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Short Summary
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On 8th May 1996 South Africa became the first country in the world to enshrine lesbian and gay rights in its Constitution, which includes the clause: "The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language, and birth." At the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, South Africa supported the (unsuccessful) proposal for inclusion of references to "sexual orientation" in the "Platform for Action". Yet in 2002 South Africa abstained from voting on granting consultative status to the United Nations to the International Lesbian and Gay Association. While the South African constitution offers many protections to lesbian and gay people the government have consistently opposed any changes to laws that would give same sex couples and lesbian and gay people equality. However, several challenges to discriminatory laws have been raised. In all cases thus far challenges that have reached the constitutional court have been successful. People of the same sex can now marry. This is one of several profiles of African countries on the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI), provided by Behind the Mask, a communication initiative on LGBTI in Africa. Contact details are provided of LGBTI organisations in each country.
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http://www.mask.org.za/index.php?page=southafrica
