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May 17, 2013
Gay Star News flashmob brings you sunshine for IDAHO

GSN teams up with London Gay Men’s Chorus and London Gay Big Band to spread the word about fighting homophobia and transphobia

Gay Star News joined forces with the UK capital’s talented LGBT singers and musicians to make a video to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).

While reports out for IDAHO today (17 May) again show the shocking levels of abuse, harassment, discrimination, violence and even murder faced by the world’s LGBT citizens, the GSN video tries to bring some hope.

May 17, 2013
‘Bring me Sunshine’ for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Gay Star News joined forces with the UK capital's talented LGBT singers and musicians to make a video to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO)

The GSN flashmob was filmed on Saturday 11 May, at The Scoop – an open-air performance space by City Hall, London.

It is being released for IDAHO today (17 May) – an event bringing together the LGBT community and their friends to promote equality worldwide.  

Luckily the rain held off to allow the musicians to perform the popular song ‘Bring me Sunshine’ - a tune we keep humming since rehearsals.

April 16, 2013
Pride pack - Deadline extended

Opportunity

Gay Star News are official media partners for three of the UK’s biggest LGBT events taking place this summer; London Pride, Manchester Pride and Brighton Pride and for EuroPride 2013 taking place in Marseille, France.

April 4, 2013
Forget ABBA, Stockholm is the gay capital of cool

The Swedish capital is world center for design and style spread across 14 stunning islands, as well as ‘the world’s most gay-friendly city’

Love them or loathe them, ABBA remain one of Sweden’s most successful exports with a special place in the heart of many a dancing queen. And ABBA fans are again beating a path to the new ABBA museum opening in May in Stockholm.

But there is a lot more you can do in what they call ‘the world’s most gay-friendly city’.

March 10, 2013
Derry Londonderry earns its crown as the Capital of Culture

GSN escapes to Northern Ireland to experience some culture

I’d had one of those weeks where nothing seemed to be going my way. In a classic example of ‘fight or flight’, the only thing keeping me going was the prospect of a weekend away and a bit of distance from any potential aggravation. ‘Flight’ never really solves anything but it is at least a distraction.

January 18, 2013
Mayor has chosen group to run London Pride

Community-based group chosen to run festival in UK capital for the next five years. Only 115 days remain to put event together

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has today (18 January) chosen a community interest company to run the city’s pride festival for the next five years.

But the decision has come so late that organizers now only have 115 days to put together a festival which usually takes a year to organize.

It comes after the previous organization running pride collapsed following 2012’s event. London had been hosting World Pride but it had to be drastically scaled back at the last minute due to a funding crisis.

January 1, 2013
Boris Johnson almost pulled all support for London World Pride

London mayor’s chief of staff admits they almost pulled out of 2012 gay festival. Community-based group likely to win bid to run pride until 2017

Mayor Boris Johnson considered pulling out of supporting London’s World Pride event altogether when it became clear organizers were struggling.

The World Pride LGBT festival in the UK capital in 2012 became a major headache for City Hall when it had to be drastically scaled back with just 10 days to go.

A funding shortfall and other organizational problems saw the event scaled back with floats and other vehicles banned from the march.

December 10, 2012
First gay couples marry In Washington State

Same-sex couples begin marrying across Washington in many public ceremonies that in which crowds celebrated and cheered the newly weds

Well over a hundred of same-sex couples celebrated their marriages in front of Seattle city hall for during the first day they could marry in Washington State, USA.

The gay marriage law came into effect on Sunday (9 December) after the state's voter-approved gay marriage law in a referendum last month.

Seattle city hall arranged a large public event with 159 couples taking part in celebrating their same-sex marriages.

November 19, 2012
London Mayor Boris Johnson backs national HIV testing week

Johnson pledges support for THT campaign encouraging gay and bisexual men to test more regularly for HIV

Mayor of London Boris Johnson is backing England's first ever national HIV testing week.

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust, which marked its 30th anniversary at the UK capital's City Hall last night (19 November), launched the campaign to encourage gay and bisexual men to test more regularly for the virus.

October 31, 2012
Deadline looms for London gay pride bids

People interested in running LGBT pride in London have just three days for the deadline for bids closes

There are only three days left until the deadline closes for bids to run gay pride in the British capital.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced last Wednesday (24 October) that his team will review bids from non-profit, community-based organizations to run and develop pride in London over the next five years from 2013.

The deadline for interested parties closes on Friday (2 November).

The winning tender could be given grants by City Hall of up to £500,000 ($800,000 €619,000) with free use of Trafalgar Square in central London chucked into the deal.

October 24, 2012
London mayor asks people to bid to run gay pride

Mayor of London Boris Johnson wants bidders to tender to run LGBT pride in the capital for the next five years

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has today (24 October) said he wants people to bid to run LGBT pride in the British capital.

It confirms a report by Gay Star News on 6 September, which City Hall officials refused to confirm.

Johnson’s team will review bids from non-profit, community-based organizations to run and develop pride in the capital over the next five years from 2013.

September 6, 2012
London mayor may ask people to ‘bid’ to run Pride

Confusion continues over the future of London’s biggest LGBT event with pride bosses, City Hall and potential organizers pursuing different ways forward

London Mayor Boris Johnson wants people to bid to run the city’s LGBT pride as confusion over the future of the event continues.

Johnson’s City Hall, which was criticized after the UK capital had to scale back World Pride it hosted in July, is apparently planning to call for tenders from potential pride organizers.

While LGBT pride in the city is independent and not technically ‘owned’ by the mayor, City Hall has traditionally put in £100,000 ($159,000 €126,000) to help make it happen, as well as donating Trafalgar Square in the heart of London for free.

July 24, 2012
Your vision for London Pride

Ahead of tomorrow’s public meeting into the future of pride in London, we look at some of the major issues on the agenda

Pride is quarreled about around the world. But for Londoners this week it is at a turning point.

First, came humiliation. Britain’s capital asked to host World Pride in the same year as it was hosting the Olympics and the Queen’s diamond jubilee and was granted its wish. But despite years to prepare, the event on 7 July almost collapsed. In the end it had to be scaled down with floats taken out of the parade and the street party cancelled.

July 9, 2012
Activists arrested in St Petersburg for defying gay pride ban

Eight campaigners are still in police detention after holding pickets for LGBT rights in Russian city

Eight activists were arrested in St Petersburg on ‘homosexual propaganda’ charges after holding a protest in defiance of the city’s gay pride ban.

Organizers of St Petersburg’s third pride parade ignored authorities’ decision to forbid a rally for the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community on Saturday (7 July), holding two pickets.

However, police broke up the protests, arresting three in a park to the north of the city and later five more outside the City Hall, where they unfurled a rainbow flag.

July 6, 2012
Amnesty urges St Petersburg to lift gay pride ban

Amnesty International says 'moment of truth' has come for Russian city to show world they respect human rights

Amnesty International has called on St Petersburg to overturn its gay pride ban and show the world it respects human rights.

Tomorrow’s (7 July) peaceful march by the Russian city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community was cancelled by authorities, despite initially authorizing the event on Tuesday (3 July).

Sergei Nikitin, director of the Moscow office of Amnesty International, condemned City Hall’s decision.

July 6, 2012
St Petersburg bans gay pride and charges activists for 'propaganda'

Organizers vow to go ahead with gay pride event in Russian city despite ban

Gay pride in St Petersburg has been banned and the organizers charged under the Russian city's anti-gay 'propaganda' law.

Authorities yesterday (5 July) rejected an application by LGBT group Ravnopravie (Equality) to hold the city's third annual pride tomorrow (7 July), despite initially authorizing the event on Tuesday (3 July).

July 5, 2012
London’s mayor won’t be attending World Pride

Mayor Boris Johnson criticized for not salvaging scaled-down World Pride in London. Rumors his office may have partly caused cash-crisis

London Mayor Boris Johnson will not be attending World Pride in the city this Saturday (7 July).

We can now confirm the rumor that he is not attending – at a time when criticism of the mayor for failing to salvage the scaled-down event is reaching new heights.

A spokesman for the mayor told us: ‘He has attended [London Pride] in the past. He won’t be at this event. He doesn’t attend everything.’

Some sources have suggested that Johnson would have faced jeers and protests if he had marched at the front of pride as in previous years.

July 3, 2012
World Pride is ‘beyond salvaging’ despite our cash says Gaydar chief

Gaydar offered ‘considerable financial support’ to bail out London’s World Pride but were told it was too late

Global dating and radio company Gaydar have confirmed to Gay Star News that they tried to bail out the scaled-down World Pride event but were told it was too late.

Last week Pride London bosses, responsible for running World Pride in the British capital this year, had to pull floats out of the 7 July march and axe the street party in the gay district of Soho due to a ‘cash crisis’ which meant they didn’t have enough money for safety and security contractors.

June 28, 2012
World Pride cancels floats and cars in parade

Confirmed: World Pride in London cancels floats in parade, axes official Soho party and scales back rally in Trafalgar Sqaure

Pride London bosses have confirmed they have axed the cars and floats from the World Pride parade on 7 July.

The event will now be a ‘procession’ they say with ‘walking groups only’ and will start earlier at 11am due to the organizers 'cash crisis'.

The decision comes after an emergency all-agency meeting at City Hall.

June 5, 2012
California's Attorney General Kamala Harris talks to Gay Star News about the fight for same-sex marriage

'Until all people have equal rights, especially on this issue of marriage, we can't celebrate'

When it came time for California's Attorney General Kamala Harris to address the crowd at Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's annual LGBT Garden Party over the weekend, the sound system was no longer working properly.

The the words of the event's guest of honor could still be heard loud and clear above the crowd.

January 13, 2012
Russian gay activists due in court after picketing children's library

Three activists arrested for solitary protests are due in court next week.

Three Russian gay activists are due to appear in court next Friday after being arrested in Siberia's Arkangelsk city on Wednesday.

Nikolay Alekseev, Alexey Kiselev and Kirill Nepomnyaschiy were arrested when they mounted individual pickets in defiance of the 'Propaganda of Homosexuality to Minors' law passed last month by the regional parliament.