S. Africa Top Court: Allow Gay Marriage Within Year

Dec 1, 2005 — JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) - South Africa's high court ruled Thursday that it was unconstitutional to deny gay people the right to marry and instructed Parliament to amend marriage laws to include same-sex unions within the year.

The Constitutional Court ruling put South Africa on course to become at least the world's fifth country to permit same-sex marriage and the first in Africa, where homosexuality is largely taboo.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Great day for SA, bad day for US.

Until they actually pass the law, we won't be able to claim that S. Africa allows gays to marry. It's a bit premature to make that declaration.

South Africa surpassed the U.S. in human rights that day in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected president.

Martin Luther King's "dream" is still waiting to be fulfilled - South Africa's dream has been in full force for years.

The R.S.A. has met its' horizon and now needs to finish cleaning up the details. But the U.S. doesn't even have their horizon in sight yet.

Well now, South Africa has come a long way since apartheid, hasn't it?

Originally posted by Napsterbater
Well now, South Africa has come a long way since apartheid, hasn't it?
Indeed it has. I was living down that way in the late 70's which was during that racial idiocy.

Originally posted by Catch 3


The R.S.A. has met its' horizon and now needs to finish cleaning up the details. But the U.S. doesn't even have their horizon in sight yet.

I agree with you about 1994 and the election of Mandela, IMO one of the very few historical figures of contemporary history.
But "just cleaning up the details" seems a bit optimistic for a nation confronted to dramatic problems such as AIDS, violence and social and (still) racial problems.

Originally posted by astrapol2

... "just cleaning up the details" seems a bit optimistic for a nation confronted to dramatic problems such as AIDS, violence and social and (still) racial problems.
Yes, a bit optimistic, it's true. But at least South African blacks have their voices heard and their intentions are good, earnest, and they want to live as equals - whereas the American situation is far different; deep in racial resentment with hardly any reconciliatory mood between the races. Black Americans are in a social cul-de-sac and the only way out seems to be one-sided racial pride - and violence.

It looks as though South Africa is striving for integration and the Americans are moving closer and closer to deeper segregation.

I'm not so sure, but my personal experience of both american and South african societies are quite superficial.
My concern for South Africa would be that, after the immense hope and need for reforms when Mandela came to power, a bitter deception in front of the many unsolved problems could end the enthusiasm and social consensus.

Originally posted by astrapol2
My concern for South Africa would be that, after the immense hope and need for reforms when Mandela came to power, a bitter deception in front of the many unsolved problems could end the enthusiasm and social consensus.
I share your concern.

congratulations south africa! now maybe you can work on that pesky child rape problem.