In an interview with Attitude magazine, the couple spoke of the “challenges” facing the family.

Their first son, Zachary, was born on Christmas Day 2010. His godmother was later confirmed to be Lady Gaga.

Of baby Zachary, Furnish tells Attitude: “I think he’s going to have a lot of attention thrust upon him.

“He’s going to be potentially doubly stigmatised, because one of his parents is extremely famous and because he comes from two dads.

“We’ve taken advice from counsellors. We’ve put a whole scrapbook together about his creation, the people who were involved in the process and how the intent was about love. We’re going to raise him to be proud of who he is.”

Last year, John spoke of the “happiest months” of his life being a parent, but warned of the dangers facing gay youth.

Writing in the Guardian, the musician said parenthood was a “blessing” and “an awe-inspiring responsibility”.

He concluded: “And we’re determined that he’ll grow up in a world different from the world that we grew up in ourselves.”

John announced in January that a “surreal” biopic of his life was “very much in the works”. 

The 16-second clip is an ad for a new record by Perfume Genius, the stage name of Mike Hadreas, containing shots from a music video for his single ‘Hood’.

It features the artist in an embrace with gay porn star Arpad Miklos which Youtube said “promoted mature sexual themes”.

At one point in the clip, the singer looks down while being held by Miklos. Neither is wearing a shirt. In a second shot, they are filmed embracing while wearing only underwear.

Vimeo continues to host the video, which you can watch above.

Gay musician Michael Stipe has slammed the decision as “discrimination”.

The response sent to Matador read: “The ad has been disapproved because it violates our Adult Image/Video Content policy.

“Per this policy, video content, audio, static imagery, and site content must be family safe. Any ads that contain non family safe material are disapproved. I noted to the team that the people in the video are not entirely unclothed, but the overall feeling of the video is one of a more adult nature, including promoting mature sexual themes and what appears to be nude content.

“As such, the video is non family safe. In order to have this video ad approved, you will need to bring it into compliance with our policy.”

Matador say they have received no further response from Youtube in response to requests for clarification on how they could bring the video up to code.

Nils Bernsetin, publicity director at Matador said yesterday: “I should note that this isn’t a user-uploaded video — the music video itself is on YouTube and not even flagged as ‘adult’ — this is what’s called a “pre-roll” ad, those annoying ads that we pay YouTube to run before videos you want to watch.

“So it seems they’re worried about upsetting unsuspecting viewers that don’t want to see two men looking romantically at each other.

“But I’ve had ads for anti-gay-rights Republican candidates and “Jersey Shore”-style TV shows sprung on me that seem to fit ‘not family safe’ or “promoting mature sexual themes’ more than this.

“I bet most of the people in the approvals department don’t even agree with this, but are afraid to piss off deep-pocketed conservative clients, which is even sadder given the innocence of this clip.”

Former REM frontman Michael Stipe wrote last night on his Tumblr account: “For YouTube to deem this advertisement as “non family safe” is dumbheaded discrimination; I find their actions in doing so disgraceful and cowardly. YouTube, shame on you. You were born of the 21st Century, now act like it.”

The full video for the single ‘Hood’ remains hosted on Youtube.

PinkNews.co.uk has contacted Youtube but has so far been unable to obtain clarification.

A source told E!Online the singer turned actor was “working with his people to figure out exactly how to respond”.

Elton John, 64, told the LA Times earlier this month he would co-produce a “surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a Moulin Rouge”, and that he ideally wanted Timberlake to play him.

He said: “I’ve got a wish list of people. Number one on my wishlist is Justin Timberlake, because he played me before in a David LaChapelle video of Rocket Man and he was superb.”

Timberlake portrayed John in the 2002 video for This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore.

Timberlake said in July of last year that he was “stoked” New York had introduced marriage equality for gay couples, saying he was proud the state had “the balls to stand up for what’s right”.

According to unconfirmed reports from an Us Weekly source, Timberlake proposed to Jessica Biel before Christmas.

The singer, who returned from a month-long stay in an Austrian hospital just before Christmas, had spoken of how doctors on the continent were “keeping him alive” after he came down with the condition.

But at least one religious organisation was praying for his death and suggesting the illness was AIDS-related, a claim was refuted by doctors.

Last night, Michael criticised their use of religion as a “pathetic excuse” to call for his death, while praising the “wonderful, kind hearted” Christians he knew.

Michael said last night: “Did you know that while I was fighting for my life in Austria there were a bunch of those lovely American ‘Christian’ organisations, who call themselves “Christians for a Moral America”,who were actually taking the time to pray for me to die…”

“How very sweet of them, considering how busy they must be on the whole. Now don’t get me wrong, I know for a fact that many devout christians, such as the ones I work rest and play with on a daily basis, are truly wonderful, kind hearted men and women who take the best parts of that religion and live admirable, generous and loving lives.

“But In my opinion, and i think made evident by those who prayed for my death, there are others who use their twisted interpretations of ancient scriptures as a pathetic excuse to be…….wait for it, wait for it…….! Totally fucked up cocksucking bastards.”

While Michael was hospitalised, one member of the group known as Keith, posted messages on Twitter including: “Apparently George Michael has AIDS. Figures since he’s a homosexual and it goes with the territory. Another sodomite bites the dust?”

Posting under the username @godswordislaw, which has 7,500 followers, he also wrote: “Pray for George Michael’s demise. He has chosen a satanic lifestyle and must meet an appropriate end.”

In late November, when Michael was diagnosed with pneumonia, the group’s blog said: “It’s almost symbolic that just after the 20th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s death from AIDS that another famous homosexual would succumb to this disease.

“We pray that George Michael has found salvation through Christ in his last days otherwise he will pay for his unrepentant lifestyle in hell.”

The Christians for Moral America blog lists liberals, atheists, gays, Muslims and feminists as the most dangerous anti-American groups of 2012.

The singer, 64, told the LA Times he would co-produce the film with his civil partner, David Furnish, and that it would be a “surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a Moulin Rouge”.

He added that a “normal biopic” would not be appropriate “because my life hasn’t been like that”.

On the subject of who he would like to portray him, he said: “I’ve got a wish list of people. Number one on my wishlist is Justin Timberlake, because he played me before in a David LaChapelle video of Rocket Man and he was superb.”

In an April Fools article in 2008, PinkNews.co.uk suggested Eminem had been the first choice to star as a young Elton John in a planned biopic.

Timberlake said in July of last year that he was “stoked” New York had introduced marriage equality for gay couples, saying he was proud the state had “the balls to stand up for what’s right”.

Although casting has not yet begun, plans are under way for the production. He said: “We have a director on board, and then it’s just going to be a matter of getting the script exactly the way we want it. Lee Hall has written a script – he wrote Billy Elliot – and then we’ll start trying to cast and plan.”

John told the paper: “As Elton John, my days on pop radio are over, and I know that and I accept it and I’m not unhappy about it. It’s a different time of my life now, and it gives me the freedom to do whatever kind of music I want to do.

“When I say I don’t have to write pop songs anymore, there’s no way I’m going to get on the radio at 60 years of age unless I’m doing a duet with [Lady] Gaga or I was on All of the Lights, which was a Kanye West record that managed to get on the radio.”

In 2010, John and Furnish became fathers to their first child, Zachary. He confirmed earlier this year that Lady Gaga had been asked to act as godmother.

The BBC provoked controversy when it invited Christian fundamentalist Stephen Green to provide the only comment on its report on the child’s birth.

The Corporation said Green, who has publicly voiced support for state execution of gays, had been asked to speak on its flagship news programme to “balance” the debate over surrogacy for gay couples.

John also spoke this week of the love he had for his son, saying: “I’ve had an amazing professional life, personal life, but at 64 to have a son who gives us that much love and enjoyment is, wow!”

Voicing her support for the 76-year-old Congressman, she had said on Twitter: “I love Ron Paul. I liked him a lot during the last Republican nomination and no one gave him a chance.

“If he wins the nomination for the Republican party in 2012 he’s got my vote. Too bad he probably won’t.”

Paul, a doctor, has campaigned in two previous elections, once as the Libertarian Party candidate and once for the Republican nomination, but is struggling to shake off controversial newsletters published under his name over twenty years ago.

Having already surfaced in his previous campaigns, the newsletters have been denounced for including apparently homophobic and racist statements.

A Twitter account, @RP_Newsletter, has been set up to send out quotes from the newsletters, which were first written in 1976.

One 1994 publication claims that gay men had no reason to live past 50 as they would “have no children”, and enjoyed the “pity” associated with AIDS.

Another newsletter attributed to Paul said “opinion polls consistently show only about 5% of blacks have sensible political opinions”.

Paul has denied direct involvement in the many controversial statements, saying he “disavowed” them.

In a call-in show on WHO-AM radio in Iowa, Paul said he would write the parts of his newsletters on economics, but sometimes statements were included without his awareness: “It wasn’t a reflection of my views at all [...] I think it was terrible.

“It was tragic, and I had some responsibility for it, because the name went out in my letter. But I was not an editor. I’m like a publisher.”

After being criticised for supporting Paul, Clarkson said: “I am really sorry if I have offended anyone.

“Obviously, that was not my intent. I do not support racism. I support gay rights, straight rights, women’s rights, men’s rights, white/black/purple/orange rights.

“I like Ron Paul because he believes in less government and letting the people (all of us) make the decisions and mold our country. That is all. Out of all of the Republican nominees, he’s my favorite.”

A Representative for Texas, Paul campaigns on libertarian views and believes the federal government should not define marriage, voting in favour of the Defense of Marriage Act to protect individual states from being forced to recognise gay marriages entered into in other states.

In 2007 he said he supported gay couples marrying, so long as they did not “impose” it on others.

Clarkson has denied lesbian rumours in the past, saying in October of this year: “People keep saying I’m gay but I’m not.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve never been with a girl! I don’t take any notice of that now and neither do my friends and family. It’s just stupid.”

If organisers can provide accommodation and transportation, she says she would like to promote the LGBT community around the world at any pride event possible.

Having performed at Las Vegas Pride in 2009, and at Alicante Pride in Spain and Exeter in the UK this year, the artist told PinkNews.co.uk she wants to play as many pride days as possible in the next twelve months in the name of charity.

Edkins, who works a DJ with 103.9 Voice FM in Southampton and SpirtfireFM.com said: “I’d like it to be non-stop, to go from one to another on a daily basis. I would play a pride event every day of the week if I could.

“I want to try to make a difference and show my support by doing what I love to do – performing.

“Pride is all about being proud of who are and showing the world there is nothing wrong with being the way you choose to be”.

She added that if scheduling conflicts occurred over June, when most Pride events happen, she would be happy to visit anyone who misses out in 2013.

Chrisie Edkins, who is signed to Play Records, can be contacted through her website, www.chrisie.net.

Watch the video below for a look at her song, Hate.

Outside his London home this afternoon, he told press it had been the “worst month” of his life.

The singer had been due to appear in Vienna in November as part of his Symphonica tour but cancelled a show two hours before it was due to start.

He was then taken to the AKH hospital, the largest in Europe, with 1,600 doctors and says he “woke up” 10 days ago.

Speaking back in the UK, the former Wham! star said he was “incredibly fortunate to be here” adding that he was lucky to have picked up the bug near the Austrian hospital where he was treated.

He announced he did intend to honour tickets for the cancelled shows, saying: “The plan is to play to every single person who had a ticket.

“And I would like to play one show for the doctors in the hospital in Austria who saved my life.”

In a statement, doctors from the hospital said said: “The latest development in Mr Michael’s case, which has evolved from a severe pneumococcal infection, necessitated intensive care due to its severity and extension.

“We are happy to announce that Mr Michael is improving steadily with an impressive regression of pneumonic symptoms, and follows a steady rate of improvement as hoped.

“There are no other health issues with regards to the patient other than the underlying pneumonic disorder, and no further measures had to be taken.”

The singer told press: “I have an amazing, amazing life and if I wasn’t spiritual enough before the last four or five weeks then I certainly am now.”

When I chat to Joe, he’s in buoyant mood. He’s wrapping up a fantastic year with some last-minute promotion of his Christmas album, Classic Christmas. The album was certified gold within a day of its November release. I take him back to the beginning of his music career. Why did he enter The X Factor?

“Well, I knew I wanted to perform,” he tells me, “but I didn’t know how I was going to go about it. So I just thought, I’ll try for the X Factor and hopefully it’ll give me some insight into the music industry. I didn’t think I would get through. It was more just to see what would happen. I thought I’d just have a bit of fun with it.”

That was back in June 2009, the same month he turned 18. When did he first have an inkling he might actually be in with a shot of winning?

“Probably about half way through the competition,” he answers. “I never allowed myself to think I might win it, but I kind of said to myself: “OK, if you do want to win this you’re going to have to work harder.” I think that was probably about week six or seven. I started to see so many people leave the competition. I realised we were getting really close to the final.”

An average of 12m people tuned in during the 17 weeks that The X Factor aired that year. During the final, when Joe defeated Olly Murs to be crowned series winner, the audience peaked at 19.4m. Other things being equal, his debut single should have been the 2009 Christmas No.1. Unluckily for Joe, a Facebook-based campaign to end Simon Cowell’s dominance of the Christmas charts led to his single coming in at No.2, despite selling 450,000 copies in its first week of release. It reached No.1 the following week. A delay in releasing his debut album was then blamed for poor sales and ultimately led to Joe parting ways with Syco Music, Simon Cowell’s record label.

“I was only contracted to do one album with them,” says Joe. “It would have been easier if I’d continued working with them, but I think it was more of a challenge for me to go away and try something different, like Popstar to Operastar. Looking back now, I’m glad that it all happened the way it did because I was able to go off and experience things I wouldn’t have been able to had I still been with them. Being on me own, without a deal, going to meetings and thrashing everything out, I’ll keep that forever. It’s going to be useful in the long term, dealing with all that at a young age.”

Joe says he harbours no ill will towards Cowell and his former team at Syco. I wonder if he’s still a fan of The X Factor. He is.

“I haven’t been able to watch as much of the show this year as I would have liked to, because I’ve been on tour. But every time I watch it, I’m with them on that stage. You can feel what they’re going through. Your heart’s pounding. This was the first year I could watch it and not get so involved. Last year I couldn’t watch it without feeling sick. It brought back all the memories.”

During and after Joe’s X Factor victory people speculated about his sexuality. As it turned out, Joe wasn’t actually aware of his sexuality at that point so a lot of it turned on the fact that he was simply a good-looking, polite young man. In July 2010, at the age of 19, Joe gave a series of tabloid interviews in which he announced he was gay. With his debut album still to be released at that point, some people were cynical about the timing.

“I was quite annoyed people would think I’d talk about something so personal as a publicity stunt,” says Joe. “There are much easier things to say than that, if you’re looking for publicity. I didn’t realise it was going to be all over the papers. I was quite shocked when I walked into a shop and saw the front pages. Was it really that newsworthy? I’d only told my friends and family a week-and-a-half to two weeks before. That’s how new it was to me.”

“I’d never really had a chance to think about it when I was on X Factor. When I went into the show I was only 18. Before then I was never really interested in anybody. I was always kind of busy with performing. When the show finished I went into this big press conference and journalists fired loads of questions at me. When was my first girlfriend? When did I first kiss somebody? Where did this and that happen? I was like: “Oh, my God!” I didn’t have much of a chance to think about anything until I finally had a bit of time off. I went away and came to the conclusion I was gay. Once I was comfortable with it I decided to talk about it. I would never tell lies.”

I tell Joe I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 20. I can’t imagine being under the pressure he must have felt reading third parties speculating about his sexuality. Does he accept that his private life is a matter of public interest?

“I don’t have a choice really,” he says. “I’ve put myself in this position. If I didn’t like it I wouldn’t do the job. I think if you want to be in this industry that’s a sacrifice you have to make. I always think it’s strange when people complain about it because I think, well, you chose to be in the public eye. With the power of the Internet and Twitter, nowadays everything’s open and out there.”

I ask him if he thinks he would have won The X Factor had he been out at the time. Obviously, he won Popstar to Operastar after he came out.

“My fans have stuck by me since I did, so I would say, yes. They’re amazingly supportive. I don’t see why it would have made a difference.”

After splitting with Syco, Joe opted to take on a new manager. He tells me he wanted to develop a personal relationship with someone he could work alongside. He turned down offers from big companies and eventually he and his new manager decided he would take part in ITV’s Popstar to Operastar. Was he hesitant about doing another TV show?

“I think had it just been a reality TV show and not about singing, I would have been hesitant. Because it was about singing and involved a different and credible style of singing, I had no worries about it. I didn’t really think I was going to win. It was just a kind of fun project to take on.”

Of course, win he did. On the back of his and the show’s success he signed a deal with Decca and released two albums in quick succession: August’s Classic and November’s Classic Christmas. I point out that, based on the sales figures I’ve seen, he’s sold three times more albums since leaving Syco than he did when he was with them.

“I always find it really weird talking about things like that because I try not to focus too much on album sales,” he says. “You can get a bit obsessed with it. But I feel a great sense of achievement in what I’ve done this year, especially considering that at the start of the year a lot of people would have written me off.”

Finally, I turn to the future: will he continue recording with Decca and what are his plans for next year?

“I’m really happy with the work I’ve done with Decca. They’re an amazing team and I’m proud to be signed to them. Everyone has been signed to Decca over the years, including Elton John. We’re already talking about my fourth album, my third with them. I want to have a bit of time off because I’ve been working solidly since January last year, then I’ll probably go straight back into the studio. I’ve just finished a tour and we’re already talking about another one next year.”

Young, 32, addressed a comment directed at him on the micro-blogging site which said he was “such a bender”.

The musician replied: “now Bender? Is that homophobia? Do clarify…. Cos if so I can get the police on to you….. Have a think about it mate…. [sic]”

Young added he thought he would “report it anyway and see what they say”.

The user, based in the UK, responded that it was “definitely not homophobia, I have no issue, everyone has a choice”.

He later added: “Literally can’t say anything to famous people these days, it’s only twitter for god sake. All their fans on you like a ton of bricks.”

Other users who took exception to the tweet rounded on the original poster, calling him homophobic and later “ugly”, for which he apologised before asking why people were not at work.

One user suggested that he apologise to Young, adding that considering his age he “probably didn’t mean to be offensive”.

Our interview begins four hours later than scheduled. Boy George has a good excuse: he got stuck in a lift with ten other people in Hampstead underground station and afterwards had to rush to an Italian singing lesson. It turns out George is recording a limited edition EP in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. The new release will feature him singing four songs in Italian, celebrating the great Italian ballads of the 1960s and backed by a full orchestra and choir.

“I’m singing some really famous songs like La Vita and Il Mio Mondo. People know the English versions, My Life and You Are My World, but those songs were originally Italian. Il Mio Mondo was written by Umberto Bindi and it turns out he was gay and had quite a hard time of it. So it’s kind of beautiful that I’m singing it because I feel like I’m paying tribute to him. I’m quite excited because I’ve always had a lot of love from Italy.”

I ask him about his new book. Having already released two written biographies, 1995’s Take It Like a Man and 2005’s Straight, what made him decide to publish King of Queens?

“I think people can look at a picture and make their own mind about what it’s saying,” he tells me. “So in a way pictures do tell a thousand stories. I also think sometimes pictures are better than talking and at this point in my life I feel like I’ve said too much anyway! A lot of the pictures in the book are non-digital. They’re a bit like old vinyl. Pictures taken in the 60s, 70s or even the 80s have a certain kind of quality to them. I call them analogue pictures.”

Boy George is, of course, the perfect photographic subject. It might have been his voice that propelled him to global stardom in the 1980s, but his celebrity was fuelled by the way he looked and dressed. Does his make-up laden public persona made it hard for him to attract guys? I’ve heard he likes his men a little rough around the edges.

“I think I don’t really have a type,” he laughs. “I like all kinds of flavours. I suppose I like real men, though of course that’s something of a myth. I think when you’re young you have a fixed idea about what you find attractive. Then as you get older it kind of changes and you look for different things. I’ve always been versatile when it comes to guys. I like blokes in suits, pretty boys, camp boys.” He laughs again. “I like them all. It depends on what you can get, doesn’t it?”

I tell him I remember reading a story about him being turned away from London’s Shadow Lounge because he wasn’t wearing make-up or a trademark hat. The bouncer didn’t believe it was him. Does that mean he can leave the house and not be recognised?

“I think it depends on how you channel yourself. I mean I go on the bus and the tube everyday. There was a time in my life when I couldn’t go anywhere without being bothered. Occasionally now someone will come up to me now and say: “Are you Boy George?” I just run away. I’m not rude, but like I wouldn’t go up to Brian Ferry on the tube. I just wouldn’t. It’s the wrong time. I was in Sainsbury’s the other day and Alan Bennett was standing behind me in the queue at the till. That was obviously the perfect time to say hello, but if he’d been looking at tomatoes I probably wouldn’t have bothered him.”

His mention of Alan Bennett is opportune. That last time I saw Bennett, he was standing on stage next to an actor playing him in The Lady In The Van. George had a similar experience when his musical Taboo was playing. What was it like for him to be on stage next to someone playing Boy George?

“It was interesting when we did Taboo in New York,” he begins, “because Euan Morton, who played me, was getting all the love and people over there couldn’t deal with Leigh Bowery, who I played. They didn’t know him and of course the first appearance of Leigh in the musical was from a toilet singing I’ll Have You All. It was fine, though. The hostility just made me get into character more. I wanted to be even more obnoxious. That’s what Leigh would have been like.”

Luke Evans, the British actor currently making waves in Hollywood with roles in The Three Musketeers and Immortals, appeared with George in Taboo playing Billy. I ask him what he thinks of Evans seemingly stepping back into the closet.

“I don’t want to talk about him specifically,” George answers, “but I understand why people do it. The fact is you do get penalised in acting if you’re out and it’s wrong. That’s why it’s called f**king acting. If you’re a good actor you can play a tree, you don’t have to be a tree, do you? It’s not the actors who are to blame it’s the industry. I’m really pleased Luke’s doing well, and if he’s good at what he does that’s all that matters.”

In 2009, George served four months in HMP Edmunds Hill for assault and false imprisonment. It wasn’t his first run-in with the law. Given well-known infractions by the likes of Stephen Fry, George Michael and more recently Michael Barrymore, I ask George if he thinks gay men are particularly prone to crime?

“I think you’re just making that connection because you’re gay,” he counters. “Because there are loads of straight people who get arrested every day. It’s not a gay thing. It might be connected to being famous, or it could be insecurity or drugs. In most of those cases drugs are the deciding factor. Are gay men more likely to be into drugs? I don’t really know. It’s terrible to generalise, but with less responsibility, different lifestyles… maybe there’s some truth in that.”

What effect does he think prison had on him? Did he come out of prison with a renewed determination to make the most of life?

“The change in me happened before I went to prison. I got clean a year before I went to prison, so for me it was about getting sober. I always thought when I got to 40 I would stop being self-destructive and get my s**t together. It didn’t quite work out like that. It took me another seven years to sort my life out. I went into prison with a very clear head so I was able to cope with it.”

I apologise to him for the flippancy of my next question, but does he think a spell in prison would be good for most people?

“I don’t really know what it does, other than give you a bit of time with yourself. I suppose that’s the only plus side. If you go to prison and you don’t accept it, then it doesn’t really do you any good. A lot of people go to prison and feel they shouldn’t be there. They spend the whole time rallying against it rather than surrendering. It really depends how long you’re in for. Four months is very different from five years or ten years. When you go in there for ten years you kind of feel like you’ve got nothing to lose.”

In 1988 George released No Clause 28, a year after his debut solo single, Everything I Own, went to number one. His latest single, Turn 2 Dust, also deals with homophobia.

“What I find interesting is that 30 years on I’m still singing about the same thing. It’s weird because in the 80s it really felt like we changed the world. Things always seem to go backwards. This whole gay-marriage thing is hysterical. If they’d just let it happen they’d soon realise nothing is going to change. We heard it under Thatcher, that if you talk about it you encourage it. It’s like, hello? That’s not how it works, love. I was queer yesterday, I’m queer today and I’ll be queer tomorrow. Nothing you say is going to change it.”

Talk of same-sex marriage makes me think of America, where the fight for equality is particularly animated. In light of his recent conviction, is he still able to travel there?

“Not at the moment, but I’m working on it,” he says. “I want to go back to America so much. That first American gig is going to be very emotional for me. I know I’ve been to prison, but in the eyes of the law I’ve paid for what I did. Being banned from a country, it’s just prolonging my sentence. It’s like the idea of rehabilitation doesn’t really exist. It’s a horrible feeling being told I can’t go back. Especially after I cleaned up New York and was commended for doing such a good job! I just want to get on with my life.”

Getting on with life is Boy George’s new mantra. He feels he has a lot of work to do. In the near-term that work includes a new album with Culture Club.

“We’ve already started writing the album,” he tells me. “We’ll start recording it in the New Year and we’ll have it ready for when we tour in the spring. We’re actually going to Australia for New Year’s Eve to do a live show in Sydney Harbour, which is pretty exciting. I can actually say I’m pretty happy right now. I’m the most career oriented now that I’ve ever been, partly because I’ve finally realised how great my life is and how lucky I am to do what I do.”

King of Queens goes on sale 12th December, published by Kitchen Sink Publishing.

In an interview with Stereogum, the 38-year-old American-Canadian songwriter says: “I do really want to maintain a kind of healthy attitude and toughness to the core of this band and have it really be about just the songs and the musicianship and not about dressing up like Judy Garland.

“I don’t think that took over necessarily, but this is a very kind of […] I hate to say it, but it’s kind of a very manly record, I think, which I think is cool. I’ve certainly made enough gay records.”

Wainwright announced in February that he had had a child with Lorca Cohen, daughter of Leonard Cohen.

Last year, he said he “knew” American rapper 50 Cent was gay, adding: “It’s okay, 50 Cent. Feel free to call me anytime. My boyfriend and I are experts. You can come over for dinner. And maybe dessert.”

Wainwright also describes his “bromance” with music producer Mark Ronson, with whom he collaborated on the album, which will be titled Out of the Game, saying their relationship is “just mano-to-mano, but without any manos”.

He later added it made their partners “not nervous, but definitely attentive to the situation”.

Ex-boyfriend, Kenny Goss, is also reported to be travelling to Austria.

The musician, who is suffering from severe pneumonia, has been joined by his father Kyriacos Panayiotou and sisters Melanie and Yioda.

A source told the Mail: “His whole family are with him. They are very close-knit.
George is just such a lucky man in that sense. He’s so adored.”

The singer had been due to appear in Vienna as part of his Symphonica tour on Monday but cancelled two hours before it was due to start.

Vienna’s AKH hospital is the largest in Europe, with 1,600 doctors.

In October, a viral infection caused Michael to pull out of a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, following advice from doctors.

Recently, the singer criticised Eastenders on Twitter for its negative portrayal of gay people. Michael remarked that the storyline between the show’s gay couple Christian and Sayed was “insulting to the gay community.”

He also claims organisations and individuals who want to silence opinions like Morgan’s are opposing free speech.

In June, Morgan shocked an audience in Nashville when he said that if his son was gay, he would “stab that little nigger to death”.

In its December issue, the rapper tells the US magazine: “Man, I will say this, the funniest joke I ever heard Tracy say during a stand-up was, ‘C’mon man, I think gay people are too sensitive. If you can take a d***, you can take a joke’.

“That s*** was funny to me. And it’s kind of true.”

He continues, saying gays who seek to stop comments like Morgan’s being made are opposing free speech.

He says: “They’re like, ‘If you have an opinion against us, we’re gonna shut you down.’

“That’s not American. If you’re gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you’re against it you should have the right to be against it in peace.”

Alvin McEwen of LGBTQ Nation said: “T.I.’s claim that he believes ‘gays should live in peace’ is weak in light of the fact that he thinks it’s hilarious to make fun of a real problem which in fact does prevent gays from living in peace.

“Gay children are often threatened with violence in their homes.”

The musician has been incarcerated for weapons and drug offences in the past, and was released from an 11-month sentence for violating probation on 29 September.

The 48-year-old has been struck down with pneumonia while in Vienna.

This weekend, the former Wham idol was due to perform in Cardiff.

The star’s spokeswoman said in a statement: “George Michael is ill with pneumonia and any other speculation regarding his illness is unfounded and untrue.

“He is receiving excellent medical care, he is responding to treatment and slowly improving”.

A source told the Daily Mail: “George has woken up and he’s in good spirits. Doctors are very pleased with him, and he’s making progress.”

“He’s been in terrible pain. He’s had a dreadful chest infection, but he’s been in good care. He’s in very capable hands”.

They added: “This is a very serious condition. It cannot be understated. George needs rest. It takes ages to recover”.

Claims the star was also suffering heart problems by the Vienna Times have been dismissed by Michael’s team.

Discussions are under way about rescheduling the remaining 14 dates of his tour.

The singer had been due to appear in Vienna as part of his Symphonica tour on Monday but cancelled two hours before it was due to start.

Austria’s state broadcaster is reporting that the former Wham star is at Vienna’s AKH hospital.

His publicist Connie Filippello confirmed the 48-year-old star was currently receiving treatment.

This weekend’s concert in Cardiff has also been cancelled.

In October, a viral infection caused Michael to pull out of a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, following advice from doctors.

Earlier this month, Michael performed for Sir Elton John’s Aids Foundation at the Royal Opera House in London.

Recently, the singer criticized Eastenders on Twitter for its negative portrayal of gay people. Michael remarked that the storyline between the show’s gay couple Christian and Sayed was “insulting to the gay community.”

Fans of the iconic singer, along with the rest of the music world have been remembering the iconic showman.

Mercury, 45, passed away at his London home on 24 November 1991.

He had been diagnosed HIV positive several years earlier and died of bronchial pneumonia, brought on by AIDS.

Queen’s lead singer is remembered for his captivating live performances, searing vocals and enduring classics such as “We Are The Champions”, “Killer Queen” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Commenting on today’s anniversary, the Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, Sir Nick Partridge, said:

“For many people, Freddie Mercury’s death was a defining moment in the early years of the HIV epidemic.

“It crystallised how much talent we lost during those years, and helped heighten awareness of HIV in a way that even the best public health campaigns would struggle to do.

“That was twenty years ago and, thanks to the introduction of effective drug treatments, someone diagnosed with HIV today has every chance of living well into old age.

“However, that doesn’t mean HIV has gone away.

“Next year, there will be more people with the condition in this country than ever before; that’s 100,000 individuals who face a lifetime of daily medication and – all too often – discrimination”.

Sir Nick added: “In the run up to World AIDS Day on 1 December, it’s important to remember those we lost, and also reflect on where we are today.”

A film about Mercury, starring Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen, is currently being developed.

It’s expected to focus on the years leading up to Queen’s unforgettable performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985.

This year, the band also marked its 40th anniversary.

In 1987, Mercury told journalist David Wigg that he had no fears of becoming a lonely, rich 70-year-old.

“I’ve lived a full life and if I’m dead tomorrow, I don’t give a damn. I really have done it all”, he said.

She told Cosmopolitan magazine: “They’re uncomfortable with it. When I was with my girlfriend last year and used to go to studio sessions, I remember going, ‘This is my girlfriend,’ and some people were initially uncomfortable with it.

“But after a while they weren’t because I wasn’t.

“I’ve never used it as a gimmick. I’ve always said I’ve dated guys and I’ve dated girls… If I’m in love, I’m in love. I’m not going to hide it.

“I don’t have a type. For me it’s about someone being comfortable in their own skin. I like people with ambition – and good teeth! Someone with a sense of humour who doesn’t take themselves too seriously.”

Jessie J was shortlisted for Entertainer of the Year at this year’s Stonewall Awards.

The first thing I notice about Melissa is that in contrast to her raspy vocals, her voice is velvet-soft. I start at the beginning. How did she decide on music as a career and did her parents try to discourage her?

“I was twelve years old when I started playing in bands around town,” she tells me. “I remember the first gig I got paid for. They gave me ten bucks. That’s a lot to a twelve year old in 1973! I started playing every weekend. I’d make $25 a night. Then I branched out and played anywhere I could find work. Soon I was making $200 a week. My parents tried to persuade me to go to college. They figured I could be a music teacher if I needed a career to fall back on. But they could see I was making a living and so long as I felt I was moving ahead it was what I wanted to do.”

Making a living from music doesn’t necessitate being a rock star. Did she set out to be as successful as she’s been?

“I had pretty big rock and roll dreams when I was younger,” she explains. “There were great artists coming out like The Eurythmics and U2. I wanted to be part of that and play those big arenas.”

Did she ever dream of winning Grammys? I tell her I can picture her practicing her acceptance speech in front of a mirror.

“Well, maybe not that exactly,” she laughs. “When I was in high school the Oscars were probably the big one for me. I watched them every year. It wasn’t so much the Oscar I wanted, more the opportunity to talk to the world.”

Etheridge knew she was gay when she was fourteen or fifteen. Did Island Records, the label she’s been with her entire career, pressure her to keep her sexuality secret between 1985 and her coming out in 1993?

“No one knew quite what to do about it, she answers, “but no one was homophobic. Everyone knew I was gay. They knew my girlfriend. They knew where I’d come from too because Chris Blackwell was in a lesbian bar when he found me. I remember having the conversation with him. He looked at me and said, “I don’t ever want you to lie,” and then added, “but maybe don’t flag wave.””

Three albums into her career Etheridge started experiencing problems. By the beginning of 1993 she was being misquoted by journalists.

“I’d always been careful to say “my lover” or “my partner” and one guy just took it upon himself to say I was talking about my boyfriend. I was worried people would think I was some kind of liar because a lot of people knew, they knew I’d come from the bars. So it was really important for me to come out officially.”

And so she did in January 1993 at the Triangle Ball for Bill Clinton’s inauguration. Melissa was a guest at the event and was asked to say a few words to the 2,500-strong crowd. She told them she was excited to be there and proud to have been a lesbian her whole life. KD Lang came over and hugged her.

Since we’re talking about coming out stories I ask Melissa how in 1997 she came to appear “The Puppy Episode” of Ellen DeGeneres eponymous sitcom.

“Oh, Ellen and I had been friends for ten years by then,” she says. “We’ve always been around Hollywood together. We’ve seen each other’s careers go up and we’ve always hung out. There was a group of us. It was KD Lang, Rosie O’Donnell, Ellen and myself. It was KD who first did an interview with The Advocate. She was the first to come out. We all went: “Wow!” So then I was like, sign me up, I’m jumping! And I jumped.”

“And then Ellen and Rosie were like: “But we’re in television, it’s different.” And they waited and waited. Then I remember going to dinner at Orzo one night with Ellen and she told me: “I’m going to come out on television.” She told me all about her plan. I was excited for her and said I wanted to be a part of it. So she wrote me into the episode.”

Etheridge is famous not only as a performer, but also as a songwriter. While “Come To My Window” is regarded as her signature song, I want to ask her about two others. The first, Scarecrow, is from her 1999 album, Breakdown. It deals with the 1998 murder of Matthew Shephard.

“When I heard the news about Matthew, Julie was pregnant with my oldest son, Beckett. It cut me open. All I could think about was that he was someone’s son. How sad it was that boys could be so afraid of this that they become monsters. I had to write the song to get those feelings out. Then I thought, what do I do with it? In the end I decided to release it because I wanted people to remember what happened. We don’t need any more of that.”

“A week after the album came out it was the year anniversary of Matthew’s death. I sang it that day and it tore me apart. I could barely get through it. I sang it again at the Equality Rocks concert in April 2000. There were about 60,000 of us in the RFK Stadium and Matthew’s mother and father were in the audience. It’s never an easy song to sing.”

Melissa’s unwavering support of the LGBT community was one reason I was rooting for her when her song “I Need To Wake Up” was nominated for Best Song at the 79th Academy Awards in 2007. The song featured in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Ellen hosted the Oscars that year and despite stiff competition “I Need To Wake Up” won. How did that feel?

“It was just as good as you’d think it would be! It really is! You have to understand, I thought Al Gore was making a documentary that might be shown in high schools. Then I heard Paramount was going to release it in movie theatres. So I thought they’d release it in a couple and it would go to DVD. Then I realised they were releasing it in a lot of theatres. People were going to see it. Then I saw that summer that the world changed.”

“Then came the Oscar nomination came and I couldn’t believe it! Finally, on the night itself I was sitting in the auditorium and John Travolta looked over at me and read out my name. I was like: OH MY GOD!!!”

“I remember walking up on stage and being surprised at how heavy the Oscar was. My arm was sore from carrying it around that night! I remember thanking my family: my children and my wife, Tammy. Everyone applauded. I was like, “Yeah they’re pretty great.” I didn’t realise people were applauding the implication: same-sex marriage. Afterwards I realised it was a really political thing to say, but at the time it was just the truth. You get 45 seconds and there’s a huge monitor in front of you with flashing orange numbers on it, counting down. It’s over before you know it, but it was literally a dream come true.”

Melissa’s career contradicts those who say you can’t be out and successful. Prior to coming out her three previous albums had each sold just under a million copies. Yes I Am, released eight months after her Triangle Ball announcement, sold more than six million.

“I love being asked if there was any backlash to me coming out because in my case there absolutely wasn’t.”

Does she buy the argument, previously put to her by Ellen and Rosie, that TV is different from music?

“I don’t. Ellen’s since proved that. Rosie too. It’s not about whether you’re gay or straight it’s about talent. Look at Neil Patrick Harris: one day he’s doing How I Met Your Mother and the next day he’s hosting the Tonys. You can’t argue with his talent. If you’ve not got the goods that’s bad luck, but don’t blame being out.”

Melissa Etheridge will be playing the following dates as part of her Fearless Love European Tour: Dublin, 14 Feb 2012; Manchester, 16 Feb 2012; London, 17 Feb 2012; Brighton, 19 Feb 2012.

A source told The Sun newspaper: “Justin managed to shake off the thousands of fans who were following him around the city.

“He went to the official MTV party at the Europa hotel with his girlfriend Selena Gomez before being smuggled out in secret.

“The ‘Beliebers’ were left waiting outside the front of the hotel hoping for a glimpse but he slipped through a side entrance used for kitchen deliveries and later left the same way.”

Yesterday evening, he travelled to London to turn on the Christmas lights at the two Westfield shopping centres in London.

He told the crowd: “My favourite part of London is the girls.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine earlier this year, the young star appeared to label homosexuality as a choice rather than something that is uncontrollable.