This law assures equal basic human rights for gay and lesbian people and protects them against discrimination in matters like housing, living the beginning together, job application, social security rights etc. From the 1st of January 98 it is possible for gays and lesbians to marry by law. In the Netherlands there is no law that protects or criminalizes male sex workers. Neither male prostitutes, nor their clients are penalised. The age of consent for having sex is 16 years.
Law forbids prostitution by underage people.
The general attitude towards homosexuality in the Netherlands is overall an accepting one. Opinion polls show a slightly more positive stance in and around the big cities, compared to the rest of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands are a lot of gay organisations. The most famous is the COC, with the headquarter in Amsterdam. The COC promotes the Dutch gay interests and has an all over the country small departments.