Analysis: Pope's birthday a time for reflection
As Benedict XVI, 80 this week, approaches his third year of his Papal reign there is little evidence to suggest that he his about to loosen his conservative grip.
Since his election on April 19 2005, the leader of the world's 800 million Roman Catholics has taken an increasingly tough line in areas such abortion and same-sex marriage.
Rural gay project gets Lottery funding
An educational media charity has received a £76,000 Lottery grant to help sexual minorities in rural areas fight homophobia.
The Herefordshire's Rural Media Company won the cash for its "Sticks and Stones" project, a series of short films on how to fight homophobia in rural communities.
Around 50 young gay people from rural communities are expected to feature in the films.
Aruba must recognise Dutch gay weddings
The Netherlands' supreme court has ruled that legislation allowing same-sex unions must be recognized in Aruba, a constituent country of Holland.
The decision follows a row over a same-sex couple who were denied the right to register their union in Aruba's civil register.
Aruba refused to recognise same-sex marriages in 2005 although it did legalise homosexual relations between consenting adults in private.
Anglican head says Bible's "gay" message misinterpreted
The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused anti-gay conservative Christians of misinterpreting a key biblical passage written by Saint Paul almost 2,000 years ago.
Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, is on a visit to Canada.
"Many current ways of reading miss the actual direction of the passage," Williams said.
George Michael plays benefit gig for death sentence nurses
George Michael, the former Wham singer turned solo artist, will play a gig in Sofia in May to help raise awareness of the five Bulgarian nurses jailed in Libya.
The event, which forms part of the singer's summer tour, will campaign under the motto "You are not alone", a reference to the five nurses who were sentenced to death in Libya on changes of deliberately infecting 426 children with AIDS.
Rosie's gay family cruise faces Christian protest
Christian activists in Bermuda have protested against a gay family cruise that is scheduled to stop at the island in early July.
American talk show host Rosie O'Donnell, who is openly gay, will host the cruise which departs from New York on July 7.
The island's African Methodist denomination attacked the gay visitors during its annual conference earlier this month.
Yogyakarta Principles a milestone for LGBT rights
Human rights groups have launched a groundbreaking set of principles on sexual orientation and international law in a bid combat gender inequality and promote human rights across the globe.
The Yogyakarta Principles, named after the city whey they were adopted, were launched today by 29 international human rights experts at a UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.
Scott Long, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Programme at Human Rights Watch welcomed the strategy.
UK gay men flout anti-surrogacy laws
Dozens of gay men are turning to an American IVF programme for two-father families to get around British laws that prevent surrogacy.
As reported by PinkNews.co.uk earlier this month, The Fertility Institute, a clinic in Los Angeles, has started running a programme where male couples pay for eggs from a university student to be implanted in another woman, often from a working-class background, who carries the child.
Lesbian custody battle exposes legal ambiguity
A lesbian mother from the American state of Georgia caused outrage when she campaigned against the state's gay adoption laws in order to seek custody of her son.
36-year old Sara Wheeler arguing that Georgia's ambiguous position on gay adoption should reverse a decision which enabled her then partner, Missy Wheeler, to become the child's second parent.
Wheeler gave birth to her son Gavin by artificial insemination in 2000.
Activists go into the closet for IDAHO
Gay rights campaigners in Gloucestershire will be "coming in" this May to highlight the persecution of gays and lesbians.
As part of the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), activists will be spending hour-long shifts in a pub closet to raise awareness of laws across the world that discriminate against gay and lesbians.
The protest will take place at the Lockkeepers bar in Wallbridge, Stroud, on May 18.
Sex charity to hold a gay prom in south London
The UK's leading HIV and sexual health charity is holding its annual youth event in April, providing gay young people an informal space to engage with issues of health and sexuality and meet new people.
The Terrence Higgins Trust's youth service, NRG, is also holding prom for lesbian gay or bisexual under 21s and those who are questioning their sexuality.
'Moving On Up', will consist of workshops on topics ranging from hair and beauty to tai chi.
Nigerian gay group claim new law could create exodus
A gay rights pressure group has condemned Nigeria's anti-gay marriage bill, warning that its passing would cause significant problems for other countries.
Changing Attitudes Nigeria (CAN), an Anglican Church pressure group on LGBT rights, attacked a bill that would ban same-sex marriage and imprison anyone associated with promoting gay rights.
Davis Mac-Iyalla, head of Changing Attitudes Nigeria, warned that acceptance of the bill would see vast numbers of Nigerians fleeing.
Romeo and Romeo is latest from Matthew Bourne
One of Britain's most successful choreographers and the mastermind behind Swan Lake, plans to give Romeo a male lover in a gay adaptation of the Shakespearean classic Romeo and Juliet.
Following the international success of Swan Lake, which has been touring for over ten years, Matthew Bourne is turning his attention to Romeo, Romeo.
It is an adaptation of Sergei Prokofiev's ballet, which, like Swan Lake, will feature an all-male cast.
Swedes could be allowed gay church weddings
The Church of Sweden has given its support to proposals that would allow gay couples to marry in church ceremonies on the same basis as heterosexual couples.
An official government report, due to be presented next week, would amend existing marriage laws to ensure that all couples have the same marriage rights regardless of their sexual orientation.
Bishop Claes-Bertil Ytterberg, head of the Church of Sweden's Västerås diocese, signalled his support for the changes.
Gay rights activists rally in Rome
Thousands of Italians marched on Rome on Saturday to demand legal rights for unmarried same sex couples.
50,000 activists, including leftists from Prime Minister Romano Prodi's coalition, took to a Roman piazza and rallied in support for a bill that would offer greater legal protection to unmarried couples.
Some demonstrators wore bishop's mitres with slogans that attacked the Vatican.
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