A major factor causing this rapid change was the decades-long
struggle against apartheid which was enforced by the National
Party's white-supremacist government. Apartheid was given a
theological justification by a number of Christian
denominations, of which the largest was the Nederduitse
Gereformeerde Kerk (a.k.a. NGK or Dutch Reformed Church). It
"...came to be known as the 'official religion' of the National
Party during the apartheid era." 7 This led to an intense
aversion against racism by the Black majority which expanded to
include dislike of discrimination of all types. Having been
oppressed so viciously for so many decades by a Christian-based
White government, they had no desire to turn around and oppress
others, whether on the basis of religion, race, skin color or
sexual orientation. Many white South Africans, particularly
Afrikaners, remain very conservative in social matters, and
strongly opposed to equal rights for gays and lesbians. Also,
many indigenous Africans believe that homosexuality as