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Thousands march in Cape Town for gay rights in Africa

Associated Press
Saturday Mar 6, 2010
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People parade in the streets of Cape Town’s business district ... AFP Sat Mar 6, 4:06 PM ET Prev 1 of 21 Next People parade in the streets of Cape Town’s business district during the annual Gay Pride parade in Cape Town.
People parade in the streets of Cape Town’s business district ... AFP Sat Mar 6, 4:06 PM ET Prev 1 of 21 Next People parade in the streets of Cape Town’s business district during the annual Gay Pride parade in Cape Town.  

Thousands of people took part in a raucous gay pride march Saturday in Cape Town, South Africa’s gay capital, pressing for more tolerance in Africa, one of the world’s most homophobic regions.

Men, women and children joined the parade featuring floats and pounding 1970s disco music.

They held up banners saying "Your hate won’t make me straight," "I was born gay," "Jesus says ’love your neighbour’," and "Hate is unAfrican."

The marchers denounced a proposed anti-gay law in Uganda calling for tough penalties against homosexuality, including the death penalty, and the jailing of two men in nearby Malawi after staging the nation’s first public same-sex wedding.

South Africa, whose 1994 constitution following the demise of apartheid is one of the most liberal in the world, legalised same-sex unions in 2006.

But discrimination still exists, notably among lesbians in poor townships who are targeted for "corrective" rape.

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Comments

  • antonio, 2010-03-06 23:45:42

    I love this. I feel that more marches should be occuring in Africa and outside politicians should be putting more pressure on African politicians to begin creating some sort of anti-discrimination laws. Really wish those crazy christians that went over there be imprisoned. Don’t really care for what but they should not be going into other countries and spreading ignorance and hate.


  • "Prof" Samson, 2010-03-07 05:23:42

    I also love this! It’s time SA Gays came out of their closets and DEMANDED human rights. I also say do not give any aid to Uganda due to the mud slides until Uganda stops mistreatment of gay people. That goes for Mugabe and every other African country where gays are persecuted for who they are.


  • Anonymous, 2010-03-07 08:39:05

    It is great that people celebrate their sexuality, whether straight or gay. It is against our basic rights as humans to be mistreated for our sexuality. I know of a Methodist priest who in Cape Town, was stripped of her duties in the church, just because she came out as a homosexual. What does that say about our churches and society?


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