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Content about Switzerland

May 12, 2013
The beginner's guide to Eurovision in six bits of trivia

On Saturday (18 May) approximately 100 million people around the world will watch the Eurovision Song Contest. But what if you have no idea what's going on?

On Saturday (18 May) approximately 100 million people around the world will watch the Eurovision Song Contest. First launched in Switzerland in 1956, Eurovision is not just a musical fixture but a continent-wide institution Europeans love and sometimes love to mock. 

For those who have never heard of the competition – think of it as a hybrid of American Idol with original songs and the World Cup or Olympics. 

February 25, 2013
England soccer manager comes out against homophobia

Roy Hodgson, manager of the English national football team, has supported the Football v Homophobia campaign

The England football club manager has come out against homophobia in the sport.

Roy Hodgson was speaking to support the Football v Homophobia community campaign in 2013.

‘I’ve been lucky enough to manage clubs and countries across the globe,’ said Hodgson, who has taken charge of top teams like Inter Milan and Switzerland in his 40 year career.

February 3, 2013
Party hard in gay Zürich

GSN is no longer neutral on the party city of Switzerland

I’m not good with early morning flights - I seem to spend most of the night wondering what the time is, worrying that I’ve slept through my alarm.

My Swiss flight was departing from London City - my favorite airport in London. It was a fairly subdued bunch of passengers that scuttled from the shelter of the terminal through the grey, steady rain and onto the small and nifty Avro RJ100 jet.

December 14, 2012
Swiss take baby step to same-sex couples' adoption rights

Switzerland’s National Council backs rights for gay couples to adopt ­– but only their partners’ pre-existing children after parliamentarians argue it ‘goes against nature’

Switzerland’s National Council has voted to allow gay couples to adopt each other’s children.

However the motion passed in the lower house of the Swiss parliament yesterday (13 December) is much more limited than the original version approved by the Council of States, or senate.

The Council of States in the Federal Assembly, or parliament, had backed giving adoption rights based on the best interest of the child in question – regardless of marital status or sexual orientation.

October 16, 2012
Aussies win top prize at Cardiff gay film festival

Australian film The Wilding wins £25,000 Iris Prize after being showered with plaudits from critics

Australian film The Wilding came out on top at this year's Iris Prize, Cardiff's international gay and lesbian short film festival.

The story of two inmates falling in love in a juvenile detention center beat over 30 entries from countries including Israel, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Norway, Australia and the United States for the £25,000 ($40,255) prize amid a torrent of praise from critics.

Jury chair, Lisa Power, called it 'wonderfully self-assured' and 'a special film which demanded attention'.

September 26, 2012
Swiss city elects world's first gay majority government

Elections have changed Bienne council's political composition. Now, three members out of five are openly gay or lesbian

Bienne, the 10th largest city in Switzerland, has become the first place in the world to be ruled by an openly gay and lesbian majority.

Sunday’s (23 September) elections for the city cabinet started a new era in Switzerland. Now, in Bienne, called Biel for German-language speakers, three members out of five in the cabinet are LGBT campaigners.

Barbara Schwickert (Greens), Cédric Némitz (Socialist Party) and Beat Feurer (Uniondémocratique du Centre) are set to put LGBT issues in the cabinet’s agenda.

September 26, 2012
Swiss city elects world's first gay majority government

Elections have changed Bienne council's political composition. Now, three members out of five are openly gay or lesbian

Bienne, the 10th largest city in Switzerland, has become the first place in the world to be ruled by an openly gay and lesbian majority.

Sunday’s (23 September) elections for the city cabinet started a new era in Switzerland. Now, in Bienne, called Biel for German-language speakers, three members out of five in the cabinet are LGBT campaigners.

Barbara Schwickert (Greens), Cédric Némitz (Socialist Party) and Beat Feurer (Uniondémocratique du Centre) are set to put LGBT issues in the cabinet’s agenda.

August 31, 2012
Hepatitis C explosion among positive Swiss gay men

Hepatitis C rates among HIV positive gay men in Switzerland have jumped by eighteen hundred percent over 14 years and researchers are calling for better education campaigns targeting men who have sex with men

Hepatitis C infections have increased eighteen fold among HIV positive Swiss men over a 14 year period, according to a study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, with half of those infections occurring since 2008.

In comparison infections decreased among injecting drug users and remained stable among heterosexuals.

Troublingly, over 80 percent of the Hepatitis C infections among gay men were of the hardest strains of the virus to treat.

August 17, 2012
Italy's ex-King outed as gay, nephew threatens to sue

A dictionary of gay and bisexual presidents and kings includes former king Umberto II in a long list of personalities of the past

Italy’s Prince Emanuele Filiberto wants to sue a writer for having included his grandfather, former King Umberto II, in a list of gay and bisexual presidents and kings.

Didier Godard, writer of the ‘Dictionnaire des Chefs d’Etat homosexuel ou bisexuel', wrote that Umberto II was gay and had an affair with film director and artist Luchino Visconti.

Italy had a monarchy until the end of World War II, but they were exiled after the war due to their support of Fascism.

June 23, 2012
World celebrates 100 years of gay WW2 winner Alan Turing

Father of computer science who was prosecuted for being gay is honored across the world

Alan Turing, known as the father of computer science, the codebreaker that helped win World War 2, and the man tortured by the state for being gay, is being celebrated today (23 June).

The British born mathematician and cryptanalyst’s birthday is being honored across the world, with events planned in the UK, USA, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, the Philippines, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Italy, Portugal and Germany.

His centenary is also being celebrated with a Google doodle, a functional Turing machine that predated the modern computer.

April 2, 2012
Mr Gay World announce hosts for grand finale

Competition to be hosted by cabaret star and South African entertainer

A multi award winning South African entertainer and a cabaret star have been announced as hosts of the Mr Gay World (MGW) grand finale.

Taking place on 8 April at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, Johannesburg, the event will also see performances from a number of acts including a Russian pop star and former Mrs World, a South African soap star and a local performance troupe.

Founded in 2009, the MGW contest is held annually and claims it allows gay men representing their nation to compete to become ambassadors for equality.

March 8, 2012
UN panel applauded despite walk-outs

UN panel discussion on LGBT rights hailed as 'milestone' but activists say public opinion must change as well as laws

Human rights groups have welcomed yesterday's historic UN debate on LGBT rights, despite walk-outs from several nations.

The panel discussion in Geneva, Switzerland, on discrimination and violence against LGBT people, marked the first time the UN Human Rights Council has focused on gender identity and sexual orientation.

March 6, 2012
Activists excited about 'historic' UN gay rights debate

Gay rights campaigners hope the UN's landmark discussion on LGBT rights will send a 'strong signal' to anti-gay governments

Activists around the world are excited about a UN debate on LGBT rights, calling the event a ‘historic development’.

Tomorrow’s panel discussion in Geneva, Switzerland, on discrimination and violence against LGBT people marks the first time the UN Human Rights Council has focused on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Campaigners have applauded the event, which includes panelists from the US, Europe, Brazil and Pakistan.

February 8, 2012
A tale of two Swiss cities

The twin destinations of Geneva and Lausanne offer a perfect city break with stunning scenery, fascinating history, great shopping and a lively gay scene

Do you want to get away to where the air is crisp, the lakes are blue, and the mountains are snow-capped? And a place that has a lively gay scene as well?

Geneva, Switzerland’s second biggest city, is just a 10-minute train ride from its international airport, will welcome you as an American-style city with wide streets and excellent transportation.

December 30, 2011
A look at Obama's gay rights strategy

U.S. President plays it safe but is allowing his lieutenants like Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to say extraordinary things

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called on nations around the world to recognize that 'gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights' during a speech during a speech before diplomats in Geneva, Switzerland.

Her message was enthusiastically endorsed by President Barack Obama but it's no accident that Clinton's boss didn't make that kind of speech himself.

December 20, 2011
Europe’s biggest gay ski event returns

Gay and lesbian snow lovers hit the slopes for Arosa Ski Week in January

Arosa Ski Week, one of Europe’s biggest gay and lesbian winter events, returns to Switzerland from 8 to 15 January.

The last event attracted over 400 people from 30 countries who revelled in skiing and snowboarding across the mountains taking helicopter rides to see the sites of St Moritz and dancing the night away at various events thrown by organisers.