South Africa's
Cabinet Gives Nod
to Gay Marriage
By REUTERS, from the
NYTimes on the Web, August 24, 2006
JOHANNESBURG -- South Africa's
cabinet has given its blessing to a bill allowing gay marriage, which would make
it the first country in Africa to accord homosexual couples the same rights as
their straight counterparts.
Government spokesman Themba Maseko said on Thursday the cabinet had approved the
bill -- which must still be adopted by parliament -- after the country's highest
court ruled it was unconstitutional to deny gay people the right to marry.
"Basically (the bill) will legalize same-sex marriage in compliance with the
Constitutional Court ruling," said Maseko, who could not say when parliament
would discuss the bill.
The bill, which has sparked opposition from religious groups, is still subject
to public comment but gay rights activists applauded the decision and said it
gave hope for gay and lesbians seeking to marry.
"This is a very positive step for the gay community," said Vista Kalipa, media
coordinator for gay rights group Triangle Project. "It gives hope for
those homosexual couples who want to join in union."
The cabinet decision puts South Africa on course to join a handful of mostly
European countries that allow same-sex marriage and the first to do so in
Africa, where homosexuality remains largely taboo and opponents decry gay unions
as 'un-African'.
South Africa's high court said in December same-sex unions must be allowed under
the country's constitution, widely considered one of the most liberal in the
world.
It said parliament had one year to change the current definition of marriage,
which says the union is between a husband and wife, and that if it failed to
act, the law would be automatically changed to include same-sex unions.
The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada already sanction gay marriages.
Many African countries outlaw homosexuality and turn a blind eye to the
persecution of gays and lesbians.
Some church groups in South Africa, which is predominantly Christian, have
opposed same-sex unions on the grounds it flouts public opinion.
The conservative African Christian Democratic Partyhas called for a
constitutional amendment to "protect traditional marriage" and said it was
disappointed by the cabinet's decision.
"We oppose any change to the God-given institution of marriage which is
constrained to a male and a female and has existed for thousands of years as the
cornerstone of stable societies," said ACDP Justice spokesman, Steven Swart.
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