Thousands march in Cape Town for gay rights in Africa

Thousands of people took part in a raucous gay pride march Saturday in Cape Town, South Africa's gay capital, pressing for more tolerance in Africa, one of the world's most homophobic regions.

Men, women and children joined the parade featuring floats and pounding 1970s disco music.

They held up banners saying "Your hate won't make me straight," "I was born gay," "Jesus says 'love your neighbour'," and "Hate is unAfrican."

The marchers denounced a proposed anti-gay law in Uganda calling for tough penalties against homosexuality, including the death penalty, and the jailing of two men in nearby Malawi after staging the nation's first public same-sex wedding.

South Africa, whose 1994 constitution following the demise of apartheid is one of the most liberal in the world, legalised same-sex unions in 2006.

But discrimination still exists, notably among lesbians in poor townships who are targeted for "corrective" rape.