Stonewall has welcomed a decision by the Court of Appeal to uphold a landmark court ruling in favour of a couple refused a hotel room by the owners of a hotel in Cornwall.

Civil Partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy had been turned away from the Chymorvah Hotel near Penzance in 2010 by owners Peter and Hazelmary Bull. In January 2011 a judge at Bristol County Court ruled that the Bulls’ behaviour amounted to direct discrimination, and awarded a total of £3,600 damages to Mr Hall and Mr Preddy.

Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: ‘We’re delighted that the Court upheld the judgment. The Court’s decision vindicates Stonewall’s hard lobbying to make it illegal to deny goods or services to someone just because they happen to be gay. That obviously includes hotel rooms for many gay holidaymakers, which can only be a good thing in a Jubilee year. I hope Mr and Mrs Bull will now feel content to go home to do God’s good work as Easter approaches, instead of relentlessly pursuing a happy couple through the courts.’

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Joiners Arms, Shoreditch – Saturday 11^th February 2012 – One of East London’s trendiest venues is opening its doors this Valentines weekend to promote sexual health services in the area. Joiners Arms are teaming up with East London’s HIV charity, Positive East, on Saturday 11^th February to encourage people to know their HIV status by using the rapid onsite testing facilities.

Positive East’s director, Mark Santos, stated: “we are delighted Joiners want us to take our facilities to their venue, in the heart of the community we support. 1 in 4 people living with HIV don't know they have the virus; many are testing late and become unwell, seriously affecting their ability to live well with HIV. We encourage people to take an HIV test as a means of looking after your health.”

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Canal Street got all revved up on the 24th January for its very own drag race – but these queens were running on heels not wheels!

Canal Street’s ‘ladies’ pulled their Sport Relief Socks up, donned their deeley boppers and made a dash down the world-famous parade of gay bars in the heart of Manchester city centre to stage their very own version of the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile – with a glitzy twist!

The drag racers, a very talented bunch of female-impersonators, cabaret performers and comediennes, were warming up in preparation for the Manchester Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday the 25th March where thousands of runners are expected to run one, three or six miles around Manchester city centre.

Belinda Scandals: “I’m not in the habit of running in my heels but I thought I’d make an exception for Sport Relief and add a bit of sparkle to the campaign! Me and the girls have had loads of fun today and we can’t wait to get our lycra on for the big run in March!”

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The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympics Games (LOCOG) has today begun a search for enthusiastic and energetic adult volunteer performers to participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Jenny Sealey & Bradley Hemmings, Co Artistic -Directors of the Opening Ceremony and Kim Gavin, Artistic Director of the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, are searching for 5,000 volunteer performers to fill roles as dancers, actors, percussionists and general all-round performers.

Successful applicants will perform in front of a packed stadium and a worldwide broadcast audience for this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of one of the largest events ever staged in the UK.

Applicants must be able to participate in up to two auditions that will take place on evenings and weekends in February and March, up to two or three rehearsal sessions each week of up to four hours per session from June, and a number of all day rehearsals in the three weeks leading up to each Ceremony. All of these rehearsals will take place in East London.

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The London Gay Men's Chorus is Europe's largest and best known gay choir. Founded in 1991 by a group of six gay men at Angel underground station, the choir now boasts over 230 members in total. The choir which is a registered charity, have sung and performed with Sir Elton John, The Human League, Sandi Toksvig, K. D. Lang, Damien Hirst and the Pet Shop Boys to name but a few.

The 'LGMC', as they are known, have recorded a Proud2Be video to show the LGBTQ youth that there are people in the world like them who are proud to be who they are.

The online video campaign is part of a global organisation that was founded in June 2011 by gay identical twin brothers Matt and Jon Price. The Proud2Be project was set up to encourage and support the LGBTQ youth to be proud of who they are.

“As children the overriding message we both received from our school and church, the media and society was that being gay was something to be ashamed of. We desire for the LGBTQ youth of today to be able to access a different message"

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