Pinksixty Wednesday 07 February 2011

Click here to view today’s show.

More than 100 men have been arrested in Bahrain after a party was raided by police for being “depraved and decadent”. Homosexuality is illegal in Bahrain and punishable with a prison sentence.

A gay couple have been “married” by the mayor of Montpellier in France. Florent Robin and her partner Tito Santos-Mota took part in the symbolic ceremony last weekend to raise marriage inequality issues.

Hundreds of British Anglicans could defect to the Roman Catholic Church before Lent. The split follows a campaign by former bishop Keith Newton over the church’s stance on the ordination of gay clergy.

Gay hate crime has almost doubled in Scotland since 2009, it has emerged. Statistics show that incidents of physical attacks, vandalism and verbal abuse jumped from 364 to 666 in just two years.

Finally, one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous art works — the Mona Lisa — could be based on the artist’s gay lover. Researchers believe the subject may be Gian Caprotti — one of his long-term companions.

Pink Sixty News Sunday 6th February 2011

The Islamic leader of New York’s Ground Zero mosque has said most gay people are child abuse victims. Abdallah Adhami says homosexuality is the result of ‘violent emotional abuse’ and should be fought against.

A man has reportedly confessed to the killing of Ugandan activist David Kato. According to a police spokesperson, the death was spurred by a personal disagreement and an arrest has been made.

Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George Bush, has expressed her support for same sex marriage. The 29 year-old publicised her view, along with her mother, in a video for The Human Rights Campaign.

A 51-year-old Frenchman says the medication he was taking to combat his Parkinson’s Disease turned him into a “compulsive gay sex addict.” Didier Jambart, who took Requip from 2003-2005, but is now planning to sue GlaxoSmithKline.

World cycling champion Graeme Obree has come out. The 45-year-old confessed that denying his sexuality drove him to self-harm and two failed suicide attempts. He is officially Scotland’s first sportsman to come out.

Pink Sixty News Saturday February 5th 2011

A TV evangelist in Canada is suing his former network, this week. Charles McVety had his show cancelled by Crossroads Television after making homophobic comments. He claims he’s a victim of “political censorship”.

World cycling champion Graeme Obree has come out. The 45-year-old said denying his sexuality drove him to self-harm and two failed suicide attempts. He is officially Scotland’s first sportsman to come out.

A Mexican company has launched a new beer aimed at the gay and lesbian community. Company officials have said that the honey flavored beverage will later be exported out to Colombia and Japan.

Britain’s University of Sussex has awarded UK author Stephen Fry an honorary doctorate. He received the qualification in recognition of his campaign work for people with issues of bipolar disorder, mental health and HIV.

Finally, Glee star Jane Lynch will write her memoir, this year. The book, entitled Happy Accidents, will detail how she became sober and found both professional and personal happiness. It’s expected in September.

Pink Sixty News Friday Febuary 4th 2011

Anti-gay bullying has been proven to cause health problems according to a study by Montreal’s Concordia University. Researchers found it can spark memory loss, cardiovascular difficulties and bone weakening disorders, plus hormone imbalances.

Two US lesbians won the right to attend their high school prom together – after human rights groups sued education officials. Sarah Lindstrom and Desiree Shelton got a standing ovation from their Minnesota peers.

Ugandan asylum seeker Brenda Namigadde has won a fresh review of her application. The 29-year-old, who says she will face execution if returned to her homeland, was given a temporary reprieve last week.

Actor Sir Ian McKellan has visited school children in Britain’s Sunderland to help reduce levels of homophobia. The Lord of the Rings star met with the teenage scholars in conjunction with Stonewall, yesterday.

Finally, Australia’s 25 most influential gays were announced in Melbourne, last night. Nicknamed the “Gaylies”, this is the fourth year that website SameSame.com has compiled the list, which included politicians Bob Brown and Penny Wong.

Pink Sixty News Thursday 3rd Febuary 2011

A man has reportedly confessed to the killing of Ugandan activist David Kato. According to a police spokesperson, the death was spurred by a personal disagreement and an arrest has been made.

Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George Bush, has expressed her support for same sex marriage. The 29 year-old publicised her view, along with her mother, in a video for The Human Rights Campaign.

A Mexican company has launched a new beer aimed at the gay and lesbian community. Company officials have said that the honey flavoured beverage will later be exported out to Colombia and Japan.

US pastor Ted Haggard has said that he’d be bisexual – if he were not a staunch Christian. The disgraced preacher made the comments in GQ magazine, but maintains that homosexuality is not God’s plan.

Finally, today is Chinese New Year.  According to the Chinese calendar, this is the year of the rabbit and will be celebrated for fifteen consecutive days. From everyone at PinkSixty, Gung hei faat coi – 恭喜發財

Pink Sixty News Wednesday 2nd Feburary 2011

The Human Rights Watch have demanded that the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, retracts his recent statements denigrating lesbians and gay men. In recent weeks he has called them “deficient” and “genetically lacking”.

US Governor Pat Quinn has signed Illinois’ civil-union bill into law. Taking effect on 1 June, gay and straight couples in a civil union will receive the same state-level benefits as married people.

A 51-year-old Frenchman says the medication he was taking to combat his Parkinson’s Disease turned him into a “compulsive gay sex addict.” Didier Jambart, who took Requip from 2003-2005, but is now planning to sue GlaxoSmithKline.

World cycling champion Graeme Obree has come out. The 45-year-old confessed that denying his sexuality drove him to self-harm and two failed suicide attempts. He is officially Scotland’s first sportsman to come out.

Finally, Britain’s University of Sussex has awarded Stephen Fry an honorary doctorate. He received the postgraduate qualification in recognition of his campaigning for people with issues of bipolar disorder, mental health.

Pink Sixty News Tuesday 1st February 2011

The Islamic leader of New York’s Ground Zero mosque has said most gay people are child abuse victims. Abdallah Adhami says homosexuality is the result of ‘violent emotional abuse’ and should be fought against.

Britain’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has made a surprise warning against people demonising homosexuals. The Anglican church leader made the comments in criticism of the Ugandan newspaper which outed the late David Kato.

Russia’s government has appealed a European Court of Human Rights ruling from which stopped Moscow banning gay pride events. The government asked the court’s Grand Chamber to reconsider the ruling from last October.

The Welsh branch of children’s charity Barnardos has urged more gay couples to become parents. According to their latest study, one in three think that gay couples are inferior to their heterosexual counterparts.

Finally, a TV evangelist in Canada is suing his former network. Minister Charles McVety had his show cancelled by Crossroads Television after making homophobic comments. He claims he’s a victim of “political censorship”.

Pink Sixty News Monday 31st January 2011

A British man found dead in a sauna was an alcoholic, a court has been told. Alan Lander was discovered floating on the surface of a jacuzzi at Sheffield’s Bronx Sauna, last summer.

The US Pentagon has released guidelines for incorporating gay and lesbian troops into the military. The move comes just weeks after the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and will be implemented next month.

The funeral of prominent Ugandan gay activist David Kato was marred by scuffles, last week. It came after Anglican priest Thomas Musoke described homosexuality as “evil” during the ceremony on Friday.

The French Constitutional Court has upheld a ban on same-sex marriage. Lesbian couple Corinne Cestino and Sophie Hasslauer challenged the ban, but the court disagreed saying it was in keeping with the constitution.

Finally, Lady Gaga has revealed the lyrics to her new single. Born This Way includes the lines “Don’t be a drag – be a queen”, and: “Gay, straight or bi, I was born to survive.”

Pink Sixty News Sunday 30th January 2011

Two youngsters have been jailed for the manslaughter of a London gay man. Joel Alexander and Ruby Thomas, who stamped on the head of Ian Baynham, were jailed for six and seven years respectively.

A Ugandan gay rights campaigner who last year sued a local newspaper for publicly outing him has been beaten to death. Police have confirmed the death of David Kato, but are investigating the circumstances.

US designer Tom Ford says gay men make better creatives – because they can separate the physical from the spiritual. He made the comments to Interview magazine, which was once headed by Andy Warhol.

India’s Board of Film Censors has banned a movie about political unrest in Pakistan – because it features the word “lesbian”. Slackistan must also endure a hefty re-edit, including cutting all references to the Taliban.

Finally, Annette Bening has been nominated for the best actress Oscar following her performance in The Kids Are All Right. It’s also up for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo and Best Screenplay.

Pink Sixty News Saturday 29th January 2011

US designer Tom Ford said gay men make better creatives – because they can separate the physical from the spiritual. He made the comments to Interview magazine, which was once headed by Andy Warhol.

Annette Bening is nominated for the best actress Oscar award following her performance in The Kids Are Alright. It’s also up for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo and Best Screenplay.

India’s Board of Film Censors has banned a movie about political unrest in Pakistan – because it features the word “lesbian”. Slackistan must also endure a hefty re-edit, including cutting all references to the Taliban.

Eighties pop star Tiffany outed former New Kids On The Block star Jonathan Knight, this week. The singer told TV host Andy Cohen that the pair used to date, but “he turned gay later.”

Boy George will release his first album in more than ten years on Monday. But the album, entitled Ordinary Alien, is perhaps more notably his first since being jailed for falsely imprisoning a male escort.