An inquest has heard that Kristian Digby, the 32 year old BBC TV presenter who was found dead in his home on March 1st 2010, died after accidentally suffocating in a solo sex game.

Hearing that there has been no injuries on Digby’s body or drugs or alcohol in his body Walthamstowe crown court heard that he was discovered by friend and tenant Asiya Rasheed with a bin liner tied over his head after his boyfriend Jason Englebrecht became concerned he could not contact him.

Ruling that it was death by misadventure, his mother, Paula Digby-Dubois,  said:

“He was really happy with his career, he loved it and he was moving further upwards. He just loved what he was doing.”

As well as being a popular presenter of programmes like To Buy or Not To Buy and House Swap, Digby was also known for being a passionate supporter of gay rights and gay charities.

Via Pink News

Creator of Ali G and star of Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen has been named in a lawsuit from a LA cameraman who alleges that Cohen attacked him at a Proposition 8 rally where the Bruno film crew are said to have deliberately created tension for dramatic effect.

Mike Skiff, the cameraman who is suing Baron Cohen accuses him of assault, battery and inciting a riot by attending with his production crew with “Yes on 8″ signs said that he feared he would be “clubbed with wooden signs,” and also in later submitted papers said he deserved the right to conduct business without being afraid of violence and intimidation because of his sexual orientation, something Baron Cohen prevented.

Skiff is looking for at least $25,000 in punitive damages as well as reimbursement for medical expenses and general damages.

Via E! Online.

Judge Vaughn Walker who ruled in August that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional has announced that he will be retiring from the courts in December.

Seen as something  of an unexpected announcement, Walker has not yet chosen to comment on his reasons for doing so though a colleague, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said he felt it was more to do with him actually achieving what he wanted to in his career as opposed to any personal reasons or those relating to the ruling saying:

“I think he believes that he’s accomplished what he’s set out to accomplish, and now he’s interested in living the rest of his life and not being chained to a court calendar,”

Appointed to the court by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, Walker became chief judge of the Northern District of California in September 2004 with perhaps his most famous case being the Aug. 4 ruling overturning Proposition 8 because it discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation and gender and violates the rights of gays and lesbians to choose their marital partners.

Now being appealed to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco by those in favour of the marriage ban, this case will hear arguments heard in December.

Ruling positively towards the gay community in this case, Walker hasn’t always been so gay friendly in his career representing, in his time as a lawyer, the U.S. Olympic Committee in a suit that prevented a local group from calling its athletic competition the Gay Olympics.

Described by the legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights as being “… fearless. That’s exactly what you want in a judge”, Walker said in his letter to President Obama announcing his retirement that:

“Concluding 21 years of judicial service, I leave the bench with the highest respect and regard for the federal judiciary, its judges and their staff and the essential role they fulfill in our constitutional system.”

U.S. District Judge James Ware of San Jose will take on the Chief Judge role following Walkers retirement

via SFGate.

Griffin have been making some very smart collaboration moves over the last couple of years and their decision to team up this season with Baracuta has only acted to confirm this with mens magazines, blogs and anyone who is anyone in the style world getting themselves all a little bit excited about the Griffin X Baracuta Limited Edition Jacket.

And let’s be honest why wouldn’t they. Designed using the brands heritage Fraser Tartan check, this design partnership has seen the two fashion labels mix things up a bit and take a check that usually finds itself on the inside become the star of the show by being blown up and placed on the outside.

Acting as a great contrast to the sportswear style fabric used to make up the front and the back of the main section of the jacket, the Griffin X Baracuta collaboration is not only seen in terms of the design but also embroidery featured to the right chest area.

Made using Italian shirting fabric for the sleeves this jacket has been lovingly produced for you right here in England and now would definitely be the time to order yours as Griffin have just informed us that they’re offering it for a limited time only with a massive 45% discount meaning instead of paying £165.00 you can get yours for just £90!

Too busy to spend time looking round all the LGBT sites to find out what you should be keeping up to date with? Fear not Queeried are here to do it for you with our Friday round up of the five GLBT stories you need to be reading.

1. NOM Give $235,000 To Efforts To Oust Iowa Judges Who Supported Gay Marriage

On Top Magazine reports on The National Organization For Marriage’s move to oust three Iowa Supreme Court judges that voted in favor of gay marriage. Saying they will contribute $235,000 to the effort, the campaign has been running for a while but came to public attention last month when former gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats announced he was looking to spearhead the movement.

2. Gay Nigerian Asylum Seeker Given Last Minute Temporary Reprieve

The new coalition government in the UK had promised to do more for LGBT asylum seekers and last night it appeared they did just that, if only on a temporary basis, with the Pink News reporting that Hope Nwachukwu, a gay Nigerian had been given a temporary reprieve from being deported. Saying he had been tortured and forced to watch his sisters being raped because he was gay the case will now be reinvestigated with another decision taken on September 28th.

3. The Washington Times Criticises Army General For Speaking Out Against DADT

The Washington Times has run an editorial criticising the views of Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, the Army’s deputy chief of staff, who stated last month that the who oppose LGBT members in the services are no longer welcome to be part of them. Saying that he was careless to say such a thing and should withdraw from any involvement with the Pentagon over it’s repeal, the editorial obviously doesn’t agree. Don’t know about you but we’re with Bostick on this one.

4. Is The LGBT Community Hindering It’s Own Fight With It’s Demeaning Language

In a post featured on both Gay Agenda and ChristianLGBTRights, Dr Jerry S Maneker asks whether the LGBT community using terms such as ” “Queer,” “Dyke,” “Fag,” and other such demeaning and hateful words” is acting to sabotage our fight for equal rights and “enhancing the rage of the homophobes, the oppressive abusers, many of whom would even kill them if they could get away with it”

5. Basketball Coach Dedicates His Efforts To Making Sure His Players Fight the “Lesbian Lifestyle”

Outsports reports on Jaye Collins, a basketball coach in Kentucky who has set up the Lady Legends program to try and persuade young girls they don’t have to enter into the prevalent lesbian and homosexual lifestyle that is found in womens sport in order to play sport. However whilst he doesn’t think that they should be pushing them to be gay he does think they should be pushed to “glorify God and please Jesus Christ in their decision making processes”

Photo by Alex Barth

Hope T. Bristol, a Broward County judge in Florida has ruled that the Florida gay adoption ban is unconstitutional. Making the statement as part of her ruling in a case that saw her approve Robert Lamarche’s adoption of a teenage boy who he has fostered for two years, but been unable to adopt because of his sexuality, Hope T. Bristol ruled the adoption was “is in the minor’s best interest” and that the state law banning adoption by gay men and lesbians is unconstitutional.

The Miami Herald reports that the state will not be objecting to the decision despite the current law that only allows gays and lesbians to adopt. It also did not make an statement about the unconstitutional ruling by Judge Hope. Lamarche’s case is the fourth to see a gay Floridian to emerge as an adoptive parent.

Photo credit: Jim Harmer

Writing on Death By 1000 Papercuts, “Red State Gal” adds herself to the list of conservatives who think that Glenn Beck has gone totally and utterly loopy by deciding to move away from condoning gay marriage and concluding it will cause the world to explode.

Saying that he, as a man, does not truly understand the problems that gay marriage pose she then goes on to explain just exactly why any of us gay types getting married will do the world harm stating that same sex marriage will act to prove that “individual and societal happiness is not dependent upon forming loving, equal partnerships with the other half of the human race“  and threaten every woman in the United States (personallywe don’t quite see how gay marriage will act to threaten all the gay women of the US or indeed any but anyway..).

Moving onto gay parenting there’s nearly a compliment when she says that gays can “certainly be great parents” but soon enough is taking it all back saying we act to teach children that no one needs a mother or father before picking on Neil Patrick Harris and his partner saying how they’ve “bought eggs and rented a womb in order to have twins” and by doing so are causing the “erasure of motherhood”.

And then we return to Beck once more where first she criticises him for not being a good Christian asking him when this standing back and letting things happen will end, using the shocking example of a time when, shock horror, “Disney creates its first “princess-princess” or “prince-prince” love story”, to then deciding the man is using some kind of reverse psychology urging everyone back to church to rediscover just how bad gay marriage is.

Nearly coming to her senses towards the end by concluding that “(m)aybe conservatives cannot stop same-sex marriage” she then begins condoning home schooling as the only real way to ensure their children never hear a word of gay marriage. Umm sounds like they’re going to come out as great rounded individuals…

Now really we don’t know where to start on all this so we’re going to hand it over to Eric, one of the commentators on the post, who does a great job of putting Red State Girl in her place.

So let me get this right. The big reason to be against same sex marriage is that it will some how prevent kids from being gay. That didn’t work out so well for the 30 million mothers who currently have gay children. Blocking same sex marriage isn’t going to magically turn gays straight. Let’s be honest making marriage availible to the LGBT community really won’t stop them from living together and raising children. It’s going to happen no matter what the marriage laws are. Taught in schools? What is preventing sexual orientation from being taught there now? Christianity? Only 70% of Americans think of themselves as Christian and Hindus and Buddists have very different veiws on sexuality. It’s time for conservatives to put thier energy where they have a chance of winning, and a chance to actually make a difference.

Photo credit: Chego101

The View’s Elisabeth Hasselbeck has said that her change of heart over gay marriage came about following a dinner with the lesbian singer Melissa Etheridge.

Saying that she’d spent hours discussing the issue with Etheridge, she then when on to say that anyone who thinks they are against gay marriage should actively try to talk to someone who has either been in a same sex marriage, or wants to have one and then see how they feel about the issue:

“I think there are a lot of, maybe, conservatives out there who are talking about gay marriage and not necessarily with someone who wants to have gay marriage or has been in a gay marriage,”

“You know, I had Melissa Etheridge over, we had dinner, we talked for hours about gay marriage, and I would really challenge people: Get out there. Instead of just talking about it and hating on it, actually talk to someone who’s loved someone else and have the conversation about what can be done.”

Via Showbiz Spy

When Elisabeth Hasselbeck revealed she was in support of gay marriage in an interview earlier this week, the thing she seemed to be most concerned about was  a negative reaction from the gay community. The reality though is it’s her conservative friends who actually have the problem with Americans for Truth About Homosexuality not only saying they disagree, but going as far as to condemn her saying she is abandoning her conservative and Christian principles.

Taking to their website to sking their supporters to contact Elisabeth to make her change her mind on the issue, AFTAH have also published a piece on their site where they not only call her a “pro-gay marriage sellout” who appears to “lack the courage to defend politically incorrect truths”, but also act to criticise her views on abortion and her disregard of the “timeless truth of Book of Genesis”.

Well with conservative friends like that around you, who needs enemies!

It should be noted AFTAH later published an apology for what they’d written and how wrong it was. Sadly however the only thing they felt they’d done wrong was spell her name wrong..

If you’ve ever seen the American show “The View” (it’s like “Loose Women but with better guests..) then you’ve probably spent a good part of that time getting annoyed by Elisabeth Hasselbeck and her super conservative views. Well frankly you’re not the only one.  She has been winding up the LGBT community for some of the things she’s come out with (for example she asked Portia De Rossi why the words “gay marriage” were so important and wasn’t it a bit like a woman saying she wanted to be as man when fighting for equal rights). However right now there seems to be a whole lot of gay love in the air for Hasselbeck, why?

Because Ms Uber conservative Elizabeth has, via in an interview with Fancast, come out in support of gay marriage, saying that whilst she does “ultra-ultra conservative” views in some areas, there are definitely others they don’t, and one of those is gay marriage.  However before you think she’s gone completely gay loving, you’d be wrong, as eve she seems rather defensive about her view:

I think the gay marriage thing would definitely surprise people. I mean, for some people, it will surprise them to the point that they won’t want to hear it. “No, that can’t be, I really want to have this sort of idea of her in my head,” so I sort of rain on their parade there.

Well actually Elisabeth we’re happy to prove you wrong. Yes we, as a community, have criticised you in the past, and frankly on many occasions it’s been for good reason, however being a group of people who know what it’s like to speak out and be saying things that others around you may not want to hear, we think you’re pretty darn cool for doing it and far from raining on our parade, you’ve brought a nice bit of Sun instead.