The gay apocalypse 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. A Devon newspaper claimed that gays would cause the collapse of civilisation
The South Molton News published a column that claimed overturning a “well founded” taboo on homosexuality will cause the collapse of civilisation.
Stephen Gilbert MP retorted: “There will be people reading his Byzantine views that will be scared to tell their family, friends and colleagues who they are. It’s people with views like his that make our communities less safe.”
2. Ed Miliband appointed Lord Michael Cashman as his LGBT rights envoy
The Labour leader appointed the former Eastenders star, who is due to be elevated to the House of Lords next month, as his rights envoy.
Mr Miliband said: “We’ve made such progress on equality. But we have to face the fact that internationally things, if anything, are going backwards. We can’t just let that happen.”
3. Northern Ireland appointed a new Health Minister who thinks Pride is ‘repugnant’
Jim Wells – who labelled Belfast Pride “repugnant” – was appointed as Health Minister following a reshuffle.
He promptly blocked PinkNews on Twitter, along with skeptics’ groups, women’s rights groups and gay activists.
4. RuPaul laid into Facebook for blocking the accounts of drag queens
The social network is under fire for cracking down on drag queens under a policy which only allows people to use their “real identities” on the website.
RuPaul, the world’s best known drag artist, said: “It’s bad policy when Facebook strips the rights of creative individuals who have blossomed into something even more fabulous than the name their mama gave them.”
5. Gay UKIP MEP David Coburn called the Scottish Tory leader a ‘fat lesbian’
UKIP’s most senior gay figure was overheard describing out Conservative leader Ruth Davison as a “fat lesbian”.
When challenged on the accusation, he said: “I’m a fat Scotsman, there so. I don’t recall any of this.”
6. Stephen Fry revealed he once snorted coke in Buckingham Palace
The TV host and broadcaster opened up about his drug dependency in his new autobiography, also revealing he had snorted cocaine in Parliament.
He issued a blanket apology to places he had taken drugs – including Windsor Castle, the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the offices of The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and the Spectator, and BBC Television Centre.
7. A Christian mum re-wrote Harry Potter to make Dumbledore straight
The 8000-word story, titled ‘Hogwarts School of Prayer and Miracles’, recasts gay headmaster Albus Dumbledore as ‘Reverend Dumbledore’, who is married to and has a child with Professor Minerva McGonagall.
In the new version of the story, Lord Voldemort is known for persecuting Christians, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon ‘mistreat’ Harry by forcing him to listen to Richard Dawkins.
