A remarkable double event in Antwerp as it hosted the OutGames 2013 and the affiliated Human Rights Conference themed ‘From Safe Harbor to Equality’. By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com September 2013 Being There There was nothing quite like it before or since. As I stepped off the streamline train from the Brussels airport into the
Belgium is considered to be a very liberal country with LGBT rights and became the 2nd country in the world to legalize gay marriage, in 2003. There is no law against homosexuals and homosexuality has been decriminalised since 1843. At that time the age of consent for homosexual acts was 18 (16 for heterosexual acts). The age of consent was equalized to 16, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender in 1985. Homosexuals are not banned from military service. Belgian gay rights activism is made most visible by means of the Belgian Lesbian and Gay Pride demonstration marches. The marches are held annually in Belgium’s capital Brussels since 1996, with similar events having been held intermittently in preceding years in both Brussels and other cities. While the marches have a festive character, they are also used to present the gay movement’s political agenda in the form of a list of demands. The list was updated a number of times (in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2005) and has included demands for anti-discrimination laws, inclusion of gay relationships in high-school sex education and the right to adoption by same-sex parents. LGBT Travelers should check out our new Belgium Gay Lodging Directory.
Name: Belgium
Population: 1048500
Capital: Brussels - Pop. 148800
Area: 30518 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: Dutch, French, German
Religion: Catholic, Secular
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 32
Antwerp, Belgium World OutGames Human Rights Conference
August 4-7, 2013 Preceding the OutGames is an international Human Rights Conference that brings together hundreds of LGBT activists and human rights leaders to present papers, hold seminars and give speeches. At the end of the conference a declaration of rights is composed and published.
Antwerp, Belgium World OutGames Opening Ceremony
August 2, 2013 The OutGames opening ceremony was modest compared to previous years. It was held outdoors in an open area next to the harbor. It was rather crowded as thousands of athletes from 25 countries assembled to hear the speeches and music.
Antwerp, Belgium World OutGames Swimming Competition
The swimming competition took place over the course of a week. There were several dozen categories of races according to the stroke style (butterfly stroke, freestyle stroke, back stroke and breast stroke) and separated into male/female races. The result was a couple of hundred races that ranged from 50 meters long (one length of the
Belgium, Brussels City Walkabout
Brussels is the capital and largest city of Belgium and the capital of the European Union (EU). The city has a population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan area with a population of over 1.8 million. Over the millennium it has a tumultuous history of invasion, revolts and conquests. In World War I Brussels was
Belgium, Antwerp City Walkabout
Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium with a population of about 510,600. The Antwerp metropolitan area is currently the second largest in Belgium. The city is located on the river Scheldt, which is linked to the North Sea by the Westerschelde estuary. The Port of Antwerp is one of the biggest ports in
Belgium, Brugge City
Bruges (Dutch: Brugge) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium in the northwest of the country. The city’s total population is 117,073 of which around 20,000 live in the city centre. The metropolitan area has a total of 255,844 inhabitants. Because of it numerous
Belgium, Ypres City
The Ypres municipality comprises the city of Ypres and ten small villages, home to some 34,900 inhabitants. During World War I, Ypres was the centre of intense and sustained battles between German and Allied forces. Ypres is an ancient town, known to have been raided by the Romans in the first century BC. During the Middle