Gay Star News joined forces with the UK capital’s talented LGBT singers and musicians to make a video to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).

While reports out for IDAHO today (17 May) again show the shocking levels of abuse, harassment, discrimination, violence and even murder faced by the world’s LGBT citizens, the GSN video tries to bring some hope.

The head of the Families Commission in New Zealand has announced she is joining the anti-gay Conservative Party, prompting MPs to denounce her move as a conflict of interest.

Christine Rankin, former head of the Department of Work and Income, announced on Facebook that she has been appointed chief executive of New Zealand's Conservative Party. 'My admiration for the party and its leader has continued to grow over the past year or so,' she said.

Armed with placards and rainbow paint, about forty people turned out last night (10 May) to highlight Sean Bailey’s treatment within McDonald’s management at a central Auckland store.

Earlier this week the 19-year-old told media he had been asked to 'stop acting so gay' by management. He was also told: 'If you turn anyone in the store gay you will be fired.'

The most vocal opponent to marriage equality during the recent debate in New Zealand, Family First NZ, says it is going to be deregistered as a charity.

National director Boc McCoskrie said the Charities Commission has contacted him to say it intends to deregister his organization. He believes the decision is 'highly politicized'.

'[This is] grim evidence that groups that think differently to the prevailing politically correct view will be targeted in an attempt to shut them up,' McCoskrie said.

The world's first transgender MP, New Zealand's Georgina Beyer, is seriously ill with chronic kidney failure.

Beyer had been about to announce her candidacy in the Wellington mayoral election. She has not confirmed if she will no longer stand, but her illness means she has to have dialysis four times a week for the rest of her life, unless she gets a kidney transplant.

'I'm sure as hell not going to sit back and think, "woe is me",' said the 55-year-old in an interview with Woman's Day magazine.

Australian independent MP Tony Windsor has proposed that the nation say yes or no to gay marriage in a referendum in September.

Windsor suggests taking the issue 'out of the hands of the politicians' and letting the public vote on the issue on the day of the general election - 14 September.

The government is planning to hold a referendum on recognizing local government in the constitution on that day, so it would not be much of an extra cost to include an extra question on the ballot paper.

Openly gay pop star Ricky Martin has taken to Twitter to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Zealand and says that marriage equality in Australia is inevitable.

Martin is in Australia to star as one of the celebrity coaches on the Australian version of The Voice and used his Twitter account to post a YouTube video of the aftermath of the passing of New Zealand’s same-sex marriage bill in which MPs burst into applause and then rose to sing a traditional Maori love song.

A billboard erected by New Zealand beer company Tui after the country legalized same-sex marriage has been criticized as homophobic.

Tui billboards typically state something that is unlikely for anyone to say followed by the phrase, ‘Yeah, right!’ – meaning ‘as if anyone would ever say that!’

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has written a letter to the New South Wales tourism minister asking him to ensure that the 7th World Congress of Families, being held in Sydney next month, does not include hate speech.

The 'family values' conference includes presentations from New Zealand anti-gay marriage campaigner Bob McCoskrie and Dr Miriam Grossman, who believes it is possible to change someone's sexual orientation through therapy.

An 18-year-old drag queen has sashayed her way to global fame on New Zealand’s version of The X Factor.

With a vivacious personality and a voice to back it up, Ashley Tonga impressed in her first audition.

Singing ‘Proud Mary’, she sold it all the way down the river and had the judges clamoring for more.

Looking at the 200,000 plus views in just two days, it’s clear that while she may not be the most polished singer, she’s a great entertainer.

New Zealand has shown recently it is no stranger to viral videos.

The leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand Colin Craig has threatened a satirical website The Civilian with legal action for saying he said recent floods were God's revenge for the country passing same-sex marriage legislation.

In an article headlined 'Maurice Williamson looking pretty stupid after floods', the Kiwi version of The Onion quoted Craig saying:

'Williamson likes to talk about big gay rainbows, but it would help if he understood what the rainbow actually means.

The head of the Catholic church in New Zealand has responded to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country last week.

Archbishop John Dew of Wellington said:

'We find it bizarre that what has been discarded is an understanding of marriage that has its origin in human nature and is common to every culture.'

The Archbishop added 'we know many New Zealanders stand with us in this', Catholic News Agency reports.