South Africa’s cabinet will introduce a bill in Parliament to create same-sex civil unions.

Government spokesperson Themba Maseko said the proposed law will complement the Marriage Act, giving same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married people.

But that may not go far enough. On Dec. 1, the nation’s Constitutional Court gave lawmakers one year to change laws to allow same-sex couples to marry under the Marriage Act itself. It said if Parliament failed to act by the deadline, the court would rewrite the act.

The court said prohibiting same-sex marriage violated South Africa’s post-apartheid Constitution. The ruling was essentially unanimous, with the sole dissenter opposing only the one-year delay, arguing that the ruling should take effect immediately.

Gays, lesbians and transgender people in Nepal are seeking protection in the new constitution that is being prepared, the Indo-Asia News Service reported Aug. 24.

They have demanded decriminalization of “unnatural sex,” political representation, access to marriage or civil unions, and the addition of a transgender category – in addition to male and female – on the citizenship card and other government certificates.

Organizations pushing for the changes include the GLBT Blue Diamond Society and the lesbian group Mitini Nepal.

Canada’s Bloc Québécois political party has promised to stand united against Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s plan to initiate parliamentary reconsideration of the 2005 vote that legalized same-sex marriage.

All of the party’s 51 members in the 308-member House of Commons will be expected to vote in favor of same-sex marriage in any reassessment of the matter.

The 29 members of the New Democratic Party are planning to do the same.

Recent polling found that 62 percent of Canadians oppose any attempt to take away same-sex couples’ access to marriage.

In an unprecedented move, top-level British professional soccer team Manchester City Football Club has paid “four figures” to join the Diversity Champions program of the leading national gay rights group Stonewall, The Observer reported Aug. 27.

The action commits the team to recruit gays and lesbians to work at the stadium, reach out to gay and lesbian fans, ban homophobic language and implement other “gay-friendly” initiatives.

“We want to send a welcoming message to gay, lesbian and bisexual supporters, be inclusive and be a progressive employer,” said Alistair Mackintosh, the club’s chief executive.

The Observer, which said Mackintosh’s sister is an open lesbian, commented, “The move could lead to a dramatic change of attitude in the macho world of football, which is regarded as one of the last bastions of homophobia.”

The WorldPride parade, scheduled for Aug. 10 in Jerusalem but cancelled because hundreds of police officers needed to protect it were unavailable due to the war in Lebanon, will take place Sept. 21, organizers have announced.

But the Jerusalem police department has stated it will not allow the march to occur so close to the Jewish New Year holiday season. Officials said they’re open to considering other dates.

Pride organizers responded that they won’t back down a second time and will go to court to secure the Sept. 21 date if necessary.

Orthodox Jews had threatened a massive counterdemonstration against the August parade, which also was opposed by Christian and Muslim religious figures, the mayor and right-wing politicians in the “holy city.”

At last year’s local Pride parade, an ultra-Orthodox protester stabbed three marchers and was later convicted of attempted murder. Orthodox Jews tried to block the march, and some 1,000 anti-gay militants staged a rowdy action during which some threw bottles of urine and bags of feces at the marchers.

WorldPride, which was last held in 2000 in Rome, is licensed by InterPride, the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators.

Some of the protesters who pelted Latvian gays and lesbians with excrement on Pride day have been punished.

The July 22 attacks in Riga occurred outside a gay religious service and meetings at a hotel – events which replaced the planned Pride parade after it was banned by the City Council and a court.

GLBT people coming and going from the events were confronted by Christian fundamentalists, ultranationalists and neo-Nazis, some of whom threw eggs, rotten food and human feces.

To date, seven of the protesters have been fined from $42 to $92 for petty hooliganism.

Linda Freimane, spokesperson for the Pride organizing group Mozaika, called the punishments inadequate, saying the attackers should have been charged with criminal hooliganism.

“This is not petty hooliganism but an incitement to hatred,” she said. “The punishment for such activities must be heavier so the others would [see] clear that similar activities carry heavy punishment and the state considers them as serious offences.”

Latvia’s general prosecutor has agreed with Mozaika and is attempting to have the decisions annulled and the attackers retried under criminal statutes.

Assistance: Bill Kelley