2012 IN REVIEW: Read the rest of our year-end review features

Over 1,000 gathered in May to protest the hateful sermon of Newton, N.C., pastor Charles Worley. See more photos of that protest on Facebook.

The Huffington Post posted their top 50 LGBT stories of the year on Dec. 24.

Expected and unsurprising items are included in the list: Marriage equality on the ballot in four states, celebrity coming out stories, the American Pyschiatic Asssocation’s to delist being transgender from their list of mental disorders, Chick-fil-A controversies and more.

News from North Carolina also made the list, in not-so-pleasant ways. Despite our state’s best efforts to remain the sole progressive voice in the South, here are the three news items The Huffington Post says are the most memorable LGBT moments from our state this year and what they had to say about them:

North Carolina Pastor Says Put Gays And Lesbians In Electrified Pen To Kill Them Off

After President Obama’s historic proclamation in May that he supports marriage equality, numerous naysayers spoke out against the commander-in-chief.

North Carolina pastor Charles L. Worley went as far as saying, “Build a great, big, large fence — 150 or 100 miles long — put all the lesbians in there,” in a video that was posted on YouTube that went viral.

He continues: “Do the same thing for the queers and the homosexuals and have that fence electrified so they can’t get out…and you know what, in a few years, they’ll die out…do you know why? They can’t reproduce!”

Read the full story here. [And see qnotes' coverage of the resulting protest event here]

North Carolina Pastor Sean Harris: Parents Should ‘Punch’ Their Effeminate Children

Among the anti-gay tirades that took place this year (not to mention in May), Pastor Sean Harris passionately implored his congregation, Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C., to attack their children if they exhibit behavior outside of gender norms.

Harris spoke at length in support of North Carolina’s proposed Amendment 1, which ended up passing. The amendment defines marriage in the state constitution as between one man and one woman and outlaws civil unions and domestic partnerships in the southern state.

Read the full story here.

Pastor Patrick Wooden Says Gay Men Need To Wear Diapers

Patrick Wooden, a prominent North Carolina pastor, said that gay men need to wear diapers “because of what happens to the male anus’ after sex.

Wooden’s offensive rant was a part of his discussion with Americans For Truth About Homosexuality in January. He went on saying, “Who wants to practice anything that is going to ultimately lead a grown man to about the time he’s in his 40s or 50s, or what not, having to wear a diaper or a ‘butt plug’ just to be able to contain their bowels?”

Read the full story here.

Click here to see The Huffington Post’s full list of top LGBT stories from 2012…

2012 IN REVIEW: Read the rest of our year-end review features