Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight fighter Nate Diaz has copped a 90 day suspension and has been fined $20,000 for using a homophobic slur against another fighter on Twitter.

Diaz had called bantamweight fighter Bryan Caraway ‘the biggest fag in the world,’ in a tweet.

During UFC 159 on April 27 fighter Pat Healy had originally been awarded Submission of the Night – worth a $65,000 fight bonus – however this had been given to Diaz instead after Healy tested positive for marijuana after the fight.

Soccer pro Robbie Rogers came out publicly as a gay man in February then promptly retired from the sport.

But he's been practicing in recent weeks with the Major League Soccer team the Los Angeles Galaxy including forward Landon Donovan.

If it works out that Rogers joins the team, he will become the first out player in the league, something Donovan thinks players and fans are ready for.

He said of Rogers: 'We recently had a player come play with us who has declared publicly that he's gay, and it's been a very, very good thing for our team.'

LGBT activists and allies held a San Francisco rally to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) by declaring Bradley Manning the People's Grand Marshal of city’s Pride.

Manning is the gay U.S. Army Private accused of divulging a massive amount of government documents to WikiLeaks and has been spending nearly three years in jail without trial.

The mayor of Montpellier, France announced that her city will celebrate the first gay marriage on 29 May.

The celebration will take place as soon as the French marriage equality law is officially promulgated, ten days after signed by president François Hollande and published in the Official Journal, explained today (18 May) the city’s mayor Hélène Mandroux.

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.

A tribunal has ruled that a former police officer was victim to homophobic and racist abuse while on the force.

An employment tribunal found that Kevin Maxwell suffered from ‘an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment’ as a gay black man working as a counter-terrorism officer.

The hearing was held because the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for law enforcement in greater London, was trying to appeal Maxwell's claims that he was fired unjustly.

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.

The Church of England has agreed the marriage equality law will protect it from legal challenges in the future.

In a briefing before the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill is discussed House of Commons on Monday (20 May), the Church said while they cannot support the bill, they do agree the government has ‘good intentions’.

A quadruple lock, which protects the Church of England as the state religion, states no religious organization or minister will be compelled to marry gay couples.

France has passed the final hurdle to make same-sex marriage law after the Constitutional Council ratified the legislation passed by parliament.

President Francois Hollande has promised to rapidly sign the bill as soon as possible.

Both France’s National Assembly and Senate had already passed same-sex marriage and adoption.

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.

Gay pop singer George Michael has been involved in a car crash on Britain’s M1.

An air ambulance, and other medics, were called to the incident which happened at 5.50pm yesterday (16 May) near the motorway’s (freeway) junction with the M25, the main ring-road around London.

Michael, 49, was a passenger in the car.

A statement from his publicist sent to GSN and other media said: ‘George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening, no third party was involved.