JOHANNESBURG (ABP) — The South African Parliament voted overwhelmingly Nov. 14 to legalize same-sex marriage in the nation, making it Africa's first — and one of only a handful of jurisdictions in the world — to remove legal barriers to gays marrying each other.
The move came on the heels of a similar move by the legislative body of Mexico's most populous city legalizing same-sex “civil unions,” with rights virtually identical to marriage.
The South African Parliament, dominated by the left-leaning African National Congress party, voted 230-41 to approve the measure. Last year, the nation's highest court said the nation's constitution requires it to legalize same-sex marriage. The South African Constitution explicitly bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The nation's Constitutional Court gave legislators a year to bring marriage laws into line with the ruling.
In a concession to gay-marriage opponents, the new law exempts civil servants who refuse to perform same-sex marriages for religious reasons. Some gay-rights groups have criticized the exemption, saying such exceptions would not be allowed for government employees who object to performing interracial marriages, for instance.
On Nov. 9, the Mexico City Assembly voted 43-17 to offer legal protections similar to civil marriage for same-sex couples. The move came despite strenuous opposition from Mexico's Catholic leaders.
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