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About Barry Duke

Veteran journalist Barry Duke, born in South Africa in 1947, settled in the UK in 1973, where he became actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement and gay rights organisations. A militant atheist, he joined the National Secular Society (NSS) and was a co-founder in 1979 of the Gay Humanist Group which changed its name to the Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association in 1987. In 2017 he was handed a Lifetime Achievement award by the NSS for his "spirited opposition to religious intolerance and irrationality" in his roles as a free speech advocate and his work as editor of the Freethinker and the Pink Triangle Trust website. In 2022, when the Freethinker suddenly went "woke", he was summarily sacked for being too aggressively atheistic. In 2017 he was married to his partner of 25 years, Marcus Robinson, in Gibraltar. The couple live in Benidorm, Spain.
Latest Posts | By Barry Duke
Spain approves new laws that will give gays and transgenders even greater protection
7 months ago

Spain approves new laws that will give gays and transgenders even greater protection

The Spanish government has approved measures that will strengthen protections already afforded to LGBT+ communities by, among other thing, recognising the rights of trans people’s “to be who they …
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Religious groups voice concerns over the repeal of Singapore’s archaic anti-gay law
7 months ago

Religious groups voice concerns over the repeal of Singapore’s archaic anti-gay law

Addressing a National Day Rally this weekend, Singapore’s Prime Minister said that previous pressure to retain Section 377A was made “particularly” by the the country’s “Muslims, Catholics and many …
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‘Blasphemous’ bikinis: Christian fury past and present
7 months ago

‘Blasphemous’ bikinis: Christian fury past and present

Towering above Benidorm, my home city and a magnet to millions of holidaymakers each year—especially from the UK—is a bloody great cross that serves as a reminder of Christian …
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Islamic extremist who knifed Salman Rushdie hailed as a ‘hero’ in Iran
7 months ago

Islamic extremist who knifed Salman Rushdie hailed as a ‘hero’ in Iran

Following the vicious knife attack in New York yesterday (Friday) on the internationally renowned author, “ultra-conservative” Iranian newspaper Kayhan, today ran a piece praising the assailant, Hadi Matar, 24—described in …
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Archbishop of Canterbury ‘loses plot on sexuality’
7 months ago

Archbishop of Canterbury ‘loses plot on sexuality’

The once-in-a decade conference that brings together Anglicans from all over the globe to bicker, squabble and agonise over the issue of sexuality is mercifully done and dusted, leaving …
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Flamboyant preacher and wife robbed of jewelry worth $1-m while leading a church service
7 months ago

Flamboyant preacher and wife robbed of jewelry worth $1-m while leading a church service

For centuries religion has proved a fertile breeding ground for scamsters and hatemongers. And, for over 50 years, I have reported on a huge number of crimes committed by …
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‘Finely frocked gang’ of Anglicans have made a ‘horrible mistake’
8 months ago

‘Finely frocked gang’ of Anglicans have made a ‘horrible mistake’

Openly-gay Toksvik warned on Twitter that the lives of LGBTQ+ people were at stake after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, affirmed the validity of Church of England resolution …
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Catholic school trustee compared homosexuality to paedophilia and cannibalism
8 months ago

Catholic school trustee compared homosexuality to paedophilia and cannibalism

Back in November 2019, the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) decided to censure and impose sanctions on Del Grande who made homophobic comments at a public meeting, comparing LGBTQ …
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Christian science professor suggests ‘a cure for homosexuality’
8 months ago

Christian science professor suggests ‘a cure for homosexuality’

The University of Texas at Dallas has announced that it is investigating complaints that series of tweets posted last month by Farage in the wake of monkeypox infections were …
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UK swimming champion Tom Daley condemns homophobia at the Commonwealth Games
8 months ago

UK swimming champion Tom Daley condemns homophobia at the Commonwealth Games

Ahead of the start of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on July 28, Daley, condemned the persecution of LGBT+ people in almost two-thirds of Commonwealth countries. He pointed out …
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