(no subject)

[keiliss]

South Africa, December 1st, 2005.

Today our Constitutional Court determined that denying same sex couples the rights and responsibilities of heterosexual couples was discriminatory and unconstitutional, and gave Parliament a year to go through the necessary Acts and change words like husband or wife to spouse – in other words, complete equality with no reference to gender. And the sky didn’t fall. Sometimes I am just so proud of my country.

Today is World Aids Day. We are very aware of that here. Depending on whose figures you choose to believe, we have up to four MILLION people living with HIV/AIDS in this rather small country. More women then men. Many children. Far too many children. It doesn’t happen to ‘other people’ here, it isn’t confined to one small group, it can’t be ignored, none of us can afford to be judgmental or self righteous. Those who have access to the better organised medical facilities take their anti retrovirals and their vitamins. And the others? Untreated, AIDS kills.

Comments

[talullahred.livejournal.com]

Go South Africa on the gay marriage issue!

As for the AIDS/HIV, I confess I only have read about the problem as a whole in Africa, but I would have thought that South Africa being much more developed than her neighbours would provide better health care... I suppose poverty and ignorance are still big problems in rural areas, no?

Lets hope that things improve, even if slowly.

*hugs*

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Medical care in the cities is fine, but out of town there are problems with staffing and funding. Trouble is, we woke up to the fact that AIDS was heading down the continent towards us a bit late, and then the government was very interested in experimental ideas for rather longer than was good for us… And yes, ignorance and lack of education in the rural areas are a huge problem, though things are starting to improve.
*hugs* ~ Kei

[eawen-penallion.livejournal.com]

On the first issue, I stand and applaud the South African government :-) The general discrimination focused against 10% of the world population is SOOO wrong that any and all attempts to redress the situation heartens me.

On the second issue - AIDS discriminates against no one. The African continent needs our help and support in the fight against the spread of the virus and the struggle against its consequences. The hospital that I work in is the focal support and research hospital for HIV and AIDS here in Ireland. I see the suffering our patients face and I, like so many of my colleagues, am committed to the ongoing battle...

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Hi Eawen :) I get so tired of the view that AIDS *only affects gays and people in Africa, and it's the fault of their lifestyle so why get involved*. There are villages where the only people left alive are the very old and the very young, child-headed families, where the parents have died, the relatives can't help and the oldest child tries to provide for the younger ones... Thank you for caring *hugs*

[erviniae.livejournal.com]

Kei, You should feel proud of your country. Well done indeed.
And it is always the poor, the women and the children who suffer the most--espically in the continent of Africa.

Hugs,
Kat

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we did good :) And the thing that's saddest is how the children suffer - there are so many orphans, so many young children trying to raise their siblings after their parents die...

[nikkiling2.livejournal.com]

That's just awesome! I'm glad someone is doing things right. I only wish our people and our government would get their heads out of their asses and do the same. Sometimes it feel that the US is only the land of the free if your white, straight, married, and christian.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I guess it's because the majority are just that - white, straight, married and christian --- though, mind, we managed to do this without too much fuss and the majority here are black, straight, married and christian... Having very strong national feelings about discrimination probably helped reduce the objections.

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

Woot....

That is such a progressive move. Wish it could happen here. I live for that day when Americans will pull their heads out of the sand.

Thanks for your post.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

We did good, yes :) Took two years, but...The world needs to accept that allowing people to do something you may not want to do yourself or disapprove of won't make the sky fall. Simple as that. If two guys or two girls I don't even know get married, I don't see how that affects me. If it's 'against God's laws' - well, hey, that's for them and God to sort out, no one else's business.
Sorry - *ends rant*

[lilyfrost.livejournal.com]

Oh, bravo for that!

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Thanks Lily - yes, they did a good job with this.