The latest issue of Gay & Lesbian Humanist magazine is now online at www.gayandlesbianhumanist.org.

With a nod to Christopher Isherwood, we say “Hello to Berlin” – the Berlin Film Festival, to be exact. Some of the mixed bag of fascinating movies that were seen there will no doubt be worth looking out for when they are shown at British film festivals, and we take a look at 21 offerings through the eyes of our man in Germany, Colin de la Motte-Sherman.

Comedians are always good for a laugh (well, so they should be). The US irreverant comedy legend George Carlin certainly is – or was. Carlin died last year, and the American Public Broadcasting Service showed a tribute to him. Thanks to videos that can be found on such sharing sites as YouTube, Carlin lives on. Our “Airings” column features one of his most hilarious performances “Religion is bullshit!”.

George Broadhead profiles the Iranian human rights campaigner, Maryam Namazie, a staunch opponent of political Islam

In the UK, a five-year-old girl told a fellow primary school pupil that she would burn in hell if she didn’t believe in God? Our Christian commentator Neil Richardson has been looking at the case, and at allegations of anti-Christian prejudice at that British school.

Should we believe politicians who tell people only what they want to hear? Andy Armitage thinks not. He also asks why the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, who sat on evidence of child abuse by catholic priests, should be allowed into the House of Lords.

All this, plus our selection of a blog that takes our interest in “Blog Watch”; some titbits from our own blog, Pink Triangle, in “On the Blog”; a news roundup from a UK perspective; “World Watch”, looking at news from other parts of the globe; and “Gossip from Across the Pond”, in which our man in the US Warren Allen Smith ponders on some of the more interesting entries in his own online creation, Philosopedia.

All in all, another mixed bag to dip into at www.gayandlesbianhumanist.org. Feedback – complimentary or critical – is very welcome.