South Africa Leads US on Marriage Equality
Not so long ago — within my living memory at least — it would have been the height of absurdity to suggest that South Africa, the home of apartheid, might take a more progressive position on human rights than the US.
But, times change, and South Africa takes its progressive stance on human rights quite seriously, one might argue rather more seriously than the US in this millennium so far. This past week the South African parliament made same-sex marriage legal. They are the first nation in Africa to do so. It has been described as another step in South Africa's post-apartheid attempt to make discrimination merely a dim memory. In fact, this is exactly what the founding fathers of constitutional South Africa had in mind — one can ask them, since they are still alive.
The new legislation on marriage equality brings the law in line with their constitutional prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, as required a year ago by their highest court. All this despite severe warnings about provoking God's wrath by allowing gays and lesbians to wed, and in a milieu where homosexuality is taboo and a crime in many neighboring countries.
The vote on the measure was 230 to 41; isn't that remarkable! According to the Associated Press:
The bill provides for the "voluntary union of two persons, which is solemnized and registered by either a marriage or civil union," without specifying whether they are heterosexual or homosexual partnerships.
Gosh, not terribly difficult, that wording, and it doesn't even have to mention dogs (pace Rick Santorum) or polygamy or anything unusual or odd. Merely the "voluntary union of two persons".
More from the AP piece:
"The roots of this bill lie in many years of struggle," said Defense Minister Mosuia Lekota, noting that many homosexuals went into exile and prison with ANC members during white racist rule.
"This country cannot afford to be a prison of timeworn prejudices which have no basis in modern society. Let us bequeath to future generations a society which is more democratic and tolerant than the one that was handed down to us," Lekota said.
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I welcome comments -- even dissent -- but I will delete without notice irrelevant, rude, psychotic, or incomprehensible comments, particularly those that I deem homophobic, unless they are amusing. The same goes for commercial comments and trackbacks. Sorry, but it's my blog and my decisions are final.
on Monday, 20 November 2006 at 10.18
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I live in Belgium, where gay marriage was made legal a few years ago. We also have a law that prohibits discrimination based on race, gender or sexual preference. Gay couples can adopt on the same basis as heterosexual couples. One exception: most third world countries prohibit their children from being adopted by gay couples. They prefer them to die on the streets.
And guess what… The heavens didn't fall down on us. The wrath of god passed us by. Our society didn't devolve into a pool of amoral anarchy. Heterosexual marriages still occur. Child abuse remains at more or less the same level: heterosexual men (mama's boyfriend, lone predator,dear uncle, Catholic priests) raping little girls or little boys.
So, take heart. Sooner or later gay marriage will become legal in the US. It's unavoidable.