20 iuStOUt
MARCH 17. 2006
world
EUROPE
Soccer Player Sues for Libel
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English professional soccer player Ashley Cole,
who plays for the Arsenal team, is suing two tabloid
newspapers for harassment, breach of privacy and
libel concerning publication of articles that did not
name him.
The Sun and The News of the World reported
that two unnamed bisexual Premiership soccer stars
had engaged in what the News called a “gay sex
orgy |and| made some very dirty phone calls—using
a mobile [phone) as a gay sex toy.” They “were
caught on camera cavorting with a pal well-known
in the music industry in a homosexual orgy,” the
News said.
Cole, who says he is not gay, sued after bloggers
and others online reportedly speculated that he was
one of the unnamed players in the reports.
Cole’s lawyer, Graham Shear, said: “These
newspapers published false and offensive articles
designed to tell readers that Ashley had behaved
in what The News of the World described as a ‘per­
verted’ way with other professional footballers.
The newspapers knew there was no basis to name
Ashley but arranged the articles and pictures in
such a way that readers would identify him.... It is
disgraceful that he should be faced with this kind
of unpleasant insinuation and innuendo.”
As the story unfolded, it also was reported that
Cole’s lawyers are further upset that Google’s hots
have linked searches for Cole to the word “gay.” On
March 8, typing “Ashley Cole” into a Google
search box returned, among other things, a Google
offer to “See results for: ashley cole gay.”
Move to Block Same-Sex Marriage
in Slovakia
Slovakia’s Christian Democratic Movement
party is planning to introduce a bill to ban same-sex
marriage, the S1TA news agency reported Feb. 27.
It would also block extending the rights of
marriage to same-sex couples. A party spokesperson
said the bill is a response to gay activists’ plans to
push for a registered partnership law.
Ashley Cole denies involvement with tabloid
reports of a "gay sex orgy” involving two
bisexual soccer stars and "a pal well-known in
the music industry."
pumps in a one-minute assault on Club Xes. Three
clubgoers who tried to intervene reportedly were
injured in the 2:45 a.m. fracas.
Police categorized the incident as “homo-
phobic,” The Star said.
Isle of Man Votes to Repeal
Anti-Gay Laws
Members of the House of Keys on the Isle of
Man voted to repeal Section 38 of the Sexual
Offenses Act on March 7.
The law is a local version of a U.K. law that
banned “promotion” of homosexuality by schools
and public bodies. Similar laws were repealed in
2000 in Scotland and 2003 in England and Wales.
The legislation also equalizes the age of consent
for gay and straight sex, at 16. The measure now
moves to the island’s Legislative Council.
A British crown dependency, the Isle of Man is
located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and
Ireland. Its population is 75,049.
Leading Gay Group Denounces BBC
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Gay people are almost invisible on the British
Broadcasting Corp.’s flagship channels, according
to new research from Stonewall, the United
Kingdom’s top gay lobbying organization.
Abba has donated autographed posters, photos
Monitoring of 168 hours of prime-time and a CD to support Polish Pride.
programming on BBC One and BBC Two found
gay and lesbian lives realistically portrayed for just
Abba Donates to Auction
six minutes, or .06 percent of airtime, the organiza­ for Polish Gays
tion said. Another 32 minutes of programming
The members of the retired Swedish pop group
“featured derogatory or offensive references to gay
Abba have signed memorabilia together, for the
people,” the group said, citing programs such as The
first time in a decade, to support Poland’s be­
Weakest Link and The Lenny Henry Show.
leaguered gay movement.
“Gay license-payers receive astonishingly poor
Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny
value from the BBC,” said Stonewall chief execu­ Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad have con­
tive Ben Summerskill. Owners of television sets in
tributed autographed posters, photos and a CD to
the United Kingdom must buy an annual $221
an eBay auction staged by Stockholm Pride. Money
license.
raised by the sale will go to Warsaw’s Gay Pride
The study, titled Tuned Out, was conducted
organization, Fundacja Rownosci.
jointly by Stonewall and researchers at University
“It is impossible for a Pride event organizer in a
of Leeds.
privileged neighboring country not to assist in the
situation that is now existing in Poland,” said
Gay Bar Trashed
Stockholm Pride chairwoman Ulrika Westerlund.
Five intruders trashed a gay bar Feb. 25 in
“These objects are very rare since Abba doesn’t
Sheffield, England, The Star reported.
exist anymore and don’t have that much to do with
The report said “a gang of weapon-wielding each other. The signatures were obtained in
thugs” smashed windows, liquor dispensers and beer
Stockholm in December 2005.”