S.Africa's cabinet gives nod to gay marriage
Pastor Dale Morgan
Thursday August 24, 10:14 PM Reuters
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S.Africa's cabinet gives nod to gay marriage*
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's cabinet has given the green
light for 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 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 legalise 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 drawn opposition from religious groups who want a
referendum on the issue -- is still subject to public comment.
The cabinet decision puts South Africa on course to join a handful of
mostly European countries that allow same-sex marriage, making it the
first to do so in Africa, where homosexuality remains 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.