Gay News

Gay News was a fortnightly newspaper in the United Kingdom founded in June 1972 in a collaboration between the Gay Liberation Front and the Campaign for Homosexual Equality.

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The original editorial collective included Denis Lemon (editor), Martin Corbett - who later was an active member of Act-Up, David Seligman, who founded London Gay Switchboard, Ian Dunn of Scottish CHE, Glenys Parry from Manchester CHE, Suki J Pitcher, and Doug Pollard, who later went on to launch Britain's first weekly gay newspaper, Gay Week (affectionately known as Gweek), and is now a presenter on Joy Melbourne 94.9FM, Australia's first full time GLBTI radio station.

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The paper challenged the authorites from the outset by publishing personal contact ads, in defiance of the law - in early editions this section was always headlined "Illegal Page".

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In the first year of publication, editor Denis Lemon was charged and fined for obstruction, for taking photographs of police behaviour outside popular Earls Court leather bar "The Colherne".

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In 1974, it was charged with obscenity, having published an issue with a cover photograph of two men kissing. It won the court case.

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In 1976-77, Mary Whitehouse brought a private prosecution (Whitehouse v. Lemon) against both the magazine and its editor, Denis Lemon, over the publication of James Kirkup's poem The Love that Dares to Speak its Name in the issue dated 3 June 1976.

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Gay News Ltd ceased trading on 15 April 1983.

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1972: 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday....

Gay Liberation Front: The Gay Liberation Front was a gay rights activist group that came into existence in New York City after the Stonewall riots. One of the GLF's first acts was to march in response to Stonewall to demand an end to the persecution of homosexuals. The GLF took an anti-capitalist stance, and saw itself a...

Campaign for Homosexual Equality: The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) is a national gay rights organisation in the United Kingdom which aims to promote legal and social equality for lesbians, gays and bisexuals....

Gay News related Images and Photos (experimental)

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