Gay and Lesbian on the Costa Blanca in Spain.

Gays and lesbians in Spain have now the same rights as heterosexuals to get married. The new law was approved summer 2008 after heavy discussions and with protests from the right-wing part of the society and the Catholic church.

With the new law gays and lesbians in Spain have improved their legal rights up to the same level as heterosexuals. The law also includes adoption and civil and inheritance rights earlier denied the gay and lesbian community.

Spain has with this new law as the third country in Europe taken a final goodbye to the depression of the gay community during the Franco regime. Homosexuality was illegal in Spain until the foundation of the Spanish constitution in 1978. After 1978 the gays and lesbians in Spain have bit by bit stood up and gotten out of the closet. It has been a hard struggle but now the society seem in large parts to have accepted the gay and lesbian community.

Gay pride is popular and the parades during the gay pride celebrations are very well visited. Even thought the acceptance of homosexuality are getting more and more common throughout the society many gays and lesbians in Spain tend to move to the large cities and start a new life there. On the Costa Blanca the biggest concentration of gay population are found in Benidorm.