South Africa: Bastion of Progressivism

This is, in a think-globally/act-locally kind of way, depressing:

South Africa's Constitutional Court has ruled the country's marriage laws unfairly discriminate against same-sex unions. In the 9-1 ruling issued Thursday, the court -- the country's highest -- referred the issue to South Africa's parliament, giving lawmakers one year to amend the country's marriage act.

That lone dissent wasn't a conservative railing against the erosion of Christian norms or anything. No sir: the judge dissented only to argue that the court "should have legalised gay marriage immediately," rather than compelling South Africa's parliament to legalize it over the next twelve months. This ruling "would make South Africa the fifth country in the world to approve gay marriage despite widespread African taboos against homosexuality." (The other countries are Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium.)

I think the ruling should also shame Americans. We've fallen behind South Africa on this issue? My god...