South African gay marriage passed by Parliament
Okay, the other day I mentioned how a South African parliamentary committee recommended that gay marriage be legalized. At that time they said parliament were almost certain to approve it, and today they did indeed approve it by a 230 to 41 margin. The law is flawed and may be improved, but right now South African gays can get married, and they could already adopt children. Here's hoping that the average person on the street gets less homophobic next. This is a clear case of an idealistic law being decades ahead of the average voter's views on the subject.
South African parliament approves same-sex unionsDuring the debate before the vote, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs: "In breaking with our past... we need to fight and resist all forms of discrimination and prejudice, including homophobia."
Hear f*cking hear!
The first step to same-sex marriage in SALekota reminded MPs that many gays and lesbians had fought in the struggle, had gone into exile, and some even faced the death penalty along with their heterosexual comrades to ensure democracy and equality in South Africa and could not face discrimination today.
The UCDP’s Edmund Pule, whose party is also opposed to same-sex marriages, took exception to Lekota’s comments, saying he gave the impression that the liberation struggle was “for sodomy and not for freedom”.
Only the ID opposed the bill not on moral or religious grounds, but because it believed the bill was unconstitutional because it allowed, among other things, for civil marriage officers to refuse to marry a same-sex couple on the basis of conscientious objection.
-----
Meshoe also declared that it was "the saddest day of the twelve years of our democratic parliament, when some members of this house, led by the ruling party, will be attempting to pass into law the Civil Union Bill which is opposed by the overwhelming majority of our people. Adultery, sexual immorality and homosexuality are grave sins in God’s sight since they are a transgression of His law and are defiling a marriage relationship between a man and a woman."
-----
The PAC’s Motsoko Pheko noted that the rest of the world found same-sex marriages so repugnant that only four other countries - Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada - legalised such unions. South Africa would be the fifth. "Which country in Africa will accept leadership from a country that suffers Eurocentric eccentricity? Only those who have sold their souls to cultural imperialism will support this obscenity."
South African couple look forward to gay wedding"This gay marriage is something they don't want to hear about," says Asanda. "As if all heterosexual marriages are working OK, and as if when they legalise gay marriage everyone will become gay."
"They always say we contribute to moral degeneration," Mpumi adds. "They blame it on us - as if the whole beautiful thing of marriage and family values is going to disappear. But family values have already disappeared and we have nothing to do with it. I want to ask one of them what's so perfect about their hetero world the way it is now?"
"Fathers are raping children," Asanda says.
"Brothers rape sisters."
"And we just love one another, but it's a problem for them."
Another perspective from South Africa on a couple's view of the futureSouth Africa in 1996 was the first country to adopt a constitution that protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation and the country has an active and open gay community. But legal protection does not guarantee acceptance or tolerance, especially for gay black men and women. The reality is often loneliness, fear, rape, violence and sometimes even murder. So Radebe and Dambuza know not to expect same-sex marriages to be easily accepted by more conservative sectors of society.
"Now the struggle will begin. Now you will hear all sorts of remarks," said Radebe.
"We have always had to fight. But people will have to get used to it, Dambuza said.
South African parliament approves same-sex unionsDuring the debate before the vote, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs: "In breaking with our past... we need to fight and resist all forms of discrimination and prejudice, including homophobia."
Hear f*cking hear!
The first step to same-sex marriage in SALekota reminded MPs that many gays and lesbians had fought in the struggle, had gone into exile, and some even faced the death penalty along with their heterosexual comrades to ensure democracy and equality in South Africa and could not face discrimination today.
The UCDP’s Edmund Pule, whose party is also opposed to same-sex marriages, took exception to Lekota’s comments, saying he gave the impression that the liberation struggle was “for sodomy and not for freedom”.
Only the ID opposed the bill not on moral or religious grounds, but because it believed the bill was unconstitutional because it allowed, among other things, for civil marriage officers to refuse to marry a same-sex couple on the basis of conscientious objection.
-----
Meshoe also declared that it was "the saddest day of the twelve years of our democratic parliament, when some members of this house, led by the ruling party, will be attempting to pass into law the Civil Union Bill which is opposed by the overwhelming majority of our people. Adultery, sexual immorality and homosexuality are grave sins in God’s sight since they are a transgression of His law and are defiling a marriage relationship between a man and a woman."
-----
The PAC’s Motsoko Pheko noted that the rest of the world found same-sex marriages so repugnant that only four other countries - Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada - legalised such unions. South Africa would be the fifth. "Which country in Africa will accept leadership from a country that suffers Eurocentric eccentricity? Only those who have sold their souls to cultural imperialism will support this obscenity."
South African couple look forward to gay wedding"This gay marriage is something they don't want to hear about," says Asanda. "As if all heterosexual marriages are working OK, and as if when they legalise gay marriage everyone will become gay."
"They always say we contribute to moral degeneration," Mpumi adds. "They blame it on us - as if the whole beautiful thing of marriage and family values is going to disappear. But family values have already disappeared and we have nothing to do with it. I want to ask one of them what's so perfect about their hetero world the way it is now?"
"Fathers are raping children," Asanda says.
"Brothers rape sisters."
"And we just love one another, but it's a problem for them."
Another perspective from South Africa on a couple's view of the futureSouth Africa in 1996 was the first country to adopt a constitution that protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation and the country has an active and open gay community. But legal protection does not guarantee acceptance or tolerance, especially for gay black men and women. The reality is often loneliness, fear, rape, violence and sometimes even murder. So Radebe and Dambuza know not to expect same-sex marriages to be easily accepted by more conservative sectors of society.
"Now the struggle will begin. Now you will hear all sorts of remarks," said Radebe.
"We have always had to fight. But people will have to get used to it, Dambuza said.