LGBT global news 24-7

Soccer star Robbie Rogers grateful for outpouring of support after coming out as gay

'Thank you everyone for all of the support and love. Wasn't expecting this'

President Obama honors PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford at The White House

'Her legacy carries on, every day, in the countless lives that she touched'

Los Angeles urged to cut Sister City ties with St. Petersburg due to anti-gay laws there

Russian city has been passing repressive laws directed at LGBT community

Senator Jeanne Shaheen pays moving tribute to late lesbian guardsman Charlie Morgan

Introducing bill to lift restriction of benefits of legally married gay and lesbian soldiers anbd veterans

Gay journalists group takes AP to task for its policy on how it refers to same-sex couples

AP uses couples or partners to describe people in civil unions or same-sex marriages

Leeds United and US soccer star Robbie Rogers comes out as gay

American international and ex Leeds United football star Robbie Rogers says he’s gay, coming out after 25 years, and quitting soccer

Gay MP responds to Welsh Secretary’s comments on gay parents

Labour MP Chris Bryant has asked the Welsh Secretary David Jones to retract his comments saying gay people 'clearly' could not raise children

Three in four HIV positive people cancel insurance after diagnosis

Study finds 76% of HIV positive people cancel their insurance even though they are likely to be covered

Gay couples cannot raise children, says Welsh Secretary

Conservative MP David Jones said gay people are unable to provide a 'warm and safe environment' for children

Gay teen banned from bringing male date to prom

Missouri teen is not allowed to bring his date as the county handbook states 'boys can only invite girls'

Washington DC is the gayest place in the US

DC is nearly twice as gay as Hawaii while North Dakota is the least gay state

Irish county to vote on gay marriage

Councilor Gillian Wharton-Slattery will ask Kerry County Council in Ireland to back a motion supporting marriage equality

No opt-out clause for anti-gay marriage registrars

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission has told UK MPs all registrars should be required to carry out ceremonies for same-sex couples

Italy's gays and lesbians stage mass kiss to demand their rights

On Valentine's night crowds of gays and lesbians have kissed in squares, supermarkets, post offices and hospitals to protest against the 'lack of rights'

Boy Scouts of America will hire criminals, but not gays

The American scout group's application form says it will not hire homosexuals 'in any capacity', but 'conviction of a crime is not an automatic bar to employment.'

Turkey's opposition party requests LGBT rights inquiry

Opposition party says the police are failing to protect LGBT people in Turkey

Gay teens first consider coming out at 13

An England-wide survey shows gay youth come out in their early teens, revealing progress in terms of visibility and equality

Trans women join One Billion Rising in the Philippines

Transgender women in the Philippines join day of action to end violence against women and girls

Lesbian couple try to register marriage in Bangkok

Two women requested a marriage certificate at Bang Rak district office in Bangkok to bring attention to the issue of same-sex marriage in Thailand

Christian conservative Pepperdine University to offer LGBT scholarship

Malibu school had previously rejected a gay-straight alliance on campus

Texas lawmaker Lon Burnam files marriage equality bill on Valentine's Day

Says denying all Texans marriage rights 'is detrimental to their families'

Illinois Senate passes same-sex marriage

Measure passes by 34-21 vote on Valentine's Day

Pressure increasing on Obama to sign Employment Non-Discrimination Act by executive order

Group of US senators send letter to president to end stalemate on ENDA

Belarus: no gay rights groups allowed here

Belarus's ministry of justice rejects gay rights group registration, while its members are subject to harassment from the authorities

Irish gay parenting study reveals major challenges

A research of LGBT parenting in Ireland found that many gay parents face legal and social difficulties

More than 40% of London has had or would have gay sex

New Time Out survey reveals what London does between the sheets, and gay sex seems to be very high on the list

Israeli girl wins court pay-out after mum's lesbian partner dies in fire

A court appeals committee instructed Israel's defense ministry to compensate a 3 year-old girl who lost her lesbian mother's partner in a fire incident