LGBT rights in the Faroe Islands effect on 1 July 2017. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the Faroe Islands since 1933, when it was legalized in all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. At that time, the age of consent was set at 18 for male same-sex relations. While Denmark (including the County of Greenland) lowered the age of consent to 15 in 1977, making it gender-neutral, the autonomous Faroe Islands did not change its law until 1988. Denmark legalised same-sex marriage in 2012 and Greenland's identical marriage law took into effect on 1 April 2016, but a similar attempt had been rejected in
Culture of the Faroe Islands Eystanstevna is always held in Runavík, but the boat race is only held there every second year (even years), odd years the regatta is held in Fuglafjørður at the Varmakelda Festival (Varmakeldustevna). Swimming is a quite popular sport in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese freestyle swimmer Pál Joensen is the sportsperson of the Faroe Islands with the best international result for the country, a bronze medal at the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships. In July 2011 he qualified for the finals in the men's 800 meters and 1500 meters freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai. He placed