Here’s our round up of some of the gay news headlines from the past year.

January
Civil Partnerships Bill Introduced
Lord Lester announces that The Civil Partnerships Bill is to be introduced later this month. The Bill will give legal recognition for same sex couples in Britain. For the first time it will enable unmarried partners, including same sex partners, living in a mutually supportive relationship to make legal provision for their joint protection.

Partnership Register
London Mayor Ken Livingstone announces that same sex couples will be able to register their partnerships on Valentine’s Day.

Anti-Gay Archbishop Resigns
Dr George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, announces he’s to retire this year.

Elton The Hero
Sir Elton John accepts an award in London for his contribution to the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Hawthorne Funeral
The funeral of the gay actor Sir Nigel Hawthorne takes place in the village of Thundridge, near Ware, in Hertfordshire.

Gately Split
Ex-Boyzone singer Stephen Gately splits with his long-term partner Eloy de Jong. The couple had been together for more than three years.

Estefan Gay Advances
Venezuelan soap actor, Juan Carlos Diaz accuses music mogul, Emilio Estefan, of unwanted sexual advances.

Lesbian Disguise
A young lesbian is placed on probation for two years for indecent assault, after disguising herself as a teenage boy and groping schoolgirls.

Gay Times Ban
A police training college in Coventry is accused of censorship after refusing to display Gay Times magazine. Ryton Police Training College has agreed to keep a copy of the magazine, if it is kept in a clearly labelled box file, after a campaign by gay officers.

Paddick Smear
Britain’s highest-ranking openly gay police officer is reportedly being subjected to a smear campaign. Colleagues of Commander Brian Paddick, borough commander of Lambeth, claim that fellow officers are deliberately undermining him.

Diva Dies
Jazz diva, Peggy Lee, dies of a heart attack at her Los Angeles home. Lee, aged 81, had fought a long battle against illness.

Transsexual Appeal
Elizabeth Bellinger, a male to female transsexual, is granted permission to appeal against a previous court ruling that her marriage to a man was not valid.

Egypt Arrests
A further eight men in Egypt are arrested on suspicion of homosexual behaviour following recent police action. Independent newspaper, Al-Wafd, reported that the men were arrested in Damanhour for the "practice of debauchery".

Queercompany Goes
The website Queercompany and its sister publication Fable magazine fold. Steve Bustin, Queercompany’s representative, told GaydarNation: “We are looking at options and looking for investors, that’s all I can say at this stage.”

Sex Laws
The government plans to repeal gross indecency laws concerning homosexuality, the same legislation which was used to prosecute Oscar Wilde. The new Sexual Offences Act will scrap current gross indecency laws, which criminalise men who kiss in public, as well as homosexual behaviour in private homes. Many of the laws date back to the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861.

February
Mugabe Outburst
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe makes a new outburst against homosexuality. In a statement at a presidential election rally Mugabe criticised Tony Blair for employing openly gay ministers in his Cabinet.

MP Partner Rights
Gay and unmarried partners of MPs and civil servants are given the same pension rights as married couples. The move will entitle unmarried partners, including those in same sex relationships, to widow’s and widower’s pensions.

Cliff’s Anti-Gay Support
Sir Cliff Richard’s management deny that the singer supports anti-gay Christians in a row over a billboard advertisement. The £4,000,000 campaign features posters in which Sir Cliff, a committed born-again Christian, is quoted as saying: "The message in this free book can save your life as it saved mine."

Dog Maul Trial Begins
Preparations begin for the murder and manslaughter trial concerning a lesbian who was mauled to death by dogs. Diane Whipple was killed outside her San Francisco home by one of a pair of Presa Canario dogs owned by two of her neighbours.

Swedish Gay Adoption
The Swedish government announces plans to give same sex couples the right to adopt children.

TV Star Denies Gay Wedding
Portia de Rossi, who stars in the popular television series ‘Ally McBeal’, denies reports that she took part in a marriage ceremony with her girlfriend.

Gay Assault
A gay sales manager who indecently assaulted a new employee is told he faces a “substantial” prison sentence after video evidence helped convict him.

Gay Sex Flight

Two men having sex on a transatlantic flight cause a terrorism alert when banging and noise were heard from the plane’s tiny toilet.

Rosie’s Adoption Fight
US talk show host Rosie O’Donnell campaigns to try and overturn an adoption ban against gay and lesbian parents in Florida.

Paddick Posting
Britain’s highest-ranking openly gay police officer admits posting comments on an internet message board for anarchists.

Gay Penguins
Zookeepers in New York discover a pair of gay penguins. Wendell and Cass, a pair of 14 year-old black-footed penguins, have been mating with one another in their enclosure at the New York Aquarium.

Rosie Comes Out
US talk show host Rosie O’Donnell proclaims “I’m a Dyke”. O’Donnell, whose sexuality has been the target of much speculation, made the announcement as part of her act at an Ovarian Cancer Research benefit performance.

March
Mugabe Hunger Protest
A group of protestors, including members of Britain’s lesbian and gay community, hold a hunger strike to highlight human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

Barrymore Case Closed
Detectives take no further action in the case of a man who died at the home of television star Michael Barrymore last year. On 31 March 2001 Stuart Lubbock was found unconscious in Barrymore’s swimming pool wearing only his underwear. He died shortly afterwards.

Gay Will
Will Young, the singer who won the ‘Pop Idol’ contest announces he’s gay.

Paddick Keeps Job
Commander Brian Paddick keeps his job after anarchists message board row.

Paddick Dope Questions
Commander Brian Paddick is being questioned over allegations that he smoked cannabis. The questions follow newspaper allegations by former boyfriend, James Renolleau.

Goat Sex
A gay man is jailed for six months for having sex with a goat. Hull Crown Court heard that Stephen Hall was seen masturbating and having sex with a goat by passers by, including a group of commuters on a train.

Lesbian Prison Officers Inquiry
A group of lesbian prison officers face an inquiry after allegations were made concerning a campaign of sexual bullying and intimidation.

Dog Maul Verdict
Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel are found guilty of the wrongful death of a lesbian who was mauled to death by one of their dogs.

Carjackers
A group of armed carjackers target a gay cruising area in Wanstead, East London and attack several men.

Gay Prom
A 17-year-old gay high school student from Toronto takes his Roman Catholic school board to court, over a ban on gay prom dates.

April
Zimbabwean Investigations
The Zimbabwean government investigates a prominent broadcaster after allegations were made that he was found in “a compromising situation” with a man at a nightclub.

Teenage Gay Killing
A teenager is found guilty of killing his friend in a row over an alleged gay relationship. A court in Texas found John Paul Marsh, aged 17, guilty of killing 14 year-old Nathan Mayoral.

Life Sentence
Two men who killed an elderly gay eccentric are sentenced to life. Richard Price and Richard Sumner fought in the dock at Lewes Crown Court after the sentence was handed down.

Catholic Abuse Scandal
Court documents show that the archdiocese of Boston and the Vatican knew that at least one of its priests, who has been accused of rape, had spoken in favour of sex between men and boys in 1979. The documents also showed that the Rev. Paul Shanley continued to be given access to children in different parishes, despite the fact that archdiocese officials had known of sexual misconduct complaints made against him since 1967.

Gay Street
A street name in Ohio is changed from Gay Road to Green Apple Road following complaints from residents.

Paddick Inquiry
An inquiry is ordered into allegations that Commander Brian Paddick, has been a victim of a homophobic smear campaign.

Abuse Victims
450 alleged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests come forward following a highly publicised court case.

Lily Ill
Paul O’Grady, best known for his larger than life TV character Lily Savage, suffers a heart attack at the age of 46.

Manchester Register
Manchester City Council becomes the first outside of London to offer partnership registration to same sex couples.

TV Star Dies
Christopher Price, the gay host of the BBC entertainment show Liquid News, is found dead at his home in London.

Family Murder
Swansea Crown Court hears how three generations of a family were brutally murdered by a man who was spurned by a lesbian. David Morris was charged with battering to death Mandy Power, her two daughters, and her mother.

Frederick Windsor Gay Club
A member of the royal family becomes one of the committee members of a gay club in London. Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, is 28th in line to the throne. A familiar face on the capital’s gay scene, Lord Frederick becomes a board member of the Sweet Suite nightclub in Soho where he will approve membership applications.

Paddick Removed
Brian Paddick is removed from his job in Lambeth after allegations made by his ex-boyfriend, James Renolleau, that he allowed cannabis to be smoked in his home, and contravened police guidelines regarding his relationship.

May
Lottery Lesbians
Two former lesbian lovers begin a bitter court dispute over their lottery winnings.

Michael Boothe Reward
A reward of £15,000 is offered for information leading to the prosecution of those responsible for murdering the gay actor Michael Boothe. Boothe was murdered in west London in 1990 by a group of men who have never been brought to justice.

Mardi Priest
A Catholic priest resigns after a photograph of him attending the New Orleans Mardi Gras was published. The photograph showed the Reverend Thomas Bouterie, of the St. Louis Church in Bayou Blue, Louisiana, in a Mardi Gras crowd without his shirt, standing with a drag queen and some well-muscled men in biking shorts.

Pim Fortuyn Shot
The Dutch government is thrown into crisis following the assassination of the openly gay right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn.

Spanner Death
One of the original men prosecuted for consensual SM activity under Operation Spanner dies. Tony Brown died on 2 May 2002, shortly before his 67th birthday. Brown was one of twelve men prosecuted in 1989 under Operation Spanner. His case resulted in a change in British law which criminalised consensual sado-masochism.

Gay Prom Victory
A gay student wins the right to take his boyfriend to his high school dance.

Elton Attacks Government
Elton John launches a verbal attack on Tony Blair and the Labour Government over its record on AIDS spending.

"I did vote for them, but I’m disgusted with the way the health service is operating. For God’s sake, we live in the 21st century, the trains don’t work, the health service doesn’t work, people are dying from Aids, what are you doing? Get your act together, it’s a disgrace."

Lesbian Sentences Increased
Two lesbians who stabbed a 13-year-old boy at a party have their sentences increased by the Attorney General. Lorraine Large and Gemma McGarvie dragged the boy to a park and stabbed him before leaving him for dead. The boy was stabbed a total of 23 times in his chest, back and legs and his throat had been slit.

Chastity Seduced
Cher’s lesbian daughter, Chastity Bono, details how she was seduced by one of her mother’s gay friends in her new autobiography. Bono claims that she became gay after spending time in the care of her mother’s gay pal, Joan Stephens.

Disney Gay Wedding
Jeffrey Carlson and Steven Hoff become the first gay couple to hold a wedding service at Disney World in Florida.

June
Homophobic Headmaster
A headmaster from South Wales faces calls for his resignation after comments he made in front of his pupils during a morning assembly. Bill Beales of Cwmcarn High School in Caerphilly said that homosexuals, unmarried mothers and divorcees were "flouting God’s laws".

Gay Murder Arrest
Police in New York arrest a man suspected of murdering and dismembering his lover in Basingstoke. Richard Markham was spotted by a tourist in Central Park, after his picture was circulated in the US press. Markham is wanted for questioning in connection with the death of Tristian Lovelock, whose dismembered remains were found scattered around a housing estate in Basingstoke.

Lesbian Kiss Cut
The new Scooby Doo movie has a kiss between two of its female characters cut from the film, after censors deemed it “inappropriate for family viewing”.

Birth Certificate Challenge
Paula Wilhemina takes her case to the High Court in an effort to have her birth certificate reflect her “true identity”. Wilhemina, from County Durham, was born ‘male’ and underwent a sex change operation to become Paula. Her lawyers are arguing that her birth certificate should either be changed to reflect her new identity, or amended to include the fact that she is now living as a woman.

Liverpool Gay Weddings
Liverpool partnership register opens, allowing same sex couples to begin booking commitment ceremonies.

Dog Maul Sentencing
Robert Noel, who was found guilty of the wrongful death of his neighbour Diane Whipple, is sentenced to four years imprisonment.

Price Inquest
A Coroner rules that former Liquid News presenter, Christopher Price, died of heart failure due to a rare brain disease. A verdict of ‘natural causes’ was recorded, which put an end to weeks of speculation surrounding the star’s death.