Gay couple tie knot behind prison doors
Unlikely ceremony at Lindela follows weeks of legal wrangling
RAIN on a wedding day is a sign of good fortune.
But full-scale flooding suggests something extraordinary — and that is what happened in Johannesburg on Friday when Gregg Wiggill and John Pettigrew became the first gay couple to be married in a South African detention facility.
“As you get older, you realise that the setting doesn’t matter — it’s whom you are with that counts,” said Pettigrew soon after Friday’s unexpected ceremony in Lindela Repatriation Centre, west of Johannesburg, where he has been detained since October last year.
“A few of the guys came to see me this morning to wish me well. And the ladies from the shop said they wanted to attend,” Pettigrew said.
The unlikely ceremony, which followed weeks of legal sparring with the Department of Home Affairs, ended a yearlong struggle for the controversial couple. Last year, they tried — but failed — to marry in an East London prison. At the time, they were awaiting trial for alleged fraud relating to a false identity document.
Their bid for marriage exposed apparent policy confusion regarding gay partners in the Department of Correctional Services. It also raised the question of whether the couple’s constitutional rights had been infringed.
They insisted on the right to share a cell in prison, but were separated for alleged “sexual activities”, a charge they denied. In response, they laid a complaint against the prison boss for alleged anti-gay discrimination.
Pettigrew was later acquitted of all charges and Wiggill received a suspended sentence. However, their troubles continued after their release when Pettigrew, an Australian, was detained for overstaying his visitor’s visa. He was later transferred to Lindela ,which falls under the Department of Home Affairs.
Despite numerous requests, the department refused to allow the couple to marry, prompting Wiggill to take legal action.
Last month, the High Court in Johannesburg ordered the Department of Home Affairs to allow the ceremony to go ahead despite Pettigrew’s illegal immigrant status.
An emotional Wiggill wept as he slipped a ring on Petti- grew’s wedding finger, watched by his lawyer, Stephen May of Kramer Villion Norris Attorneys in Johannesburg.
Wiggill said: “This ring was given to me by my late father.
I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster bigger than at Disney
He would be happy today; it is on the right finger.”
Presiding officer Pastor Mercia Kok read an extract from the Bible about love and patience. “But I don’t need to tell you two anything about that,” she quipped.
“I’ve married a lot of people but never [experienced] anything like this.”
Wiggill wore a black satinsheen shirt and brought a hamper of food for his partner. “I think the only way I can describe how I feel is euphoric,” he said.
Throughout the 20-minute ceremony, two Lindela staff stood guard outside. Photographs were taken on a camera supplied by the facility, but a senior staff member declined to release the images. This reporter was invited to act as best man and witness.
Afterwards, the couple were congratulated by some Lindela staff members.
Pettigrew denied that the marriage was one of convenience. “This has been anything but convenient,” he said.
The couple had originally planned to marry in Johannesburg two years ago, before their run-in with the law.
“We’ve fought hard for this. This is the first time we’ve touched each other in six months,” said Pettigrew.
May said the next task was to secure Pettigrew’s release. “At least they are now lawfully married. It gives a stronger base to allow Pettigrew to remain in the country,” he said.
Wiggill, who lives in East London and occasionally performs in cabaret shows, said any honeymoon plans were on hold. “I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster bigger than anything at Disney.”