It was kicked off by a pre-dawn wedding in Amsterdam's City Hall, just moments after landmark legislation on same sex marriages took effect in the Netherlands.

Paul Indelong is among the gay rights vanguard enacted a bill last year converting the countries registered same-sex partnerships into full fledged marriages.

Same sex couple now have the same legal status as heterosexuals. They can diverse legally they can claim pensions and other benefits and adopt Dutch children.

The couple are barred from adopting children overseas because of potential objection from countries that do not accept gay marriages. Unde the new legislation all references to gender laws governing matrimony and adoption will be deleted in favour of the neutral gender term 'partner'.

While the law passed with a substantial majority in both houses of parliament last September a number of Christian parties and religious groups opposed the legislation.

In 1989 Denmark became the first country in the world to offer official recognition to same sex couples, doing so in the form of registered partnerships. Several countries have followed suit to varying degrees such as France, Sweden and Brazil.