LGBT global news 24-7

Content about Stonewall

May 17, 2013

Assistant Chief Constable Steph Morgan says the British police have changed and now want to encourage LGBT teens to trust them

The culture of the Police Service in Britain is developing into one where you can be as comfortable at work as you are at home – that is the strategic aim. It is worth noting that there are eight local police forces listed in the Stonewall Top 100 Index of gay-friendly employers and LGBT officers are included in the majority of UK police forces. It hasn’t always been this way.

May 17, 2013

GSN meets one of Europe’s leading champions for LGBT equality who argues gay and trans citizens need the European unity more than ever

It was raining in Brussels and I was late. I’d over-estimated my walking speed and sense of direction on my way to meet with Michael Cashman, one of the UK’s representatives to the European Parliament.

His assistant Renaud rang me: ‘Where are you now?’

‘I don’t know. I can see the Sofitel?’

‘Oh. You have to cross the park. I will meet you in reception.’

Well-groomed and impeccably dressed, Renaud was sympathetic when I finally made it to the reception of the parliament – my clothes dripping and my shoes covered in grass.

May 15, 2013

London Catholic school denies calling a gay rights charity for help after a five-year-old called a student's shoes 'gay'

Stonewall has denied advising a Catholic school on student's 'gay' shoes.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Wimbledon, south-west London, called on Stonewall to help students and teachers about dealing with homophobia.

May 8, 2013

Two straight British 15 year-olds launched a campaign asking people to take a pledge to support young gay people and the wider LGBT community

Two straight British teens who had enough of seeing their gay friends discriminated against and bullied launched a campaign to support LGBT teenagers.

Nathan and Ross, two 15 year-olds based in Merseyside, England are encouraging people to ‘Take The Pledge’ to support of gay young people and the LGBT community.

The web based campaign urges supporters to download a template which has space for their name and a paragraph on why they support LGBT people.

May 7, 2013

The UK gay charity will use funds raised to release a new film for UK schools to help tackle anti-gay bullying

Over £65,000 (€77,001, $100,925) was raised for leading British gay charity Stonewall at their 10th annual equality walk in Brighton.

More than 800 people took part in the 10km walk to tackle anti-gay bullying on Sunday (5 May).

Stonewall says they will use the funds raised to finance a new film for primary schools called Free to raise awareness of homophobia.

May 3, 2013

UK gay rights campaign Stonewall’s iconic message goes intergalactic as new Star Trek film premieres in London

The message ‘Some people are gay. Get over it!’ has been plastered over buses and worn on t-shirts. And now it has been translated into Klingon.

To celebrate the London premiere of the new Star Trek film Into Darkness, British gay charity Stonewall has boldly gone where no gay rights message has gone before with the translation of their iconic slogan.

In Earth text, the Klingon reads as: ‘Rut nga’chuq loDpu’, rut nga’chuq be’pu’. YiqimHa’!’

May 1, 2013

British comic reveals the wise words of advice she gave to a man spouting homophobic slurs on a late night train

British-Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi has revealed the wise words of advice she gave to an anti-gay bigot on a late train this weekend.

‘On Saturday night, as I got off a train, I whispered ‘you LOVE cock’ in to the ear of a drunk twat shouting homophobic bile…’ she tweeted today (1 May).

Khorsandi admitted it was a 'stupid risk' and advised people to donate to Stonewall's Equality Walk in Brighton on 5 May.

April 30, 2013

Critics are divided about the new ITV sitcom starring two of the biggest names in British acting

Critics have slated Sirs Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi’s new gay sitcom Vicious.

The first episode saw older gay couple Freddie and Stuart, who have lived together for 48 years, hosting a wake and meeting their sexually ambiguous young neighbor.

A call back to a classic kind of comedy filmed in front of a live audience, the show worked well when showing off its camp one-liners about age and relationships.

April 22, 2013

From disaster movies to the triumph of Stonewall: Independence Day author is going to film a new movie on the pivotal moment for the LGBT American community

German film director Roland Emmerich is going to work on a new movie on the Stonewall’s riots of 1969.

The author of 2012, Stargate and The Day After Tomorrow will spend about $14 million (€11 million) to film the story of a gay homeless teen who comes to New York and joins the Stonewall’s community.

The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City.

April 18, 2013

A man who killed a gay teen with Asperger's syndrome by burning him alive was sentenced for only three and a half years

The Attorney General has told the Court of Appeals to review the sentence of a man who was given just 42 months jail for burning a gay teen to death, Gay Star News has learned.

Steven Simpson, who had Asperger’s syndrome, a speech impairment and epilepsy was celebrating his 18th birthday when the incident happened in the early hours of 23 June last year.

As he became more drunk, homophobic insults were scrawled on his arm and stomach and he was encouraged to strip to his underwear and dance.

April 16, 2013

The gay actor posted an obituary of the late former UK Prime Minister saying her anti-gay legislation was 'hypocritical and pointless'

Hobbit star Ian McKellen has posted an obituary to Margaret Thatcher calling her ideology against gay marriage ‘hypocritical and now pointless’.

McKellen, who is world-famous because of his role as Gandalf in blockbuster films Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, published the post about the late former UK Prime Minister on his website from Montreal.

April 2, 2013

New UK boy band, Class A, have released new single “Pride” in aid of LGBT charity Stonewall.

A new British boyband have released a new single to aid gay rights charity Stonewall.

Promoting anti-bullying and anti-discrimination, Class A's new single will be called 'Pride'.

The band, made up of James Poole, Robin Varley, Jake Birnie, Seb Kinder, Craig Plant and Sean Ryan, hopes it will bring together asense of unity among the LGBT community.

All profits from the song will be going to Stonewall.

April 1, 2013

A Christian group is accusing London mayor Boris Johnson of a ‘cover-up’ and pressuring officials into banning anti-gay posters from London buses

A Christian group is accusing Boris Johnson of mishandling a ban on anti-gay posters from London public transport.

According to the Telegraph, The Christian Legal Centre is accusing Johnson of a ‘cover up’, saying the mayor pressured officials into banning the anti-gay ads that read 'Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get Over It!'.

The Christian Legal Centre has submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act to see all the documentation involved in the case.

March 28, 2013

Gay charity Stonewall has looked to Eurovision to help spread its message, asking viewers to raise money and awareness

Britain's leading gay rights charity, Stonewall, has asked supporters to stage fundraising parties during the Eurovision song contest to stamp out homophobia worldwide.

The European-wide singing show, with contestants from every country on the continent, is an annual TV extravaganza, much loved by Europeans and by LGBT fans around the world.

March 27, 2013

Stonewall Cymru has joined with LGBT filmmakers the Iris Prize to celebrate its 10th anniversary with films following the lives of welsh gay people

A South Wales Police officer has made a video explaining how her police force has changed its attitudes to gay people, saying one of her first bosses said her sexuality could ruin her livelihood.

Liane Bartlett's video was released today (27 March) as part of Welsh gay campaign group, Stonewall Cymru's, 10th anniversary celebrations.

A series of 10 short films have been comissioned by LGBT film festival, the Iris Prize, to mark the campaign's decade-long fight for equality in Wales.

March 26, 2013

Diverse UK firms can expand and help LGBT people overseas – but there are big challenges ahead and they must care for their gay staff, experts will say

UK businesses, big or small, can help spread diversity and LGBT rights worldwide, a meeting at the Foreign Office will hear.

Radius, the LGBT business networking group, is organizing the panel session. It will help businesses big and small to plan expansion abroad – in particular how to look after LGBT employees working abroad in countries which may have poorer gay and trans rights.

March 25, 2013

Stonewall boss Ben Summerskill and Stop Hate UK say 42 months jail is not enough for Jordan Sheard who set light to gay teen Steven Simpson on his 18th birthday

The Attorney General is reviewing the sentence of a man who was given just three-and-a-half years jail for burning a gay teenager to death, Gay Star News has learned.

Steven Simpson, who had Asperger’s syndrome, a speech impairment and epilepsy was celebrating his 18th birthday when the incident happened in the early hours of 23 June last year.

March 22, 2013

Mayor of London Boris Johnson banned an advert from a Christian group saying 'Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get Over It!'

The Mayor of London’s decision to ban a Christian group’s ‘gay cure’ advert from London buses was not illegal, a court has ruled.

Core Issues Trust, a non-profit Christian group, was banned by Boris Johnson from running a campaign calling for respect of individuals who claim they have been 'cured' of homosexuality.

The advert, a parody of gay rights charity Stonewall's 'Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!', would have said 'Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get Over It!'

March 22, 2013

Two gay British stars: Celebrity Big Brother winner Rylan Clark and X Factor singer Lucy Spraggan lend support to Stonewall's charity walk

British TV stars Rylan Clark and Lucy Spraggan – this year’s Celebrity Big Brother winner and fan favorite from last year’s X Factor – have thrown their support behind Stonewall’s Brighton Equality Walk.

The walk takes place on 5 May, the Sunday of the public holiday weekend, and raises funds for the gay equality charity’s work to tackle anti-gay bullying in schools.

March 22, 2013

Three reasons why lesbian comic Zoe Lyons is am happy to be hosting the 10th annual Equality Walk for leading British gay campaign organization Stonewall

The Stonewall Equality Walk takes place in Brighton, on the south coast of England on 5 May. I am helping to host the event this year and here are three good reasons why you should don some ‘sensible’ shoes and stroll the 10K walk with me.

Reason 1

March 14, 2013

Sir Stirling Moss, 83, has said it would be difficult for a gay actor to portray him as he has spent his life 'driving cars and chasing girls'

Motor racing star Sir Stirling Moss has said he does not want a ‘poofter’ to play him in a film.

In an interview where the former Formula One driver made the offensive comments, he said he would like James Bond actor Daniel Craig to portray him.

The 83-year-old said: ‘I hope the actor would be masculine – not a poofter or anything like that. Perhaps the guy from Skyfall.’

March 10, 2013

The reigning British monarch scheduled to make a pledge for ‘gender equality’ on live television

Queen Elizabeth will go before the world tomorrow and speak in support of LGBT rights.

According to the Daily Mail, she will sign a new Commonwealth Charter meant to stop discrimination against gay and lesbian people and promote the ‘empowerment’ of women.

Part of the charter will read: ‘We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds’.

March 4, 2013

Gay rights group demand that Cardinal Keith O'Brien apologizes for his anti-gay stance. Suggestions he may need therapy

LGBT rights campaigners have demanded Cardinal Keith O'Brien apologizes for his 'vicious' gay hate propaganda after he admitted he had engaged in sexual 'acts' with his own male priests.

While O'Brien has come forward, acknowledging and apologising for sexual misconduct following the allegations by four priests and one former priest, LGBT rights campaigners says this does not go far enough.

March 1, 2013

Comedian Zoe Lyons will be leading a walk for charity to put a stop to bullying in schools

British comedian Zoe Lyons will host Stonewall's Brighton Equality Walk, which is entering into its 10th year, and has so far raised almost £400,000 ($600,000 €460,000) over the last decade.

Gay Star News was the 100th participant to sign-up for the event this year, which will take place on 5 May.

The openly lesbian TV personality takes the helm of the event which fights anti-gay bullying in schools.

Lyons said in a statement: 'It's 2013 - anti-gay bullying in schools just shouldn't be happening.