five

Making good on last year's high court decision, the National Assembly of South Africa has passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage.

The post-apartheid South African constitution was the first ever to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Homosexuality is still illegal in many African nations, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ghana. From what I've read, being openly gay in South Africa is still a nightmare. But perhaps it just got a little easier, and at least the law is on the side of equality.

I don't need to point out the sad irony of South Africa outstripping TGNOTFOTE in the civil rights department. Apartheid was abolished in South Africa only 20 years ago. Jim Crow was abolished in the US about 40 years ago, and South Africa is already several steps ahead.

The South African law brings the number of countries that recognize same-sex marriage to five, following the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and Spain. That's five more than there were ten years ago. How many will there by ten years from now? Hopefully so many we won't be able to remember them all. Onward!

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