PinkNews.co.uk (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009
Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill has said he has been reassured by the Conservative Party that it is checking past statements made by its European allies for homophobia. He also denied he had been "used" by Labour when he pulled of out a gay Tory event last night.
Tory Rascal (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009
I have just emerged from a truly fizzing fringe event (which, should the appalling Kevin Maguire be reading, does not mean ‘champagne fulled’). Ben Summerskill of Stonewall – he of the stay-away-from-pride story – and Nick Herbert headlined a panel talking about why gay people should vote Conservative. It’s a shame to say that the event, [...]
QueerSighted (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
News - I was at the Stonewall Awards 2009 and I'm still a little fuzzy headed from the free flowing champagne. The Victoria and Albert Museum was at its glorious best, illuminated in pink and filled with beautiful besuited people. Stonewall director Ben Summerskill introduced this year's awards and stood by to read out the nominations (like the voice over guy, only visible). He was subjected...
PinkNews.co.uk (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
... night's ceremony at the Victoria & Albert Musuem was opened by Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill, who spoke about the recent attack on Liverpool gay policeman James Parkes.Citing the MP David Wilshire, who is being investigated over his expenses, Summerskill reminded the crowd he was the politician who pushed Section 28, which banned teaching about homosexuality in schools,...
The Christian Institute (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
... decision by Norfolk Police to investigate Mrs Howe has sparked a hot debate about free speech. Ben Summerskill, the leader of gay campaign group Stonewall, said the police action was “disproportionate”.Homosexual writer Andrew Pierce called it a “ludicrous overreaction”.He added: “It suggests yet again that the most fundamental of all freedoms – the right of free speech – is being endangered.”The...
The Christian Institute (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
... decision by Norfolk Police to investigate Mrs Howe has sparked a hot debate about free speech. Ben Summerskill, the leader of gay campaign group Stonewall, said the police action was “disproportionate”.Homosexual writer Andrew Pierce called it a “ludicrous overreaction”.He added: “It suggests yet again that the most fundamental of all freedoms – the right of free speech – is being endangered.”The...
Coastalblog (Free subscription) | 10/26/2009
like bloody crack, the Daily Mail comments. Anyhoo,one more irresistible one (from a story about people arguing about gays or god or some such thing) and then I'm off to bedDear Ben Summerskill, how awful that you find this old lady's views offensive. By the way, I had to give up walking on some of the best parts of Hampstead Heath because of the toilet waste left by male gays every night, whose...
Lynne Featherstone's Parliament and Haringey diary (Free subscription) | 10/26/2009
... - Wise Thoughts . David Lammy MP (Labour) hosted the meeting, and the other speakers were Ben Summerskill from Stonewall, Richard Barnes (Tory Deputy Mayor of London) and me. Last year I remember saying that 'artists are streetfighters' and so I said the same again - for it is true. All the speakers touched on the issues around the Daily Mail's column on Stephen Gately, Nick Griffin's open...
The Christian Institute (Free subscription) | 10/25/2009
... knocking on her door. They said her letter was homophobic and may be treated as a ‘hate incident’.Ben Summerskill, head of the gay lobby group Stonewall, criticised the police visit calling it “disproportionate”. In her letter Mrs Howe wrote about those taking part in the parade: “They were in our faces with aggressive verbal abuse.”She added: “I and other Christians present are not attempting...
The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 10/22/2009
Trevor Phillips the government's equality champion has been accused of creating a culture of "cronyism fear and intimidation" at the £70 million quango.
Towleroad (Free subscription) | 10/22/2009
... Metropolitan Police have been accused of complacency by the head of UK gay rights group Stonewall, Ben Summerskill : "The Met has made progress in the past decade, but it is patting itself on the back and becoming complacent. Homophobic crime is often still not treated as seriously as other offences and our research has shown that 75 per cent of gay people don't have confidence in reporting...
The Christian Institute (Free subscription) | 10/20/2009
... openly LGBT candidates standing for Labour.”Chief Executive of the ‘gay rights’ group Stonewall, Ben Summerskill said: “This is both welcome and not before time.”Gordon Brown made the comments at the Speaker’s Conference where MPs were discussing how Parliament could attract more minority groups into Westminster.The Prime Minister has made a number of moves over the past year to encourage...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 10/16/2009
... previous three years, while almost 90% had been subjected to homophobic insults and harassment. Ben Summerskill, Stonewall's chief executive, said: "We've got no evidence that that has changed. The easy answer from the police and other agencies they work with is 'Reporting has gone up. Isn't this wonderful? Gay people now feel happy about reporting crimes.' But I'm genuinely not sure...
PinkNews.co.uk (Free subscription) | 10/14/2009
... who is the only out lesbian in parliament. The debate was chaired by Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill.Eagle argued: “I don’t think that equality damages freedom of speech; in order to have a much more profound freedom we need more equality.”“Equality has become an Orwellian word,” responded Phillips. “We are in grave danger of turning thought into crime.“Is it wrong to criminalise...
Political Scrapbook (Free subscription) | 10/09/2009
In the same week that Stonewall chief Ben Summerskill boycotted the Tories first ever conference pride event, the survey of 600 gay, lesbian and trans voters also found that 67% thought the Conservative Party is homophobic. Full story over at Pink News. De-toxification FAIL.
