Tag: Scotland

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushed Britain closer to a no-deal exit from the European Union on Monday, insisting he will not hold Brexit talks with EU leaders unless the bloc lifts its refusal to reopen the existing divorce deal - notably backstop. "My assumption is that we can get a new deal, we are aiming for a new deal," he said during a visit to the Faslane naval base in Scotland. Johnson said the EU must drop a "backstop" intended...

Pride celebrations are kicking off in Edinburgh this weekend, and the city is literally giving the green light to participants in the Scottish capital. 35 traffic lights and pedestrian walk symbols along the parade route for Pride Edinburgh are getting special patterns over the green lights, each representing different aspects of the LGBTQ community, as well as a design for straight relationships. “We’re delighted to be helping to display these diversity symbols through the Old Town as part of this year’s...

Although same-sex marriages outside of churches has been legal in Scotland since 2014, the Scottish Church’s law hadn’t changed. However, last week the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly voted by 345 to 170 votes to start changing their laws so same-sex couples can marry in their churches. The measure was proposed by Rev. Bryan Kerr. Speaking to iNews, Rev. Tom Gordon said: “I have two daughters, both of whom are married. I have one gay daughter in a same-sex marriage. “When my...

A Scottish gay couple were attacked while walking outside a night club. 32-year-old Andy Millin and 26-year-old Cameron Stringer were attacked after leaving CC Blooms in Edinburgh, Scotland on Sunday at 3am. As Millin told the Scottish Sun: "We crossed the road holding hands and there was a couple of guys behind us. One of them ran up and kicked Cameron in the back. He was about to attack him but my first instinct was to get him out of the way....

How incredibly sad! Reports have identified a London gay couple, believed to have died in a fire that broke out in a luxury hotel in Loch Lomond, Scotland. Simon Midgley, a PR professional and writer for the London Evening Standard was said to have been on a pre-Christmas holiday with his partner, Richard Dyson, a TV producer. The couple was reportedly staying at the Cameron House Hotel when when the fire broke out on Monday morning. Just days prior, the men happily...

It was an emotional moment for many when Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, apologized for the country's persecution of gay men that persisted for roughly 100 years. Scotland retained anti-gay legislation until 1981, 14 years after England and Wales decriminalized homosexuality. But now, a new bill will pardon men who were prosecuted under the old law. According to the Guardian, Sturgeon told MSPs: “Within the lifetime of this parliament, this nation’s laws created suffering and perpetrated injustice. “The legislation we have published today addresses...

A 27-year-old electrician was arrested after accidentally touching a man's hip in a Dubai bar A Scottish man is freed after being jailed for accidentally touching a man’s hip in Dubai. Jamie Harron, a 27-year-old electrician, was sentenced to three months in prison yesterday (22 October). But then the case against him was dismissed and the charges were dropped. Ruler of Dubai intervened in tourist ‘gay’ case Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum stepped in to personally intervene, and exonerated Harron. Harron had...

... all in one day Talk about going the distance. Joe McGurk, an assistant for a Glasgow MSP, is standing up to LGBTI school bullying in a big way. McGurk, 22, will participate in a half marathon, skydive, and shave his head, as part of a fundraising effort. All in one day. He’s working with the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign. Jordan Daly and Liam Stevenson founded TIE in 2015 with an aim to address issues of LGBTI inclusiveness within the...

It's expected LGBTI people will come from all over the UK to get married in a church A Scottish cathedral has become the first Anglican church in the country to offer weddings for same-sex couples. As of today (20 July), St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow is now taking bookings from same-sex couples following a decision earlier this year in the Scottish Episcopal Church’s General Synod. Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth told Gay Star News: ‘I’m a gay priest and we march in Pride...

The Scottish Episcopal Church has become the first mainstream branch of Christianity in the UK to allow same-sex weddings. In a vote this afternoon at its General Synod, all three houses of the meeting – the bishops, clergy and laity – came out in favour. The decision was overwhelming, with at least two-thirds of all groups voting for same-sex weddings. In all, 74 percent of the General Synod voted for the motion, which will remove the definition that marriage is between a...

The Church of Scotland could be allowing ministers to perform same-sex marriages, if they wish to The Church of Scotland may soon be allowing same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Scotland since 2014, but with the premise that individual churches can decide whether or not to perform such unions. On Thursday, 25 May, Kirk’s General Assembly will be meeting in Edinburgh to discuss how the Church of Scotland can make amends with the LGBTI community by participating in same-sex unions. ‘The...

More and more denominations integrate gay people in their community, and Scotland is the next country to allow ministers marry their same sex partner. A measure that will allow ministers to be in same-sex marriages was built on a law that passed last year. Today, The Assembly approved the measure, and even if religion will still deny it, ministers can "opt out" to marry their same sex partner with no consequences. The ceremony opening the Assembly on Saturday was held by...

Philipp Tanzer, known to millions of gay porn fans as Logan McCree, has joined a Scottish firefighting unit in the sparsely populated coastal town of Durness in northern Scotland, and the biggest news may be how little news it is to his neighbors. According to The Sun, “Fire colleague James Keith, 49, also a bar and caravan park owner, said the adult star had been welcomed by villagers. James joked: “I’m one of his work mates — but not in...