Gay News

Men with convictions for homosexual sex with someone over the age of 16 will have any record of the crime expunged, Theresa May has said: It's not fair that a man can be branded a criminal because 30 years ago he had consensual sex with another man. As a Government we have made clear our determination to take concerted action to tear down barriers to equal opportunities and to build a fairer society.

The move is part of the Coalition's new cross-government programme of work to tackle prejudice against lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

Consensual sex between two men aged over 21 was decriminalised in 1967. The homosexual age of consent was lowered to 18 in 1994, and then to 16 in 2000.

Campaigners have said it was unfair that homosexual men had to live their lives with a criminal record for committing an offence which would be legal nowadays.

May also said the Government would be publishing its first ever action plan targeted at improving the lives of transgender people in the New Year.

Otto; Or Up With Dead People is a 2008 Germany/Canada gay comedy horror by Bruce La Bruce

Passed 18 uncut for the 2010 Peccadillo DVD with the BBFC comment: Contains strong real sex and strong violence.

Review from UK Amazon : Political gay zombie movie

I have long been a devoted admirer of Bruce LaBruce's work, and for me, OTTO is unquestionably his finest piece yet. That said, this film is absolutely *not* going to appeal to everyone.

In a film-within-a-film, Medea Yarn is making an indie political-gay-zombie movie, with the aid of her girlfriend, Hella Bent, and her brother Adolf. The setting: the not-too-distant future, where the undead are commonplace, and, in particular, the homophile undead.

Otto, a young zombie, is subliminally drawn to Berlin, and onto the set of Medea's movie, where he is quickly cast into a lead role... though the cast don't believe that he is a real zombie, and think he's just living the role. Otto has flashbacks to his life before he joined the ranks of the undead, but can't remember how or why it happened ( I was a zombie with an identity crisis ). He is isolated, persecuted, lonely, displaced, shunned even by conformist-gays... and has come to the anonymity of the city for refuge. He is housed by one of the other cast members, Fritz, who is evidently attracted to him. Will Otto find love, sanctuary... assimilation?

At the level of the image, the viewer may find enough (highly-explicit) male/male action, and gory entrails-eating (you'll need a strong stomach), to keep him/her watching... though ultimate satisfaction will perhaps be elusive, since there will be no final resolution ; and the boy-meets-zombie, boy-and-zombie-fall-in-love, boy-loses-zombie, boy-finds-zombie, story arcs do not play out as expected.

Officials in Belarus have asked the organizers of an upcoming Elton John concert in Minsk to prevent the promotion of homosexuality.

The Public Council for Morality is to study recordings of earlier performances by the British singer to make sure they have no elements inconsistent with the law and morality, the head of the organization said.

We have requested the organizers of the concert to give us records of Elton John's earlier performances, he said.

Nikolai Cherginets said the Council is particularly concerned over the openly gay singer's statement in an interview with a U.S. magazine that Jesus was a super-intelligent gay man.

Elton John will play at the Minsk Arena on June 26 as part of his European summer tour.

The Public Council for Morality was established in 2009 by the Belarusian Orthodox Church and the Writers Union of Belarus, with the support of President Alexander Lukashenko.

A Catholic priest at a Dominican Republic resort town wants to destroy artwork in his parish because the painting shows angels with a homosexual expression .

This confuses the faithful, he argues. The painting named Allegory of the Virgin of Carmen , was concluded 12 years ago by Dominican artist Roberto Flores.

The artwork adorns the interior of the church of Our Lady of Carmen . The priest argues that the church congregation feels uncomfortable by the painting and that the mural does not inspire religious sentiments because the angels there depicted have a diabolical, homosexual look in their faces. Further, he contends that it is not clear whether the angels are male or female.

Channel 4 has angered leading Catholics by commissioning Peter Tatchell, the gay rights campaigner and outspoken critic of the Vatican, to make a documentary about the Pope.

The 60-minute programme is to be transmitted around the time of Pope Benedict's planned visit to the UK in September.

Tatchell is one of the founders of a group called Protest the Pope, which criticises the Pope's record on homosexuality, contraception and child abuse and says that he is an unsuitable guest of the UK government .

Channel 4 said that the programme will examine the impact that the Pope's pronouncements have had on both the developing and Western world, and that it will give voice to a range of views on the Pope.

Tatchell defended the programme, saying: This will be a robustly factual programme that explores the Pope's personal, religious and political journey since the 1930s, as well as the motives and effects of his controversial policies.

Ann Widdecombe, the Tory politician who famously converted to Catholicism, said: I think this will confirm the view that there probably already is in the Vatican that this is a profoundly anti-Catholic country. I wouldn't call this the right thing for any serious broadcaster to do, but they're doing it for the publicity, they're doing it to stir up controversy. Mr Tatchell certainly won't be sympathetic to his subject, so what's the point of doing it? It won't be skeptical, it will be hostile.

Christina Odone, the Catholic writer, said: Peter himself would be the first to admit that he is no authority on the subject. And perhaps it would be good, rather than have some polemical, knee-jerk reaction to the Pope if Channel 4 would be interested in actually shedding light on a figure who is so important, and so often misinterpreted and misunderstood - and of whom more needs to be known. I don't think the founding father of [gay rights pressure group] Outrage! is the right person for this.

Ralph Lee, head of specialist factual at Channel 4, said: The Papal visit in September provides an ideal opportunity to examine the impact of Benedict XVI after five years in office. In keeping with Channel 4's remit to provide a platform for diverse and alternative perspectives, equality campaigner Peter Tatchell will assess the effect of the current Pope's teachings throughout the world and the conflict between some of his values and those held by modern Britain.

Street preacher Dale Mcalpine was held in a cell for seven hours and charged with a public order offence after telling a gay police community support officer that homosexuals were going against the will of God.

He said he would fight to have the charge - usually used to tackle rioters or football hooligans - dismissed.

Mcalpine was spouting nonsense to shoppers and handing out leaflets when he was allegedly warned he was committing an offence by PCSO Sam Adams - who introduced himself as his force's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender liaison officer.

When he continued preaching, Mcalpine was arrested while debating his views with a passer-by.

I think justice will be served and this will be found to be a ridiculous charge, he said. He told how he was speaking to a woman about behaviour that he believed the Bible regarded as sinful, including blasphemy, adultery, drunkenness and homosexuality, while being watched by two PCSOs.

After she walked away, he claimed Adams approached to warn him they had received complaints and that if he made any racist or homophobic comments he would be arrested. I told him homosexuality is a sin, and he told me "I am a homosexual, I find that offensive, and I'm also the liaison officer for the bisexual-lesbian-gay-transsexual community", he said yesterday. I told him it was still a sin.

While he talked to a passer-by the PCSO radioed for assistance and he was arrested by uniformed officers. He was taken to a police station, had his pockets emptied and his mobile phone taken along with his belt and shoes, and was kept in the cells for seven hours where he sang hymns to keep his spirits up.

He was later charged with using abusive or insulting words or behaviour contrary to the Public Order Act 1986 and released on bail, appearing before magistrates in the town last week.

The self-proclaimed born-again Christian insists he has a right to express his views. It's not just my right I'm fighting for, it's everyone's ,' he said: We're going down the route of a police state. Some people in the homosexual community may not like me after this. But it would be very intolerant of them to not allow me to have my say.

Update: Video of Street Preacher's Arrest

15th May 2010. See video from youtube.com

Yet more examples of the police abusing their incredibly wide powers under the Public Order law. This law grants draconian powers to deal with unruly situations. Somehow it is now being applied to normal peaceful life.

Interesting to see that the hidden video camera footage arrest has now been posted on YouTube and that the Crown Persecution Service have decided to drop the case.

Prosecution Dropped

Based on article from  christian.org.uk

Dale Mcalpine was arrested on 20 April after a conversation with a police community support officer in which Mcalpine said the Bible calls homosexual conduct a sin.

This week crown prosecutors decided to drop the case after reviewing the evidence.

Mcalpine was assisted by The Christian Institute. He says he is relieved that the prosecution has been dropped. He said: It was a ridiculous charge, I should never have been arrested. I'm relieved that they have seen sense. I'm a Christian man, I forgive the police. But it is important this doesn't happen to someone else. We are now looking at the legal options that we have got, and we will take it from there.

Christian Institute spokesman Simon Calvert said the police must be held to account. He said: Cumbria police can't just walk away from this. They have arrested and charged an innocent man for no other reason than he peacefully expressed his religious beliefs. And it has happened in other parts of the country too. So there is clearly a problem with the system and it has to be put right.

Chief Superintendent Steve Johnson, police commander for West Cumbria, said: Our officers and staff often have to make difficult decisions while balancing the law and people's rights. This is not easy especially when opinions and interpretations differ. We would like to reassure the public that we respect, and are committed to upholding, the fundamental right to freedom of expression ...[BUT]... We are just as committed to maintaining the peace and preventing people feeling alarmed or distressed by the actions of others in public places.

The Crown Prosecution Service has carefully assessed the evidence in the case and has decided to discontinue the prosecution of Mr Mcalpine.

Police to be Sued

Based on article from  news.bbc.co.uk

The Christian preacher who told police homosexuality was a sin is planning to sue for wrongful arrest.

Dale Mcalpine was charged with a public order offence after speaking to a community support officer (PCSO) in Workington, Cumbria, in April.

The charge was later dropped by Cumbria Police, which claimed it respected freedom of expression.

Mcalpine said he would launch a civil action against the arresting officer and the chief constable.

He also intends to sue for false imprisonment and unlawful interference with his right to freedom of expression and freedom of religion.

Mcalpine denies making any mention of homosexuality in his sermon. He said: As a Christian man, I forgive the police for their actions... HOWEVER ...I also want to protect others who may face similar problems in the future. This can't just be brushed under the carpet, freedom of speech is too precious for that.

The Christian Institute, which acts to defend religious liberty for Christians, is supporting Mcalpine and financing his legal action.

Egypt's musician's union has rejected plans for British singer Elton John to perform a private concert scheduled for May 18, because of his controversial remarks attacking religions.

How do we allow a gay, who wants to ban religions, claimed that the prophet Eissa (Jesus) was gay and calls for Middle Eastern countries to allow gays to have sexual freedom, head of the Egyptian Musician Union, Mounir al-Wasimi told the German Press Agency dpa.

The pop superstar stirred controversy after his remarks to US celebrity news magazine Parade in February, where he said Try being a gay woman in the Middle East - you're as good as dead, after saying he believed Jesus was gay .

Al-Wasimi said that he has begun coordinating with security bodies to ban John's concert, saying that the union is the only body authorized to allow performances by foreign singers in Egypt.

Update: Concert Goes Ahead in Morocco

28th May 2010. From  azcentral.com

Elton John will be the highlight of Morocco's biggest music festival despite calls by the country's main Islamist party to shelve the British singer because of his homosexuality, organizers said.

The public spat between organizers for the Mawazine Festival and the Justice and Development Party, or PJD, the country's largest authorized Islamist group, illustrates the growing rift between Morocco's Western-leaning authorities and the more conservative Muslim movements that are on the rise in the North African kingdom.

This singer is famous for his homosexual behavior and for advocating it, said Mustapha Ramid, a leader and spokesman for the PJD, the biggest opposition party with 40 lawmakers in parliament.

We're a rather open party. ..BUT... promoting homosexuality is completely unacceptable, Ramid said in a phone interview, stating is was against Muslim values. Ramid feared the singer would encourage the phenomenon and be a bad influence for Morocco's youth.

While Egypt recently canceled an Elton John concert because of remarks he made on homosexuality, Moroccan officials ignored calls to ban him. We deal with artists and intellectuals for what they do, without taking into account their private life, Mawazine Festival organizer El Hassan Neffali told reporters. Somebody's private life is one thing, and their art or creative activities are another.

Australia's TV censor, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, has found that WIN Television breached their code by airing an episode of the program Dante's Cove.

ACMA were not impressed by suggestions that they were targeting depictions of gay sex.

The ACMA is aware of reported comments from the Nine Network that the breach decision was a result of the depiction of homosexual activity, said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman.

The ACMA rejects this offensive suggestion that its decision portrays a homophobic approach to application of the TV Classification Guidelines. Under the code the sexual orientation of characters is not considered a factor in deciding whether or not sexual activity depicted in a scene is discreetly implied or discreetly simulated. The breach occurred due to the amount of detail in the scene, which included several depictions of detailed genital nudity, and its duration.

The ACMA is also disappointed that the Nine Network chose to comment publicly on the matter before the ACMA had completed its investigation.

The code states that sexual behaviour may be only discreetly implied or discreetly simulated in programs that are classified at the top level of AV (Adult Violence).  The ACMA found that the program, broadcast on the multi-channel GO!, contained depictions of implied oral sex and simulated sexual intercourse which were not discreet, due to the amount of detail they contained. The ACMA concluded the program was incorrectly classified AV and therefore not suitable to be broadcast on commercial television.

Australia's TV Ratings

Based on article from youngmedia.org.au

• General (G)
• Parental Guidance Recommended (PG)
• Mature (M)

Recommended for viewing only by persons aged 15 years or over because of the matter it contains, or the way the matter is treated.

Allowed weekdays (during school term): 8.30pm - 5.00am and 12.00 noon - 3pm
Allowed weekdays (school holidays) & Weekends: 8.30pm - 5.00am

• Mature Adult (MA)

Suitable for viewing only by persons 15 years or over because of the intensity and/ or frequency of sexual depictions, or coarse language, adult themes or drug use.

Allowed 9:00pm - 5:00am.

• Adult Violence (AV)

Suitable for viewing only by persons aged 15 years or over. It is unsuitable for MA classification because of the intensity and/or frequency of violence, or because violence is central to the theme.

Allowed 9.30pm and 5.00 am.

• 18 rated material (R)

Banned at all times of free to air TV. (Allowed on subscription TV)

Dante's Cove Rated MA (15) on DVD

Based on article from crikey.com.au

Was the decision to punish the Nine Network over airing racy same-sex love scenes a case of homophobic double-standard or confusion between two different classification systems?

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced on that Nine's digital channel GO! had breached the code of practice by airing an episode of US soap Dante's Cove late last year. The finding sparked calls of homophobia, with Nine's classification chief Richard Lyle saying he was annoyed by the decision given we'd shown exactly the same visuals implying rear entry intercourse between a male and a female .

The commercial TV censorship rules for AV states: Visual depiction of intimate sexual activity may contain detail but must only be implied . According to ACMA's investigation report, the program contained a visual depiction of intimate sexual behaviour , amounting to a breach.

Dante's Cove was already available on DVD in Australia before GO! broadcast the offending episode, which was classified with an MA rating by the Classification Board. Lyle explained to Crikey: They said the violence was accommodated by the MA rating and the sex scenes would have been accommodated by an M rating.

Nine subsequently made the decision to classify Dante's Cove AV in order to account for the program's main advisory concern, violence. In its ruling, ACMA actually states Nine should not have relied on the Classification Board decision: While the reasoning of the Classification Board may be one factor that licensees may consider when determining the proper classification of a program, ultimately the assessment will need to comply with the Television Classification Guidelines.

City authorities in Minsk, Belarus, banned the May 15 gay pride parade and when a group of 40 people marched anyway, police attacked like a group of wild dogs and beat them.

In blocking the march, officials feebly cited a national law that prohibits public events within 200 meters of subway stations and pedestrian tunnels.

Slavic Gay Pride co-organizer Nikolai Alekseev called the ban absurd, pointing out that there have been many marches and parades in the past using the same route.

Organizers vowed to challenge the ban before the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and about 40 people decided to defy it.

Bloggers wrote: Minsk had its gay pride march. For just 10 minutes, 40 Belarusians and Russians waved a 12-meters-long rainbow flag for a short march of approximately 200 meters. They were at first met by a large group of journalists, photographers and TV crew. But when they reached the first crossing point, they were trapped by several vans of anti-riot police. Suddenly, the doors of the vans opened and anti-riot officers ran towards the participants. 'I never saw anything of the kind,' said Nikolai Alekseev. ... 'They were brutal and violent,' he added. Another participant who did not want to be named said, 'It was like a group of wild dogs.' The march ended with most of the participants being arrested and violently beaten. A few managed to escape but the police ran after them.

A gay couple who were turned away by a Christian bed and breakfast owner because it was against her convictions to let them share a double bed are suing her for damages.

Michael Black and John Morgan have brought in human rights organisation Liberty to help take legal action against Susanne Wilkinson.

The start of legal proceedings comes two months after Black and Morgan reported Mrs Wilkinson to police for refusing them a room. They said she was breaching discrimination laws and that they were horrified by the former air hostess's outdated and abhorrent views .

But Mrs Wilkinson and her husband Francis, a former city worker, insisted they were simply living according to their values and Christian beliefs. Mrs Wilkinson said she would have offered the couple two single rooms, but the guest house was fully booked. Susanne and Francis Wilkinson

Last night her husband said: Ours is a faith position and hasn't changed. This response seems completely disproportionate-We feel the law is wrong and needs to be amended.

But James Welch, legal director of Liberty, said: Liberty defends the rights of religious groups to preach their beliefs, even when we disagree with them, but not to discriminate in the provision of goods and services.

The Wilkinsons have been helped by the Christian Institute pressure group. Spokesman Simon Calvert said: This comes down to the rights of a gay couple to have a holiday where they choose against the right of a Christian couple to act in accordance with their conscience.

Update: Day in Court

24th September 2012. See  article from  dailymail.co.uk

Michael Black and John Morgan are seeking damages of £ 1,800 each for sexual orientation discrimination after Susanne Wilkinson refused to give them a double room.

The couple said they were shocked when they were not allowed to stay the night at the Swiss B&B in Cookham, Berkshire, in March 2010.

A court heard that the men booked a room online but when they arrived Mrs Wilkinson told them it was against her religious beliefs for them to share a bed, adding: This is my private home.

Black and Morgan said they were refunded their £ 30 deposit and asked to leave.

James Dingemans QC, defending, said it was against Mrs Wilkinson's religious beliefs for two unmarried people to share a bed under her roof, adding: This is protected by the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998.'

A verdict is expected within two weeks.

Update: Still Unlawful Discrimination

10th July 2013. Based on article from  minivannews.com

A bed and breakfast owner has lost her appeal against a ruling that she unlawfully discriminated against a gay couple when she refused to let them stay in a double room. Committed Christian Susanne Wilkinson declined to let Michael Black and partner John Morgan have the room at the Swiss Bed and Breakfast in Cookham, Berkshire, in March 2010.

Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson, Lady Justice Arden and Lord Justice McCombe, in the Court of Appeal in London, dismissed Mrs Wilkinson's challenge, but gave her permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The appeal, on October 9, will be heard at the same time as that of Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who refused to let Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy share a bedroom at their seaside guesthouse in Cornwall.

Lord Dyson concluded that the decision in the Preddy case, where the court decided there was direct discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation, compelled the conclusion that, by her policy of only offering double rooms to married couples, Mrs Wilkinson directly discriminated against homosexual couples on the ground of their sexual orientation.

She also indirectly discriminated against homosexual couples on the grounds of their sexual orientation by applying a policy which put them at a disadvantage as compared with heterosexual couples and she could not reasonably justify by reference to matters other than their sexual orientation.

Her appeal was funded by the Christian Institute.

It is great to see that Melon Farmers is a finalist for the Erotic Trade Only (ETO) Awards.

ETO is the major UK adult trade association, with representation from all of UK's adult retailers and distributors, both online and on the high street.

Voting is open now at www.erotictradeonly.com , but is only open to those registered as belonging to the UK adult trade. The free monthly trade magazine is very good and it is well worthwhile registering for those connected with the trade.

The nominations for  Best R18 DVD :

• Fallen (Wicked Pictures)
  
  An outstanding three-hour blockbuster which features production values to rival a mainstream movie release. It stars Jessica Drake as an angel who falls to Earth in search of redemption.
   
• Marc Dorcel 30th Anniversary (Marc Dorcel)
  
  A deluxe six-disc box set which traces the history of French porn powerhouse Marc Dorcel through over 70 hardcore scenes dating back to the early 1980s. It was released at a pleasingly low price.
   
• Match Mates (JoyBear Pictures)
  
  First time director (and JoyBear staffer) Liselle Bailey pairs up her porn star mates with each other in five fly-on-the-wall scenes which ETO's reviewer praised for their honesty .
   
• Mother Fuckers (Union Films)
  
  Union Films has made great strides over the last twelve months and this title is a MILF-themed release which features five mature ladies having their way with younger guys.
   
• Real Punting 6 (LoadXXX)
  
  Like the others in this series, Real Punting claims to feature genuine British call girls. They are booked, interviewed on camera and then the presenter gets to shag them. Nice work...

The nominations for  Best Gay R18 DVD :

• Are You Being Serviced ? (UKNakedMen)
  
  The debut release from UKNakedMen contains six scenes, which are given descriptive names rather than a number. It features authentic-looking costumes and impressive performances.
   
• Dads Fuck Lads 2 (FreshSX)
  
  The second instalment in this series continued where its predecessor left off - with older guys having their wicked way with lads young enough to be their son.
   
• Policeboy (Eurocreme)
  
  The uniforms look frighteningly authentic in this tale of a bent copper who shows his rookie colleague how to abuse his position of power over young miscreants.
   
• Skin Deep Part 1 (Kristen Bjorn)
  
  A two-hour epic which features a pair of Latin Mafioso who rule their underlings with a hard cock. They treat themselves to a new tattoo after every conquest, hence the title.
   
• Young British Hoodies 2 (Rentboy UK)
  
  Young-looking, slightly rough around the edges, British lads are a perennial favourite in gay DVDs and this film features five scenes of them getting to grips with each other.

Gloucester's former New County Hotel, renamed Club Mystique, was changed to a venue for people with alternative sexual lifestyles last year.

But it has now closed just five months after opening – sparking rumours whether it will be closed for good.

Club Mystique boss Harry Sykes last night confirmed the hotel was currently closed after shutting on Tuesday. He refused to give any further comment to The Citizen.

The news has been welcomed by some members of the Gloucester community, who fought against the opening of the new unusual venue in Southgate Street last year.

Mark Jones, a leader at the City Church of Gloucester said: There are those who have been praying for it to close. I'm very pleased. With all the work they're doing to improve the area down there, it would seem to be a timely closure.

Gloucester city councillor and a member of the planning committee Gordon Taylor said: It's good news. If you're running a business, you need to have the trade, and I think it was in the wrong place for the sort of market they were aiming for.

Lithuania's first gay pride parade took place in a sealed-off park in central Vilnius amid a heavy police presence.

About 400 people took part in the event. More than 800 police officers – two for every marcher – were mobilised to provide 'security'. Protesters were allowed to congregate across the Neris River.

On Friday an appeals court overturned a ban on the parade that had been imposed by a lower court due to supposed security concerns.

The ban was originally imposed after the country's acting prosecutor general Raimondas Petrauskas said he had evidence that members of hardline, violent groups are planning to protest and organise various provocative acts .

Organisers of the event and human rights activists said the ban amounted to discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender (LGBT) people in mostly Catholic and morally conservative Lithuania, and the country's president quickly condemned the court decision.

A recent poll showed that two-thirds of the country's population is against holding the parade in the centre of the capital.

In 1983, George Rekers joined James Dobson and a handful of others in founding the Family Research Council (FRC).

The FRC has featured on several Melon Farming pages for publishing anti porn propaganda research; campaigning against Marriott hotels having in room porn channels and speaking against gay rights legilsation.

Last month, Rekers was reportedly discovered returning from an overseas trip with a rent boy :

On April 13, the rent boy (whom we'll call Lucien) arrived at Miami International Airport after a ten-day, fully subsidized trip to Europe. He was soon followed out of customs by an old man pushing an overburdened baggage cart.

That man was George Alan Rekers, of North Miami — the callboy's client and, as it happens, one of America's most prominent anti-gay activists.

Rekers, a Baptist minister who is a leading scholar for the Christian right, left the terminal with his gay escort, looking a bit discomfited when a picture of the two was snapped with a hot-pink digital camera.

Reached by New Times before a trip to Bermuda, Rekers said he learned Lucien was a prostitute only midway through their vacation. I had surgery, Rekers said: and I can't lift luggage. That's why I hired him. (Though medical problems didn't stop him from pushing the tottering baggage cart through MIA.)

Apple has rejected, for the second time, the iPhone app Gay New York: 101 Can't-Miss Places , citing objections to images showing too much skin and an irreverent caricature of Sarah Palin.

Gawker reports that Apple believes it has a moral responsibility to censor content developed for the iPhone, but the attempts to filter out images that could not fairly be construed as pornographic smacks of homophobia.

In addition to the Palin poster, the offending images include a man in a thong and a Renaissance painting of a nude male. The author of the app, Forbes and New York Times-contributing freelance travel writer Anthony Grant, says he did his best to make things PG-13 by, for example, representing a bar called The Cock with an image of a black rooster. However, he has been hard pressed to represent New York's gay male culture without offending Apple's sensibilities.

According to Apple's rejection letter, the offending screenshots (which can be viewed at Gawker's site ), are objectionable for certain age groups, despite the fact that the app is not available for download by all ages.

Grant says that the rejection is homophobic and discriminatory to the point of hostile and that other apps feature far racier content.

Gay rights activists have criticised a Vatican official who sought to link homosexuality to paedophilia when commenting on child sex abuse scandals.

The UK's Stonewall group said it was astonishing gay people should still be dealing with such an offensive myth .

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone had said homosexuality, not celibacy, lay behind the child sex abuse scandals.

The cardinal, the Vatican's foreign minister was attempting to defuse the scandals currently afflicting the Catholic Church, which are largely cases of priests molesting children, mainly boys. He added that some surprising initiatives regarding the sex abuse scandal would soon be revealed but did not elaborate.

Visiting the Chilean capital Santiago, Cardinal Bertone told a news conference: Many psychologists, many psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relationship between celibacy and paedophilia but many others have demonstrated, I was told recently, that there is a relationship between homosexuality and paedophilia. That is true. I have the documents of the psychologists. That is the problem.

A Chilean communist MP, Hugo Gutierrez, told AFP news agency: Celibacy does more damage to a human being than homosexuality. I'm shocked by these words from a senior dignitary of the Church.

In Rome, the head of Italian gay rights group Gaylib, Enrico Oliari, said it was worrying that the foreign minister of a state that occupies the heart of the Italian capital would use arguments that are considered passe even in the Third World .

A Christian group called Bus Stop Bible Studies has voluntarily removed a set of advertisements from Toronto buses, along with an associated homophobic website which answered questions like, Does God heal homosexuals? and Is AIDS God's punishment against homosexuals? .

Torontoist reported that the Toronto Transit Commission spokesman Brad Ross said that Bus Stop Bible Studies' has requested to remove the ads. According to Ross, it will take advertising agency CBS Outdoor a few days to completely remove the Does God care if I'm gay? ads from the vehicles.

As reported in the Star, the original content of the website has been replaced with an apologetic dispatch that It seems that the whole message of God's justice and grace was being misinterpreted.

Toronto Transit Commission objections led to the removal of the ads, the National Post reports. Ross said: The TTC has an obligation under the Ontario Human Rights Code not to refuse religious advertising. [But] the website content that this ad pointed to was not appropriate.

India's cinema screens will soon show Bollywood's first gay kiss in Pankh, according to Mid Day.

The Censor Board reportedly passed a kissing scene between actors Maradona Rebello and Amit Purohit in the movie without any cuts.

Another sequence where Rebello goes nude hidden by pixellation has also been passed.

The film's director Sudipto Chattopadhyaya has reportedly claimed that the kiss is actually a case of molestation as Purohit's character gets drunk and forcibly kisses Rebello's, who he believes is gay.

Chattopadhyaya also apparently said that the nude scene was pivotal to the plot.