Established in 1989 with a team of 12, the Philadelphia Falcons soccer club has now grown to become a powerhouse club with over 150 members.

We spoke to club president Ed Argothy to find out about the club and its important outreach work in the local community.

What are the main things that the Philadelphia Falcons delivers for its members?

When James Dale was 19, he came out as a gay man in a newspaper article not knowing it would mean the end of his days as part of the Boy Scouts of America.

'The Boy Scouts saw that and they expelled me, severed my 12 year association with (the organization,' Dale said in interview released Wednesday (23 May) by GLAAD.

Dale is speaking out a day before the BSA's national board is due to vote on a proposed policy change that would no longer ban gay members but would still prevent gay adults from participating in any way.

Italian schools are the the most anti-gay environment for the young LGBT community of the Mediterranean country, a survey has revealed.

The study, commissioned and conducted by LGBT association Gay Center among 3,900 students from 16 schools, showed that, according to the 49% of the interviewees, Italian high schools are the worst context for growing LGBT people.

Gay Center’s president Fabrizio Marrazzo told Gay Star News: ‘When considering different minorities, the LGBT one is the most troubled, because LGBT students don’t get their parents’ support.

The Warwick Rowers will join guests on 14 June to celebrate the launch of the UK’s first sports training space for the LGBT community at the Birmingham LGBT Centre.

The Vault offers a variety of physical activities; Yoga, Pilates, Table Tennis, Dance and other fitness classes.

The first survey on homophobia in the workplace in China has found that only 6% of gay men and lesbians questioned are fully out at work.

The survey of 2,161 respondents found that 47.62% are fully in the closet at work and around 46% are out to some of their colleagues.

Over 50% had heard offensive words used about LGBT people, over 30% have heard or suffered personal attacks about sexual orientation and over 20% have resigned or considered resigning because of a hostile work environment.

The report, from Aibai LGBT rights group, also found: 

The murder of a New York City man early this morning is being investigated as a hate crime.

According to multiple reports, the 32-year-old was shot in Greenwich Village, a well known city neighborhood, early this morning (18 May). The name of the victim is being withheld until family are notified.

Allegedly the victim and culprit had a loud argument and shots were fired. The culprit ran, but was caught by the police approximately five blocks from the scene. The victim was transported to hospital where he died.

John Amaechi, the first former NBA player to ever come out, had some good and bad things to say about being gay in professional sport.

In an interview with UK-based online radio station Gaydio, Amaechi first gave his opinion on the importance of International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), a global day of awareness of anti-gay hate.

International rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its 2013 Hall of Shame for IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia) today.

Gambian president Yahya Jammeh was named for his 'persistent' homophobia. He directly addressed LGBT people in parliament in March saying 'if you are convicted of homosexuality in this country, there will be no mercy for offenders'.

HRW report that 20 people were charged with committing 'unnatural offenses' in the Gambia in 2012, but were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

After just 13 months on the job, GLAAD president Herndon Graddick has resigned.

'I'm proud to leave GLAAD with a stronger, more efficient organization and an incredibly talented and experienced Board and staff,' Graddick said in a statement. 'I'm happy the role I was able to play in advancing the need for our community to fully support the rights of our transgender brothers and sisters.'

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said ending homophobia is ‘critical’ to the UN’s work and called for an end to anti-gay laws and better education.

His comments were delivered today (17 May) at an event in The Hague, The Netherlands, to mark International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).

The speech was delivered on his behalf by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, in the presence of the new Queen of the Netherlands, Máxima.

Over 100,000 people from nations including Canada, France, UK, USA, Netherlands, Germany and Japan, say they still suffer from discrimination and harassment at home and in work.

The LGBT 2020 Homophobia Report from Out Now Global says homophobia is still endemic – even where gay marriage has been accepted.

A report launched in Kiev a day before the International Day Against Homophobia, shows that homophobia and anti LGBT discrimination is spiraling out of control in the Ukraine.

The 17 page report launched today (16 May), entitled ‘Nothing to be proud of: Discrimination against LGBTI people in Ukraine’, highlights a number of violent attacks on individuals.