Gay Coffins Sold in Germany

Two German undertakers are offering coffins designed with nude male images to appeal specifically to the gay market, reports Reuters.

Cologne-based Thomas Brandl and his 34-year-old business partner Michael Koenigsfeld say they are expanding into the gay market to satisfy the increasing number of special requests from same-sex couples they have received.

"We believe you should be able to have a coffin that lets you embark on your last journey in a way that reflects how you lived your life," Brandl says. "People are really interested because it's so unique. Reactions have been very positive so far."

In a statement the two men released, they say, "Even though the Lord Mayor of Berlin, the vice-chancellor and many others openly admit to being homosexual nowadays, marginal groups still face prejudices and bureaucratic hurdles."

The pair also sell coffins and urns in rainbow colors and offer burials around a tree reserved exclusively for gay people. The coffins cost approximately $2,300.