Gay members of parliament have spoken out on equal marriage in the second reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill today (5 February).

Put forward by culture secretary and equalities minister Maria Miller, the House of Commons is debating the bill before the vote later tonight.

Stephen Williams, a Liberal Democrat who was the first openly gay MP to serve Bristol, said: ‘I was born when homosexuality was still a criminal offense.

Two British Christians who refused to do their jobs for gay people have lost their European Court of Human Rights appeal.

Lillian Ladele and Gary McFarlane both argued their beliefs meant they couldn’t work with gay and lesbian couples and that forcing them to do so amounted to discrimination.

But the court today (15 January) ruled against them with judges saying their rights had not been infringed by their employers.

A day after reports surfaced that James Henderson might be gay and involved with younger men, he was fired from his job as senior counsel at the American Center for Law & Justice which was founded by anti-gay televangelist Pat Robertson.

Henderson, a married man with eight children, was fired from ACLJ on 25 September. The group is not saying why he was let go but but does confirm his departure.

Televangelist Pat Robertson said this week that he wishes people demonstrating against fast food chain Chick-fil-A for its public stance against gay marriage and millions of dollars of contributions to anti-gay groups 'would shut their mouth.'

Robertson takes issue with college students around the US, including in New York, Virginia, North Carolina and Mississippi, who do not want a company they perceive as being against LGBT rights on their campuses.