The United Kingdom was named the friendliest LGBT country in Europe by Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex people in Europe for 2014.

This is the second time that the UK has taken the top ranking.

Rounding out the top five LGBT-friendly European countries: Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Norway.

The biennial Rainbow Report examines LGBT rights based on trends and an overview of key political and social developments country-by-country along with various legal benchmarks of LGBT equality, according to a May 13 news release from the organization. More >

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According to a study by the UK’s guide to gay friendly getaways, Les Deux Messieurs, a welcoming hotel staff is essential for LGBT travelers.

Conducted by Out Now consulting, 92 percent of respondents from the UK and the US said the staff was crucial for deciding where to stay. Like their straight counterparts, LGBT couples want to feel comfortable.

Read more at dot429.com

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A British bus driver refused to drive a bus that featured a PSA from the LGBT group Stonewall that read, “Some people are gay. Get over it!”

According to another driver, “the poster wasn’t acceptable to this Christian.” As a result, passengers who were awaiting the driver transfer were delayed for 20 minutes until a new replacement driver arrived. One passenger found the incident “disgusting,” asking, “Does he seriously think he has never had a gay person on his bus?”

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Swiss Bed and Breakfast in Berkshire, UK

BY ZACK FORD
Think Progress

A judge in Reading County, England, has ruled in favor of a gay couple, Michael Black and John Morgan, that was denied a room in which they would share a bed at the Swiss Bed and Breakfast in Berkshire. According to Recorder Claire Moulder, the B&B’s owner, Susanne Wilkinson, “treated them less favorably than she would treat unmarried heterosexual couples in the same circumstances,” ordering her to compensate them £1,800 each.

Wilkinson reacted by claiming she and her husband had been penalized for their Christian beliefs. “We believe a person should be free to act upon their sincere beliefs about marriage under their own roof without living in fear of the law. Equality laws have gone too far when they start to intrude into a family home.”

Read more at ThinkProgress.org

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Interview with lesbian Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim of the xx.

The post Romy Madley Croft interview: Part 2 first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Interview with lesbian Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim of the xx.

The post Romy Madley Croft interview: Part 1 first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Let’s be real here: I knew Romy Madley Croft played for our team when I first saw her. I try not to be stereotypical when it comes to who looks like they are a little queer (hipsters and Europeans screw that up for me constantly), but I was born with a significant amount of gaydar that generally doesn’t steer me too far off course. In case you’re not on a first name basis with Ms. Madley Croft, she’s the frontwoman of British trio the xx, who have gone from indie darlings to must-see mainstream in the last few years. They’re one of those acts that you know it’s an xx song when you hear it. They’ve got such a specific style, Romy’s voice so identifiable, that their success isn’t really a surprise, at least not to fans.

Read more at After Ellen.com

AfterEllen is the pop culture site that plays for your team.

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Meet the cast of the lesbian documentary “The Candy Bar” which airs in the United Kingdom.

The post Interviews with the stars of ‘The Candy Bar’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

British B&B owners and self-avowed devout Christians Hazel and Peter Bull have been granted a case review by the UK’s Supreme Court after the couple were told by two lower courts that equality laws mean they cannot deny same-sex couples a double room when running a public establishment.

This comes after the court of appeals, in a unanimous decision earlier this year, declared that a Bristol judge was right in ruling in 2011 that the Bulls, owners of the Chymorvah Private Hotel near Penzance, Cornwall, had indeed violated the rights of gay couple Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy when they denied the couple a double room based on the couple’s sexuality. The appeals court noted that while Britiain’s equality laws grant license for private religious beliefs, those beliefs are not suitable justification for discrimination in the public sector.

Read more at Care2.com

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The United Kingdom’s Liverpool football club, a 120 year-old organization, came out last week in a strong show of support for the LGBT community. They will become the first football team to be represented at an LGBT event next month, in Liverpool’s annual Pride Parade.

The famous football crest will be carried by representatives of the team as well as members of the women’s team during the event, which takes place at the city’s Pier Head and throughout the Stanley Street quarter.

Read more at dot429.com

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