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.

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.

Gay couples across Brazil can begin applying for marriage licenses with or without a marriage equality law passed by the country's congress, according to a ruling Tuesday (14 May) by Brazil's top judicial panel.

The National Council of Justice said government offices in Brazil do not have the legal standing to deny the licenses to same-sex couples.

The US House of Representatives has issued its first ever spousal ID to the same-sex partner of a member of Congress.

Democratic Representative Mark Pocan’s husband Philip Frank received the ID on April 26 after the House of Representatives Sergeant At Arms informed Pocan that his husband was now eligible to receive a spousal ID.

Previously Philip Frank had had to use a ‘designee’ ID which merely recognized him as a guest of Pocan’s in the House of Representatives.

The British government have announced the dates for the next step towards legalizing marriage equality in England and Wales.

Andrew Lansley, the Leader of the House of Commons, told members of parliament the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill will be debated on 20 and 21 May.

It follows the second reading of the bill, which was approved by a 225 vote majority in February.

Minnesota could become the 12th US state to legalize gay marriage when the House of Representatives vote on the matter on Thursday (9 May).

House speaker Paul Thissen said he believed the bill has the 68 supporting votes needed to pass, even if no Republicans vote for it, as they have indicated.

'We are confident we have the votes to take the bill up this week,' said House majority leader Erin Murphy, MSNBC reports.

Delaware is to vote on whether they wish to become the 11th US state to pass same-sex marriage today (7 May).

The US state's Democrat-controlled Senate is expected to pass the bill after the General Assembly approved it several weeks ago.

Governor Jack Markell is an outspoken supporter of gay marriage and has vowed to sign the bill into law if it is cleared by the US senate.

Minnesota state representatives may vote on a gay marriage bill as early as next week.

Though no votes have been scheduled in either the House or Senate, according to The Associated Press, if the bill passes, gay marriage in Minnesota could come as quickly as 1 August.

As state representatives continue to debate their vote, one more Minnesota swing vote representative announced his support for the gay marriage bill.

An 18 year-old straight female student in Texas fought for her right to include a gay kiss photo in her yearbook portrait.

Morgan Leigh Sisk, of Sundown High School in Texas, sent a moving story to Gay Marriage USA, an American marriage equality advocacy group, about how she fought for LGBT rights at her school.

Voted ‘Most Political’ student at her school, Sisk hoped to take her yearbook photo this week holding the cover of Time magazine showing two women kissing.

Tasmania Gay & Lesbian Rights Group are trying to make this Saturday's election for the state's Upper House all about marriage equality.

The gay rights group are anxious to vote-out the Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) who voted against legalizing same-sex marriage last September.

Voters will choose new MLCs in the electoral divisions of Nelson, Pembroke and Montgomery.

Want to see the tangible results of the modern gay rights battle? Count the number of companies who signed the amicus brief in the US Supreme Court case involving the Defense of Marriage Act. Retailers like Amazon and Starbucks put their brand names behind marriage equality. High powered firms like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs did the same. Approximately 300 companies said in part: