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Mail & Guardian
same sex marriagelatest news & developments

Democracy under serious and sustained attack from within the US

Far-right Republicans and the conservative supreme court are working on a carefully laid plan to turn the US into a repressive regime

While Pride Month is commemorated at different times across South Africa, the month of June carries particular significance as the original Pride Month in the Northern Hemisphere. File Photo

To object or not to object is a human right

Amendments to the Civil Union Act are unconstitutional for religious magistrates

Religious beliefs are no longer allowed as on objection to solemnising same-sex partnerships and rightly so

Public officials must treat all marriages equally

Religious beliefs are no longer allowed as on objection to solemnising same-sex partnerships and rightly so

‘Beliefs and convictions rested on religion should be allowed the freedom awarded by the law to share the public sphere with all the other non-religious beliefs and convictions’

Marriage officers should have the right to object on religious grounds

‘Beliefs and convictions rested on religion should be allowed the freedom awarded by the law to share the public sphere with all the other non-religious beliefs and convictions’

LGBT and human rights activists erupted in celebration in Quito and the port city of Guayaquil, waving the rainbow flags that symbolise the gay rights movement. (Marcos Pin/AFP/Getty Images)

Ecuador’s highest court approves same-sex marriage

The Constitutional Court said same-sex marriage had been approved in a five-to-four vote of its nine judges in a closed door hearing

A mixed bag for human rights in Southern Africa in 2019

Botswana to rule on scrapping anti-gay laws

Homosexual acts are outlawed in Botswana — one of Africa’s most stable, democratic nations — under the country’s penal code of 1965

A rose is a rose is a rose: We seriously need to rethink our ideas about conventional marriage, be it between heterosexual or same-sex couples. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP

There’s a queer way to think about marriage

"Since when is marriage a path to liberation?"

Civil action: Ashwin Thyssen, Stefan de Klerk and Farren Watt want to make the church a more equal and inclusive organisation in terms of queer rights. (Supplied)

Theology students back queer rights

Followers are suing the Dutch Reformed Church over its retrograde action on same-sex unions

Hurdles ahead: The court ruling represents ‘some kind of movement’ for Wendy Kessman and Nomfundo Ngidi. (Oupa Nkosi)

Same-sex couples vs home affairs

They were left in limbo while they waited for the department to issue them with certificates

Claibourn Hamilton and Adrian Coman.

EU rules on residence rights for same-sex spouses

The European Union ruled that countries must recognise the rights of migrants who want to live in their spouse’s native country

(Reuters)

The sacred versus the profane

‘Circling each other now, each fighter coming in for the obligatory mock charge’

The underlying message being pushed is a narrow, conservative ideology:  Be, heterosexual, traditional. Reject feminism. Reject LGBTQ rights. Photo: Antonio Bronic/Reuters

Bill aims to fix same-sex marriage glitch

Couples are being turned away by the department of home affairs — prompting the introduction of an amendment Bill to Parliament last Friday

Mashadi Makwana of the Nedbank Foundation handing over a mobile library to a teacher and two pupils from Rammopodu Primary School.

Australia MP proposes to gay partner in parliament

​A gay Australian lawmaker popped the question to his partner in parliament shortly after a bill paving the way for same-sex marriage was introduced

The outcome of the ANC’s long-awaited KwaZulu-Natal conference was a win for the Thuma Mina crowd. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Anglican church speaks with two tongues on same-sex unions

The bishops say being gay is ‘unnatural’ but the archbishop, laity and clergy disagree.

Gigaba: We’re slowly educating home affairs staff to be more LGBTI-friendly

The minister says if even the NG Kerk can vote for same-sex marriages, then ‘anybody can change’.

Muscle memory: Raisibe Ntozakhe has spent the past few months training on her own to earn back her place in the Proteas Women. (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)

Editorial: Protect us from hate speech

Rollercoaster week for LBGTI community with rejection of hate preacher but also reluctance from marriage officers.

Maude Maodi-Swartz and Vaivi Swartz had to visit numerous home affairs offices before finally finding an official who would marry them.

Uncivil reception at Home Affairs office for women wanting a civil union

‘The fight to have their union officially recognised contrasts markedly with the traditional wedding ceremony they enjoyed beforehand.’

Two women wearing a wedding veil kiss each other during a demonstration to support same-sex marriages in Lyon

Less than a third of home affairs officials are willing to marry same-sex couples

Religious freedom, at times masking discrimination, is used too often to trump others’ right to marry.

While Pride Month is commemorated at different times across South Africa, the month of June carries particular significance as the original Pride Month in the Northern Hemisphere. File Photo

Govt criticised for silence on anti-gay legislation

The General Council of the Bar of SA is calling on government to break its silence and condemn "state-sanctioned homophobia" on the continent.

Nigeria’s President Jonathan Goodluck has outlawed same-sex marriages despite international outcry.

Nigeria signs Bill to outlaw same-sex marriages

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has approved a Bill banning gay marriage and same-sex partnerships.