Intro: Switzerland is my land of heritage, a land where I have roamed great mountains, savored dark chocolate and been reunited with distant cousins. Gay life in this old country is alive and vital and as fresh as other major European cities. But even in tidy and efficient Switzerland love is never a course that always runs smooth.
In a national referendum on May 17 1992, 73% of the voters accepted the reform of Swiss Federal legislation on sexual offences, including the elimination of all discrimination against homosexuality from the Penal Code. Homosexuality in the army is no longer illegal, thus a homosexual act between two consenting members of the army can no longer be prosecuted. (Note that every male Swiss between the age of 20 and 50 is a member of the Swiss army.) Registered partnerships have been recognized since January 2007. Fundamentalist attitudes change slowly anywhere, but the general public is mostly tolerant of gays and violent discrimination does not occur. Lively gay scenes exist in Geneva, Zürich, Basel and Lausanne. It is one of the most comfortable countries for LGBT people to live (but immigration is difficult).
Name: Switzerland
Population: 7690500
Capital: Berne - Pop. 129500
Area: 41284 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: German, French, Italian, Romansh
Religion: Swiss Reformed Church, Catholic
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 41
