Throughout its history Curac ¸ao has been known for its tolerance. In the seventeenth
century the Jews established themselves here to escape the Spanish Inquisition[13]. Today
Christian, Jewish, Muslims, Indians and others live peacefully together and even get
married. There is only some residual hostility towards the Dutch as a consequence of the
colonial past. The tolerance of the community is not only illustrated by its multi-cultural,
multi-lingual, multi-religious nature, but also by its tolerance towards minorities, for
example gays. This gay-friendliness is even promoted by the Curac ¸ao Tourist Board and
is internationally known (The Toronto Star, 2007). Curac ¸ao is unique in this area because
gay marriages can be registered with the government.