US Army Lt Dan Choi chained himself to the White House fence on Thursday afternoon to protest over the ban on out gay soldiers. The Iraq veteran interrupted a rally organised by comedian Kathy Griffin and Human Rights Campaign at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC.

An audience of around 200 almost exclusively gay men attended the Village Drinks LGB election hustings hosted by Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill. A panel representing the four largest political parties in Britain consisted of the openly gay Europe minister Chris Smith; Liberal Democrat Young people and Equality spokesperson Lynne Featherstone; Conservative shadow environment secretary Nick Herbet and Green Party candidate Chris Smith.

A man was barred from holding a gay disco at a community hall because of fears it could upset Christians. Jason Hudson, from St Agnes in Cornwall, planned to hold the event on April 2nd, which is Good Friday.

The US Episcopal Church has given its final approval to the appointment of a lesbian as assistant bishop of Los Angeles. The Rev Mary Glasspool, 57, was selected in December but her appointment provoked anger from conservatives.

Christian pop star Miley Cyrus has revealed she received hate mail for her support of gay marriage. The 17-year-old Hannah Montana star tweeted her support for gay couples marrying last April, saying that everyone deserves to be happy.

Gay marriage campaigners in the US state of New Jersey have announced they will go back to court to fight for the right. A bill failed 20-14 votes in the Senate in January.

Lawmakers in the US state of Florida debated the ban on gay couples adopting for the first time in 33 years. Amendments were introduced in both the House and the Senate on Tuesday although both were withdrawn before a vote.

Some clinical research trials are explicitly excluding gays and lesbians, a study has found. Research sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health, the US government and private companies found that 15 per cent of the trials were found to bar gay people.

Politicians from the three main parties will attend a gay hustings event in London tonight. Gay networking group Village Drinks is hosting the event with Europe minister Chris Bryant, shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert and Lib Dem equality spokeswoman Lynne Featherstone.

The Catholic adoption agency which won a legal victory over gay couples won its case through a loophole designed to protect gay organisations.

The British Film Institute's annual Lesbian and Gay Film Festival opened last night in central London. The event, which is celebrating its 24th year, opened with a screening of new British film The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister at the Odeon West End.

A New York gay group has attacked the police for marching in a "homophobic" St Patrick's Day parade. The traditional St Patrick's Day Parade excludes members of the LGBT community on the grounds that it is a religious event.

A Catholic school in Colorado, US, has barred two children from re-enrolling because their parents are lesbians.

A protest will be held in central London next week to call for the release of two gay men arrested for having gay sex in Malawi.

A Sussex man who targeted gay people has been jailed for five years for burglary. Nicholas Rowell, 44, was already serving a five-year jail term for burglary when he escaped from an open prison in June last year.