For the first time in history, an openly lesbian activist has become a local councillor in Rome, the city of the Holy See.

And she wants to unite the LGBT population of the city to make the eternal city a gay capital in the style of London, New York or Berlin.

Imma Battaglia, 53, has been elected for the Sinistra, Ecologia e Libertà party, led by gay Puglia governor Nichi Vendola.

Battaglia organized the first official Italian pride in 1994. And she was also in charge of the World Pride 2000, organized in Rome in the year of the Catholic Jubilee.

While the gay equality movement in the US has made recent strides, from the abolition of Don't Ask, Don't Tell to the increasing number of states where gay marriage is legal, too many transgender men and women still live in the shadows.

National Public Radio aired a piece (15 June) on the lives of transgender Americans, specifically teenagers and young adults.

Pride Scotia kicked-off earlier today, with a colorful march outside the Scottish Parliament participants made their way through the old town, all the way to Bristo Square.

The atmosphere was festive with people sporting costumes, while some participants appeared wearing bridal veils in support of the last push to legalize marriage equality in Scotland.

The bi-annual march aims to promote equality and diversity, as well as highlighting LGBT rights issue in Scotland, focusing this year on gay marriage.

As the controversial Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, heads out of office, Iranians are at the polls today (14 June) to vote for a new president.

But what will this election mean for LGBT Iranians? Are any of the candidates likely to improve the situation for gays and lesbians in Iran, who face systematic persecution? Is there an end in sight to Iran’s hard-line anti-LGBT policies?

England and South Africa cricket stars took time out from the ICC Champions Trophy to get tested for HIV.

Players from the South Africa team – JP Duminy, David Miller, Aaron Phangiso, Farhaan Behardien and assistant coach Russell Domingo – also met people living with HIV in Wales to learn about the stigma they experience in everyday life.

While England players James Tredwell, Ravi Bopara and Jos Buttler visited gay HIV charities Terrence Higgins Trust and The Food Chain in London on Tuesday (12 June)

Eight gay workers were arrested today (13 June) as they protested at the door of House Speaker John Boehner. The activists demanded the speaker bring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to a vote.

ENDA establishes national protections preventing employers from discriminating against an employee due to sexual orientation or gender identity.

Meet Kent and Diego Love-Ramirez, the two fathers of two-year-old Lucas.

The two Michigan dads have been invited to the White House for the Father’s Day celebrations this Friday (14 June).  

Back in 2011, the two dads were there when Lucas was born. In Love-Ramirez’s words, they have been ‘very attentive and very intentional parents’ ever since.

When the invitation arrived last week from the White House, they considered it an honor and a validation.

Meet Jonathan Allen, a 20-year-old from Tennessee. On his 18^th birthday, his parents decided to kick him out for being gay.

An incredible opera singer, he decided to show his family they had missed out on supporting their gifted son by performing on America’s Got Talent.

‘My parents, they didn’t really support my lifestyle,’ Allen said.

‘I haven’t seen my parents in about two and a half years. I love them with all my heart. I don’t know if they still love me. It’s been difficult and music is what makes me feel like I belong.’

As Kelly Clarkson's song What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) played ocver the loudspeakers on the grounds of the VA Center in Los Angeles, Sean Mamola stood waiting for the last rider to cross the finish line of the 2013 edition of AIDS/LifeCycle.

The New York City resident (pictured, right) had finished the 570-mile trek from San Francisco to Los Angeles a few hours earlier but like the thousands of others at Saturday's Finish Line Festival, he wasn't ready for the experience to end.

A jury on Monday (10 June) took just 29 minutes to clear actor Andrew Lancel of Coronation Street fame on all counts in a child sex abuse case.

Lancel, 42, had been accused of sexually assaulting a boy aged 14 and 15 in the mid-1990s. Lancel said during the trial that his accuser, now a ballet dancer, was a close friend of 20 years.

After the verdict was read, the actor - whose real name is Andrew Watkinson - bit his lip and looked to the ceiling of Liverpool Crown Court. His wife, Louise, burst into tears.

Day one of the three-day LA Pride Festival belonged to the ladies and one lady in particular: Ivy Bottini.

Bottini (pictured) was honored Friday (7 June) for her more than 45 years of activism on behalf of women's and LGBT equality.

We’ve all heard of brotherly love, but two siblings decided to take it one next step further in a ‘doomed’ scam.

Australian brothers Bill Karras, 41, and Jim Karras, 34, decided to pose as a gay couple to avoid paying AU$7,000 ($6.6k,  €5k) and other taxes.

With the younger brother posing as ‘Dimitris Saravakos’, the siblings tricked the Victoria State Revenue Office by emailing them a picture of them hugging and individual shots of them wearing blonde wigs.