Sue Perkins and Sandi Toksvig were amongst the winners at last night’s Stonewall Awards, but the event threatened to be overshadowed by protesters gathered at the red carpet entrance to protest Stonewall’s nomination of Julie Bindel for Journalist of the Year.

150 people gathered at the entrance to picket the awards, chanting and waving banners against Stonewall’s perceived transphobia. A much smaller group of around 10 people protested to support Bindel.

Bindel did not win the journalism award, which was instead given to The Daily Mirror’s Miriam Stoppard.

Away from the protests, Sue Perkins won Entertainer of the Year, and Sandi Toksvig won Broadcaster of the Year.

Iris Robinson MP was voted Bigot of the Year for her public denouncements of homosexuality.

The biggest award of the night, the Stonewall Hero of the Year, went to the Rt Rev’d Gene Robinson, the openly gay Bishop of New Hampshire.

Robinson has bravely endured sustained personal attacks in recent months as church debate on homosexuality has intensified. He was also recently barred from the Lambeth conference.

Speaking at the awards, Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill said: “Every year, the Stonewall Awards highlight just how much we have to celebrate in an increasingly gay-friendly modern Britain.

“Of course, hostility towards gay people still exists. It’s telling that this year’s winners of Hero and Bigot of the Year are two ‘Robinsons’ who use their Christian beliefs in such very different ways.”

Protest photographs courtesy of AbsolutQueer.com