upsi down bar Zurich - Gay Para - Rick Stev Travel Fom

Wh rabow flags flutterg all along the River Limmat, Zurich has been playg host to the ntent's biggt gay and lbian culture event for the past month. This g weekend, EuroPri reach s culmatn wh what will no doubt be the most lourful para of the year. That Swzerland hosts major ternatnal events is well known, yet the ia of the untry hostg a gay-themed ftival still tak some people by surprise. It's te that Zurich do not necsarily jump to md as a primary statn for gay visors, wh such ci as Berl, Paris, Barcelona, and London enjoyg a more visible gay prence. But is also a fact that Swzerland has one of the bt veloped gay astctur the world, wh many social, polil, athletic, and amic anisatns enhancg Zurich's reputatn as the European cy wh the hight number of nightclubs per pa. Zurich was selected over Mannheim and Tel Aviv to be host cy 2009. The central purpose of each EuroPri event is to foc attentn on gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr culture on a European level and brg a stronger foc on the muni each host cy. Drsg up, strippg off? EuroPri celebratns do not ually last more than a week, but Zurich, already the lotn of gay cultural events, cid to rporate the to EuroPri this year and extend the ftival to five weeks. In Zurich we ran wh the ia that we clu the already existg succsful bs to one - Pk Apple, Warmer Mai, pl the Christopher Street Day para. Those were the three pillars, explaed Michael Rüegg of EuroPri's anisg mtee. Then the gay sports associatn started planng a weekend of sports petns, jt like the Eurogam that took place Zurich 2000, but on a smaller sle. Those who thk gay events are merely an exce for men to drs women's cloth and for others to take their shirts off are for a surprise. EuroPri Zurich 2009 has rporated a film ftival, bs symposia, polil discsn, sports petns, and many a cultural event to the celebratns, which are meant to wele everyone regardls of sexual orientatn. Tourist mag The event has attracted travellers om as far as California and Atralia. We have Glasgay and other ftivals back home, but I wanted to see what Swzerland uld do wh , said John Douglas of Stland. Another visor, Ana María om Spa, explaed that while Barcelona and Madrid are well known as havg thrivg gay muni, her small town has nothg like the big events that take place elsewhere her untry. Comg to Zurich gave me the chance to meet other people and fd out about lbian life other parts of Europe , she said. Regnisg the important enomic ntributn to the ffers of the lol and natnal tourism dtry, Swzerland Tourism produced a glossy, 32-page brochure to enurage visors to e to Zurich for the event. Zurich Tourism, too, has gone all out to wele visors and make their stays the cy as enjoyable as possible. EuroPri's own 120-page magaze tails day by day the lendar of events, which will reach s peak this weekend. The Town Ftival takg place on Saturday and Sunday the EuroPri village will offer food stalls, open air ncerts, bars, street artists, and rmatn booths. On Sunday, there will be a polil rally wh speakers cludg Moldovan activist Mihaela Copot. Robert La Bua, In brief This year's EuroPri marks the fortieth anniversary of New York's Stonewall Rts, wily regard as the semal event that served as a talyst for the creatn of an active gay rights movements across the world. Zurich was a safe haven for gay people long before June, 1969. The cy's Barfüsser claims to be Europe's olst ntuoly operated gay bar (open sce 1956), and the magaze Der Kreis, an important vehicle for gay liberatn and culture Europe and beyond, was found Zurich 1943. Laws agast homosexualy were abolished Swzerland 1939 and civil partnerships were legalised 2005 - the first time a partnership law was approved directly by the people. The cizens of Swzerland accepted the Partnership Act Registratn for same-sex upl wh a vote of 58 per cent favour on June 5, 2005 and the Act me to force on January 1, 2007. The cy of Zurich's newly elected mayor, Core Mch of the centre-left Social Democrats, is openly gay. Adoptn chanc On Wednday the newly found Fay Chanc mtee lnched a petn on the sil of EuroPri llg for same sex upl to be allowed to adopt children. It propos that homosexual upl are put on an equal footg wh married upl when to parental and adoptn rights. Currently upl registered homosexual partnerships are not allowed to adopt, cludg any stepchildren that might be brought to the partnership. Sgle gay people are allowed to adopt.