The 2012 London mayoral hopeful had almost been clear of the controversy he prompted earlier this week when he said the Conservative party had been “riddled” with concealed homosexuality.

Asked by the Metro whether he feared a banking exodus, Mr Livingstone said: “Our only real competitor is New York.”

When Dubai was suggested, he told the paper: “Would you want to get your penis chopped off? A gay banker would get his penis cut off in Dubai.”

Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab British Understanding, said Mr Livingstone’s comment was “ridiculous”.

He said: “This is a desperate attempt to grab headlines using damaging stereotypes about chopping off body parts.

“It is true that many areas of the Arab world are not as tolerant towards homosexuals as we are in Britain, but many gay men travel to the region and work there and conduct their private lives in private.”

Dubai does penalise gay sex with up to 10 years in prison under Article 177 of its criminal code, but there is no requirement that offenders’ penises are removed.

Writing for PinkNews.co.uk yesterday, the leader of Lambeth Council Steve Reed said Mr Livingstone had broken “new ground” for gay Londoners during his eight year tenure as mayor.

In a joint statement between the group and former mayor of Lambeth Christopher Wellbelove, who strongly condemned the group for their opposition, the Friends said they would be working with gay and trans community members to benefit the common.

The Friends of Clapham Common had said last month a gay Pride House event due to be held on the common was “highly likely” to become a “magnet for undesirable elements of the gay community”.

The group had denied claims the objection, which was partly based on perceptions that the event was “exclusively” for the LGBT community, was homophobic, saying all communities have “undesirable elements”.

John Amaechi, openly gay former basketball player and Clapham resident, said the objection was based on “archaic stereotypes and a complete misrepresentation of the facts.

“Today’s LGBT community and their straight friends are as much about family and children, book clubs and Bikram yoga and indeed a fanatical support for the greatest sporting spectacle in our lifetime, as any other part of the community.

“To suggest greater numbers of ‘undesirable elements’ in the gay community is not only pure speculation, it’s an implicitly bigoted insinuation.”

Now, the group has said they wish “to apologise to the LGBT community for any offence caused” in their submission to Lambeth Council opposing Pride House.

It said: “Following a meeting between FCC Chairman Melanie Oxley and Councillor Christopher Wellbelove, who had raised concerns around comments in the FCC’s objections, they have agreed to work together to increase involvement by individuals from the LGBT and other minority groups in the local area, to help strengthen the great work done by the FCC in enhancing Clapham Common for the benefit of all in the community.

“They also agreed that should the Pride House event be approved, that they would work to ensure that the event is a success in the spirit of the Olympics, whilst minimising impact on the local area and ensuring that the Common is restored following this and other events during this exceptional period.”

The row about Ken Livingstone’s New Statesman article is entirely confected by a Tory party that is increasingly worried that Ken will win the Mayoral election. Ken’s campaign has momentum because of his ‘Fare Deal’ fares-cut plan, so the Tories have decided to sling some mud.

In his article Ken was welcoming the advance of LGBT people into politics, and pointing out the Tory hypocrisy that Labour broke down by scrapping the Tories’ anti-gay legislation, illegalizing hate crime, and introducing civil partnerships.

Brian Paddick is making a foolish mistake in jumping on the Tory bandwagon, a sign of desperation as the Lib Dem candidate struggles to avoid coming fourth behind the Greens.

I for one will be delighted if Ken is back in the Mayor’s office this May.

Above all because Ken will put Londoners first by protecting policing and cutting fares. In tough times like these, Londoners can’t afford a Tory mayor who is so out of touch that he is raising transport fares, cutting police numbers and thinks it’s fine to have a second job paying £250,000 a year – an amount he calls ‘chicken feed.’

But also I want a mayor who will not just pay lip-service to LGBT Londoners but will be proactive. These days London is lagging behind other major cities when it comes to promoting equality. That is the Tory mayor’s fault.

We do not have a mayor who wants to see London leads the world on LGBT rights. As mayor, Ken made sure London had the first civil partnerships register in the UK, the Greater London Authority was hailed as an exemplary organisation in the Stonewall Employers’ Index, he actively celebrated LGBT Pride from City Hall, and he helped lead the fight against anti-gay bullying in schools. Ken blocked the Sandals holiday company from advertising across the transport system as part of a campaign to force them to drop their ban on same-sex couples.

One of the reasons I joined the Labour party was because of Ken Livingstone’s actions in fighting for equality for lesbians and gay men at a time when it was politically difficult to do so. For gay men like me, young and coming to terms with their sexuality, things were difficult. The Tory Government was passing anti-gay legislation that labeled gay relationships second-class, and allowed employers to sack people because of their sexual orientation. People have forgotten just how tough it was in the 1980s, and how vital it was that a fearless and principled politician like Ken stood out so clearly for lesbian and gay equality. Ken broke new ground for equality and ensured there were voices to counter the widespread homophobia of the time.

There are no bold moves from City Hall under the current Tory mayor. The mayor was nowhere to be seen at Pride last year, the last Pride before the Olympics. He has cancelled the annual Pride reception. One of the first acts of his administration was to cut funding to Soho Pride. He withdrew the Greater London Authority from the Stonewall Index. He has given no lead to pressurise the government over cuts that will hurt LGBT London.

And in the past, while Ken fought homophobia, Boris Johnson reinforced it. He defended the anti-gay legislation Section 28. As Chris Bryant MP tweeted last night, Boris Johnson said of gay marriage: “If gay marriage was OK – and I was uncertain on the issue – then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog.”

Alan Duncan is wrong today when he talks about taking LGBT issues out of politics. There is more to do for as long as LGBT people are still subjected to hate-fuelled attacks, young LGBT people grow up afraid of their own identity, or older LGBT people live in fear and isolation. Ken will work with LGBT Londoners to make progress, while Boris Johnson does not. Ken will put his administration back in the Stonewall Index. He will campaign for same-sex marriage and LGBT rights. He will establish a Mayor’s LGBT Advisory Panel. He will speak up for our city when the Government’s policies damage or ignore LGBT London. He will work to tackle hate-crime. You don’t have to take my word for it – just compare Ken’s record with the current Tory mayor’s. That tells you precisely why LGBT London needs Ken Livingstone as mayor. 

Ken Livingstone is not homophobic. His use of the word riddled has to be judged in context. It was clearly not used with any homophobic intent. All parties have lots of gay and bisexual MPs, as Ken noted. He is right to state that there were many gay MPs in the Tory party, from the backbenches to the cabinet.

After Labour’s election victory in 1997 many gay Labour MPs came out, while gay Tories remained in the closet and continued to vote against gay equality. Ken was making a simple statement of fact,” added Mr Tatchell.

Ken is correct to suggest that in the 1980s and 90s the Conservative Party was avowedly anti-gay, while having many gay MPs. Lots of Tories opposed gay equality, despite their own homosexuality. They were hypocrites and homophobes. Ken is right to point this out.

In recent years, the Conservative leadership has embraced gay equality, which is commendable. However, only two weeks ago it was reported that 100 Tory MPs intend to block David Cameron’s plan to end the ban on same-sex marriage. They still oppose gay equality.

Ken was very wrong to invite the sexist, homophobic cleric, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to City Hall in 2004 but he should be judged on his overall record, which on gay rights is exceptionally good.

In the early 1980s, as leader of the Greater London Council, he pioneered gay rights policies that most MPs opposed at the time. It took many of them another 20 years to embrace gay equality. Ken supported the lesbian and gay community at a time when most other politicians did not. He deserves great credit.

In an interview with radio station LBC 97.3, on which Livingstone presents a weekly Saturday morning show, he said the Tory party had shown “real progress” from a time when MPs were forced to resign if “exposed” as gay.

Saying the party had “caught up” with Labour, Livingstone added: “There’s no harm being gay in the Tory party. It was actually a slightly back-handed compliment”.

Many were condemning the London mayoral candidate yesterday after previews were released of an interview he gave to the New Statesman.

In the interview, he condemns “hypocrisy, like some Tory MP denouncing homosexuality while they are indulging in it”.

He adds: “Well, the Labour [MPs] have all come out . . . As soon as Blair got in, if you came out as lesbian or gay you immediately got a job. It was wonderful . . . you just knew the Tory party was riddled with it like everywhere else is.”

Gay Tory MP Alan Duncan said: “Many of us have managed to take this issue out of politics. It’s inexcusable for him to try to reintroduce it.”

When asked whether the word ‘riddled’ was offensive, having connotations of disease, Livingstone said this morning his New Statesman interview was light-hearted and should not be taken seriously.

But pressed on people being upset, he replied: “Well, no. Tory MPs who did nothing to defend gay rights seized on this because they want to spend the entire election talking about anything except fare increases or police cuts.”

The former mayor said he did not regret the word, adding that he and Boris Johnson “do say what we think”.

Livingstone added that “not a single” Tory MP who had become “worked up” over his comment had objected to Boris Johnson’s comment ten years ago “that he couldn’t see the difference between a man marrying a man and a man marrying a dog.”

Boris Johnson said today: “The Mayor is proud of the excellent gay men who have worked for him – not least his deputy Richard Barnes and the late Simon Milton, who was one of the first prominent men in public life to have a civil partnership.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick said: “When the Daily Mail columnist Melanie Philips said similar things about me being promoted when I was a police officer, I sued her and won.

“When he talks about homosexuality in the Conservative party as being “riddled with it like everywhere else” his remarks are clearly homophobic. He is a political opportunist who likes to be controversial in order to draw attention to himself, I think his true feelings towards LGBT people have seeped out.”

Gay Labour MP Chris Bryant told the Daily Politics on BBC2 that Livingstone’s use of the word ‘riddled’ was “pretty daft [...] I’m not a fan of this word riddled at all.”

He added: “I disagree with Ken using the term riddled but Ken Livingstone is not a homophobe. He has battled for LGBT rights for years, even when it was profoundly unpopular.”

In 2006, at the launch of an anti-homophobic bullying campaign spearheaded by the gay rights charity Stonewall, Livinstone told PinkNews.co.uk: “In my school of two thousand boys, roughly a third, maybe a half of them, whilst never thinking of themselves as gay, engaged in sexual acts with other boys.

“We had no idea that what we were doing was anything other than ‘naughty’ and something that our teachers frowned upon.”

He added: “It was mainly driven by the fact that we weren’t having sex. I grew up in a world where the average man didn’t lose his virginity until he was 19 and the average woman until they were 21. Many not until the night of their marriage, only after a whole day of eating and drinking, when you’re hardly going to get the best results!

“My generation has been wholly envious of the generations that followed in relation to sex.”

Cohen, 29, discusses coming out to his Jewish family in the time of Section 28, when discussion about being gay was limited in schools. He also condemns reparative therapy for same sex attractions. His former school, JFS, was criticised last month for showing sixth form students a slide about gay cure treatments.

He says: “I first began the process of coming out when I was fifteen. For a few years, I wondered if the feelings I had would go away and maybe whether they were a test from God.

“When I look back at it now, I can’t believe how scared I was when I first started telling my family and friends. I knew that there were already openly gay people in my extended family and that my parents had a few gay friends. But I remembered a rather nasty comment my Dad said about gay people when I was younger, something I really focused on.

“In reality when I told my family, they were more surprised that my ex-boyfriend wasn’t Jewish than that he was a guy. They just wanted to me be happy and more recently, my Dad has become vocal advocates for LGBT rights in their professional and communal lives.

“Although, back when I came out were living in a totally different world, Section 28 meant homosexuality wasn’t really discussed in schools, there wasn’t an equal age of consent, no civil partnerships and no prospect of same sex marriage- something our prime minister wants to introduce.

“But I realise that despite the advances in equality, coming out is still difficult, especially if like me you come from a faith background. For some it’s not just about how your family reacts, it’s about how you fit into a community that you love.”

Cohen was a pupil at JFS, the school which came under fire last month for showing pupils a slide depicting the logo of a ‘gay cure’ group during a discussion on homosexuality.

He says: “Unfortunately some young people are still being told that homosexuality is a choice, a wrong choice, NOT something that you can’t help. In some religious institutions young people are being told about so called reparative therapy for same sex attraction. In other words, courses and treatments to turn you straight.

“I know people who’ve spent tens of thousands of pounds trying to unsuccessfully alter their sexuality and other people have harmed themselves after failing. On both sides of the Atlantic, medical associations condemn the practise.

“But, there is another way, I feel twice blessed that I was born into the Jewish and LGBT community and in part it’s because I’ve discovered that there are tens of thousands of people like me.

“In Britain we have Keshet UK, the national LGBT Jewish forum and groups including Gay Jews in London, JGLG, Engayje, the Gay and Lesbian Orthodox Network and Imaot v Avot – the group for LGBT parents. And in the wider faith community there’s the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, and Imaan the group for LGBT Muslims.

“The point is that there are people like you, lots of them and you’ll find by supporting each other, it gets better.”

Homosexuality has always been a hot potato in the Jewish community. Proponents argue that Judaism is homophobic while detractors insist they are just upholding the letter of the law.

The biblical injunction against homosexual activity is clear. People who want to conform to the Bible should not be condemned as homophobic anymore than critics of religion might be labelled theophobic. However, just because I maintain that homosexuality is wrong doesn’t mean I have to go beating the drum about it anymore than I might regularly preach against adultery. To be sure, there are times when public statements are deemed necessary, such as when same-sex marriages began to become legalised. Imagine the public outcry were bigamy to be declared legal. Similarly, when governments were voting with their feet to recognise same-sex marriages, it was only to be expected that moralists and religious leaders would speak out against. Still, even when it is considered necessary to protest, it remains imperative that basic sensitivity is maintained. A fundamental principle in Judaism, sadly lost on too many extremists today, is to condemn the action, never the person. Take for example the “Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews with a Homosexual Orientation in Our Community,” initially released in mid-2010. It was signed by dozens of leading Orthodox Rabbis across the Jewish world, making perfectly clear the traditional Jewish viewpoint on homosexuality, while also reassuring gay people that they are always welcome into Synagogues and communities.

Last week, the Jews Free School in London made headlines for teaching a class that homosexuality can be cured. According to a Jewish Chronicle report, as part of the school’s Jewish studies curriculum, pupils were shown a website from the American group JONAH – Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality, apparently introduced at the end of the textual study on homosexuality and the Orthodox viewpoint. Having met last night with Michael Glass, the Chair of Governors of JFS, he informs me that the school has issued a statement denying the reported sequence of events, and insisting it was something that formed part of a discussion, rather than an ideal that was being formally promoted.

Meanwhile, Holland’s Chief Rabbi, Aryeh Ralbag has been suspended for putting his signature to the JONAH mission statement that promotes the idea that homosexuality can be “mitigated and potentially eliminated.” This in turn has prompted a public outcry from the Conference of European Rabbis and others, arguing that to relieve a Chief Rabbi from his position for upholding an ancient biblical law, is deplorable, “verging on fascism.”

There is a difference between issuing a statement asserting the traditional Jewish view on homosexuality, and offering one’s own theory about “illness and cure.” The Bible condemns the act as an abomination, as it does eating bacon. Plain and simply put, it is forbidden. That’s where the scope of any Rabbi’s position should begin and end. If psychotherapists believe that sexual orientation can be altered, that is their remit. It’s not for Rabbis to go publically endorsing such a position, which is essentially saying, not only are you gay but you’re also mentally unstable. That’s crossing the line into condemning the person, not just the act.

Chief Rabbi Ralbag should not be relieved of his position for taking a religious stance on a traditional biblical position. That’s plain ludicrous. However, his sensitivity, and by extension his ability to reach out to his wider constituency, in endorsing a controversial statement regarding homosexuals, must surely be called into question.

Yitzchak Schochet is the Rabbi for Mill Hill United Synagogue and is responsible for family issues in the Chief Rabbi’s cabinet. He blogs at www.shul.co.uk/rabbi and can be followed on twitter @RabbiYYS

As with all “Comment” pieces, the views of Rabbi Schochet do not represent the views of PinkNews.co.uk

He added that London would “see through this fear-mongering rhetoric”.

The Friends of Clapham Common said last month a gay Pride House event due to be held on the common was “highly likely” to become a “magnet for undesirable elements of the gay community”.

The group denied claims the objection, which was partly based on perceptions that the event was “exclusively” for the LGBT community, was homophobic, saying all communities have “undesirable elements”.

John Amaechi, who came out in 2007 following his retirement from NBA basketball and now lives in Clapham, said the idea of Pride House turning the common into a “den of iniquity” showed the group to be “out of touch”.

An ambassador for Pride House, Amaechi told the Wandsworth Local Guardian: “These comments by the ‘Friends of Clapham Common’ are carefully worded to avoid overt homophobia, but they certainly imply a narrow, outdated understanding of the LGBT community and their friends.

“Their objections are based on archaic stereotypes and a complete misrepresentation of the facts.

“Today’s LGBT community and their straight friends are as much about family and children, book clubs and Bikram yoga and indeed a fanatical support for the greatest sporting spectacle in our lifetime, as any other part of the community.

“To suggest greater numbers of ‘undesirable elements’ in the gay community is not only pure speculation, it’s an implicitly bigoted insinuation.

“The Pride House complex will welcome everybody, and age-old clichés casually asserting that the gay and lesbian families in attendance will somehow turn Clapham Common into a den of iniquity, only indicate just how out of touch this group is with modern Britain.

“Having personally lived by the common for a decade, I know the people of London will see through this fear-mongering rhetoric and come along to celebrate together.”

The claims were part of a Lambeth Council consultation on Pride House, which will include live music, entertainment, LGBT art, sports and tournaments.

Creator Chad Molleken said it would “welcome athletes, dignitaries, media, Londoners and visitors from around the world with a dynamic and entertaining programme in support of the LGBT community”.

20,000 people are expected to attend Pride House during the Olympics. Stephen Fry and Peter Tatchell are among the patrons of the event.

Representatives for the voluntary Friends organisation, which works to “protect and improve” the common, did not return messages from PinkNews.co.uk after the objection was made public.

Christopher Wellbelove, now a Labour councillor, told PinkNews.co.uk: “This is a huge opportunity for Clapham and Lambeth to participate in London 2012, showing their support Team GB during the games together with LGBT athletes from around the world.

“The event will also be a stance against homophobia such as the very unfortunate comments in the objections by the Friends which I would be surprised if it was truly representative of the Friends as a whole.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and will be seen by people around the globe demonstrating London (and Clapham) as a diverse community and promote inclusion and diversity which their comments only demonstrate the need for such an event.”

Here are some of the photo highlights.

But Tower Hamlets Council told PinkNews.co.uk today no venues have been selected for review as they have not yet finished analysing their first consultation on the policy.

600 regulars of the White Swan on Commercial Road near Limehouse put their names to a petition saying they were “surprised and shocked” the venue was being “targeted for review”, the BBC reports.

The council had consulted last autumn to “gather community opinions on a draft policy which says that there is no location within Tower Hamlets suitable for sex establishments”.

The policy would allow the council to shut down venues which offered pole-dancing, lap-dancing and stripping in order to protect against exploitation of women.

The petition’s author said no women were involved in the gay comedy strip contest held on Wednesday evenings at the White Swan.

Daryl Stafford told the BBC “It certainly feels like it’s extremely homophobic.

“It feels as though it’s because it’s a gay venue and there are a lot of people on the council who do not approve of having a gay venue in the middle of their borough.”

But the council insists no venues have yet been selected for inclusion in the review.

The petition reads in part: “The White Swan, Commercial Road, E1 caters for the Gay community. It has been under the same management for twenty six years. There is no prostitution or exploitation on the premises and there has never been any complaint about the White Swan by residents, police or the licensing authorities.

“We are therefore surprised and shocked that a venue which has an international reputation, is being targeted for review by the Council as a so called “sex” establishment.

“We call on the Council to prove its commitment to equality and exclude the White Swan from this discriminatory policy.”

A council spokeswoman told PinkNews.co.uk: “No decision has been made at present.

“The council is part way through the analysis and evaluation of the sex establishment consultation that took place in autumn. There was a record number of responses to the consultation and it was clear that residents felt strongly about the matter.

“A consultation meeting was held with Rainbow Hamlets [Tower Hamlets' LGBT Community forum] and these views along with all of the others collected as part of the consultation process will be considered.

“No decision has been made in relation to which premises would be deemed to be sex establishments. National sex establishment legislation will be adhered if and when this process occurs.”

Barry Kirk, a co-ownder of the pub told the BBC: “We’ve survived a lot over the years.

“But Wednesday is our only busy weeknight. If they kill off our Wednesday nights, we’ll be threatened with closure.”

The leader of the Conservative group at Tower Hamlets, Peter Golds, said: “I, like most reasonably minded people, have concerns about scantily clad women being exploited.

“But consenting adults looking for a laugh, a joke and comedy is not exploitation.”

Jules Mattsson was 15 when he attended the parade in Romford, north east London in June 2010.

During the public event, Mr Mattsson’s solicitors say a police inspector told him he was “a public hazard” and his photography constituted “anti-social behaviour”.

They added: “He described the act of taking photographs as ‘silly’ and ‘gay’ and ‘stupid’.

“When [Jules] continued to state the lawfulness of his behaviour, the inspector declared it was ‘dangerous’ as he was ‘likely to be trampled on by soldiers’ from the parade.”

When he refused to stop taking pictures and recording his conversation with police, he was arrested for breaching the peace.

The police inspector told him: “You were being silly, you were running around being stupid and gay”.

Chez Cotton, of Bindmans LLP, said the inspector “attempted to justify his actions in shocking and absurd ways.”

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the settlement and the apology to the 16-year-old, who now works as a professional photographer, saying they had failed to “respect press freedom”.

Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall said: “It is a matter of grave concern that even now Metropolitan Police officers feel emboldened to use homophobic language like this.

“It further damages the confidence in the Metropolitan Police’s ability to protect the gay community in London.”

Sonia Burgess, 63, who was known professionally as David, died at Kings Cross station last October when she was hit by an incoming underground train.

Senthooran Kanagasingham, 35, of Cricklewood, denies murder but admits manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

According to the Evening Standard, Mr Kanagasingham, who has used the name Nina in the past and at the time of Ms Burgess’ death, now wishes to be regarded as male.

The Old Bailey heard today that Mr Kanagasingham, a Sri Lankan national, had been suffering mental health problems including depression and schizophrenia.

On the day of her death, Ms Burgess had accompanied Mr Kanagasingham to a GP appointment, where she had raised concerns about his mental health.

The court heard that Ms Burgess, who allowed the defendant to visit her flat to shower and discuss personal problems, feared that Mr Kanagasingham was becoming psychotic.

His lawyers say he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time.

But Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Kanagasingham’s actions were “entirely deliberate and executed with the intention of killing Sonia Burgess”.

He added: “After all, it could hardly have been done with any lesser intention than to send her to her death.”

The trial continues.

Runner up Collins was mentored by Take That star Gary Barlow.

The X Factor ‘winner’s song’ was ‘Cannonball’ by the Irish folk singer Damien Rice. When it was originally released in 2003, it only reached 32 in the UK Singles Chart. A year later when it was re-released it reached number 19.

The 23 year-old former hairdresser from Liverpool has been living with his boyfriend David Heath for some time. Heath is himself a former X Factor contestant, a member of the band Eton Road, who came fifth in the contest in 2006. Collins met Heath when he joined the band in 2007 to replace the then lead singer, although Collins himself left the band the following year.

Last month, it was reported that Collins, who is mixed race, was the victim of a racist and homophobic phone call. A source told The Sun that Collins received a phone call in the small hours that “was just full of hate and spewed all sorts of racist and anti-gay abuse.”

The source added: “He was saying, ‘You don’t deserve to be on the show. Who do you think you are?’ and calling him every name under the sun. Marcus couldn’t believe his ears and he couldn’t understand how anyone got hold of his number in the first place.”

Marcus was the first openly gay contestant to reach the grand final of the X Factor. Joe McElderry, who won the X Factor in 2009, came out a year later, last July after pranksters hacked into his Twitter account and outed him. Despite initially denying publicly that he was gay, the incident prompted him to come out to his mother.

Will Young, who won the precursor to the X Factor, Pop Idol, came out as gay shortly after winning the competition.

At an event tonight, held at London’s City Hall, details for the festival which will include live music, entertainment, LGBT art, sports and tournaments will be revealed.

Pride House is the brainchild of Canadian born Chad Molleken and is inspired by the success of Pride House Vancouver and Whistler at the 2010 Winter Games

“Next summer Pride House will welcome athletes, dignitaries, media, Londoners and visitors from around the world with a dynamic and entertaining programme in support of the LGBT community”, said Mr Molleken. “It has been extremely rewarding to see the interest and engagement from organisations and individuals from around the world and today we are proud to announce partnerships with the It Gets Better Project, UK Pride Sports, LGBT History Month and Diversity Role Models.”

Pride House’s launch event is sponsored by London & Partners, the official promotional organisation for the capital. Its chief executive Gordon Innes said: “We are really excited about the prospect of Pride House in London – it’s a fantastic opportunity for the capital to celebrate diversity in the community. The house will be a wonderful addition to the array of cultural and entertainment experiences and other houses which will be opening up across the city next year.”

Actor and author Stephen Fry has been named an ambassador of Pride House. He commented: “I’m very proud and pleased to be an ambassador for Pride House London. All eyes will be on London for the 2012 Games and Pride House is an idea that brings together so many of the elements that makes London one of the greatest cities in the world and a beacon of tolerance, diversity and pride. Pride House is a symbol of how London remains one of the most truly cosmopolitan and accepting cities in the world.”

Other patrons include former NBA basketball player John Amaechi, Team GB volleyball training squad member Claire Harvey, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, the chief executive of Diversity Role Models Suran Dickson, film producer David Furnish, author and journalist Dan Savage and New Zealand Olympic short-track speed skater Blake Skjellerup.

Last year, the organising committee of the London 2012 Olympic Games began to sell special pin badges aimed at LGBT people.

The £5 badges were be the first in a series highlighting the six ‘strands of diversity’ and feature the 2012 Games’ logo against a rainbow flag.

Organisers say: “The idea is simple; as a community, we dress up like we mean to party, then SWISH down Old Compton Street in colourful acknowledgement that we enjoy and respect life.

“The AIDS Swish is an affirmation – we’re here and we care, not just about ourselves but each other.”

The walk will begin at 6pm on the corner of Moor Street and Old Compton Street and will end at the Lo Profile bar on Wardour Street.

At 8pm, organisers promise all the bars in Soho will play ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor.

The event is not affiliated to any charity but seeks to promote awareness that London has no permanent AIDS Memorial, where people can gather “at any time, from any country, for any reason of remembrance”.

The London AIDS Memorial campaign says it aims to hold the SWISH as an annual event until a permanent space is achieved.

Stephen Fry has lent his support to the campaign saying: “A London memorial will serve, I believe, not just as a testament to all generations to come of what Britain and the world went through, but also as a fierce reminder that this scourge is far from over.”

“It is only right that London, so proud of its cultural influence, its fabulous entertainment, nightlife and its open and diverse attitude of welcome to all who visit and inhabit it, should proudly memorialise the fallen in the war against HIV.”

“It is a little shaming to think that, when one looks around the world, London is the most important city on earth not to have such a memorial and I hope that things will speedily come together to allow that to be put right.”

The AIDS Swish organisers asked: “Are you going to strut, swagger, shimmy, roller skate, stride, mince or sashay?

“We don’t care. We just want you to be there.”

Dr Alan McOwan, Lead Consultant at 56 Dean Street, said: “We will be using the world’s fastest HIV antibody test, which provides a result in just 60 seconds.

“One in 20 gay men in London has undiagnosed HIV and two-thirds of undiagnosed men think that they are negative. Testing early can add 16 years to someone’s life.”

G-A-Y will be donating £10 for every test performed at one of nine testing stations around the venue to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The record setting attempt will run from 2pm to 10pm on World AIDS Day, 1 December 2011, and will be held at the G-A-Y bar on Old Compton Street. Registration forms can be picked up from the venue in advance or completed on the day.

In April the London Specialist Commissioning Group changed rules on treatment regimens in order to tackle rising costs, the UKCAB said.

The group says the move may be taken up in other regions in England, and potentially in Scotland and Wales.

In a statement, the organisation said: “In response to these changes, and to get a clearer picture of how they are impacting people living with HIV, the UKCAB is undertaking a study of patients who have seen changes to their drug regimen since April, and of the experiences of people accessing HIV drugs from London HIV clinics.

“The survey will be available online for the next few months, and the information that we obtain from the data will be used to help UKCAB produce a report on how the new regime is affecting people living with HIV, positively or negatively.”

The survey can be accessed at the SurveyMonkey website, and is open to people living with HIV and receiving treatment in London.

An undercover investigation by Sky News has revealed that evangelical churches in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow have been telling worshippers that God can heal them of the virus.

The broadcaster sent three undercover reporters to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in the south London Borough of Southwark.

All of them were told by pastors they could be healed.

The team – who are all HIV positive – had water sprayed in their faces as part of the healing process.

They were also shouted at and told it would rid them of the devil.

One of the pastors, Rachel Holmes, told Sky News, that SCOAN has a “100% success rate”, adding: “if symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea persist, it is actually a sign of the virus leaving the body”.

The former Health Secretary Lord Fowler, who led the HIV/AIDS awareness drive in the 1980s, said SCOAN’s advice about the virus was dangerous and completely incorrect.

With the church being a registered charity, the UK’s Charity Commission has now launched an investigation.

SCOAN told Sky News: “We are not the Healer – God is the Healer. Never a sickness God cannot heal. Never a disease God cannot cure. Never a burden God cannot bear. Never a problem God cannot solve.

“To His power, nothing is impossible. We have not done anything to bring about healing, deliverance or prosperity. If somebody is healed, it is God who heals.

Last month, BBC London aired the findings of a similar investigation into the practice.

Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS support charities are appalled at the revelations.

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of the National Aids Trust told PinkNews.co.uk: ‘It is worrying and tragic that there are people living with HIV being told not to take their life-saving medication.

“Prayer and faith are very important to some people, but this should always be in addition to medical treatment rather than a substitute.

“It is a terrible abuse of trust and faith for these religious leaders to be misleading individuals and this is a serious issue which needs to be tackled.

“If a person with HIV stops taking their medication, there are not only grave health risks but it also increases the likelihood of passing the infection on to others”.

SCOAN is not the only church in the capital that has been offering dangerously incorrect advice about the virus.

A gay HIV positive man was also told to stop taking treatment by a church in north London.

His boyfriend is now believed to be ill with the virus. 

An investigation was launched immediately by the club after Elliott Whitehead’s comments were brought to officials’ attention by PinkNews.co.uk.

Stuart Reardon, who began his career at Bradford Bulls and currently plays for French side AC Carcassonne, appeared in a photo spread for Australian DNA magazine.

In many shots, he was shown without a shirt or only in underwear.

Reardon had commented during the accompanying interview, “I don’t think it matters if you’re gay in sport or any kind of job, really”, and this quote was printed on one double-page spread.

He posted an image of this spread to his Facebook account, to which 4,000 people have access.

On the afternoon of 6 November, Whitehead, 22, commented on the picture, saying: “This a gay mag or something!!! You have really let the bradford bus down with this fort better from u [sic]“.

A spokesman told PinkNews.co.uk the comment had been removed on Monday 20 November and Whitehead had apologised, saying his comment related only to Reardon’s pose.

Players are warned not to engage in activity on social media which could bring the sport into disrepute.

Bradford Bulls recently signed the government’s Charter for Action, which promotes equality and inclusiveness in sport and shows sporting organisations’ commitment to tackling homophobia and transphobia.

The incident will be referred to the sport’s governing body, the RFL, who are able to issue more stringent penalties if the club’s reaction is thought to be too lenient.

On joining the Charter this year, RFL Chairman Richard Lewis had said: “At the RFL we are committed to eradicating all traces of discrimination from our sport.

“The RFL is proud to have shown our commitment to ending homophobia and transphobia in sport by signing the LGBT charter and by continuing to work hard we can all come together to tackle this issue and kick all forms of discrimination in sport into touch.

“The challenge for us now is not to rest on our laurels but to keep developing our entire equality and diversity programmes and continue the impressive progress we have made in recent years.”

This summer, Whitehead, who was the club’s 2008 player of the year, had been banned for 5 games and fined £300 by the RFL for biting a player during a match.

This week, Welsh team the Ospreys fined player Kristian Phillips after he called a Big Brother contestant a “faggot”.

The honorary doctorate was awarded at the university’s graduation ceremony. It described Mr Tatchell as follows: “Campaigner, author, journalist and broadcaster, Peter Tatchell has devoted his life to speaking out against discrimination and injustice. Australian-born, he began campaigning for Aboriginal rights while still at school. He moved to London in 1971 and soon became a leading member of the Gay Liberation Front.

“In 1990 he co-founded gay rights group OutRage! and he has also spearheaded other long-running campaigns against apartheid, nuclear weapons, environmental degradation and the death penalty. His work to promote the enforcement of international human rights law has included efforts to secure the prosecution of Robert Mugabe and Henry Kissinger. He is currently leading the Equal Love campaign, aimed at ending the bans on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships.”

After the ceremony, Mr Tatchell said: “It is wonderful to be honoured by my local university, with which I have been associated for nearly 30 years as an occasional guest speaker. I am grateful to receive this recognition for my four decades promoting the enforcement of human rights law and, in particular, my innovative use of the power of citizen’s arrest in a bid to bring President Mugabe to justice for the crime of torture.

“My contribution to human rights is small. But together with many others I have contributed to major gay law reforms and other human rights advances. Our collective efforts have made a positive difference. I dedicate my acceptance of this award to the heroic democracy, human rights and social justice activists in Uganda who are campaigning against the increasingly authoritarian regime of President Yoweri Museveni. Many of them have been arrested, beaten, tortured and jailed. I salute their extraordinary courage.”

Mr Tatchell added: “I dedicate my acceptance of this award to the heroic democracy, human rights, LGBTI and social justice activists in Uganda who are campaigning against the corrupt, authoritarian regime of President Yoweri Museveni. Many of them have been arrested, beaten, tortured and jailed. I walk in their shadow and salute their extraordinary courage.”

Last September, Southwark Council fixed a blue plaque outside the flat that has for many years was the headquarters of his human rights campaigns.

The plaque unveiled by the actor and Stonewall co-founder Sir Ian McKellen reads: “Peter Tatchell. Born 1952. Campaigner for human rights, gay freedom and social justice. Lived Here. Voted by the people.”

Unusually, Southwark Council occasionally awards blue plaques to living people. The honour given to Mr Tatchell was awarded after a vote by residents.

Last summer, Mr Tatchell was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Sussex.