Gay Marriage in Andalucía

Spain is one of the most homosexual friendly countries in the world today. For a country where homosexuality was illegal till 1978, Spain has moved in leaps and bounds towards creating a gay friendly atmosphere in the country. It is one of the few countries in the world that has legalised same-sex or gay marriages and is the third country in Europe do so. Both Spanish citizens, as well as registered foreigners living in Spain, are authorised by the law to get married. The law in Spain gives registered resident and Spanish same sex couples not just the right to marry, but also the rights to property ownership, adoption and inheritance just like those applicable to heterosexual couples in the country. While Spain as such is quite open and amicable towards its gay population, provinces in Andalucia have gone a step further to become one of the most gay friendly places in the world, what with its specialised and exclusive gay tours, exclusive gay bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels.

The Government of Spain supports gay rights because of its agenda to create a modern and tolerant society in Spain. The homosexual marriage has not just encouraged closet homosexuals in Spain to come out and admit to their sexual inclinations, but has also laid the foundation stone for a more equal and just society. This law will definitely improve the condition of children adopted by same sex couples, since they will get inheritance and civil rights that were denied to them under the law till 2005.

The gay marriage law in Spain has been quite welcomed in a country where almost ten per cent of the population is homosexual or has homosexual inclinations. It has been estimated that there are almost four million gay, lesbian, transgendered or bisexual people in Spain. Another estimate puts the sum total of gays, lesbians, transgendered and bisexuals in Andalucia as being more than seven hundred thousand. No wonder then, that a law that gives equal rights to such a substantial part of the population has been heartily welcomed. In fact thousands of same sex couples have either applied for marriage or gotten married after the law was passed in 2005.

While the gay marriage law in Spain proves that the country and its people are extremely broadminded and tolerant as far as same sex couples are concerned, keep in mind that there are still many people who are not as friendly as the rest. According to a poll, more than sixty per cent people in Spain supported the gay marriage law, but that still leaves more than thirty per cent people who are not so amiable to the concept of same sex marriages. Most people in large towns and cities of Spain support homosexuality, but the atmosphere towards gays and lesbians is not very friendly when you move towards the villages and hamlets in Spain. As a foreign homosexual couple in Spain, you are advised to stick to major towns, cities and beaches if you do not want to invite unwarranted attention or curious and malevolent stares.

However, because of the support of the majority, the country is considered to be quite a haven for same sex couples and trans-gendered people. Andalucia is at the forefront of this high profile gay revolution in the country and there are a large number of gay associations and clubs in this area of Spain. There are whole areas in many cities dedicated towards exclusively gay establishments like pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels. Many tour operators in Andalucia run gay only tours and there are a number of holiday resorts that cater exclusively to gays, lesbians, trans-gendered and bisexual people.