With the deputy
president's signature on a new law, South Africa on
Thursday became the first country on the African
continent to legalize same-sex marriages. The
Civil Union Act entered into force on the eve of a
December 1 deadline set by the constitutional court for the
government to change its marriage legislation to ensure full
equality for gays and lesbians.
The legislation made it through parliament
despite opposition from many church groups and
traditional leaders, who said it violated African
culture. Gay rights groups have welcomed the law, although
they criticized provisions allowing marriage officers
to turn away gay couples if their consciences prevent
them from marrying them.
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka signed
the legislation into law in her capacity as acting
president because President Thabo Mbeki is in Nigeria.
South Africa recognized the rights of gay people in the
constitution adopted after apartheid ended in 1994, at a
time when leaders were determined to bury all kinds of
legal discrimination.
The constitution, the first in the world to
prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation, provided a powerful legal tool for gay
rights activists even though South Africa remains
conservative on such issues. (AP)
