Feature: The top US LGBT stories of 2012

9 – Children take sides on the equal marriage battle

The  committee at the Maryland state senate, where equal marriage legislation was being considered, heard the birthday wish of a 14-year-old girl: to keep the ban on gay marriage.

Home-schooled Sarah Crank told lawmakers it “would be the best birthday present ever if you would vote no on gay marriage”.

Sorry to have ruined your birthday, Sarah.

Another little girl was surprised to get a reply to a letter she sent to President Barack Obama. She had written to tell him that she appreciated his acceptance of the love between same-sex couples. President Obama apologised for not having made dinner at her house, after she invited him.

8 – George Clooney said he wouldn’t deny rumours that he was gay, in case it could be construed that he was suggesting it was a bad thing

George Clooney said he would never deny rumours that he might be gay because it would be “unfair and unkind” to the gay community to give someone the opportunity to make it “seem like being gay is a bad thing”.

The actor, now 51, said he believed equality “will soon be the law of the land”.

On marriage, Clooney has made it clear that he believes it is a civil rights issue to give gays the same rights as straight couples.

7 – Video: A pastor called for the death of gay and lesbian people

A pastor from North Carolina was recorded, in opposing President Obama’s endorsement of equal marriage, calling for gay men and lesbians to be put in an electrified penitentiary and be ultimately killed off.

The pastor, who has been identified in the YouTube video as Charles L Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, North Carolina, said in the video: “Build a great, big, large fence — 150 or 100 mile long — put all the lesbians in there…”

He continues in the video: ”Do the same thing for the queers and the homosexuals and have that fence electrified so they can’t get out…and you know what, in a few years, they’ll die out…do you know why? They can’t reproduce!”