An amendment to the Equality Bill, tabled by out Muslim peer Waheed Alli, received overwhelming support in the Lords which includes senior clergy in the Church of England.

Still pending House of Commons approval, the amendment gives religious venues the option to host civil partnership ceremonies.

Currently legislation forbids religious premises to conduct gay unions; however various liberal denominations have been blessing gay partnerships once a civil ceremony has already taken place.

In an interview with The Independent Lord Alli rebuked suggestion that the amendment means churches will be eventually forced to accept gay marriage.

"Religious freedom cannot begin and end with what one religion wants," he said. "This amendment does not place an obligation on any religious organisation to host civil partnerships in their buildings. But there are many gay and lesbian couples who want to share their civil partnership with the congregations that they worship with. And there are a number of religious organisations that want to allow gay and lesbian couples to do exactly that."

Although the amendment was backed by senior bishops in the Lords it has been strongly opposed by conservative Christians.

Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre told The Times: "Homosexual activists have made clear that this is not the end. It is a step towards forcing churches to conduct same-sex unions that would go against their beliefs".

The Quakers, Liberal Judaism and The Unitarians have welcomed the amendment.

Lautner and Efron are immensely popular with gay men and straight women around the world - regularly topping hottest hunk polls.

In an attempt to bring some youthful heat to the show, producers this year have approached Efron and Lautner along with Kristen Stewart and Miley Cyrus to hand out the gongs.

Efron became a world wide star thanks to the Disney Channel's High School Musical movies in which he played teen pin-up basketball captain Troy Bolton. The 22 year old actor has since gone on to star in the films 17 Again and Me and Orson Wells.

Lautner, currently the highest paid teenage actor in Hollywood, skyrocketed to fame in the Twighlight movies. He acquired teen-hunk status after gaining more than 30 pounds of solid muscle for his starring role in The Twighlight Saga: New Moon. A martial arts expert, Lautner recently presented at The Golden Globes.

Lautner's Twighlight co-star Kristen Stewart similarly has become world famous via the film's outstanding success around the globe. In her next movie role she plays rock'n'roll icon Joan Jett in The Runaways.

Myley Cyrus, daughter of Ache Breaky Bill Ray is also making a name for herself in tinsel town. Her next film The Last Song is set for release on March 31st.

In true Oscar's tradition three of last year's winners, Penelope Cruz, Sean Penn and Kate Winslet returning to present awards.

The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, which takes place on March 7, will be Cyrus and Efron's second appearance and Twighliters Lautner and Stewart's first.

In a new interview the 63 year old pop star said: "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.

"On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don't know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East - you're as good as dead."

His comments have sparked a row with high profile evangelical minister Ian Watson, who recently led a campaign against gay clergy men in Scotland.

Watson told The Daily Record: "There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in what Elton John has said about Jesus being gay.

"Jesus was a Jew and Jewish law regards homosexual practices as a sin. When Jesus challenged his enemies to prove him guilty of sin, they couldn't do it. Therefore, I have no doubt whatsoever that he was not a gay man."

In the interview with Parade the Rocket Man singer goes on to say how he's grown tired of being a celebrity and that his former Cocaine addiction made him "lose the plot".

In support of his religious 'gaff' the chaplain for Church of Scotland group Affirmation Scotland, the Rev. Lindsay Biddle, said: "I think it's wonderful for anybody, including Elton John, to imagine Jesus as being like them.

"This is very common, and in the Western world we do it all the time, imagining Jesus to be white when, in fact, he was a man of colour."

Following a cheeky kiss with a fella for a Stella only last November, the young Prince has become one of Google's most searched-for male celebrities. And it's no secret that it's gay men Harry gets in a right royal flush.

Topless photos of the 25 year old have become one of Googles top searches, and it seems Harry has another gay fetish covered: "Red hair is getting very, very trendy on the gay scene" says Haydon Bridge, a columnist with U.K.-based gay magazine QX.

Recent pics of the royal lieutenant playing football and sporting a six pack have been an internet search favourite with gay men. And a killer-smile-bad-boy-reputation has only added to Harry's gay pin up perfection.

The Prince has come along way since his bust-ups with the paparazzi and a Nazi fancy dress blunder that shocked his family and sparked world-wide outrage.

In 2006, inspired by his mother's charity work for AIDS sufferers, he set up a charity, Sentebale, with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho Africa to help vulnerable children, particularly those orphaned as a result of HIV and AIDS.

Last week he visited the Caribbean where his appearance at a polo match in Barbados helped raise $100,000 for earthquake victims in Haiti. He also visited the Queen Elizabeth II Children's hospital where he met and cuddled patients.

It's been reported that Harry will be promoted to the rank of Captain this May, which will put him on equal footing with his brother Prince William. Both are currently in training to be helicopter pilots.

Next week, in a first for the Royal Family, he is expected to attend The Brits - along with another gay icon, Lady GaGa.

The Equality bill, which protects against discrimination in employment on grounds of sexuality, was criticized by the pontiff as imposing unjust limitations on the freedom of the church to act in accordance with its beliefs.

New provisions in the bill would have narrowed the special exemption enjoyed by churches allowing them to exclude people whose lifestyles do not fit in with the religious ethos of an organisation when hiring staff.

In a communique to Catholic bishops in England and Wales the pontiff said: "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society.

"Yet as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed."

He goes on to urge bishops to defend the church's "moral teachings" and says "Fidelity to the gospel in no way restricts the freedom of others - on the contrary, it serves their freedom by offering them the truth."

The statement has caused a media storm in the past week with a petition protesting against a state-funded papal visit, scheduled for September, attracting over 7,000 signatures.

The National Secular Society predicts the visit could cost the tax payer up to 20 million. President Terry Sanderson told PinkNews.co.uk he expected to see 10,000 signatures on the petition by the end of this week.