I can’t believe it’s been a year and four months since I started my masters program. Today is the last day of school and I have just submitted a Sociology of Religion paper and yesterday I defended my thesis proposal. I am doing a comparative study of the development of the GLBT movement in South Africa and the United States. The proposition 8 debate in the 2008 elections is what triggered my focus. I thought is was interesting that a “third world” nation like South Africa would adopt a gay marriage bill before (arguably) the world’s most progressive country, the United States. GLBT activism in South Africa really becomes a force in the early 1990’s and that time GLBT politics in America were already established as they began with the Stonewall riots in 1969.  GLBT politics in America really shaped the politics of other countries in the world including South Africa, but it is America that ultimately struggles with legalizing same-sex marriage. Obviously there are different social forces at play in both nations and these social forces are what I will be unpacking. I think it’s going to be an interesting study. I have a lot of work ahead for me, but I am looking forward to it.