artistic director of Homo Promos and acclaimed performer, director Peter Scott-Prestland will present a semi-autobiographical cabaret show of original witty sketches, songs, savage political satire, and personal revelations from 1973 to the present.

An accomplished performer and a regular on BBC Radio 7, Lorraine Bowen, will be playing her Casio organ on its ironing board stand, dancing to hits from her albums, entertaining with
hilarious surreal stories.

A Peggy Ramsay Foundation award winner, hugely talented Marcus Reeves will present a delightfully witty collection of songs and poetry from a decade long performance career.

A prolific performer at festivals such as Edinburgh Fringe, Glastonbury Festival and Sydney Mardi Gras, Rosie Wilby reflects musically on her days trying to make it in the music business at the height of Britpop.

GFEST (08/09) performer Guy Harris presents 'A homage and personal interpretation' of glam rock star Jobriath’s most moving, witty songs.

Listed in the 30 most influential LGBTQ people in Chicago by Windy City Times, International performer Nikki Patin presents a solo show blending music, spoken word and burlesque.

Senate to vote on out gay soldiers

The US Senate is to vote on a bill which contains a measure to repeal the ban on out gay soldiers in the military.

The measure has been added to the National Defence Authorisation Act and Democrat senators need 60 votes for it to progress to a debate on the floor.

The vote will take place on Tuesday evening.

The annual bill usually passes the vote but the controversial issue of out gay soldiers means it is not certain to succeed.

Republican senator John McCain has promised to filibuster the bill. This is an obstruction strategy used to delay a vote.

A review of the policy, known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell, is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Mr McCain has said that the Senate should wait until the review is completed and that lifting the ban will lower morale and damage the military.

Yesterday, bisexual singer Lady Gaga joined a march in Portland, Maine, to call for repeal of the policy and urge Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to support the repeal effort.

Update: Stonewall boss Ben Summerskill argued that Lib Dem equal marriage plan could cost up to £5bn

Updated
24 hours ago, PinkNews.co.uk carried a report from about a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrats party conference where Stonewall chief executive was reported to have said he was opposed to gay marriage equality because it could cost £5bn. This was based on reports coming from a number of blogs and people who have previously contributed to PinkNews.co.uk as we were not there in person. The reportage was subsequently supported by a number of other people in attendance and who spoke at the debate.

Stonewall's chief executive Ben Summerskill has complained about what he claims are a number of inaccuracies in the content of that original report which we have attempted to address here.

Having spoken to Mr Summerskill late on Tuesday evening, it is clear though that from his perspective, he was not arguing against gay marriage equality in general but rather that he pointed out that the gay marriage equality policy subsequently adopted by the Liberal Democrats at their party conference could cost up to £5bn. In a statement, Stonewall say that "this is a policy on which Stonewall expressed and expresses no view."

This policy allows for straight and gay couples to have the option of both marriage and civil partnerships. Mr Summerskill pointed out claims that implementing the form of marriage equality adopted by the Liberal Democrats could cost tax payers up to £5bn. This would be due to a theoretical increase in straight couples taking up the opportunity of civil partnerships, with knock on implications to their entitlement to pension and tax benefits. Mr Summerskill called on ministers to publish the Treasury Impact Assessment that will have been carried out.

In a statement, Stonewall said: "with an estimated cost of £5bn over 10 years, people have understandably raised the question of whether it is likely in the current economic environment that such a policy would be implemented in the lifetime of this parliament." It also added: "campaigning to end heterosexual disadvantage is not one of its [Stonewall's] charitable objectives."

At the fringe meeting, Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Gilbert, who proposed the policy, argued that it should not be subject to a cost/benefit analysis and claimed that if South Africa had adopted Stonewall’s approach, it would still have apartheid. He later posted on Twitter: "It should not be for me as an MP to lobby Stonewall to support gay equality, it should be for Stonewall to lobby me."

This argument appears to have been interpreted by some in the room, including those who contacted PinkNews.co.uk as an argument against gay marriage in general by Mr Summerskill. Something that as PinkNews.co.uk did point out yesterday, Mr Summerskill says he is still consulting with Stonewall supporters about. In 2009, explaining why the charity was then not actively campaigning for LGBT marriage equality, he told PinkNews.co.uk: "we know there are quite a lot of gay and lesbian people who wouldn't want marriage, and some have explicitly said so."

In a statement on the 21st September 2010, Stonewall said: "While some lesbian, gay and bisexual people fully support changing civil partnership into marriage, there are others – including particularly some women – who do not want something that is either the same as or synonymous with marriage."

A survey for PinkNews.co.uk last month found that 98 per cent of readers favoured full marriage equality.

Stonewall was criticised by former London mayoral candidate Brian Paddick during a party conference debate on the policy for not supporting the measure, but it passed with just three delegates speaking against.

Stonewall say that they are consulting with their 20,000 supporters about what approach to take in regards to the "future of civil partnership."

Deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will now raise the issue of marriage equality with prime minister David Cameron when the former returns from a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

Comments made during the 21st September have been suspended at the request of Stonewall. It is possible to post comments though on this amended version of the article.

PinkNews.co.uk is happy to publish the clarifications above and apologises for any confusion caused by the original report.

A blast from the past

Remember Michael A.? Of course you do. This past week we've added a video remake of him showering off after a swim. We've also got new photos released of Jason T. and some advanced photos of William and James.

What you'll probably be most excited to see are the new arm wrestling videos of Jeff, Jon S., and Evan. Shot in an alley way near a construction area this is a very competitive display of sheer strength and will. First Jeff and Evan square off and then the winner squares off against Jon. Who do you think wins? You may be surprised.

Pictures, Videos, Articles, Wallpapers,we've got it all!

Plenty to update you about this week. Here's what you missed if you haven't seen

- The original Chad from AAG is back after a years-long absence. Check out 9 incredibly hot new photos here. Chad is sexier than ever.

- By popular demand we've added even more images of soon to come Lorenzo. Log in regularly as we continue to add to this collection.

- We've got a bunch of brand new videos out, including newcomer Eric L. and Jorge (hot, hot, hot) and a remake of one of our hottest heatseeker videos of Kent with all new footage added!

- New wallpapers of your favorite models have been added, including one of Matt Stone and one of Jeff, Tory, Joey K, and friends (preview below - log in to download the wallpaper for your computer!) More wallpapers will be added over next week.

- Brand new article added to the fitness corner - "The Perfect Pushup."

Jeff G., Jason T. Gary, Eric, Nick, and more...

If you haven't seen over the past week you've missed some great videos. Gary is back with a HD remake of one of his hottest videos. You've also missed brand new video of Jeff Grant getting a great pump in the gym. Other videos added include new videos of Jason T, Nick, and Eric (blasting his biceps in the gym). Finally, search and check out a whole batch of photos added of Mike G. Check out some previews below

Ray takes us for a ride

We've got videos of all your favorites. Check out Ray driving in his jeep with his dog, a shirtless Nick B. working his triceps in the gym, and a super-handsome Heatseeker rendition from Jason T.

We've also got a over a dozen new photos up for you including some of your favorites from the recent past. This includes Tory, Joey, Jeff, and more!

AAG Heroes 2

Tory, Joey and Jeff at their best. Many more AllAmericanGuys top models are showing off in this breathtaking promo video soon

Cricketer Jimmy Anderson poses naked for gay magazine

England cricketer Jimmy Anderson has posed nude for next month's Attitude magazine.

The married player, 28, said there was no homophobia in the game and urged gay players to come out.

He told AFP: "If there are any gay cricketers, they should feel confident enough to come out, because I don't think there is homophobia in cricket.

"Football fans can be quite abusive and quite harsh, and cricket fans can be like that sometimes, but they are generally quite placid and there to watch the game and support their team."

Anderson, who plays for Lancashire County, added that he hoped the feature would encourage new fans to the sport.

Attitude editor Matthew Todd said: "Jimmy is obviously completely comfortable in his own sexuality to appear naked in a gay magazine.
"In fact it was his wife [Daniella] and her many gay friends who convinced him to do it. We're very grateful to her."

The October issue of Attitude comes out on September 21st.

Gay German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle has a civil partnership

Germany's foreign minister Guido Westerwelle tied the knot with his partner in a civil partnership on Friday evening.

Mr Westerwelle, 48, has been with 43-year-old Michael Mronz, a sporting events organiser, since 2003. The politician came out in 2004 during chancellor Angela Merkel's 50th birthday celebrations.

According to German newspaper Bild, the pair had a quiet ceremony with close friends and family in Bonn. It was was presided over by Bonn mayor Juergen Nimptsch.

A spokesman for Mr Westerwelle's party, the Free Democrats, confirmed the civil partnership but did not release any more details.

German gay couples cannot marry and the registered partnerships provide only some of the rights and benefits of marriage.

Ben Summerskill: Stonewall not fighting for gay marriage equality because 'it could cost £5 billion'

The chief executive of LGB lobby group Stonewall, Ben Summerskill, this evening reportedly told a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrats party conference that the group is not actively campaigning for marriage equality because it could cost a staggering £5 billion to implement. The charity have been stonewalling questions on its exact position on marriage equality for some time.

Zoe O'Connell, who writes the Complicity blog, described the meeting: "Of all the bizarre places to come out against marriage equality, an event run in conjunction with DELGA, the Liberal Democrat LGBT organisation, would seem to be the most odd. But that’s just what Ben Summerskill, head of so-called 'equality' organisation Stonewall did today."

All of the other speakers at the fringe event; Lynne Featherstone, the minister for equality; Evan Harris, president of Lib Dem LGBT group DELGA; and Stephen Gilbert, the Lib Dem MP who will tomorrow propose a motion in favour of marriage equality at conference, all said they support full LGBT marriage equality. Just Mr Summerskill suggested reasons against marriage equality.

Last year, Mr Summerskill told PinkNews.co.uk "There are lots of lesbians who actually don't want marriage". But, last month, a survey for PinkNews.co.uk revealed that 98 per cent of the LGBT community favour full marriage equality. Mr Summerskill tonight said that the group is "consulting" the views of its 20,000 members before adopting an official policy on marriage equality, although according to reports, he gave a number of arguments against marriage equality to the audience of the Stonewall organised meeting.

PinkNews.co.uk readers at the event report that Mr Summerskill claimed that it could be too expensive to introduce marriage equality because of increased pension payments to heterosexual couples who may theoretically wish to take up civil partnerships, if allowed. He claimed this would cost £5 billion. After the debate, Mr Summerskill told a PinkNews.co.uk contributor who did not want to be named that there was also the risk that straight, same sex, platonic friends might seek to have civil partnerships in order to make tax savings.

Lib Dem MP Stephen Gilbert argued at the fringe meeting that marriage equality should not be subject to a cost/benefit analysis and claimed that if South Africa had adopted Stonewall’s approach, they would still have apartheid. Mr Summerskill reportedly labelled this view as offensive.

Mr Summerskill reportedly also offered the argument that there is a feminist view that the institution of marriage is fundamentally wrong. He also argued that for as long as people are being murdered in homophobic attacks, it is not the right time to campaign for marriage equality. Mr Gilbert responded saying that there is a need to send a clear message to those in society "that would try to discriminate that we are equal and we will not settle for any less than equality. As long as LGBT people are 'othered' in any way at all, attacks will continue."

Mr Summerskill also accused PinkNews.co.uk of running an "unethical campaign” against Stonewall after it asked every LGBT rights organisation/ political group to outline their stance on marriage equality. Only Stonewall refused to answer.

Last Friday, Stonewall received an open letter signed by hundreds of people including two MEPs, two MPs and a number of human rights academics calling on them to clarify their position on marriage equality.

Russian gay campaigners to protest against homophobic mayor

Gay rights activists in Moscow will hold an unauthorised protest outside the city hall tomorrow to condemn homophobic mayor Yuri Luhzkov.

Moscow authorities denied permission for the march last week, saying that the area would be too busy and the pavements were narrowed.

However, following the apparent abuction of gay rights leader Nikolai Alekseev by Russian security agents last week, the activists said the protest would go ahead anyway.

The protest, at 6pm local time, will call for Mr Luhzkov to be jailed and for a full investigation into Mr Alekseev's detention.

He was taken from a Moscow airport last Wednesday and held in an unknown location for more than two days by men who urged him to give up his legal challenges against Mr Luhzkov for banning gay Pride marches.

Mr Alekseev does not know why he was detained or who was responsible, although he has linked the incident to "obscure political games" around the mayor's future.

Mr Luzhkov is currently battling for his political life and has been on holiday over the weekend. The reason for his absence was officially to celebrate his birthday but Kremlin sources have said he is thinking about his future.

Russian media have accused him of corruption and president Dmitry Medvedev is believed to want Mr Luzhkov removed from his job.

The mayor has called gays "satanic" in the past and has refused to allow Pride marches.

In May 2006, more than 120 people were arrested and in 2007, British gay activist Peter Tatchell was severely beaten by neo-Nazis. In 2008, marchers accused police of brutality.

AA Gill nominated for Stonewall's 'Bigot of the Year' award

Sunday Times columnist AA Gill has been nominated for Stonewall's 'Bigot of the Year' award for offending lesbian TV presenter Clare Balding.

Gill wrote in a July column that Balding was a "dyke on a bike, puffing up the nooks and crannies at the bottom end of the nation".

The presenter's complaint to the Press Complaints Commission was upheld last week.

Other nominees for the dubious honour include Daily Express columnist Frederick Forsyth, who Stonewall said had "mocked" the plight of gay and lesbian asylum seekers, Tory MP Chris Grayling for saying that bed and breakfasts should be allowed to bar gay couples, Bishop of Leeds Arthur Roache, who led the campaign for Catholic adoption agencies to be allowed to bar gay couples and Suzanne Wilkinson, a bed and breakfast owner who refused to let a gay male couple stay in her house.

Balding is one of the five nominees for Stonewall's Hero of the Year award, with the others being X Factor winner Joe McElderry, rugby player Gareth Thomas, LGBT disability campaigner Kath Gillespie Sells and Dr Jeffrey John, who was twice barred from a senior Church of England position because he is gay.

The awards will take place on Thursday November 4th at the V&A museum in London. TV presenter Sue Perkins will host the event.

Stonewall members will vote on the hero and bigot awards and will also choose the community group of the year.

The other seven awards – including Writer and Entertainer of the Year – will be chosen by a panel of judges including radio and TV presenter Paddy O’Connell and author Sarah Waters. Other judges include Margot James MP and Eileen Gallagher, the co-founder of Shed Productions the company behind Bad Girls and Footballers Wives.

Laura Doughty, Stonewall deputy chief executive, said: "Once again, the Stonewall Awards are shining a light on those who are making an important contribution to equality in Britain today – inspiring lesbian, gay and bisexual people to lead fulfilling lives at home, at school and at work."

Last year's winners included Boyzone, Sarah Waters and Joan Bakewell.

Tickets for the 2010 awards are £150 plus VAT and can be booked at www.stonewall.org.uk/awards