As devoted readers of Queerty and news-saavy beauties, you know that South Africa, which touts the world’s most progressive constitution as one of it’s many accomplishments, has a gay-marriage vote on the horizon. Some prominent politicians from the African National Congress (the party that led the fight against apartheid) want to inject a little “morality” into their legislation, calling for a “conscience vote.” This would allow politicians to vote according to their personal beliefs, rather than following the High Court’s order that a same-sex marriage bill be passed by December 1.
In South Africa’s The Independent, Angela Quintal writes:
At the ANC caucus meeting this week, ruling party MPs made clear their opposition to the Civil Union Bill, which will legalise same-sex marriages and also resurrected the need for a “free vote”.
ANC and government officials acknowledged that more ANC MPs were opposed to same-sex marriages than in favour and that the ruling party had a mountain to cross.
Um…yeah! For those keeping track, this is the same party that can credit their success to maintaining an inclusive line during the struggle for liberation. While many in South Africa insist this is nothing but a stumble, it seems that the ANC needs to look into it’s past to pave the way for their future. If not, “hypocrisy” will have new meaning. And we’ll have to find a new favorite vacation spot, which will really suck…
“Anti-Gay Union MPs Call for Conscience Vote” [The Independent]
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Andrew Owen
Oh for God sake… what are you on about, “chosing a new favorite (sic) vacaction spot”? What a way to diminish a significant debate in South Africa’s constitutional and moral evolution. It does very little for the gay agenda that the only comment you have is about the impact that the aspirational liberalisation of South Africa (slap bang in the middle of homophobic sub-saharan Africa) is that it might affect your choice of holiday destination. For many gay people across Africa, the choice of where to spend their holiday and where to dance with their shirt off (Fire Island, anyone) is so secondary to the fundamental principles of basic human rights that I think yout commentaty entirely insensitive and ever so slightly imperialist. You should be ashamed. How dare you comment on African liberalism and the plight of gay rights on the continent when many in your country can’t even bring themselves to engage in the debate and are scrambling to ammend state law to outlaw any changes to the norm. I for one would rather vacation in South Africa where at least the subject is up for discussion, than the US, which is so afraid of debate on this subject that discussion is paralysed. I for one, would rather vacation in South Africa than most of the US. Please don’t be so bloody singular in your thinking before you write this kind of tripe.