Sweden’s Parliament legalized same-sex marriage April 1. Same-sex couples can begin marrying May 1.

The vote was 261 to 22 with 66 abstentions and absences.

Six of the seven political parties in Parliament supported the decision, with the Christian Democrats the sole holdout.

Sweden has had a registered-partnership law since 1995 that grants registered same-sex couples the rights, benefits and obligations of marriage.

That law no longer will be used, though currently registered couples will have the option of maintaining that status or converting their partnership into a marriage.

Same-sex marriage is also legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, and the U.S. states of Connecticut, Iowa (starting April 24), Vermont and Massachusetts.

Voters in Zurich, Switzerland, elected an openly lesbian mayor March 29.

Corine Mauch, 48, won the seat after her predecessor took an early retirement.

She has agreed to deliver a speech in May at the opening ceremony for EuroPride, which is being held in Zurich this year.

EuroPride spokesperson Michael Rüegg called Mauch’s election “a real stroke of luck (that) none of us really expected.”

Other European cities with openly gay mayors include Berlin (Klaus Wowereit), Paris (Bertrand Delanoë) and Hamburg (Ole von Beust). Iceland has an openly lesbian prime minister, Jóhanna Sigur?ardóttir.

France’s Senate voted March 25 to recognize foreign same-sex unions.

The measure now moves to the National Assembly.

“We congratulate the French Senate for finally moving forward to solve this unfair situation which is discriminatory on the grounds of nationality as well as a hindrance to freedom of movement within the (European Union),” said Michael Cashman, president of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights.

“We have been approached by many European citizens, especially British, who suffer discrimination because their same-sex partnership is not recognized in France,” Cashman said. “One man was forced to sell his house after his partner’s death because he could not afford to pay 60 percent inheritance tax. Otherwise this tax is not applicable to same-sex married spouses or couples in a French partnership.”

Same-sex couple Martyn Hall and Steve Preddy have sued the Chymorvah Private Hotel in Marazion, Cornwall, England, for not letting them stay in the same room.

They seek £5,000 (U.S. $7,374) in compensation from owners Peter and Hazelmary Bull for “direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.”

The hotel openly flouts the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, which prohibit such discrimination.

“Double bedded accommodation is not available to unmarried couples,” confirms the hotel’s Web site. “As Christians we have a deep regard for marriage (being the union of one man to one woman for life to the exclusion of all others).”

According to various news reports, Morocco’s government has launched a crackdown on promotion of homosexuality, saying it threatens religious and moral values.

The Interior Ministry said activities that go against such values will be “repressed.”

The move apparently is a response to increased media coverage of gay issues, couples and weddings.

The ministry denounced media outlets “that defend ignoble behaviors that constitute a provocation of national public opinion and fail to take account of the moral values and doctrines of our society.”

Japan’s Justice Ministry said March 26 that it has begun issuing marriage-eligibility certificates to Japanese citizens who plan to marry someone of the same sex in a foreign country where same-sex marriage is legal.

Japanese citizens are required to obtain the certificate before marrying a foreigner abroad – submitting information about both parties such as name, birthday, sex and nationality.

The latest version of the certificate will confirm that an individual is single and of legal age.

Gay activists said the change also means Japanese gays will be able to bring a foreign spouse to live with them in Japan.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden (starting May 1) and the U.S. states of Connecticut, Iowa (starting April 24), Vermont and Massachusetts.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – Six gay Iraqis were shot to death by tribal members in a pair of incidents in the past 10 days, a government source said.

An unnamed Iraq Interior Ministry official said the latest incident happened Thursday in the Sadr City area of Baghdad, in which two gay men were slain after they were disowned by relatives, CNN reported.

The official said the men were killed after a tribal meeting was held and the members decided to hunt down the victims.

Another incident reportedly happened March 26, when four men were fatally shot in Baghdad under similar circumstances.

Assistance: Bill Kelley