Earlier today we reported that although the Dutch government once considered giving gay Iranians the boot, they’ve found it in the goodness of their hearts to let them stay.
A few weeks ago, we posted a story about how the ANC in South Africa supports gay marriage.
So, you want to know how it all fits together? Well, we’ll tell you.
South Africa’s Dutch Reformed Church has issued a statement making it clear they do not support gay unions in South Africa. It seems they found media reports to be a bit too opaque. Fearing peeps will think they actually support homos, they say:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Our submission did not argue or champion gay marriages as such, and highlighted numerous problems in the proposed legislation, which also affect the rights of the Dutch Reformed Church.
We pointed out that the core of the matter is a constitutional one affecting rights – those of the Dutch Reformed Church, gays and of other religious groups whose marriages are also not recognised at the moment.
So, basically what they’re saying is that they don’t want to officiate, recognize, or really consider gay marriage.
For those of you not caught up on your South Africa history, the Dutch first arrived in South Africa way back in 1652. As was the fashion, they later attempted to take over the entire country. (We must note, however, that they called themselves the Afrikaaners: Dutch for African.) Many, many wars later, they led the National Party to victory, thus ushering in apartheid.
Of course, the ANC and myriad other groups fought apartheid, bringing the country it’s first democratic elections and the world’s most progressive constitution. A constitution that will hopefully be more progressive very soon, a move the DRC does not support. We guess it’s a good thing SA’s DRC doesn’t have power in The Netherlands: the place that just gave special amnesty to gay Iranians.
Don’t you love when everything comes together?
Andrew Owen
Drawing a link between the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa and Holland is absurd. It would be like equating US attitudes to homosexuality with the bills being discussed in Westminster. Your selective and brief trip through Afrikaaner history is limited and denies 400 years of history and I think you’ll find the only link between the DRC and Holland is the word “Dutch”. You all speak English (sort of), but we don’t go around comparing the US to the UK. Take some responsibility for your ramblings and try to get them accurate.
Alicia Callas
Well said Andrew. Many, many wars later?????? Where did you get your history from? Try to inform yourself before writing about things that you apparently have NO knowledge about.
Jean Meiring
What’s more, Afrikaner is not spelt as Afrikaaner. And in Afrikaans, the Dutch Reformed Church is in fact the ‘Nederduits-Gereformeerde Kerk’, i.e. there’s also a touch of German thrown in there. Afrikaners are descended from a certain strand of the Dutch people, also from French Huguenots (post-1688), Germans, Portuguese, English, Irish, Malay and Indonesian slaves. However, owing to the cultural boycott imposed by the Dutch on SA during apartheid, there is today very, very little contact – and even less affinity – between the Afrikaners and the Dutch. The latter think the former’s language is baby patter. And Afrikaners fondly call their forebears Cheeseheads. Such endearing folks, all of them. (PS: I’m an Afrikaner; but, a nice one.)