News

Health

A ban that prevents gay and bisexual men from giving blood is being reviewed and could be overturned as early as next year, the Government has said.

The NHS Blood and Transplant agency has called for an increase of 50% to cater for an unexpected shortfall after the swine flu pandemic this winter.

New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Japan and Australia have all overturned lifetime bans and allow gay men to donate in certain circumstances.

Men who have had gay sex are currently banned for life from donating blood, under measures designed to reduce the risk of passing on infections such as HIV. But gay rights campaigners have condemned the policy as irrational.

Read more: Gay Blood Ban to End?

Your News

A Day In Hand announces the second ever international Same-Sex Hand Holding (Sshh!) Saturday on October 31st 2009. 

On this day, same-sex couples and friends all over the world are encouraged to hold hands in public to support the visibility of Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans (LGBT) people.

Who is getting involved? The population (gay or straight, all faiths, genders, races, abilities, single or in a relationship). Celebrities: 4 Poofs And A Piano, Brian Paddick and Boy George, author Paul Burston, MEP Michael Cashman, Mayor Boris Johnson and activists Peter Tatchell & Cleve Jones (Harvey Milk’s aide) have already endorsed the A Day In Hand campaign and many more will be holding hands on the Sshh! Saturday in October. 

This is a revolutionary way of encouraging and inspiring LGBT people to take responsibility for their equality and live their lives without fear or restraint. 

Read more: What is Same-Sex Hand Holding (SSHH!) day?

Politics

BNP leader Nick Griffin defended the Ku Klux Klan, attacked Muslims and called gay couples "creepy" in a controversial appearance on Question Time last night.

Discussions included the BNPs hijacking of Churchill and RAF images, the panellists’ view of Islam and whether the BNP’s success in the European elections was due to the Government’s immigration policies.

One question related to Jan Moir's hate piece on Stephen Gately's death. On this topic the entire panel agreed. Even Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP disapproved of Jan Moir's article, he said: "I personally believe that in the case of someone like Stephen Gately who's died, the old maxim 'say nothing if not good'. So, I think it was wrong."

Read more: Gay Couples are Creepy says the BNPs Nick Griffin

Politics

Openly gay MP Ben Bradshaw does not believe that Nick Griffin should appear on Question Time tonight. He believes that Question Time will not provide Griffin with a rigorous enough challenge. 

The appearance of the British National Party (BNP) leader on the BBC’s flagship political panel programme has divided the Cabinet. Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary, has lead a campaign to stop the show.

Gordon Brown, who described the British National Party as “racist and bigoted” this morning, refused to weigh into the controversy enveloping the BBC over its decision to allow Mr Griffin on its flagship political programme.

Protesters have begun to gather outside BBC Television Centre. The BBC have commented that they will not be relocating the filming of the show.

Read more: Gay MP against BNP appearance on BBC Question Time

Your News

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has launched a new review of evidence that captures the experiences and challenges facing transgender people in Britain.

The Trans Research Review highlights that some transgender people experience transphobia including bullying and discriminatory treatment in schools, harassment and physical/sexual assault and rejection from families, work colleagues and friends.

The phoned based survey of over 1,500 people aged 16 and over was undertaken by the Commission between February and March 2008.

Commission research in Wales found that almost half (45 per cent) of respondents would be unhappy if a close relative married or entered into a long-term relationship with a transgender person and a third felt that a transgender person would be unsuitable as a primary school teacher.

Read more: New Transgender Survey Results Revealed

Politics

A Muslim journalist who was once described as "homophobic" by gay rights activist Peter Tatchell is now endorsing the campaigner's bid to become an MP.

Adam Yosef, who works with the BBC, has written to Tatchell pledging his support to the parliamentary candidate for Oxford East, England.

In 2005, Yosef was accused by Tatchell and his Outrage! organisation of "unabashed homophobia" and "xenophobia" following an article he wrote in a national newspaper which branded Tatchell an "Islamophobe" and was said to encourage violence against him.

At the time of the incident Tatchell urged entertainment weekly Desi Xpress, for whom Adam worked as a columnist, to remove Yosef from his post. Tatchell also called on the BBC to sack Mr Yosef while the Labour Party's Tribune magazine called on the National Union of Journalists to strip him of his NUJ card.

In an offiical statement from Peter Tatchell's Outrage! organisation, Muslim Affairs spokesperson Aaron Saeed stated Yosef had "abused his journalistic position to attack Tatchell on behalf [of] people he has previously worked for", citing his close affiliation to the Respect Party.

Read more: Muslim "homophobe" backs Gay Rights Activist

Politics

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been addressing the Speaker's Conference this morning. In his opening address he explained that Parliment should be made more accessible to LGBT people. 

If 6% of the population is made up of LGBT people, 40 lesbian, gay, bi or trans MPs would be needed to represent the LGBT community in Parliment.

He went to suggest Civil Partnerships could be held in parts of parliament, such as the Westminster Hall chapel, where MPs, peers and their families can get married currently.

The meeting covering MPs who are female, disabled, gay or from ethnic minorities has been made shown on the BBC News channel.

Politics

David Bahati, a Ugandan MP, has proposed a new offence of "aggravated homosexuality", punishable by death.

Bahati wants the death penalty for those having gay sex with disabled people, under 18s or if the accused is HIV-positive. Homosexual acts, but not sexual orientation, are illegal in Uganda. The new Bill proposes new offences and is toughening existing penalties. People who have openly declared that they are gay have not been prosecuted because declaring sexual orientation is not a crime in itself.

The President, Yoweri Museveni, has made several speeches outlining his own anti-gay views. The bill has a good chance of being passed as senior figures from the ruling National Resistance Movement are likely to back it.

There are estimated to be 500,000 gay people in Uganda, from a population of about 31 million.

Read more: Death Penalty for Gays in Uganda