A peaceful gay activist has been pushed to the ground and beaten by Turkish police at an anti-government protest in Istanbul.

And three other LGBT protestors have been reported to have been verbally abused by the riot police who targeted them because of their sexuality.

All four are part of Istanbul’s Taksim Gezi Park protest that started in Turkey on 28 May.

The protests were sparked by outrage at a brutal eviction of a peaceful sit-in at the park protesting against its demolition.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was questioned on his commitment to LGBT Nigerians around the world.

In a special edition of BBC’s World Have Your Say program, David Cameron answered direct questions from viewers, where he was put to task about Britain’s response to Nigeria’s Jail All The Gays Bill.

The politician was also asked about the validity of the G8 summit, next week’s upcoming forum where the world’s eight wealthiest countries will discuss global issues. 

An Australian radio host is to be taken off the air after asking Prime Minister Julia Gillard if her partner is gay.

Today (13 June), Howard Sattler quizzed the political leader on the rumors surrounding Tim Mathieson’s sexuality.

The Australian political leader has often used the example of her relationship as why she does not support same-sex marriage, saying two people can be together and not be married.

Sattler said: ‘But you hear it, “He must be gay, he’s a hairdresser”.’

A French extremist gay hate group is being ordered to dissolve after the death of a gay rights activist and student in Paris.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has asked the Interior Minister to take steps to ‘immediately’ ban the Revolutionary Nationalist Youth (JNR), the AFP reports.

The JNR is the militant wing of far-right group Third Way, populated by skinheads, homophobes and racists.

It follows the death of Clement Méric, an 18-year-old who fought for marriage equality and against fascism, who was left braindead after an attack by skinheads.

Openly gay Asian peer, Lord Waheed Alli, has told the House of Lords that ‘different is different and equal is equal’.

He was commenting in the debate on the government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales which has already passed the elected House of Commons but now has to be approved, amended or rejected by the Lords.

Alli was one of the speakers opening the second day of the debate which yesterday saw some speakers claim the bill would lead to polygamy and lesbian queens reigning over Britain and the Commonwealth.

53 religious leaders from different faiths including Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism have written to PM David Cameron opposing gay marriage.

British newspaper The Telegraph reports that Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist leaders have joined in submitting an open letter to the British Prime Minister denouncing his plans for same-sex marriage to be debated in the House of Lords next week.

Around 500 people participated in rallies and a march for marriage equality today in Sydney.

The marchers assembled next to Sydney’s town hall and then marched through the city past Hyde Park and up Oxford Street to assemble at Taylor Square where they used chalk to remark a ‘rainbow crossing’ which had been controversially removed by the New South Wales state government.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said the equal marriage bill in England and Wales will help gay teens ‘stand that bill taller’ today.

The Conservative leader also attempted to heal divisions in his party by insisting marriage equality opponents were not ‘bigoted’.

UK Members of Parliament (MPs) have again backed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales.

It was the third and final reading of the bill in the House of Commons.

In the vote 366 MPs voted for the bill with 161 against, a landslide majority of 205.

The last two days have seen attempts by some Conservative backbench MPs to water down the bill, meaning marriage registrars could opt out of conducting same-sex weddings and teachers wouldn’t have to tell pupils that equal marriage was the law.

Both were rejected.

In a blog post, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and leadership rival for current leader Julia Gillard, has declared his support for same-sex marriage.

Rudd, who is a current Australian Labor Party backbencher said: ‘I have come to the conclusion that church and state can have different positions and practices on the question of same sex marriage. I believe the secular Australian state should be able to recognize same sex marriage.’

The new Italian government has stopped new Equality Minister Josefa Idem from pushing forward a new law on same-sex civil unions.

The new Prime Minister Enrico Letta said: ‘This is not on the government’s agenda.’

Interviewed by the Italian newspaper la Repubblica, Idem, who’s a former Olympic champion, said: ‘We don’t want class B citizens.

‘All citizens should have the same rights and the same duties. We have to start from civil unions, then we will able to speak about something else.’