South Africa to legalize same-sex marriage
{{date|November 15, 2006}}

[[South Africa]]'s national assembly has passed bill 230-41 legalizing [[w:gay marriage|same-sex marriage]] in that country. The bill allows for the voluntary civil union or marriage between two people. It does not specify the orientation or sex of the people involved.

It was passed just in time to meet the Constitutional Court deadline of December 1, set forth by its ruling of December last year which said the current marriage law is unconstitutional.

The bill is being hailed by gay and liberal activists as another step forward out of the country's apartheid past, while at the same time religious clergy and traditional lawmakers are stating that the passage of the bill is "the saddest day in our 12 years of democracy." Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has said the bill is a "foreign action imposed on Africa". 

Homosexuality is [[w:Homosexuality laws of the world|overwhelmingly illegal]] on the African continent, and even in countries such as South Africa it is not unusual for gays to be persecuted and attacked for their orientation.

Now that the bill has passed the National Assembly with a vote of 230-41 its next stop is the National Council of Provinces where its passage is widely expected on its way to being signed by President [[w:|Thabo Mbeki]].

==Sources==
* {{source|url=http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1693232006|title=Africans cheer and condemn S.Africa gay marriage bill |author=Associated Press |pub=Scotsman News |date=November 15, 2006}}
* {{source|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/14/africa/AF_GEN_South_Africa_Gay_Marriage.php |title=South African Same-sex Marriage Bill is First for Continent |author=Associated Press |pub=International Herald Tribune |date=November 14, 2006}}
* {{source|url=http://news.bostonherald.com/international/view.bg?articleid=166521 |title=South African Parliamentary Committee Approves Same-sex Marriage Bill |author=Associated Press |pub=Boston Herald |date=November 9, 2006}}

==External links==
* [http://www.triangle.org.za/ Current status by the Triangle Project]

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{{archived}}
[[Category:LGBT]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:South Africa]]
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:Thabo Mbeki]]
[[Category:Same-sex marriage]]

[[fr:Afrique du Sud : l'Assemblée nationale vote la légalisation du mariage homosexuel]]
South Africa's national assembly has passed bill 230-41 legalizing same-sex marriage in that country. The bill allows for the voluntary civil union or marriage between two people. It does not specify the orientation or sex of the people involved.

It was passed just in time to meet the Constitutional Court deadline of December 1, set forth by its ruling of December last year which said the current marriage law is unconstitutional.

The bill is being hailed by gay and liberal activists as another step forward out of the country's apartheid past, while at the same time religious clergy and traditional lawmakers are stating that the passage of the bill is "the saddest day in our 12 years of democracy." Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has said the bill is a "foreign action imposed on Africa". 

Homosexuality is overwhelmingly illegal on the African continent, and even in countries such as South Africa it is not unusual for gays to be persecuted and attacked for their orientation.

Now that the bill has passed the National Assembly with a vote of 230-41 its next stop is the National Council of Provinces where its passage is widely expected on its way to being signed by President Thabo Mbeki.


fr:Afrique du Sud : l'Assemblée nationale vote la légalisation du mariage homosexuel
LGBT Crime and law South Africa Africa Thabo Mbeki Same-sex marriage