As 100 countries celebrate IDAHOT today, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is calling for greater education to reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by almost 50 million people living in countries (from a total 1.5 billion) where it is still illegal to be LGBT.

In his speech given in the Netherlands in the presence of the Dutch royalty, the Secretary General underlined that “For generations, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in all regions have been subjected to terrible violence on account of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”

SAN DIEGO -- Vincent Pompei has been named the State Farm Good Neighbor Award honoree for the San Diego Equality Awards on June 1, presented by Equality California.

Pompei is the project director for the Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership, and the chair for the only national educator conference focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth. He is currently a full time doctoral candidate at San Diego State University and is a former middle school and high school teacher.

SAN DIEGO -- With San Diego LGBT Pride weekend right around the corner, Hale Media - the publisher of San Diego Gay & Lesbian News and San Diego Pix magazine - has launched and updated SanDiegoPride.com as the ultimate guide to San Diego Pride parties and events.

LISDOONVARNA, Ireland -- Europe’s oldest matchmaking event is going pink this year, with a new gay and lesbian weekend taking place at the start of the traditional Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival.

The new festival, which has been christened the Outing, is the brainchild of local hotelier Marcus White, who has enlisted Dublin Pride Festival organiser Eddie McGuinness to manage the event.

The pair hope to grow the Outing into the world’s largest gay and lesbian singles event over the next five years.