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(Johannesburg, South Africa) Protests against
legislation to permit same-sex marriage were staged across South Africa on
Saturday. The demonstrations were organized by conservative Protestant
churches and the rightwing African Christian Democratic
Party
As speaker after speaker
denounced gay unions crowds in Cape Town at the Parliament
Building shouted "hallelujah'.
"Traditional marriages, in which one man and one woman create a lasting
community, pass on time-honored family values to secure the future and,
therefore, are worthy of protection," said ACDP justice critic Steve Swart,
telling the crowd his party would introduce a bill to amend the constitution to
ban gay marriage.
The measure has as little chance of passing as
the marriage bill has of failing.
Last December the
Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa, ruled
that it is unconstitutional to deny gay and lesbian couples
the right to marry. (story)
The court ordered Parliament to
amend marriage laws within 12 months. Last month the cabinet
approved legislation to permit same-sex marriage. It also
would give rights to unmarried gay and non-gay couples.
But the measure has not been
without controversy from supporters of same-sex
marriage. The legislation is contained in a separate
bill, rather than as amendments to the Family Law Act.
That say critics sets up two parallel forms of marriage -
separate but equal. (story)
The legislation goes to public
hearings later this month and the government says it is on
track to pass it before the court imposed deadline in
December.
While conservative Christians demonstrate against
the measure some church leaders have expressed their support.
The prelate of the Anglican Church in South
Africa, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, said the legislation promotes
equality. He made the remark in a plea to his fellow Anglican leaders to
end the differences over homosexuality that have threatened to tear apart the
denomination. (story)
Once the gay marriage legislation is passed it
will make South Africa the fifth country to legalize same-sex marriage.
©365Gay.com 2006
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