Same-Sex Unions Legalised in South Africa
Despite how prejudiced South Africa has been in the past, it seems to have embraced the idea of equality with much vigour, going so far as to write not discriminating against people based on sexual orientation into their constitution. Very progressive for a country once caught in the dark ages.
The news is that South Africa has legalised same-sex unions, affording countless gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to make their commitment official. I can see this upsetting quite a few people, and I am not talking just about the stalwart Afrikaners and others who still want to bring Apartheid back.
Looking through the reactions of the people commenting in the BBC forum, there are not a lot of happy campers, and many of them are from African countries other than South Africa. They feel that same-sex unions go against God or that it's "un-African".
Indeed, same-sex unions, whether that be through marriage or any other union, is still controversial in this day and age. People feel that gay rights isn't an important issue to pursue.
The way of the world, though, isn't it?
And there are even groups amongst the gay community who feel that they do not need to define their relationships on heterosexual terms, that marriage is not something that should apply to them. Indeed, I know a few heterosexual couples who feel the same.
So: Is marriage outmoded? What gets people so riled about gay unions? Whatever happened to tolerance?
Un-African? Is that even a word?
Ugh. Just read the comments. It is disheartening to see how people force their religious beliefs upon the liberties of others.
ReplyDeleteFuck it. I am pissed off. Your belief system might not be the same as mine. Who is right and who is wrong? How do you know you are right? Leave me the hell alone! Do you think I would have chosen this path if it was up to me? Do you honestly expect me to live a life of denying who I am, not sharing or receiving true love because of your prejudices? Fuck you, man. I have gone through enough emotional and mental anguish to have to listen to your crap. Most people who deal with their homosexuality and live to tell the tale, celebrate it because they made it out alive.
It is more than just sex. It's about being brave enough to live life as a whole person, rather than succumb to society's prejudice.
Unfortunately no matter where we go these days, there will always be people who disagree with anything that doesn't conform to their narrowminded views. If you're not the same religion, ethnicity, sexual persuasion, etc as they are, then you're just wrong.
ReplyDeleteAs for the marriage thing, why shouldn't same sex couples be allowed to marry? I've never understood people's aversion to it. How does it affect anyone other than the two people getting married? Perhaps these people should focus more on their own lives/marriages instead of worrying about everyone elses.
I also find it interesting that South Africa has now made it legal and yet other, more prominent "progressive", democratic countries haven't yet done so (hope that didn't sound like I was badmouthing SA...it wasn't meant to).
Timmee - I totally agree with you. I really don't see why two people in love should be such a problem because they are the same sex. We need more love in this world, for goodness sake! It's all a product of religious and societal conditioning which we can only take down one brick at a time. If these people who put out the negative comments could, for one day, walk in a gay person's shoes, I am sure they'd sing a different tune. And is it just me or is HATE not supposed to be part of Christianity?
ReplyDeleteKaren - I think SA is being as progressive as they are because of the oppression the majority of its people. From what I gather is that the government is attempting to break as many forms of discrimination it can.
I'm actually starting to see the whole marriage thing as outdated and silly, same sex or not. The whole she takes his name and becomes his property to do whatever with thing cuz we're christians and that's how it's done is coloring it for me I'm sure. (Yes, I know not all christians are like that, but I live in the Southeast US where it's pretty common.) The only positive thing I can see is for legal purposes.
ReplyDeleteI've always said I won't get married for reasons Kat mentions - passed from dad (and his name) to husband (and his name) in a proprery transaction. I do understand though that others - including same-sex partners - see it differently and I have no problems with that at all.
ReplyDeleteWhenever anyone asks me what I think of this issue, I tend to respond with, "I shouldn't have to." This shouldn't be an issue for discussion, it should just be. Because who marries whom of which sex is absolutely none of my business, and it shouldn't be the business of government either.
ReplyDeleteI don't give a damn what anyone's religion has to say about it, either. If your invisible superbeing has a pole up its cosmic ass about two guys getting married, then your church has every right to refuse to perform the ceremony. But that is where the relevance of your religious perspective ends. An entire segment of society should not have to live as second class citizens just because you think you have God's phone number.
Sorry if this offends, but I've had it with people who think they get to tell the rest of us how to live because they have a hard-on for a 2,000-year-old book written by illiterate fishermen.
Just the other day there was an item in the Italian news about a gay couple tying the know for the second time in Spain, where gay marriages are now legal, thanks to the very open-minded Zapatero.
ReplyDeleteThey had first been married by a sympathetic priest in the 70s in Italy. Obviously the ritual was not legal in any way shape or form, but as a result of it, the priest was stripped of his duties by -- you'll never guess -- Ratzinger (now Pope, then covering some other role). The priest has always ignored this and has continued to say Mass and whatever else. And when asked about this gay couple he married so many years ago, he said, "Love -- for one another and for God -- is greater than religious doctrine."
Hi Tania, nice to meet you :-)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'm pretty disgusted by the majority of African opinion on the BBC forum. I can understand what Kat and ems are saying, but in my experience, marriage hasn't been a negative thing, where the woman is inferior. When I get married, there's absolutely no shadow of a doubt that I'll take my hubby's name - it doesn't mean he has control over me, it just means I love him so much I want to be a part of him - see? I think any doubt over marriage has more to do with the female inferiority complex than anything else. My partner respects me and and wouldn't have a problem if I wanted to keep my own surname. And if I do, big deal? Doesn't mean he's better than me.
On a different note..
I'm a catholic, but when I read stuff like this I feel ashamed (about gay marriage)
" To be honest, this is an abominable act before Almighty God who instituted marriage. God says a marriage is a union between a man and a woman"
Er so? God also said live and let live and forgive all did he not?
For those so called christians who are responsible for comments like this, you are just as bad as other religious people (you know who I mean) for intolerance and inciting hatred.
I'm become more and more cynical of religion when I see stuff like this. It makes my blood boil to see Africans say stuff like that - so the issue of gay marriage is more important than starvation, rape, war and mutilation is it? Yeah, I didn't think so.
Here in VA, ex-Senator George Allen got everyone all riled up to vote for the "Vote Yes 4 Marriage, One Man One Woman" issue. He got his votes and it passed, but nothing changed since gay marriage was already illegal. People are so stupid. The good news is that despite the marriage thingy, people still chose to send Allen packing.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I can't imagine why anyone wants the state to sanction their union at all. Should be a private affair.