PRETTY GIRL

The first ever Londonderry gay Pride parade took place in Northern Ireland last Saturday.

Organisers told the BBC that it was "a major step forward for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) community in [London]Derry".

The parade took the same route as the 1968 civil rights march from Duke Street Railway station to Guildhall Square. Mayor of Derry, Colum Eastwood, marched with local politicians alongside the city's LGBT community.

According to UTV, thousands turned out to watch or participate in the event. Later, the Pride celebrations – known as Foyle Pride – continued with a Creative Village in Guildhall Square featuring bands and local drag acts. There were also speeches from Mayor Eastwood and human rights activists Eamonn McCann and Bernadette McAliskey.

There was a minor counter-demonstration by a small number of protestors, and while this reportedly did little to dampen the spirits of those attending the parade, it was clear not everyone welcomed the event to the city.

Reverend Jonathan Campbell from Newbuildings Independent Methodist Church told the BBC prior to the celebrations that the planned parade would be an "obscenity".

Rev Campbell added: "Homosexuality brought down the ancient civilisations of Rome, Greece and Egypt. It will be our downfall too."

A participant in the parade told UTV: "We don't harm anybody, we don't do anything to any other people. We just want to live life the way we want to live life."

Londonderry – set to be the UK's City of Culture for 2013 – has seen a number of homophobic attacks in recent years. SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan said that attending both the parade and the celebrations was a show of "solidarity with those who suffer this awful prejudice".

Gay Sports Day, organised by GMFA, the gay men's health charity, was held in Vauxhall, south-west London yesterday, in order to help raise essential funds for gay men’s health and the local community.

Held in conjunction with the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, one of the capital's most popular alternative LGBT venues, the games took place in Vauxhall's Spring Gardens, which are adjacent to the Tavern.

Twelve teams competed in the day's events, cheered on by a crowd of supporters. Games included the drag relay, the egg and spoon race and the 50M mince.

Competition was fierce, with Fatima and the Four Husbands ultimately being crowned the winners of the sporting events.

The Dibb Dobbs Experience were the top fundraisers, bringing in over £1,400 from sponsorships, while Prissy Queens of the Knoll came top in the costume stakes for their Priscilla Queen of the Desert-inspired outfits.

Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes at GMFA thanked everyone for making the day such a huge success.

He said: "We think it was our biggest crowd yet and the teams all made a huge effort, both with their outfits and their amazing fundraising efforts. The full total raised from the event is still to be confirmed as donations are still being counted. The money we get from Sports Day really does make a difference and helps us carry out our vital work for gay men."

The day was given support from Rugby star Ben Cohen and singer Kylie Minogue, who both donated rare and collectible items for auction.

All money raised will go towards GMFA, Vauxhall City Farm and The Friends of Spring Gardens.

Thousands of people attended Manchester's 20th annual gay Pride parade and celebrations over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The parade, part of the Big Weekend that concludes Pride week, was this year led by Sir Ian McKellen. Despite damp weather, organiser Jackie Crozier told the BBC that the turnout was "fantastic".

She added: "We're absolutely delighted with the amount of people who turned out and also the people that put so much effort into their parade entries."

The parade set off from the centre of Manchester, on Deansgate, travelling up the city's main shopping street before snaking through St Anne's Square, past Albert Square and ending in the Gay Village. Making up the parade were more than 100 groups and floats, including one featuring cast members of Coronation Street, the Manchester-set soap which has now been on screen for 50 years, and has recently introduced its first lesbian character.

On Sunday night, US singer Kelis headlined the stage show, yelling "Scream if you’re proud!" at the massed crowds.

The parade, which started off relatively small in 1990, is instrumental in helping to to raise funds for LGBT organisations and groups across the Greater Manchester area.

Jane Lynch won an Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy award last night for her performance in the US television series Glee.

Lynch, who married her partner Dr Lara Embry in May this year, was presented with the award for her turn as fearsome sports coach, Sue Sylvester, at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

In her acceptance speech Ms Lynch said: "I want to thank my parents on the South Side of Chicago for raising us to the sounds of musical theater and being so unintentionally hilarious. I love being an actor. I love being an ensemble."

She added: "[actors] have no choice or any marketable skills. I have to thank my lord and creator [Glee originator] Ryan Murphy for creating this role of a lifetime and the cast who are so young and fresh-faced, and when I'm not seething with jealousy, I'm so proud of you. And I love you my wife Laura and my little girl, Haden."

Ryan Murphy also received an award for Best Direction of a Comedy. The award for Outstanding Supporting Actor went to Eric Stonestreet for playing a gay dad in ABC hit, Modern Family. To see Lynch's acceptance speech, scroll down.

A retired lesbian minister who officiated at a number of same-sex weddings during the period in which they were legal in California, says she will appeal against the ruling of a Presbyterian court last Thursday which rebuked her for going against the constitution of her denomination.

The court ruled that Reverend Jane Adams Spahr's actions sent contradictory messages about the church's support of gay rights.

The court, part of the Redwoods Presbytery district of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Napa, California, did however, acquit Rev Spahr on a charge of failing "to further the peace, unity and purity of the church".

Rev Spahr was also praised by the court for "her prophetic ministry that for 35 years has extended support to 'people who seek the dignity, freedom and respect that they have been denied'".

In an interview with ENInews on Sunday, Rev Spahr said she was "stunned" by the decision. She added: "The law here is wrong. It was not a just decision."

She added that the fact she was found guilty then commended for her prophetic ministry showed that the "church is in great conflict and playing it out on our lives".

Rev Spahr also said she saw the marriage issue as being inextricably tied up with power, given that the church pays lip service to equality for LGBT people but then denies openly gay clergy the chance to fully serve in the church.

"These are people who are raised in the church, feel a call and then are told they can only go so far," Ms Spahr said. "Who does the Presbyterian Church think we are? We are they, they are us."

In July, an assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA voted to maintain the church's current definition of marriage in its constitution – that between a man and a woman.

Approximately 200 people were present in Sydney's New South Wales (NSW) Parliament House earlier today for a Council of Churches meeting and a public protest against the same-sex adoption bill.

Speaking at the meeting, Liberal MP David Clarke questioned why same-sex adoption was back on the political agenda, adding that he believed there was a Greens-Labour deal over the issue, as Labour would need Green voter preferences when the polls open in March 2011.

According to AAP, NSW's premier Kristina Keneally reportedly dismissed Mr Clarke's allegations as "ridiculous", likewise his assertion that the issue had made children "pawns in a bigger power game".

A spokesperson for Ms Keneally said: "Kristina will be speaking on the bill, and talking about her decision to support it in the context of her Christian faith.

"Specifically [she] will outline why, as a Christian, she can support this bill in good conscience."

Greens MP John Kay responded: "Like so much of the propaganda from the opponents of same-sex adoption, allegations of a Greens-Labor deal are nonsense.

"Premier Keneally allowed her MPs a conscience vote on the bill because any other path would have opened up yawning chasms in her party."

The bill, which was introduced to parliament by independent MP Clover Moore back in June, is to be debated in the lower house on Thursday. Mr Clarke said: "Every child, where possible, should have a mother and a father and this legislation is going to deprive many children in the future. This has nothing to do with religion . . . this has to do with morality and the right of the child."

Another opponent of the bill, Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Fred Nile, added: "Is this really an ideological issue or homosexuals demanding yet another human right?"

Among the bill's supporters are the Benevolent Society charity and UnitingCare Burnside, one of the largest child and welfare agencies in NSW.

Maree Walk, acting CEO of the Benevolent Society, said last week: "Potential adoptive parents should be assessed on the basis of their suitability to parent, not their sexual orientation."

Gay rights and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell received a standing ovation for his speech at the Greenbelt festival this weekend.

Greenbelt, a Christian arts festival held annually in Cheltenham, initially raised controversy in some quarters by extending an invitation to Mr Tatchell. As reported by ekklesia.co.uk, He drew laughter from the crowd at the start of his speech by "paying tribute to Anglican Mainstream, who by their attacks on me and on Greenbelt, have boosted ticket sales and ensured a successful Greenbelt".

In his speech, Mr Tatchell spoke about the struggle for "queer freedom in Africa", homophobia among church leaders and "brave" Christians who did not condone persecution of LGBT people.

He also discussed the international differences in law facing sexual minorities, particularly in African countries such as Uganda, where there are plans to introduce the death penalty for any repeat "offence" of same-sex relations. Mr Tatchell also pointed out the colonial influence on such laws: "They're not genuinely African laws . . . they're laws that were inspired by a conquering imperial power".

At one point, Mr Tatchell reportedly drew both applause and uncomfortable expressions from members of the audience, when he accused the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, of "colluding" in the persecution of LGBT Africans.

The speech was followed by a lengthy question-and-answer session, during which one audience member suggested that Mr Tatchell had underestimated the importance of church unity in working against persecution long term.

He was also asked about Anglican Mainstream, whose spokesperson, Dr Lisa Nolland, had questioned the festival's decision to invite Mr Tatchell to speak. In response, he said: "I'm a great believer in free speech [and] that includes people criticising me".

He added that Anglican Mainstream had quoted him out of context. There crowd were enthusiastic in their applause as Mr Tatchell added, "I would urge Anglican Mainstream to re-read their ten commandments."

Greenbelt is one of the UK's largest Christian festivals: over 21,000 attended over the weekend.