Grindr can predict elections, and 6 other stories you might have missed this week
PinkNews brings you a roundup of news from the past seven days.
Here are some of the most widely read, and notable news stories from the past week which you may have missed.
1. Grindr predicted the result of the Scottish Independence referendum
A Grindr user used the hookup app to poll hundeds of men in Scotland ahead of the country’s Independence referendum – and it was scarily accurate.
Tom Court’s experiment projected a 54%-46% victory for the No campaign, which was far closer to the actual 55%-45% result than most professional pollsters.
2. An anti-gay marriage Tory MP called for straight civil partnerships
MP Tim Loughton – who was last year accused of attempting to derail the government’s same-sex marriage legislation with wrecking amendments – tabled a bill to call for straight civil partnerships.
His Private Members’ Bill would simply remove the words “same-sex” from the original 2004 Civil Partnership Act, opening them to all couples.
3. Thatcher’s Health Minister publicly apologised for Section 28
Lord Fowler, who was a long-serving member of the Thatcher government, admitted the ban on the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools was “misjudged”.
He said: “It was a great mistake and I think it’s now recognised as a great mistake and I would apologise for it.”
4. t.A.T.u singer Julia Volkova said she ‘wouldn’t accept’ a gay son
The former member of the Russian ‘faux-lesbian’ pop duo said: “God created man for procreation, it is the nature. I won’t accept a gay son.”
Her former bandmate and make-out partner Lena Katina rushed to condemn the comments, saying: “I think everybody should be free to love who they love and be with who they want to spend their life with!”
5. The English Democrats accidentally celebrated a ‘Yes’ victory in Scotland
The fringe nationalist party – whose candidate Dr Julia Gasper has called for PinkNews readers to be sectioned – sent PinkNews a statement celebrating the non-existent victory.
Chairman Robin Tilbrook congratulated Alex Salmond on the “fantastic result” and called for “David Cameron to stand down”.
6. Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson’s duet was finally released
The pair’s track ‘There Must Be More To Life Than This’ – recorded in 1982 – was finally released ahead of Queen’s latest collection.
It is the first of three new tracks featuring Mercury, who died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1990.
7. The US inaugural poet made an amazing tribute to equal marriage
Richard Bianco, who was the first openly gay poet to read at an inauguration, released the video to celebrate a year since the first same-sex couple married in Massachusetts.
He said: “I took moments based on personal experience, so I’m retracing the love I have for my own partner, and my own sense of marriage.”
