Legislation that
would make South Africa the first country on the
continent to legalize partnerships for gays and lesbians was
introduced on Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports.
The civil union bill was introduced in parliament in
Cape Town in response to a constitutional court
judgment last December that the existing marriage act was
discriminatory. However, some activists say the legislation
would still make gays and lesbians second-class
citizens, as their unions would not be called
marriages although they would confer the same rights and
privileges as marriage.
Parliament was
ordered to change the legislation within a year; if it
does not, an amendment would automatically come into
effect to give gay couples the right to marry. (The
Advocate)