mass gay weddings planned

By Xoliswa Zulu (The Star)

December 4, 2005: Gay and lesbian couples will make the most of the landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court that legalises same-sex marriage.

KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng have been earmarked to host Africa's first-ever mass gay wedding ceremonies next December to officially celebrate the official sanctioning of these relationships in the country.

The chairperson of the South African Mass Gay and Lesbian Wedding Ceremony, Johann Ludick, said the celebration would be regarded as both ceremonial and official.

"The three planned ceremonies will take place at outdoor venues, such as stadiums, to enable us to accommodate a minimum of 5 000 gay and lesbian couples. The weddings will take place over a period of 72 hours at three selected venues to be announced in February, from a shortlist of nine."

Ludick said South African gays and lesbians had something to celebrate.

"We need to share our newly found dignity with gays and lesbians all over the world.

"We are aware of opposition from most church groups in acknowledging our status as married couples.

"We were never seeking recognition from them. We demanded recognition from the state, and we now celebrate that," Ludick added.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance said they welcomed the Constitutional Court's ruling and were glad that the court had reached a speedy decision.