To Have & To Hold

On 30 November 2006, South Africa became the world’s fifth country and Africa’s first to legalise marriage for same-sex couples. To Have & To Hold explores the journey to same-sex marriage with a collection of interviews, essays and documents recognising the multiplicity of viewpoints on the topic, as well as the multiple aspects and efforts that shaped the making of same-sex marriage in South Africa.

It seeks to represent those perspectives by drawing on the opinions of a wide range of experts as well as representing those for whom the right to marry holds the most meaning – the people whose marriages can now be legally recognised. The combination of historical documents, personal reflections and academic and activist analyses of same-sex marriage makes this book invaluable for understanding this historic journey and its legal, social, cultural and religious ramifications.