Shifting sexuality is the media’s newest obsession. Especially when the sexuality involved happens to be that of an attractive, mature female celebrity, or ‘celesbian’ as they’re known in some quarters. No one’s getting agitated about the girls whose sexuality has been established for some time (Ellen) or those whose tastes seem to change by the minute (Lady Gaga). It’s the ones who were married for many years, who have children, and who have suddenly ‘become’ gay that are mesmerising the press.

You might be forgiven for wondering why fascination is taking hold now. Over the last few years the likes of the formerly-straight Cynthia Nixon and Portia De Rossi have made it known that their latest partner is not a man, but a woman. So why is the media making such a fuss about it currently? I mean, it’s good that women in strong, stable same-sex relationships are getting so much good press- it’s just rather mystifying that it’s being focused on so much right now.

But I reckon I might have the answer, and it’s pretty simple. These sexuality-swappers are gathering in number. What was once the occasional mystifying transformation from straight to gay, which happened so rarely that it could be dismissed as an interesting anomaly for the gossip pages, is now becoming more and more common. So much so that it can’t be ignored. And most importantly, if this many famous women are swapping their husbands for wives, then how much is this happening in the rest of society?

So now alongside Portia and Cynthia there is a gathering group of ex-straight, newfound lesbians hanging out on the pages of Heat. There’s Mary Portas and her glamorous fashion editor partner, musician Alison Goldfrapp, and Top Gun star Kelly McGillis to name a few.

But surely the journalists who write those shocked articles should know that this has been going on in the wider population, not just the liberal world of entertainment, for years. Have you noticed? People’s aunts, mothers, teachers, even grandmothers have been making the change. It is highly likely you know or know of someone in this exact position.

And it’s not only women in the 40-plus age bracket who are going through changes either. Younger people, who have consistently identified as heterosexual throughout their lives are now making the switch. It might be the case that your mate’s newest boyfriend isn’t a boy at all; it’s becoming a less and less radical situation. These ‘newlygays’ are appearing in all walks of life. It’s interesting to see how many high profile examples it has taken for the media to finally notice. 

The 65-year-old was strangled and beaten, while a note reportedly calling him a ‘batty man’ had been left at the crime scene, prompting suspicions that homophobia was the key motive for the crime.

Although Jamaican police have since claimed it is unlikely that this was a factor in the killing, the act has brought the issue of Jamaica’s culture of homophobic violence to the fore in the world’s media.

Fuelled by conservative religious beliefs, both Christian and Rastafarian, homophobia is rife and even Jamaican law can be said to support it; sex between two men carries a ten year jail sentence. The murder of John Terry, whether or not it was motivated by anti-gay sentiment, has highlighted a growing problem, and one which has been escalating in recent years.

In 2004 Brian Williamson, Jamaica’s most prominent gay rights activist and founder of J-FLAG, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays, was brutally murdered. According to reports at the time, a crowd of people gathered outside the scene of the crime, shouted abuse and celebrated his death by singing the homophobic Buju Banton song ‘Boom Bye Bye’. This murder and the subsequent public reaction goes some way to indicating the level of homophobia that gay people in Jamaica face. Even popular music is underpinned by prejudice, with stars such as Bounty Killer encouraging hate crime with their lyrics. Beatings, gang violence and murder are a constant threat, and many gay men and women live in fear of their safety.

Jamaica’s latent homophobia has also affected the fight against HIV. A 2004 report by Human Rights Watch titled ‘Hated to Death: Homophobia, Violence and Jamaica’s HIV/AIDS Epidemic’ stated that it is much more difficult to get safe sex advice, information about protecting oneself against the virus and practical defences like condoms when whole issue of gay sex is completely taboo. Discrimination exists within the health service, with reports that gay patients do not receive the care they are entitled to. Some HIV-positive patients have reported that healthcare workers have refused to treat or even touch them, and have disclosed their condition to others against their wishes, increasing the risk of homophobic abuse. If the situation continues as it is, Jamaica faces an increase in the number of people contracting HIV, a disease which could be preventable were it not for the health service’s homophobia.

Amnesty International has publicly condemned anti-gay attacks which have taken place in recent years. The organisation has said it is “particularly concerned by reports of mob violence against persons perceived as homosexuals who are targeted because of their appearance or behaviour, which seems to be increasing in frequency”. In a 2004 statement, Amnesty highlighted two incidents which typify this kind of violence. In one instance, people threw stones at mourners through a church window during the funeral of a man suspected to be gay, purposefully disrupting what should have been respectful ceremony. In another attack, a 30-strong mob chased and beat a group of men who had been dancing at a carnival, one of whom was hospitalised as a result of his injuries. Amnesty has said they are calling on Jamaican authorities to investigate the crimes thoroughly, though these examples constitute a minute proportion of the crimes perpetrated against gays and lesbians.

Human rights groups have been fighting Jamaica’s homophobia for years, and still the police and justice systems appear to turn a blind eye to anti-gay crime. When a gay police officer spoke out in a local newspaper in February 2008 about the fact that the police do not take violence against gays seriously enough, he was subsequently forced to leave his job and go into hiding, fearing for his life. In this climate of fear, in which victims cannot turn to the police for help, gay Jamaicans are finding it increasingly difficult to live openly.

Speaking to the New York Times last year, inspector Claude Smith, commander of Mandeville police station in Jamaica, said of gay people; “Based on the response of these mobs, people get very angry when they come across them. I don’t think they can survive in the open.”

Even with the support of external, international human rights organisations, the gay population of Jamaica faces an uncertain future. British honorary consul John Terry’s murder has simply brought to the fore a problem which may take decades to resolve.

But the fight against anti-gay lyrics in rap and reggae music has been going on for some time and this is simply the latest chapter in a tale involving the blurred boundaries around notions of freedom of expression, the right to express personal opinion through music, and what counts as homophobic hate crime with the potential to influence listeners towards a homophobic set of beliefs. While some lyricists argue that their words have been misconstrued and defend their music, there is no doubt that some artists are effectively committing criminal offences with the abusive content of their songs.

The recent pressure for the cancellation of Buju Banton’s shows was not the first time that action has been taken against performers who use music as a weapon. In 2003, reggae star Bounty Killer was forced to cancel concerts in Birmingham and London after OutRage! gay rights group spoke out in opposition. They wrote a no-holds-barred letter to the Metropolitan police, urging them to arrest Bounty Killer on charges of inciting violence with his lyrics, which advocate the burning, drowning and stoning of gay men. Police then warned the concert venues’ owners that they may be aiding and abetting a criminal offence if the reggae star performed his homophobic lyrics on their premises, and his gigs were duly abandoned. Peter Tatchell, who helped bring about the cancellations said at the time: “Our aim is to make Britain a no-go area for singers who incite violence against gay people and other minorities. We hope this victory will encourage people in other countries to campaign for the cancellation of these singer’s concerts. Hit them in the pocket where it hurts financially. Once they start losing money they’ll soon drop their homophobic lyrics.”

Another successful reggae artist, Beenie Man, who has duetted with Janet Jackson amongst others,has also been accused of verbally abusing gay people with his choice of lyrics. Via his music, he has not only expressed his wish to cut the throats of all gay men, but also suggested hanging lesbians with a piece of rope. A planned UK performance in 2004 was cancelled directly due to his lyrics, after he was prevented from entering the country by police. Beenie Man had also been expected to perform at the MTV Music Video Awards the same year, but was dropped from the line-up of possible acts after protests from anti-homophobia campaigners. Fearing that more cancellations might follow, he issued an apology, which was subsequently dismissed by gay groups as insincere. The Stop Murder Music campaign organised a petition entitled the Reggae Compassionate Act, which Beenie Man allegedly signed, and by doing so agreed to stop writing and performing songs with homophobic content. He was praised for this new stance, but later went back on his word by denying that he had ever made the agreement.

Perhaps the most mainstream rapper in the world, Eminem, has also been criticised in the past for his homophobic lyrics. In a song entitled Criminal on his second album, The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem’s lyrics include: “My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge/ That’ll stab you in the head, whether you’re a fag or lez/ Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest/ Pants or dress? Hate fags? The answer’s yes”. The fact that much of Eminem’s audience is under the age of 18 has called into question how much influence his words could be having on young people. However the rapper has since appeared on stage with Elton John, apparently to dispel rumours of his homophobia.

Censoring artists is always a controversial act, but campaigns like Stop Murder Music and change.org are crucial in helping to police the actions of lyricists whose words have the potiential to wield a great deal of influence amongst listeners. If a person who homophobically abuses or threatens a gay person in the street can be arrested for it, then it is only right to confront musicians whose homophobic abuse reaches hundreds of thousands of people every day.

The States of Jersey will decide in October whether gay couples should be legally recognised. If passed, the law will grant them the same rights as married heterosexual couples. Deputy chief minister Senator Philip Ozouf said, “There is a one off cost of perhaps £200,000 to £300,000 and we have to accept that there is an on-going cost for the States in allowing same-sex couples to have these rights.”

In addition there would be costs incurred in the process of changing current statutory laws that would be influenced by the new law, Senator Ozouf said.

Speaking on BBC Jersey, the senator stated: “I, from a personal point of view, feel very strongly that civil partnerships should be introduced.”

He added: “I think we have to accept that we are a small jurisdiction, there is a cost associated with this, there is a lot of law drafting and it is not a simple law that can just be passed by the States. There are all sorts of other statutes that will be affected by this – income tax law, health laws etc.”

Currently, Jersey’s same-sex couples do not have the same rights as heterosexual married couples and the proposed law change would redress the balance. The Civil Partnerships Act, which was passed in England and Wales four years ago, legally recognises unions between same-sex couples.

This might suggest that South Africa’s attitude to lesbian and gay people is a positive one, but while this celebration of gay life is taking place, three men are being tried for the rape and murder of Eudy Simelane, a high profile lesbian footballer.

Simelane, a player for Banyana Banyana and a prominent South African gay rights activist, was raped and stabbed to death in May 2008.

The three men, Khumbulani Magagula, Johannes Mahlangu and Themba Mvubu, face charges of murder, robbery and rape. Courts have already ruled the murder was not motivated by homophobia, despite Simelane’s sexuality being common knowledge.

Shortly after the murder, Carrie Shelver of People Opposed to Women Abuse said: “We believe that it is a homophobic hate crime simply by the fact that the victim in this case was a well known lesbian.”

Gay rights activists warn that ‘corrective’ gang rape has become a terrifying threat for gay women in the country, as a spate of attacks are suspected to have been motivated by the victims’ sexuality. Homophobic hate crimes are rife in South Africa, but these gang rapes, supposedly perpetrated in order to correct, or more likely punish lesbians for their orientation have created a new climate of fear.

In 2007, 34-year-old Sizakele Sigasa and 23-year-old Salome Masooa were raped, tortured and killed in Meadowlands, Soweto. Their hands were tied using their underwear and both were shot several times. In February 2006, lesbian Zoliswa Nonkonyane was murdered by a mob of 20 men. At least 31 murders of lesbians have been reported in the last ten years, with the likelihood that there have been more cases in which a homophobic motive has not been recorded.

But victims of hate-based crimes such as these are not suffieciently supported by the South African legal system, say gay rights advocates. The country was the first in the world to include protections against anti-gay discrimination in its constitution and the 2000 Equality Act specifically outlaws ‘hate crimes’, where people are targeted purely because of their identification as part of a group. Although this theoretically includes gay hate crimes, as yet it has only been used in cases involving racism.

South African police have been criticised by human rights organisations for failing to address homophobic crime. Gay rights group Triangle Project has claimed that police ignore reports from gay and lesbians that they had been assaulted or raped because of their sexual orientation and that some health workers had refused to help lesbians who had been raped.

According to a 2008 survey, 82 per cent of the adult population of South Africa thought that sex between two men or two women could be considered ‘always wrong’ as opposed to just 8 per cent who thought it was never wrong. The paper, from the Human Sciences Research Council, said: “Gay and lesbian identities continue to be characterised as ‘un-African’”. It added: “As the incidences of hate crimes against black lesbians and gay-bashing attest, the victory of constitutional equality clearly has not guaranteed the end to social discrimination.”

In the Simelane case, one man has already admitted robbery and murder and was subsequently sentenced to 32 years in prison. However, the judge stated that Simelane’s sexual orientation had “no significance” in the case, despite the fact that this was one in what seemed to be a series of rapes targeting lesbians. Commnenting on the judge’s statement, Phumi Mtetwa, executive director of the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project, said: “He failed to recognise that lesbians face rape and murder in South Africa.”

Despite the fact that some ways South Africa appears to be becoming more inclusive and less discriminatory, as the Out in Africa film festival attests, the country still appears to be rife with homophobia and the threat of hate-motivated rape and murder cannot be overcome until the police and judicial system change and address it directly.

In an interview, the star said his material about his own experiences does not always get a positive reception.

Amos told Time Out :”You can’t not feel the pressure. When I first started most of my material was just about general stuff. When I started doing shows which were more about me, and race, I started getting critics saying: ‘Oh, we’ve heard him talk about being black and gay before, it’s all hack!’”

He went on to highlight the lack of black, gay comics on the circuit and spoke about his worries for future generations of gay comedians from ethnic groups.

“Show me the other black gay comics who were talking about their experiences. I worry that if it doesn’t work out, then when’s the next guy going to get a chance?” he said.

Continuing on the subject of race discrimination, he criticised the ‘blinkered’ decision-makers who hold the reins of power in television: “I had a meeting with a well-known broadcaster’s production team a little while ago, when Richard Blackwood had his show, and one of them actually said to me: ‘The problem is – we’ve already got Richard. You two are too similar.’ But my set is nothing like Richard’s. He just meant we were both black. You wouldn’t ever hear two white stand-ups being talked about like that.”

The Tooting-born comedian has been a fixture on the comedy circuit for 12 years, but only publicly acknowledged his sexuality in 2006.

In 2008, he said he felt the need to “stand up and be counted” after a friend was killed in a homophobic attack.

Amos will be performing on Tuesday September 8th in Time Out presents For One Night Only at the Bloomsbury Theatre.

But UK girls loved it nonetheless. Or did we? Was it a question of watching the only thing that was actually about other gay girls? Because, let’s face it, Radio Times is hardly brimming with real, good quality lesbian drama. Sure, soap operas like Brookside and even Neighbours have offered a token nod to gay life, but aside from The L-Word there has been precious little representation of lesbian society.

The thing about The L Word is that we simultaneously love and hate its ridiculous plotlines, all-American glam girls and regularly unbelievable scripts. It is sheer escapism. But maybe we value it for the small element of reality that it managed to retain. For example, The L Word gave well-rounded personalities to ‘butch’ lesbian characters who until then had usually been reduced to a generic stereotype. It described the unfair treatment of gay people in the armed forces, and it showed the tangled web of relationships which all girls are familiar with.

Perhaps because of these few redeeming features we forgive The L Word for a multitude of sins. Because for the most part, its plotlines are way off the top of the Ridiculous Scale. For example, without wanting to spoil the final episode for those who haven’t seen it yet, I’m sure many of those who did would join me in asking ‘Who on earth was responsible for that?’.

While The L Word was no doubt a groundbreaking show when it first aired, and one which brought lesbian life to a hugely broad audience, isn’t it time that we had something a little more… real?

In the UK we did of course have Sugar Rush, a post-watershed teen drama based on Julie Burchill’s novel which delineated one girl’s crush and subsequent foray into lesbian life with humour and panache. And because it was so undoubtedly English, and wasn’t only filmed when the sun was shining, it gave a more honest account of what it is to be a young lesbian.

It seems TV bosses have finally listened to what the audience wants, with the news this week that there is to be a new lesbian series set in Glasgow from BBC3, while the producers of The L Word are creating a reality TV show titled The Real L Word. But do they really have to turn to reality TV, itself a worn-out genre, in order to bring a realistic representation of lesbian life to the screen? In a post-L Word landscape, what’s needed is creative, quality drama which doesn’t rely on sensational storylines and too much gloss, but depicts lesbians in a realistic light.

Focusing on the lives of real LA lesbians, producers hope the show will appeal to fans of the fictional drama starring Katherine Moennig and Clementine Ford.

Showtime has given the go-ahead for nine episodes of the new show, with L Word creator Ilene Chaiken at the helm.

Speaking of the forthcoming series, she said: “Even though we concluded our sixth season of ‘The L Word’ on Showtime this past March, I believe we are not nearly finished telling our ‘L Word’ stories.”

Chaiken continued: “Showtime has yet again come forward to continue with us this mission to entertain and enlighten and bring more ‘L’ to the world.”

However Showtime did not pick up Chaiken’s idea for an L Word spin-off, provisionally entitled The Farm, which was expected to star Leisha Hailey.

The Real L Word: Los Angeles is expected to air in the US in 2010.

The dessert giant has teamed up with Freedom to Marry, an equal rights group, to launch the new branding.

Hubby Hubby will be available across Vermont in Ben & Jerry’s parlours but Chubby Hubby tubs will not be officially renamed across the US. If this were to take place, the process would take the company another 18 months to revise and finalise.

A Ben and Jerry’s wedding truck will cross Vermont, from which free Hubby Hubby will be handed out to the public.

Speaking about the motive for the name change, Walt Freese, chief executive officer of Ben & Jerry’s said: “At the core of Ben & Jerry’s values we believe that social justice can and should be something that every human being is entitled to. From the very beginning of our 30-year history, we have supported equal rights for all people.”

Vermont joins New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa to become the fifth American state to officially legalise gay marriage.

The legalisation took place in April after the House voted 100-49, overriding a veto from Jim Douglas, the state governor.

Last night one couple took immediate advantage of the law taking effect by getting married just after midnight. However it is said that only a few couples had applied for marriage licences prior to Tuesday and most will take their time in planning their ceremonies.

The state of Vermont has been a forerunner in the fight for same-sex equality for some years, with the introduction of civil unions in 2000 sparking an influx of gay couples wanting to formalise their partnerships.

However, the news was not welcomed by all. An anti-gay group, Westboro Baptist Church, plans to stage a protest in the state capital Montpellier. The group, known for its slogan of ‘God Hates Fags’ believes that the deaths of American soldiers at war are an act of punishment from God in reaction to America’s growing tolerance of gay partnerships.

Although five US states have legalised gay marriage, it continues to be a contentious issue in many others, most notably in California where the legalisation of gay marriage was reversed. There was a state-wide vote in November 2008 on Proposition 8 which detailed that marriage should only be between a man and woman.

When that was passed, gay groups took the matter to the Supreme Court, in protest at the fact that a public vote was being used to establish human rights laws. But the Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, leaving hundreds of gay couples who had planned to marry in California in a state of limbo, and outraged at the state’s turnaround.

Members of Equality California are planning to get the issue back on the ballot in 2010, in an attempt to reverse the ban.

Keith Lewis, executive director of Miss California USA , said on Wednesday she had been sacked for failing to attend engagements

But Prejean has today disputed this claim. Speaking to Matt Lauer on the Today show, she said: “I’m here talking to you because of the answer I gave on that stage. It’s a test to Americans’ tolerance. It needs to be a two-way street and it’s not. This is about me stating my beliefs about same-sex marriage, and that’s the reason why we’re here today.”

Donald Trump, owner of the Miss California USA organisation has backed up Keith Lewis’s comments, reiterating that Prejean’s lack of commitment to her new role had cost her the job.

Speaking of the executive director, Prejean added: “Keith Lewis, he has his own hidden agenda. He has his own personal agenda. He obviously doesn’t agree with the beliefs that I have. Therefore, I am here today dethroned as Miss California because of that.”

She has since been replaced by Tami Farrell, who was runner up in the original contest.

Interviewed on Larry King’s talk show, Farrell gave a more diplomatic response to the gay marriage question, but seemed unwilling to reveal her personal views: “Honestly I think it’s a personal decision and I think it’s a civil rights issue and it’s something that we should let each state decide.I think it’s silly with all this controversy right now that the world is looking to beauty queens for the answer, that’s my honest opinion.”

The report came from the Council of State, the highest advisory body to the Dutch government. It said that religious schools can exclude gay teachers if their behaviour is contrary to school beliefs, regardless of whether it is outside the classroom.

The advisory paper, which had been prepared for the government, was leaked to a newspaper with Christian values, NRC Handelsblad reports.

Although it said schools must not discriminate, the report said they have the right to demand “explicit loyalty” from staff with regard to school ethos. The vast majority of religious schools are, like non-denominational schools, state-funded.

In April, the village of Emst saw a gay male teacher suspended after he spoke to fellow members of staff at the school where he worked about being in a relationship with another man.

According to the school board, his sexual orientation was in conflict with the school’s mission.

In the same month, the Dutch Labour party’s minister for education, Ronald Plasterk, wrote to high schools and primary schools saying that they should not exclude gay staff on the grounds of Christian beliefs.

The school’s dismissal of the teacher in Emst, and the leaked report from the Council of State both seem to contradict article one of the Dutch constitution which states that: “All persons in the Netherlands shall be treated equally in equal circumstances. Discrimination on the grounds of religion, belief, political opinion, race or sex or on any other grounds whatsoever shall not be permitted.”

The Netherlands’ current law on anti-discrimination policy states that no schools in the country, even religious schools, can allow the “single fact” of a person’s sexuality, race or gender to affect whether they are hired for a position, or dismissed.

However the law currently allows what is known as “additional behaviour” to be taken into consideration. If a teacher leads “a certain lifestyle” which the school that employs them considers contrary to what the institution represents, they could run the risk of dismissal.

The Council of State has suggested removing the “single fact” rule from the anti-discrimination law. It would instead allow schools to consider “additional circumstances” and make distinctions and decisions based on these.

While religious schools praised the Council’s report, which has yet to be officially released, it was met with condemnation by gay rights groups and left-wing parties.

They held a rally outside the 77th Precinct police house on Saturday to voice their outrage over claims the couple were brutally beaten by police in a homophobic attack.

The incident took place outside a club in Crowne Heights, Brooklyn, where the women were attending a party. The couple say the policemen hurled anti-gay and sexist abuse at them before beating and subsequently arresting them.

Tiffany Jimenez, one of the two women involved, gave a statement at the rally. She said: “All of a sudden the cops are pushing me. Next I was on the floor. I had no shoes on and they threw me on my back. I’m screaming and crying. I was in a dress and they rolled me over and my butt was exposed.”

The second woman involved in the alleged attack claims that several police officers beat her while she was lying on the pavement. They have called for officers to be fired over the incident.

After the rally, a march was led through the streets in which New York City Councillor Leticia James lent her support to the protest.

Chaz Bono, who lived as a lesbian called Chastity for nearly 20 years, is to undergo gender reassignment.

His publicist Howard Bragman said last night: “He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by loved ones. It is Chaz’s hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his coming out did nearly 20 years ago.”

LGBT organisations such as GLAAD have already given their support.

Bono, 40, is Cher’s only child with late husband Sonny Bono. He is a gay rights activist but also works as a musician, writer and actor. He wrote about his experience of coming out to his mother in the memoir Family Outing.

Bragman said he has already begun hormone therapy but it is not yet known whether he will be having gender reassignment surgery.

Ruben Noe Coronado, 25, who was born a woman, had stopped his course of hormone treatments in order to fall pregnant via artificial insemination. He had not yet had surgery to remove his female reproductive organs.

He decided to carry the babies himself after his wife was told she could no longer conceive. The couple are planning to try again, which means further interruption of his transisiton.

Coronado told El Mundo: “I started having a few problems this week, there were days when my belly was a little low and I was surprised. I went to the doctor and I had to undergo a surgical scrapping.”

American trans man Thomas Beatie gave birth to his second child on Tuesday. Born female, he has undergone some gender realignment surgery but, like Coronado, had kept his female reproductive organs.

Last year Spain passed a law allowing those with a “a sexual identity problem” to officially change their sexual status without gender realignment surgery.

Masculine-looking women with short hair and those who wore loose-fitting clothes were sent to what was known as the “butch wing”, or “stud wing” at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women.

The measures were taken in a bid to split up same-sex relationships between prisoners and stop sexual activity. However some straight women were also sent to the wing, based solely on their appearance, the Associated Press investigation showed.

Former prisoners have given interviews and written statements about their time in custody at Fluvanna. One inmate wrote: “This institution is run by homophobes”.

Former guard William Drumheller that the plan to separate lesbians from the rest of prison society was the brainchild of Building 5 manager Timothy Back. “I heard him say, ‘We’re going to break up some of these relationships, start a boys wing, and we’re going to take all these studs and put them together and see how they like looking at nothing but each other all day instead of their girlfriends,” Drumheller said.

Two other guards, said the plan to segregate certain inmates was common knowledge amongst guards. Yet Barbara Wheeler, one of the correctional centre’s wardens. denied that discriminatory separation had taken place.

The women were subject to further humiliation as staff reportedly referred to them as “the little boys”. The separation continued during meal times, as the group was taken to the cafeteria at different times from the rest of the prison population to ensure that they avoided any contact.

Civil rights advocates condemned the way the prison treated inmates for “looking gay” as unconstitutional punishment.

In May the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act, designed to protect inmates from violence, was passed by California’s state assembly. It was supported by gay rights groups who say LGBT prisoners are more likely to face abuse. Passing the bill was a step towards allowing more male-to-female trans people to be housed in women’s prisons.

A study by the University of California found that almost 60 per cent of trans prisoners being housed in male prisons have been sexually assaulted, a rate 13 times higher than the average, and were less likely to receive medical attention from guards than other inmates.

California state assembly member Tom Ammiano said: “All people deserve basic protections – including those serving time in our state prisons. No prisoner should fear for his or her life or be the target of abuse because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Miss California USA executive director Keith Lewis said in a statement that Prejean had been dismissed “solely on contract violations” and due to her “unwillingness to make appearances”.

Before being dethroned, she had caused controversy by saying marriage should be between “a man and a woman” at the Miss USA pageant in May.

Blogger Perez Hilton was one of the judges. When he asked her directly whether same-sex marriage should be legalised in all US states she replied: “In my country, in my family, I do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offence to anybody out there. But that’s how I was raised”.

Prejean managed to keep her title despite public anger over her opinions. She also survived the publication of a number of topless photos taken when she was 17.

Donald Trump, who runs the Miss California USA organisation, said: “I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honour her contract with the Miss California USA Organisation and I gave her the opportunity to do so.

“Unfortunately it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision. Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests.”

Trump was less generous in remarks to TMZ.com: “To me she was the sweetest thing. Everyone else, she treated like s–t.”

Prejean’s replacement as Miss California will be Tami Farrell, who was runner up in the original contest.

Interviewed on Larry King’s talk show, she gave a more diplomatic response to the gay marriage question, but seemed unwilling to reveal her personal views: “Honestly I think it’s a personal decision and I think it’s a civil rights issue and it’s something that we should let each state decide.I think it’s silly with all this controversy right now that the world is looking to beauty queens for the answer, that’s my honest opinion.”

The act, passed in 2004, currently forbids same-sex partnerships in buildings designed for religious purposes and states that they can only take place in a register office or approved premises.

However some faith groups have said they would like to perform civil partnership ceremonies on their premises but are unable to due to the law as it stands.

The online petition, which is on the Downing Street website, already has almost 650 signatures, more than the 500 needed for an official response.

If the petition were to provoke an amendment, churches would have the freedom to decide whether they want to hold same-sex partnership ceremonies.

The campaign, which was started by Andrew Falconer, a Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate in the Brighton Pavilion area, has received support from the Jewish Gay and Lesbian Group and the Brighton Metropolitan Community Church.

Civil partnerships give same-sex couples the same rights as marriage. Yet LGBT people who want to celebrate their partnership in a religious setting have never been able to do so.

Colin Coward, director of Changing Attitude, which works for gay, lesbian and bisexual affirmation within the Anglican Church, told PinkNews.co.uk that his organisation was “totally in support” of the petition and that they were planning to put a link on their website encouraging supporters to add their names to the list.

Changing Attitude’s main goals are working towards the church blessing same-sex partnerships and ordaining LGBT people. Coward said they would be discussing the proposed amendment of the Civil Partnership Act at a meeting of the General Synod this July.

Jonathan Blake, Archbishop of the Open Episcopal Church, also added his support for the petition, saying that the OEC have been pioneers in the fight for equality for gay partners.

He went on to say that ideally, the law should be even more inclusive, not limiting ceremonies to just specifically allocated venues, whether they be religious or secular:

“The hope is that we will have a more international approach in that registrars and religious marriages can go to any setting whatsoever. This, with parity for heterosexual and homosexual couples, would be perfect,” he said.

To sign the petition, click here

However, the chef denied calling her a lesbian during his abusive verbal attack on her at a live cooking show last weekend.

Speaking in an interview on Australian TV’s Channel 9, he said: “On my children’s life, I never ever called Tracy Grimshaw a lesbian.”

He went on to deny having likened Grimshaw to a naked woman with a pig’s face in a doctored picture.

“We had a picture of this lady on all fours. Someone cross-referenced Tracy, and I turned around and said ‘You’re going to get me into serious trouble, I did not say that was Tracy Grimshaw in that picture.’”

Ramsay continued: “When your mum rings you and starts giving you a bollocking down the telephone then of course you start to get the picture.”

When asked what his mother had said to him, he replied: “She was disgusted and wanted to know what actually happened,”

Speaking to interviewer Tony Jones and the off-screen camera crew, the Michelin starred chef said: “If any of you guys had called my wife a pig I’d punch your lights out.[...] Having a pratting-around joke from a man’s point of view about a renowned professional journalist and calling her a pig is not clever.”

Prompted by Jones, Ramsay went on to offer an apology.

“Tracy, where do I start? First of all, you’ve shown me great respect and amazing support over the last three or four years and I’d just like to take this opportunity to apologise for the stupid comments and am deeply mortified that the whole thing has gone this far. My apologies,” he said.

The interviewer challenged Ramsay to respond to prime minister Kevin Rudd’s recent condemnation of his abusive words. “When you’re visiting a country and that country’s prime minister refers to you as a lowlife that’s got to hurt.” Jones said.

In response Ramsay reiterated his denial: “Like I’ve said over the last 48 hours, I never called Tracy Grimshaw a lesbian. So when the prime minister refers to me as calling Tracy Grimshaw a lesbian pig it’s factually incorrect.”

Along with his on-air apology to Grimshaw, Ramsay later telephoned her to say sorry personally. Speaking on her TV show, Grimshaw said: “I didn’t expect Gordon Ramsay to apologise, I didn’t ask for it and I didn’t think it would help, but it has and I accept it.”

She went on to address why she had denied Ramsay’s accusations that she was a lesbian: “Finally let me clarify something that I feel is important. In all of the insults that were flung around, the insinuation that I was gay was not one of them.

“Some of my best friends are gay and their homosexuality is as irrelevant to me as my heterosexuality is to them. I addressed it on Monday purely because I wanted to rebuke him for taking a pot-shot at my personal life when his was so clearly off limits.”

See below for video.

Editor Jane Czyzselska said: “Since we launched 15 years ago, DIVA has become Britain’s leading lesbian brand. Like every woman on her birthday we wanted to feel special so we decided on a makeover – a new look and new content – that better reflects our readers and our growing influence.”

The new issue, on sale tomorrow, includes icons such as Sarah Waters, Sue Perkins and Whoopi Goldberg, along with more news, arts, sex and relationships coverage.

DIVA celebrated its 150th edition in November with a cover of 60 naked lesbians.