South African Court Affirms Gay Marriage

"South Africa's highest court ruled in favor of gay marriage Thursday, a landmark decision that clears the way for the country to become the first to legalize same-sex unions on a continent where homosexuality remains largely taboo.

The decision does not take immediate effect, however. The Constitutional Court, which decided it is unconstitutional to prohibit gays from marrying, gave Parliament a year to make the necessary legal changes. That disappointed gay rights activists, some of whom have been waiting years to wed.

"We were thinking we would be calling our friends today and inviting them to our wedding," said Fikile Vilakazi, of the Forum for the Empowerment of Women, who proposed to her partner more than six months ago. "Now they are asking us to wait another year."

South Africa recognized the rights of gay people in the constitution adopted after apartheid ended in 1994 — the first in the world to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. But the government has opposed attempts to extend the definition of marriage in court to include same-sex couples in the mostly Christian country."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051201/ap_on_re_af/south_africa_gay_marriage

South Africa has moved from apartheid to legal gay marriage.

United States ended segregation 40 years ago and we continue to use the gay community as a political wedge issue.

Just because we are "represented" in a few prime time tv programs doesn't mean we are anywhere near demolishing the second class subjugation of the gay community. Pretty sad.