On the Gaydar: Nigeria, Hong Kong, England, Elton John, and more

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

Nigerian protesters throw stones at gay trial  Thousands of protesters threw stones into a northern Nigerian sharia court on January 22 to urge the convictions and executions of 11 men arrested for belonging to a gay organization. Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan signed a draconian antigay law on January 7, which has resulted in a flurry of arrests of gay people.

Ex-Vatican guard says Vatican gay network exists   A former Swiss Guard commander claims that there's a "network of homosexuals" in the Vatican. He feared that this secret society posed a threat to the Pope's security.

Hong Kong father offers marriage bounty for lesbian daughter  A Hong Kong billionaire has reportedly doubled his offer to HK $1billion to any man who can convince his daughter to marry him. The daughter of Cecil Chao Sze-tsung, Gigi Chao, is in a civil partnership with her female partner of nine years, Sean Eav. 

UK gay couple prevented from marrying  A gay couple from Barnsley, England, is considering legal action against their government. They are unable to marry unless they dissolve their civil partnership, which is only possible on grounds of unreasonable behaviour or several years of separation.

Elton John slams Putin's attempt to deny homophobia  Russian president attempted to demonstrate he wasn't homophobic by stating that he has gay friends and is a fan of Elton John. John responded by criticizing the Russian antigay legislation. He added that he has seen the firsthand suffering of Russian LGBT people and would like to introduce Putin to them.

WinterPRIDE to precede Sochi Winter Olympics  Whistler's WinterPRIDE will kick off on January 26 and run until February 2, with an official mayoral proclamation and a Pride parade held on January 31. The event is being held just prior to the Sochi Winter Olympics, running from February 7 to 23. The first Olympic Pride House was created at the Winter Olympics held in Whistler in 2010.

UBC to study prostate cancer among MSM  UBC researchers are hoping to study the impact of prostate cancer treatment upon the lives of men who have sex with men, an area that is lacking in research. Previous studies have primarily focused on heterosexual men.