On the Gaydar: Utah stalls same-sex marriages, Canada pressures Russia, and more

Here's a roundup of LGBT headlines from around the world.

Canada pressures Russia on gay rights  As the Winter Olympic in Sochi approach, Canada's foreign affairs minister John Baird has written a letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin to uphold human rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation.

Gay marriage on hold in Utah  When a U.S. federal judge ruled that the ban on same-sex marriages in Utah violated constitutional rights, gay marriages proceeded in the state on December 20. However, on Monday (January 6), the U.S. Supreme Court put gay weddings on hold after more than 900 weddings had taken place, as the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considers the case.

Israeli men arrested for attack on transgender woman  A group of 11 men, reportedly off-duty Israeli border police officers, have been arrested for allegedly attacking a transgender woman with a stun gun and pepper spray on January 4 after she left a Tel Aviv nightclub.

Murdered transgender woman honored by Italian Jesuits  A Jesuit priest honoured a homeless transgender woman in Rome at her funeral by acknowledging her as a woman. Activists regarded it as a notable sign of change. Italy remains the last major Western European nation that doesn't provide any rights or protection to homosexual people.

Transgender MMA fighter talks about defeat  In a GQ magazine interview, transgender mixed martial arts fighter Fallon Fox talked about her feelings of helplessness after losing an October fight that broke her undefeated streak. The magazine theorized that Fallon's reduction in testosterone may be affecting her ability to defeat her opponents.

Evander Holyfield makes homophobic comments on reality TV  Former world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield made controversial remarks on the U.K. reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother when he said homosexuality isn't normal and that it should be fixed. Broadcast watchdog Ofcam has received several complaints about the remarks. No formal investigation has been launched yet.

Minister removed from Scottish school after antigay comments  A Church of Scotland reverend has lost his chaplaincy role at the Gaelic School in Glasgow after parents complained about his statements that being gay is a disorder and a perversion on a Facebook page about same-sex marriage.

Bisexuality debate sparked by Tom Daley's coming out  When British Olympic diver Tom Daley announced he was dating a man but was still attracted to women, he did not specify his sexual orientation. His ambiguity has drawn attention to confusion and questioning of bisexuality.

U.S. Marines grant dying gay veteran's lifelong wish  In 1956, Hal Faulkner was discharged from the U.S. Marines for being gay. Faulkner, with only a few weeks left to live due to cancer, received a letter confirming that his record would be corrected to say he received an honorable discharge.