BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (BP)–South Africa could be the next country to legalize same-sex “marriage” as a result of a court ruling there Nov. 30.
The Supreme Court of Appeal sided with a lesbian couple, ruling that the country’s definition of marriage should be sex-neutral and read, “Marriage is the union of two persons to the exclusion of all others for life.”
But same-sex “marriage” is not legal in South Africa yet. Statutory regulations still must be changed, according to South African media reports. In addition, pro-family groups and politicians there promise to fight the ruling.
South Africa would join Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States as the only countries to offer same-sex “marriage” in at least one jurisdiction. Massachusetts is the only American state to do so. The changes in Canada and the United States have come via court order.
Homosexual activists praised the South African court ruling.
“It only takes care of a common-law principle, and that means even though judgment was in favor of the appellants, it’s not possible for people of the same sex to be currently married due to the limitations in the current marriage formula and other regulations in the marriage act,” Evert Knoesen of the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project was quoted as saying in a story posted on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s website.
“We have to go ahead with legal action to fix up those somewhat more minor legal problems and we foresee that within the next 12 months or so, same-sex couples will indeed be married.”
Knoesen added: “The principle has been won.”
The African Christian Democratic Party criticized the ruling.
“The ruling does not alter our Judeo-Christian view that marriage should be between male and female,” ACDP spokesperson Steve Swart said in a statement. “… We would have preferred the matter to have been referred back to Parliament for consideration of the various options as set out by the Law Reform Commission, as suggested in the minority judgment.
“History, nature, social science, anthropology, religion, and theology all coalesce in vigorous support of marriage, as it has always been understood: a life-long union of male and female for the purpose of creating stable families.”
The ACDP, Knoesen said, supports a “Marriage Protection Amendment to the Constitution.”
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For more information about the national debate over same-sex “marriage,” visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage
