France

France - ideally situated in the heart of Europe - has always been a popular gay travel destination. Homosexuality was legalized more than 20 years ago and the age of consent is 15. France has since made significant progress concerning the issue and a little under ten years ago introduced the civil partnership act Pac allowing same-sex couples to register, without, alas, granting them the same rights married couples enjoy. The adoption law has not yet been resolved. The battle for lesbian and gay marriage experienced a major setback in January 2011 after the Constitutional Court of France ruled the prohibition of same-sex marriage to be lawful because a similarly defined, recognized legal status is in the court's opinion already available to homosexuals in the form of the Pacs, deemed to also enable a normal family life. But the new president François Hollande intends to make good on his campaign promise and has announced the introduction of gay marriage for 2013. And with the socialists holding a safe majority in the national assembly and the senate, the odds are good that the campaign pledge will actually become true. The mastery of foreign languages is not one of the strengths of the French, but they are charming and show off their home country and its temptations with pride. In a European comparison, France has the largest number of saunas and sex clubs, proving once again that the French live their sexuality very freely. The country is famous for its varied landscapes, Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines, clothing optional beaches, traditional festivals and cuisine. Gay Pride events take place in various cities. The Paris Gay Pride has been attracting around 700,000 people for years.