Defend Marriage submission

The Chairperson,
Home Affairs Portfolio Committee,
National Assembly,
P O Box 15,
Cape Town,
8000,

Submission on Civil Unions Bill 26 - 2006

Defend Marriage is a group of organisations and concerned individuals who are strongly opposed to the legalisation of same-sex marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships and any other legal recognition of relationships which undermine marriage as it currently stands in law.

We voice our absolute rejection of the Civil Unions Bill B 26 – 2006.

Defend Marriage calls for an amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in order to defend this definition by adding to section 39 (Interpretation) the clause: "The Constitution shall be interpreted to mean that a marriage is the voluntary union between a man and a woman only."

Defend Marriage has circulated a petition to this effect, which has been sent to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development. We attach a petition form, just one of the thousands, which are currently circulating. For a full register of all petitions received by the ministry to date, please call 012 3578217.

We strongly disagree with the view expressed by some political leaders that they are obliged to comply with the Constitutional Court ruling. Certain activist judges have made an error in their interpretation of this issue in the constitution, which is evidenced by the fact that this issue was never even considered at the time of the CODESA negotiations. Parliament is well within its constitutional rights to amend the constitution to honour the traditional definition of marriage instead of complying with the ruling of the Constitutional Court. We urge this amendment to be passed as soon as possible.

We urge you to take heed of the voices of the millions of South Africans who believe in the sanctity of marriage. Changing the definition of marriage will gradually affect the whole of society. South Africans are overwhelmingly opposed to recognising homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle, worthy of legal recognition.

The proposed Civil Union Bill includes provisions for Civil Unions for same-sex relationships; Registered Partnerships for same or opposite sex partnerships and unregistered partnerships for couples who live together outside of marriage. The Civil Union element is an almost exact copy of the legal rights of marriage, and allows the use of the term ‘marriage’ in the ceremony. These marriage-like proposals all undermine the uniqueness and sanctity of marriage and in the case of opposite sex partnerships create alternatives to marriage, which will result in less people getting marriage. This is seriously harmful to society and therefore needs to be rejected.

South Africans have fought for freedom and democracy, for the principles and morals that we hold dear as a nation. South Africans have turned out in great numbers at public hearings to make their voices heard. We ask you to listen to the voices of the voters, as they almost unanimously reject the notion of legal recognition of homosexual unions and domestic partnerships. As South Africans we want our government to respect and defend the institution of marriage as a union between a man and a woman only.

Not allowing Homosexuals to get married is ‘fair’ rather than ‘unfair’ discrimination. Two people of the same sex simply cannot get married. It is physically and reasonably impossible. To perform such a ceremony, or provide legislation for it, is fraudulent and a mockery of true marriage.

We don’t realise what we are doing, because we don’t realise what we are undoing. Marriage and family is the basic building block of society. By extending marriage rights to homosexuals we are not just allowing more people to be /get married. We are totally undermining the basis on which our society is built. We take the influence of marriage on our society for granted, because we have never lived in a society where it has not been the cornerstone of society.

We have seen in the past how evil laws, which entrenched the migrant labour system, led to a disintegration of family structures and we are still reaping the consequences of this today. Let us not make the same mistakes and further insult the family unit by undermining its very basis.

We accept individuals who suffer with homosexual inclinations as human beings made in God’s image and likeness, worthy of the respect and dignity owed to them as members of the human family, but we disagree that homosexual relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships. They are not natural and they are immoral. Homosexuality is a risky and unhealthy lifestyle. We cannot put the invented ‘rights’ of a tiny minority of people ahead of the well being of our entire society. It is also in the best interests of homosexuals to help them to live normal straight lifestyle rather than institutionalising such an unhealthy lifestyle, through the proposed ‘Civil Partnerships’.

Defend Marriage also calls parliament’s attention to the chaos and irregularities surrounding the public hearings, the short notice given to interested parties, the confusion with regard to the time and location of the hearings. We call for an extension of the deadline for this legislation. It is unreasonable for a matter of such importance to be subject to such time constraints.

Defend Marriage requests permission to present this submission at the oral hearings at Parliament.