A Brief History Of International Gay Marriage

On the evening of July 21, the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, convened a ceremony at the Casa Rosada government house in downtown Buenos Aires to formally sign into law a bill legalizing gay marriage. The measure, narrowly passed by the Argentine Congress on July 15, was no small leap for the land of the laconic gaucho, a place whose constitution required the head of the Argentine state to be Catholic until a 1994 reform. "In a few years, this debate will be absolutely anachronistic," said Kirchner to a room filled with activists chanting "Igualdad" (Equality). In signing the law, Kirchner made the South American country the 10th in the world — and the first in Latin America — to codify gay marriage.

Argentina's breakthrough has already sent shock waves through the Americas. Several conservative magistrates in Argentina have said they would refuse to conduct same-sex marriages, even in the face of warnings from officials that such a move would be grounds for dismissal. In a sign of solidarity, the tourism board of Mexico City, where gay marriage has been legal since last year, has offered an all-expenses-paid vacation to the first wedded Argentine gay couple. (That marriage is scheduled to take place on Aug. 13 in the trendy Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo.) For a region in the thrall of progressive leadership, left-leaning legislators have even conceded in interviews with the local press that Argentina's legalization of gay marriage could make their countries appear "conservative" by comparison.

Nations That Have Legalized Gay Marriage

• The Netherlands (2000)
• Spain (2005)
• Canada (2005)
• Belgium (2006)
• South Africa (2006)
• Norway (2008)
• Sweden (2009)
• Portugal (2010)
• Iceland (2010)
• Argentina (2010)

WORLD CHAMPION JOSEPH AGBEKO DEFENTED

Perez captures IBF bantamweight title

Colombia's Yonnhy Perez seized the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title, dethroning Ghana's Joseph Agbeko with a unanimous 12-round decision.

	Agbeko of Ghana wipes his face after losing his title to Yonnhy Perez
	Yonnhy Perez of Colombia (R) looks on as IBF bantamweight champion Joseph Agbeko of Ghana puts a knee on the canvas in front of referee Robert Byrd in the 10th round of their title fight at the Treasure Island hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Nevada October 31, 2009
	Perez of Colombia (R) punches IBF bantamweight champion Joseph Agbeko
	IBF bantamweight champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko, right, and challenger Yohnny Perez pose during a news conference Wednesday at Treasure Island.
	Yonnhy Perez of Colombia celebrates

Vice President buoys up Black Stars

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WAYNE ROONEY.

WILL YOU MARRY AN ILLITERATE?

SAMUEL MANTEY- ADOM NEWS/MYJOYONLINE.

Marriage experts see illiteracy from three angles. The first is functional illiteracy, whereby a partner is unable to perform his or her duties as a husband or wife.

A wife who is unable to take care of herself, cook, take care of the home, give good intimacy and respect her man is functionally illiterate, even if she is a university graduate.

A man who refuses to show affection or provide security for his family is also seen as an illiterate, even if he holds a PhD.

This means literacy may not be the same as academic qualification.

The second is cultural illiteracy, whereby a partner knows very little about the cultural background and practices of his or her partner.

In every culture, people have their views about how a husband and a wife must behave for a marriage to be seen as good.

A lack of understanding of your partner’s cultural beliefs and practices makes you an illiterate and this may predispose you to marital conflicts.

The third is moral illiteracy, whereby partners have poor attitudes and show wrong behaviours of relationship. A partner may put his or her profession ahead of the relationship.

Some keep secrets of their finances. It is known that globally 30 per cent of partners don’t know how much their partners earn.

It is worse in Ghana. The worse example of moral illiteracy is where partners abuse the sanity and sanctity of marriage by engaging in illicit affairs. Here again the majority of Ghanaian couples are victims.

The narrow definition of illiteracy is someone who cannot read or write. There are illiterates all over the world. Even in places like US and Britain there are people who can’t read or write.

Problems of Illiteracy

Illiteracy is a problem that affects partners negatively and spills over to society. A partner may lack knowledge about current issues, making him or her unable to contribute intelligibly to social issues.

Illiteracy may also be a barrier to economic activities and good health. Imagine a man who sent a prescription drug to his sick wife.

The directions for use was indicated on the bottle but the wife was unable to read and because she was in great pain, she took an overdose. It was a fatal mistake.

A partner who is unable to speak English may embarrass his or her partner at a social meeting. Poor grammar and pronunciation could make a partner uneasy. Some people, therefore, never go out to public places with their illiterate partners.

Some people take undue advantage of their partner’s illiteracy and leech their properties or investment. A bank account may be showing red when an illiterate partner may be made to believe she is doing great.

Some men actually love to marry illiterates. They see highly educated women as sophisticated and, therefore, expensive, too exposed and independent to handle.

Educated women claims equal rights and speaks “big English”. An illiterate wife, on the other hand, may be seen as more innocent and easier to handle. She will look up to her man and open up completely for care.