Gay Guide Switzerland

There are no special laws in Switzerland for same-sex relations. The age of consent is 16 for all. However, there is still no legal protection against discrimination. Same-sex couples have been able to register their partnership and thus receive almost the same rights as married couples since 2007. But the law adopted in a referendum in 2005 still excludes couples from adoption and methods of medically assisted reproduction.The conservative majority in Swiss parliament rejected the harmonisation of the adoption law for gays and heterosexuals in 2011. There has been no change since then. Many lesbians and gays in Switzerland live openly without problems, even in rural areas. Apart from predominating tolerance there is also aggressive homophobia. Be aware of it when going crusing in the outdoors or going clubbing at night. Switzerland has something to offer for every taste, from a rendezvous with ibexes in the Alps to an liverly party scene in Zurich, Lausanne and Geneva. But things have become a little more prudish in Zurich since the authorities increasingly insist on "morals and decency" being maintained. Some destinations in the Alps also rely on lesbian-gay tourism. But they don't offer any gay life. Switzerland can best be explored by train and public transport. That is not cheap, but makes sense as the country consists of four regions with different languages and cultural feautures in a very small area (German, French, Italian, Rhaeto-Romanic). Lake Geneva and Lake Constance are different worlds, as are the Jura mountain ranage in the northwest and Ticino in the south, where you can almost feel the Mediterranean. Although Switzerland alwas emphasises its special status, enjouys its island position in the centre of the EU and is constantly tightening migration laws, the presence of new cultures cannot be overlooked. This comes along with the usual problems, but also with cultural and culinary enrichments: The traditional Swiss sausage 'Cervelat' and Ländler music have received welcome competition.