I now pronounce you... husband and husband!
Okay, so yesterday South Africa's Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (a woman) signed the Civil Union Act giving same-sex couples the right to marry and today South Africa saw their first gay marriage.
And how awesome is it that this happens today, December 1st, on World Aids Day?
So here I sit in the US, where they have never had a female Vice President and where federal a law like this one seems a long way off. Seems like South Africa is a far more progressive country, right? Well, no. While our laws may be, I can assure you that our people are not. And she is the first female Deputy President we've ever had, and the highest ranking female South African politician ever. A referendum on the subject would see gay marriage fail in south Africa, just as it has in so many US States. Still, I'm hopeful that these visible changes will help to change the average Joe Schmo on the street, and I still feel extremely positive about all this.
More:
BBC article on the first marriage
A whole new world for gay couples
South African businesses rush to capitalize on pink weddings