Gay Football Supporters Network chair Chris Basiurski was cheered today (26 July) as he kissed his boyfriend before carrying the Olympic torch through London.

He told the crowd he was going to marry his partner, James, next year.

Earlier in the day comedy gay icons Eddie and Patsy of TV show Absolutely Fabulous also became torch bearers.

But the honor has also been given to a few LGBT campaigners.

Basiurski’s organization is a network for the LGBT soccer community, many of who will be attending Olympic events, particularly the football tournament.

He told Gay Star News: ‘I’m honored to have carried the torch through London and it was amazing to see and hear all the support from both my family and GFSN members along the route.’

Meanwhile a gay campaigner against hate crime has also spoken about being a torch bearer on Monday (23 July).

Mark Healey was chose because of his work founding the charity 17-24-30 which was set up in tribute to the victims of the London Nail Bomb attacks on Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho – the last of which targeted a gay bar, killing three people and wounding 70.

Healey said: ‘There were thousands of people along the route clapping and cheering as we travelled along.

‘Now I have the torch I want to take it out to the people that have supported 17-24-30 over the past three years, to make sure that they can share in this experience.

‘Through community events like this that we learn to set aside our differences and become as one, more united, stronger community and that will help us tackle issues like hate crime.’