To much fanfare and publicity, on November 14 South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalize same-sex marriage.  While the future for same-sex couples in South Africa is bright, their prospects elsewhere on the continent are grim. The Independent catalogues some of the statutes against homosexual rights in African countries, which includes up to 14 years imprisonment for homosexual activity in Kenya (although lesbianism is not banned), three years for the same offense in Ethiopia (for gay men and lesbians), and a sentence of up to a decade in prison in Zimbabwe for unnatural sex acts.”

While South Africa certainly is the vanguard for gay rights on the African continent, it faces precious little competition from its neighbors.

Mimi Hanaoka