Gay Marriage Ban Is Like Apartheid

Academy Award winner Charlize Theron is comparing the current ban on gay marriage to "a form of apartheid." As a show of support, the South African-born actress has publicly stated she won't marry her long-term partner, Stuart Townsend, until all people have that right. 

"I don't like living in an elitist world, it bothers me. I don't want to be part of an elitist sexual preference. It bothers me, maybe it's because I come from a country where I lived under apartheid but this is a form of apartheid and I don't want to be a part of that."

"My ability to get married is a piece of me that I wish I could give to somebody who it would mean so much to. We should all have the chance. It's just so caveman, I can't believe we're still talking about it."

I've always thought she was a great actress but haven't seen all her films.  You can bet I'll be in the audience for every one of her films from now on. 

(Photos: Yahoo! Movies)

Comments

[The Truth]

What a fatuous analogy. Ms. Theron may have been born in South Africa but her analogy comparing the systematic imprisonment of blacks there with there being no "right to marry" in the USA is just way off base.

Anyone who buys into her analogy hasn't bothered to check into the circumstances and history of South African apartheid. Her comparison is an insult to South African blacks and belittles their struggle.

[lovewithopenarms]

I think what she is trying to compare is that it is a struggle from which she hated to see and therefore hates to see us go through it. She is not saying that she hated the blacks or anything like that, she is mainly making a point that since blacks got rights it is like glt generation is in the footsteps. We are like the black community trying to get rights, but in a little different way. I know they had more struggles but i think that is what she was getting at is that she hates to see race or sexual self-preferences people get hurt by skin or preference cause this is a free country and last time i checked it said in the constitution "all men are created equal."

[Kurt Francis San Diego]

Yes.... Charlize just knows how to explain it!!! I am a South African and raised up in that great county, a great country that lacked social understanding.... a country that just seem to know how to push people down....Yes, all should have the basic right to make the choice of who they would like to marry or not.... Who is someone else to tell someone that!!!!Apartheid, told people who they could marry or not....White people could not marry a Black person...sick....this only changed recently.......Well done to Charlize!!! Basic rights been stripped away from people.... To all the sausages who are against Gay people getting married, please consider dealing with your fear...It was Fear that drove Apartheid.... it is fear that drives you now to have that view. If you say you are a Christian, it is the Christians who had a big say in Apartheid and they justified it with scriptures....Oh yes, for alL of us who support Gay rights and Marriage, let us not be closed minded and attack our friends against it.... if we do, we will be doing exactly what they do....this is the same reason why Hilary Clinton lost the Democratic Presidential nomination to Obama....very simple, Obama knew how to work with people rather than attack them...Hilary continued attacking George Bush....and George Bush was not even running in the campaigne....she could not seem to make a speach without expression her views...she was a lady of anger and not a lady of leadership....so all the swing voters crossed over to the democratic primaries and voted for a person who did not focus his campaigne on attacking but rather "working with" mentality...very clever....Hilary should of won...she had the reputation, the exposure and the history...but she did not have the basic understanding of what Americans wanted....how to win people...because there was a nasty attack....people actually want peace!!!! not war.... All the things she attacked George Bush, she did the same in her campaigne....

Mrs Clinton has so much to give and is rich with knowledge and talent....It was her anger that held her back...there is a difference between anger and having a crusade....Obama had a crusade...Obama, reminds me of Nelson Mandela, Nelson Mandela knew how to connect with people...White and Black, Coloured and Asian,...IN FACT MANY WHITE PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE WITH Nelson Mandela... He won their hearts....Obama, did exactly the same...may people...many Republicans gave their hearts and emotions to this man. Obama met with the conservative press and made friends with them instead of attacking.... If we are going to win the gay Marriage issue throughout the USA, we are going to have to fight, but not with agression...we are going to have to fight with an attitude or winning friends and also influencing others. Mandela did it...Obama did it....yes...and there was no civil war in South Africa when the world expected it..... The anger of the impressed melted like ice as Mandela and others worked with humility, kindness and making friends... So funny how so many people run down president George Bush and all the democratic congress INCLUDING RUNNING DOWN people such as Hilary Clinton who supported the war in Iraq, oh yes, she voted for the war and so did others and let un never ever forget that.....let us beacreful and not lose the impact by our anger ....wow.... Let us not forget the Congress supporting this war.....have you seen Obama's policy on dealing with the CIA and others on the torture issue...? Obama says they will not be punished...let us move on and deal with real issue....Obama, does not agree with the torture, but he has enough wisdom to move on....that is a leader.....
LET US FIGHT THIS BATTLE WITH WISDOM and building relationships and lets win hearts....if we change the hearts of people, the battle is 3/4 won...
Yes Charlize.... yes....I am proud of your decisions and I love what you stand for!!!