South Africa president appoints first openly-gay cabinet minister
SOUTH African president Jacob Zuma has appointed Lynne Brown as the nation’s first openly-gay cabinet minister.
The news comes less than a month after South Africa announced changes to blood donations restrictions that included removing the blanket ban on gay men, and when Zakhele Mbhele became the first openly-gay black MP elected on the African continent last week.
Brown (pictured above), who was previously the Premier of the Western Cape province, was elevated to the cabinet by Zuma after being appointed as the South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister.
Her portfolio also makes Brown the highest-profile gay politician in Africa.
South Africa is also the first and only nation in Africa to have legalised marriage equality, which has been in effect since 2006.
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