In 1996 same sex relationships were recognized by the government. Between 2002 and 2006, same sex marriage and same sex adoption were legalized by the state and an anti-gay discrimination law (Alteration of Sex Description and Sex Status Act) passed. The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of South Africa. It is a piece of anti-discrimination law, designed to "prevent and prohibit unfair discrimination and harassment; to promote equality and eliminate unfair discrimination; to prevent and prohibit hate speech; and to provide for matters connected therewith". It explicitly prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, color, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth. South Africa is the only country in the whole continent that fully recognizes and protects the rights of the LGBT community. With that being said, it is evident that South Africans haven’t warmed up to the idea of same-sex relationships. We still find practices such as "corrective rape" being condoned by society with the aim to turn lesbian women straight. We still find cases of gay men who have been beaten and brutally murdered because of their sexual orientation. South Africans still need to be educated on the matter and we as people can work together in changing the mindsets of others.
