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Lo alecha ha-m'lacha ligmor, v'lo atah ben chorin l'hibateyl mimenah.

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Thursday, December 01, 2005

Samenheid

Aunty Beeb:

South Africa's highest court has ruled in favour of same-sex marriages, which are banned under current legislation.

The Constitutional Court ordered that parliament amend marriage laws to allow gay weddings within a year.  The constitution outlaws discrimination against gays and lesbians, but social attitudes remain more conservative.  The court ordered that the definition of marriage be changed from a "union between a man and a woman" to a "union between two persons".

Last year, the Supreme Court of Appeal had ruled in a case brought by a lesbian couple that the current law discriminated against homosexuals.
...
"The common law definition of marriage is declared to be inconsistent with the constitution and invalid to the extent that it does not permit same-sex couples to enjoy the status and benefits it accords heterosexual couples," said Justice Albie Sachs in his ruling...

Will the United States, inventor of Liberty and Justice for All™, follow South Africa's lead in civil rights?

ntodd

December 1, 2005 | Permalink

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Comments

...feh.

We're stilling inches, pounds, and Fahrenheit for cryin' out loud.

Posted by: Darryl Pearce | Dec 1, 2005 11:55:55 AM

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: Man, I hope so, but we don't have a constitution that's so progressive as to include much in the way of equal rights. Given an appropriate ammendment, in the opposite direction from the one that the wingers want, it might happen. But don't hold your breath.

Posted by: Jas | Dec 1, 2005 12:43:08 PM

Longer answer: Man, I hope so, but we don't have a constitution that's so progressive as to include much in the way of equal rights.

That's part of the problem. The Constitution as it stands contains much that is useful, some that is commendable, other things that are less so. But someone who knows about constitutions informed me that it's a creaking old document in terms of allowing for change to occur to it.

The South African one was created in 1996, and sounds like it bears a closer resemblance to the Declaration on Human Rights.

Posted by: TheaLogie | Dec 1, 2005 3:22:13 PM

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