by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: December 7, 2006 9:00 pm ET
(Harare) The legalization of same-sex
marriage has created a flurry of anti-gay sentiment among lawmakers in
neighboring Zimbabwe were even two people of the same sex holding hands is a
criminal offense.
In the weeks leading up to South Africa's
historic vote making it the first country in Africa to legalize same-sex unions
a delegation of 60 top South African officials were blasted over gay marriage
when they arrived in Harare by State Security Minister, Didymus Mutasa.
The government later attempted to brush off the
homophobic outburst, saying it was meant as a joke, but some South African
officials say it is time to begin distancing the country from strongman Robert
Mugabe's extreme rightwing regime.
Then this week the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change tried to force a debate in the Zimbabwean Parliament to pass a
motion condemning South Africa for legalizing gay marriage.
When the government cut off the measure MDC
lawmaker Moses Mzila-Ndlovu accused government leaders of being
homosexuals. He declined to name names and later apologized.
"In Zimbabwe, we are very clear that men
marry women and women get married to men. In Zimbabwe we prohibit marriages of
similar sexes," Emmerson Mnangagwa, the acting leader of the ruling party
told Parliament.
"[But] we have no duty to criticize laws
passed by another parliament."
Zimbabwe has a long history under Mugabe of
oppressing gays. In July government passed the "sexual deviancy"
law making it a criminal offense for two people of the same sex to hold hands,
hug, or kiss.
Sodomy is punishable by a lengthy prison term.
Earlier this year the 82 year old Mugabe went on
a tirade at a rally to celebrate his birthday calling homosexuality "a
white disease".
"Leave whites to do that," he declared.
Mugabe told the cheering throng that same-sex
marriage is a threat to mankind and condemned churches that bless gay unions. He
said his government would jail and clergy who performed a blessing ceremony for
gay couples in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe regularly refers to gays and people he
suspects to be gay as "less than pigs and dogs".
©365Gay.com 2006
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