Age Concern is planning a colourful appearance at this year's Manchester Pride Parade in an effort to highlight the needs of the often hidden population of older lesbians, gay men and bisexuals and transgender individuals.
Brian Paddick - until recently the highest ranking openly gay police officer in Britain - was today named as the Liberal Democrat for London Mayor having won a ballot of the party's London members. He said, "I am enormously proud to be announced today as the Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor. For too long Londoners have been denied a serious debate on the future of their city.
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual equality lobbying group Stonewall has quizzed both Lib Dem leadership contenders on their stance over LGB equality and a few specific issues. Both Chris Huhne and Nick Clegg gave answers which do the party proud and reflect that, as with previous Lib Dem leaders, we can look forward to a new party leader who is strongly committed to LGBT equality - whichever of them wins.
It is with great sadness we have to report that Neville Reed, a long-standing Delga executive member, passed away last week. Our thoughts and wishes go with his family and friends. Neville was our Treasurer for some seven years up to the end of 2006, when he stepped down from the executive, and will be greatly missed throughout both the organisation and wider Liberal Democrat circles.
A Lib Dem run council has been shortlisted for Best Local Authority in a readers poll run by lesbian and gay newspaper The Pink Paper. Islington was voted one of the top five councils in the country to make the Pink Paper's shortlist.
Jo Swinson MP, Lib Dem equality spokesperson, has marked World AIDS Day by joining a coalition of charities in Parliament Square calling on the Government to strengthen its efforts to tackle HIV and AIDS. She has pledged support for the Stop AIDS Campaign - a coalition of over 80 UK-based NGOs - and has written to Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander on the issue.