Scroll To Top
Religion

Desmond Tutu's Daughter Marries Woman, Booted From Church

Desmond Tutu's Daughter Marries Woman, Booted From Church

Tutu

The marriage of Mpho Tutu-van Furth causes a mini-schism in the Anglican Church.

Nbroverman

The daughter of Desmond Tutu, South Africa's beloved civil rights activist and former Anglican archbishop, recently married her female partner -- and paid a price for it.

Mpho Tutu-van Furth wed Marceline van Furth in a December ceremony in the Netherlands. Like her father, Tutu-van Furth is an Anglican cleric, but she says a South African priest who previously allowed her to officiate in his diocese was told to "revoke" her license after officials became aware of her wedding. When Tutu-van Furth discovered the church's plan, she returned her license instead of waiting for it to be taken.

"Ironically," Tutu-van Furth said in a statement, "coming from a past where difference was the instrument of division, it is our sameness that is now the cause of distress. My wife and I are both women."

Not everyone in the South African church condemned Tutu-van Furth -- some went on record to support her, according to the U,K.'s Daily Telegraph.

South Africa enacted marriage equality a decade ago, but the Anglican Church continues to be divided over the issue of same-sex unions. The Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, supports same-sex marriages, but not all Anglican churches in other countries do. Tutu-van Furth remains a priest in good standing in the U.S., where she was ordained. Desmond Tutu, a longtime advocate for LGBT people and HIV causes, reportedly gave his blessing to his daughter's wedding.

Nbroverman
30 Years of Out100Out / Advocate Magazine - Jonathan Groff & Wayne Brady

From our Sponsors

Most Popular

Latest Stories

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.
Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.