My friends in South Africa are sending around exited emails announcing that the South Africa cabinet has approved a bill extending marriage to same-sex partners AND allowing domestic partnerships to all couples, both gay and straight.
The lawmakers were responding to a ruling by the Constitutional Court last year that “the common law definition of marriage in the Marriage Act of 1961 was unconstitutional, insofar as it failed to give the same status, benefits and responsibilities to same-sex unions that marriage accorded to heterosexual couples.”
British legislators should take note!
Of course, the SABC is now reporting that – as expected – a coalition of religious busybodies is ready to challenge the law.
But I have faith. The South African constitution was hard-won and the people believe in it and will defend it.
