South Africa Gay Marriage Bill Becomes Law

MrBrianMrBrian Posts: 2,672
edited December 2006 in A Moving Train
(this news is from earlier this month, but I did'nt see it posted on the M.Train so here you go just incase anyone missed the news)

South Africa’s deputy president has signed into law a landmark reform allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

The Civil Union Act takes effect today, 1 December, making South Africa the fifth country to allow same-sex marriage, BBC News reported.

Last year South Africa’s highest court ordered the government to change the law because blocking same-sex couples from marriage was unconstitutional.

Despite angering religious groups, the new law is a watershed for Africa, according to gay activists.

"It is an historic decision in terms of the African continent,” a spokesperson for gay coalition the Joint Working Group said.

South Africa on Thursday officially became the fifth country to legalize same-sex marriage, following the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada. In the United States, gay marriage is legal only in the state of Massachusetts.


South africa is jumping ahead of the US as far as equlaity goes, India,china and a list of other countries are all moving forward in some way or another but America, America really seems to be going backwards. The most powerful country in the world seems so weak these days.
Post edited by Unknown User on

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