First gay divorce - South Africa
After the first gay marriage took place in South Africa on the 1st December 2006, divorce lawyers in Cape Town and beyond started licking their lips in anticipation of the first gay divorce, which no doubt will be just as miserable as straight divorce.
First gay couple to file for divorce in South Africa
Barely two months after getting married, Richard Thornton and Andries Jacobs may become the first gay couple to get divorced in South Africa. Thornton and Jacobs met in a West Rand shopping mall, and became one of the first gay couples to get married on the 5th January 2006. Thornton, 52 years old, has filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences and desertion. Jacobs (20 years old), packed his bags in the middle of the night a few weeks into the marriage as arguments over coming home late and overpossessiveness escalated.
Will gay divorce rates be higher?
Considering that men are often the ones looking for "something extra" outside the marriage, does a man and man gay marriage imply double-trouble - i.e. double the divorce rate? Or will gay marriages be more open to third parties, so lower divorce rates? Only time will tell. Considering that not all gay men are open about being gay, it is likely that only those who are really committed will advertise their gayness by getting married.
Gay divorce in Denmark
In Denmark gays have been legally able to get married (and divorced) since 1989. Despite stereotypes of gay relationships as short-lived, the divorce rate among Danish gays is only 17%, compared to 46% for heterosexuals. Many of the gays and lesbians who've married in Denmark had been in their relationships for years beforehand. Also, only those who are strongly motivated to marry do so, given society's disapproval of overt gayness The majority of gay marriages in Denmark are male-male, and only 14% of these end in divorce, compared to 23% of female-female marriages. The higher rate for lesbians is consistent with data showing that women initiate most of the heterosexual divorces in Denmark (in the USA, women request about two-thirds of divorces).
