Maleforce

Met by an equally frosty reception from audience and co-guests alike Griffin was booed and ridiculed throughout the show as he defended his party's views including those on gays and lesbians.

In regards to gay men he said "A lot of people find the sight of two men kissing in public a bit creepy. I understand that homosexuals don't understand that, but that is how a lot of us feel. A lot of Christians feel that way.

"I took a party that said that homosexuality should be outlawed, militant homosexuals don't have the right to teach it."

During the hour long debate Griffin defended the leader of America's Klu Klux Klan and said war time leader Sir Winston Churchill was Islamophobic.

Announcement of the BNP Leader's appearance last month caused public and political uproar however the BBC has defended its decision to invite Griffin on the show as "impartial". As a security measure the debate which normally goes out live at 10:35pm was pre-recorded earlier in the evening.

In response to Griffin's anti-gay comments audience member Beth Mellington Pritchard said "As a homosexual and someone in a civil partnership, the feeling of repulsion is mutual"

Oddly, as the show concluded Griffin described the BBC as being part of a "thoroughly unpleasant ultra-leftist establishment that doesn't want the English to be recognized as an existing people"

The British National Party currently holds two seats in the European parliament.

The proposal was forwarded in response to a wave of gay-related attacks that have taken place primarily in the capital, Rome. Parliament however rejected the measure on the grounds that it would "violate" the country's national constitution.

Last month a 30,000 strong crowd, including politicians from all the main political parties, marched through the capital in protest over the attacks.

In a statement issued yesterday Arcigay, Italy's largest gay civil rights organization, condemned the government's response.

"We are outraged and appalled at the wave of homophobia we are seeing growing every day, and at the increasing number of hate crimes being committed against people because of their sexual orientation, both in Italy and abroad.

"The Italian Parliament's justification for throwing out the bill - which would have raised penalties against acts of violence motivated by homophobia - was simply absurd: they said that it would give "unequal protection" to gays compared to other groups, violating the principle of equality."

Arcigay claims a number of MPs motivated the decision by classifying the term "sexual orientation" as "ambiguous", arguing that the expression could therefore include paedophilia, zoophilia, necrophilia and incest.

"This is delirious and insulting for our own dignity of Italians, but also for the dignity of every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual person living anywhere in Europe and in the world." Said Arcigay

Following the bill rejection, the United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the Italian Parliament's stance is a "step backward for human rights in Italy".

Topless go-go boys, pink feather boas and a drag queen or two - not something you'd normally associate with a Tory event (well, not a public one).

However, despite their rather chequered past when it comes to supporting gay and lesbian rights the Tories camped it up on Canal Street last Tuesday for 'Conference Pride', an official knees up for gay Tories and their friends.

Spirit Bar in the heart of Manchester's gay village was draped with an 'LGBTory' banner whilst inside revelers enjoyed cocktails created especially for the occasion including the 'Cameron PM' and 'Tory Martini'.

"We're very, very proud of this event tonight and I think that this has shown just how far the Conservatives have come" announced party chairman to the 650 capacity crowd, "Next year I want to see another official gay pride night and I hope to see you all there!"

But not everyone was there to have a gay old time, with the party being picketed by Christian groups and the gay community itself.

Local resident Mathew Helbert told gay media site pinknews.co.uk "I find it offensive that the Tories are here today, we fought for so many years for equality which they tried to stop and now they're here. I'm worried that if the Tories get back in to power then all of the good work that we have done will have been for nothing. The gay village wouldn't have existed if they had their way"

Meanwhile in direct response to the Tory celebration regular Manc Tuesday gay club night Poptastic presented 'Tory Shame' hosted by gay celebrity Ame Lame, sporting a flyer with the strap line "They may have taken our milk but they'll never take our cheeky vimto!"

The 41 year old singer who has achieved pop superstar status practically everywhere except America arrived in the U.S. this week for her first ever North American tour.

Hitching a ride atop a giant silver skull that descended slowly to the stage Minogue opened the first night of her U.S. extravaganza with "Light Years" and proceeded to wow the audience with a two hour dance-pop repertoire that could only be matched by Madonna.

"You're everything I've dreamt of for 20 years" she told the screaming crowd made up of pre-teens, women and, of course, gay men. The star's gay appeal extends around the globe where she has consistently topped gay pop diva polls for the last two decades.

Despite topping the charts several times in Britain, Europe and Australasia she has only ever scored two sizeable hits in the U.S. with "Locomotion" and "Can't Get You Out Of My Head".

It's been quite a journey for Minogue who first came to prominence in the Australian soap opera "Neighbours" in the mid 80's. Her first single release, a cover of 60's hit "Locomotion", made number one on the Australian charts and lead to an association with pop hit producers Stock, Aiken & Waterman who penned many of her early hits.

A breast cancer diagnosis in 2005 halted Minogue's career for a period, but she bounced back in 2008 releasing her 10th album "X" and a world tour that saw her perform in more than 21 countries.

Guaranteed to stop traffic and draw a crowd, well, at least a bout of rubber-necking, two men or women holding hands in public still manages to strike fear into the hearts and souls of, sadly, a lot of people. Silly, really.

A Day In Hand, a new equal rights initiative that aims to inspire same-sex couples world-wide to hold hands in public, is calling on the gay community to publicly express their affection on the last Saturday of each month.

The first international Sshh! (same-sex hand-holding) Saturday will be on September 26th and held in memory of the recent shootings at a Gay & Lesbian centre in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Campaign founder David Watkins said "Same-sex hand holding is a silent revolution for LGBT people, because nothing needs to be said: no bold speeches, no reactive arguments, no war of words. Each LGBT person has the power to change the hearts and minds of people in their local community quietly, subtly, by simply holding hands publicly and owning their space. However, hand holding is a simple powerful gesture that can happen anywhere, at any time."

Watkins is inviting participants the world over to upload photos of themselves holding hands with same-sex friends or partners to the A Day In Hand website.

In areas of the world where it is impossible or unsafe for gay people to express affection publicly the campaign reminds people not to ignore their "survival instincts" but to consider safer gestures.

"If you can't hold hands in your immediate area, how about resting your head on your partner's shoulder at the cinema, or kissing them good-bye in the car? We have to start expressing our love in the mainstream."