Kazakhstan's First Gay Wedding

Kazakhstan's first gay wedding has provoked strong reactions in the socially conservative country after pictures were published on the internet. The ceremony took place in the Northern industrial town of Karaganda.

The photos posted on the Kazakh Voxpopuli website show the couple doing all the things traditionally associated with a lavish Kazakh wedding ceremony, including a tour of local landmarks in a stretch limousine.

Same-sex marriages are not recognized in Kazakhstan or any other Central Asian country, but Vox Populi says the couple - named as Karolina and Kristina and originally from the capital Astana- received a "special certificate" from the local gay club in Karaganda