Box Turtle Bulletin

Marriage Rights Around the World

Timothy Kincaid

May 15th, 2008

The following countries offer some form of recognition to same-sex couples:

Marriage

Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, United States (Massachusetts, California)

Civil Unions

New Zealand, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Argentina (Buenos Aires, Rio Negro), Mexico (Coahuila), Uruguay, United States (Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey)

Registered Partnership or Domestic Partnership

Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg, , Slovenia, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Italy (City of Padua), Switzerland, Hungary, Australia (Tazmania), United States (Maine, Washington, Oregon)

Other Methods of Limited Recognition

France (PACS), Germany (Life Partnership), Croatia (Law of Same-Sex Relationships), Andorra (Stable Union of a Couple), Mexico (Mexico City - PACS), Columbia (Common-law marriage inheritance rights), Israel (Limited recognition of foreign legal arrangements), United States (Hawaii - Reciprocal Benefits; New York - recognition of out-of-state legal marriages)

Although recognition is in a rapid state of change, this is my best understanding of the current rights provided. Several nations are in the process of adding or revising recognition.

Moldovan Pride Rally Attacked By Skinheads, Police Stand By And Watch

Jim Burroway

May 12th, 2008

Yesterday’s scheduled Gay Pride parade in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau was attacked by a mob of skinheads and Moldovan nationalists before the parade could begin. Moldovan police stood by and refused to intervene as angry mobs, estimated at 200 to 400 people, surrounded a bus carrying 60 pride marchers, trapping them inside for 45 minutes. Skinheads also blocked the door to the offices of GenderDoc-M, the organizers of the weekend’s Pride activities, and trapped several people in the offices for several hours. GenderDoc-M made nine calls to police for help. Police refused to respond.

This latest violence follows a last-minute ban by Chisinau city officials a few days before the parade was scheduled to take place. Officials imposed the ban in defiance of a recent Moldovan Supreme Court ruling which guaranteed GenderDoc-M’s right to assemble.

Chisinau Mayor Bans Gay Pride Parade

Jim Burroway

May 9th, 2008

It was just this morning when we reported that Moldova was about to witness its very first Gay Pride parade n Chisinau, the nation’s capital. Now we find that the mayor of Chisinau has banned the parade just two days before it was to take place.

GenderDoc-M, the group that is organizing the parade, says that the mayor has no power to ban the march under a new Moldovan law on public manifestations. According to GenderDoc-M, if the authorities have proof that there could be serious trouble at an event, then a court decision is needed to impose a ban. The mayor has no power to act unilaterally. Last year, the Moldova Supreme Court ruled that Chisinau city officials had violated the Moldovan constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights by banning a previous Gay Pride march.

GenderDoc-M is calling on city authorities to rescind the ban and for city police to provide adequate protection for Pride participants.

Moldova Begins Its First Public Gay Pride

Jim Burroway

May 9th, 2008

For the past seven years running, authorities in the former Soviet republic of Moldova’s capital city of Chisinau had banned public Gay Pride celebrations. But a new law on public gatherings appears to have cleared the way for the this year’s “Rainbow over the Dniester” celebration to go forward.

Barring any unforeseen roadblocks, organizers expect to hold this year’s Pride parade on May 11. The parade, organized by GenderDoc-M, will go from the National Library and end at Chisinau’s central square. The theme for the parade is “All Different — All Equal.”

Moldova’s Pride celebrations kicked off yesterday with the laying of flowers to the monument to the victims of repressions, and a symbolic marriage ceremony later that evening. Other events include a concert of Moldovan pop stars, art shows and plays, a commemoration of GenderDoc-M’s tenth anniversary, and a tour of Moldovan historical sites. Celebrations will conclude on May 11 with a “Miss Flawless Queen 2008″ contest.

Moldova became independent from the former Soviet Union in 1991.

Cayman Kissing Story Gets Significant Attention

Timothy Kincaid

May 7th, 2008

The Caymanian Compass is getting a great deal of attention from their reporting of the police response to Aaron Chandler kissing his partner.

Cayman Free Press Web Development Manager Bronwyn Robbins said statistics showed 662,991 hits Monday.

“However, our engineers note that this is a huge under–estimate of the amount of traffic due to server overload and eventual outage due to the inability to cope with so much traffic,” she said. “The engineer’s estimation of unrecorded traffic due to the server meltdown was well over 1 million hits, possibly two.”

Most of this traffic is driven by American bloggers that find the behavior of the authorities to be objectionable and offensive. Reports are placing the islands in a very negative light.

However, the tourism officials are in an difficult position. While potential visitors are wary of traveling to a tourism destination that may arrest them for kissing, Caymanians are supportive of this threatening response.

“The web traffic today is substantially greater than normal,” said Ms Robbins. “The [DoT apologises to gay kisser] story has received over 500 views already and it’s only 10.20am,” she said.

While the majority of letters to the editor were in support of the RCIP officer and against the DoT’s apology to Mr. Chandler, the blog and forums had more balanced debate.

This necessity of appealing to two vastly different audience may be what is driving the multiple and conflicting messages from the tourism board. On the one hand, those responsible for keeping money flowing in want to appear welcoming to potential guests, but they also have to appease those elements in their society who embrace hostility.

Which brings me to my question: While I know that Jamaica is a place I cannot visit, will I be protected in the Cayman Islands?

Cayman Islands Apology Called Into Question

Jim Burroway

May 7th, 2008

That apology issued by the Cayman Islands tourism director to a gay American tourist who was detained by police after kissing his partner at a dance club has been called into question by the island’s Minister of Tourism.

Minister Charles Clifford was asked about the incident in which 22-year-old Aaron Chandler was detained by the Royal Cayman Islands Police for kissing his partner several times on a dance floor. Clifford responded:

“All of us in this room and most people in Cayman would agree that what happened in that incident at Royal Palms was offensive to most people in Cayman,” Mr. Clifford told an audience of about 25 people at the Webster United Church Hall in Bodden Town.

This appears to contradict an apology made by the Department of Tourism director Pilar Bush, whose apology to Chandler read, “What happened to you was an isolated incident and is not representative of Cayman.” Whether it is representative of Cayman or not may be questionable, but it appears to be representative of the very person in charge of Cayman’s tourist industry.

The RCIP has an internal investigation into the incident underway, and is seeking independent witnesses to the events at the Royal Palms night club. But since so far it appears that no local laws were broken, it’s unclear what information these witnesses could add to the investigation. This leaves the impression that this investigation is aimed more at digging up dirt on Chandler and his partner rather than the inappropriate actions of a police officer who had no grounds to detain Chandler.

Hat tip: Stefano

Cayman Island Director of Tourism Apologizes

Jim Burroway

May 7th, 2008

The American tourist who was detained by Royal Cayman Islands Police for kissing his partner on a dancefloor received a sent a letter of apology from Director of Tourism Pilar Bush. Bush responded on Friday to a letter of complaint written by 23-year-old Massachusetts resident Aaron Chandler on Thursday, the day after the incident took place at the Royal Palms:

“On behalf of the entire Department of Tourism, I apologise for your upsetting experience and want to assure you that the Cayman Islands is a welcoming jurisdiction to all people,” Ms. Bush wrote to Mr. Chandler. “What happened to you was an isolated incident, and is not representative of Cayman. We know that thousands of gay and lesbian visitors travel to the Cayman Islands every year and enjoy their vacation.”

Chandler told a Cayman Islands newspaper that he appreciated the response:

“I should say that, yes, her prompt decision did ease the anger for me a bit,” Mr. Chandler said in an email written from back home in the United States.

“In addition, it’s just good business sense for Ms Bush to have apologised to me. The [Department] of Tourism surely doesn’t want to have someone leave the Cayman Islands not wanting to come back.”

Chandler also said that he hasn’t received any response from a complaint lodged against the RCIP.

“Day Of Silence” Events Staged In Russia

Jim Burroway

May 6th, 2008

From UK Gay News comes word of the first Day of Silence held last weekend in three cities across Russia. Day of Silence events were held on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Novokuznetsk and Yaroslavl. Two participants in St. Petersburg were assaulted following a rally and skinheads attacked participants in Novokuznetsk. Nevertheless, organizers counted the events a rousing success.

St. Petersburg officials had initially given permission for a public Day of Silence demonstration, but this permission was rescinded a few days before the event. In response, the organizers scaled back their plans and staged individual protests in St. Petersburg’s Chrenyshevskiy Park since individual demonstrations don’t require approval by authorities. For two hours, the participants stood silently with a banner that read, “I am silent to be heard.” Their mouths were taped shut as they handed out flyers to passersby.

According to one report, the Day of Silence participants were guarded by ten policemen during the demonstration. The rally in the park went off without incident, but two of the participants were attacked afterwards by three assailants as they made their way to a nearby café. Igor Petrov, one of the Day of Silence organizers, and Ignat Fialkovskiy, the press secretary of the International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Side by Side, suffered kicks and bruises requiring medical treatment. Formal complaints have been filed with the police.

In Novokuznetsk in central Russia, twenty volunteers responded to a “flash mob” appeal sent through social networks. Despite the bad weather, organizers were pleased with the response. However a group of skinheads attacked several participants, injuring one young man.

The organizer of the group from Yaroslavl, 160 miles northeast of Moscow reported that nine people took part in their “flash mob.” No problems were reported there.

Despite the problems encountered in Novokuznetsk and St. Petersburg, Russian Day of Silence organizers consider the actions a rousing success:

We were able to achieve the most important thing — the word about the problem of emotional harassment and violence, discrimination and intolerance based on sexual orientation and gender identity reached many people, while the attacks on the participants of the event in St. Petersburg and Novokuznetsk confirmed the relevance of the problem.

Hat tip: UK Gay News

Cayman Police Detain Gay Tourist For Kissing

Jim Burroway

May 5th, 2008

An American tourist from Amherst, Massachusetts was detained by the Royal Cayman Islands Police after kissing his boyfriend on the dancefloor of the Royal Palms last Wednesday.

Aaron Chandler, 23, was visiting the Caymans with his partner, along with his partner’s sister and brother-in-law last week. While dancing with his partner at the Royal Palms, Chandler kissed him. A man then approached the couple and told them to stop displaying affection in public. They kept dancing and kissed a few times more.

At about 11:00 pm, a woman approached the couple and asked Chandler to follow her. She took him to an off duty police officer, who then detained him and took him to the police station. Chandler was made to wait at the George Town police station to speak to an inspector who never showed. The original officer eventually came back and gave him a stern lecture. He tried to make Chandler promise not to kiss his partner in public again, and then released him.

Chandler was never officially placed under arrest, according to an RCIP spokesperson. As British territory, the Caymans were ordered to rescind their laws against homosexuality in 2000. A ruling is expected later this week to determine whether any local laws against public displays of affection between two people of the same sex were broken. Chandler has written a letter to the Ministry of Tourism and filed a complaint with the RCIP.

Methodists Reject Inclusive Theology

This article is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the other authors at Box Turtle Bulletin.

Timothy Kincaid

May 1st, 2008

Last night the delegates to the United Methodist Church’s General Convention voted to reject a proposal from their committee to be more inclusive of gay Christians. Instead they voted to accept a minority recommendation with harsher language.

The Rev. David McEntire, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Lakeland, said he was not happy with either alternative presented to delegates.

“It was a very painful decision. I had hoped we would reject the minority report so we could return to the present language. The minority report is a little harsher,” he said. “In the church in Lakeland, there are gay persons and families of gay persons. This statement is not going to change my actions. I’m still going to be a loving, inviting pastor.”

However, conservatives in the United States were strongly supported by Methodists from Africa and Asia to push through the more prohibitive wording.

Delegates from Africa spoke several times, strongly supporting the position against homosexuality.

One man from Africa said that “we love homosexuals, but we detest what they do.”

The Convention did, however, take one tiny step forward.

They also approved a new resolution opposing homophobia and heterosexism. In a separate resolution, the General Conference asked the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the church’s social advocacy agency, to develop educational resources and materials on the effects of homophobia and heterosexism, the discrimination or prejudice against lesbians or gay men by heterosexual people.

Yet, interestingly, a third of the delegates voted against opposing discrimination and homophobia.

I believe that the vote of the Methodist Convention illustrates a problem that exists and will continue to grow within international religious movements.

I think it likely that had the delegates all been from within the United States, there would have been significant change to the policy. While there may not have been a change in policy on marriages or civil unions, the declarations about immorality and the proud exclusions of gay persons would have disappeared.

But conservative elements within the American church ally with Africans and play upon cultural biases to force their views on their fellow American Methodists. And while they play on African homophobia, they do nothing to address the murder and violence against homosexual persons on the African continent. Rather than condemn brutality, they reject the message of Christ so as to entrench their political alliances and continue their assured success in the politics of their church.

We see this also in the Episcopal / Anglican debate. Conservative Episcopalians looked away when their allies in Nigeria advocated jailing those who even met to discuss discrimination against gay persons. They never objected when Anglican allies in Zimbabwe propped up strongman Robert Mugabe and his campaign of terror against homosexuals.

And it gives us a warning of what is likely to happen within the Methodist Church. Conservative Methodists are just as likely to place victory over the faith of their more liberal brothers as more important than upholding human rights and decency. Sadly, the battles within the churches have become less about the gospel of Christ and more about the gospel of coercive and restrictive power.

But I believe that American Methodists will, within the next decade, become both aware of and disgusted by the treatment of gay men and women in Africa. They will see the violence, hear the dehumanization, see the discrimination, and begin to empathize with their gay brothers and sisters. This will become more pronounced as younger people grow into positions of authority and as traditionalists retire and the churches as a whole become more liberal.

And they will begin to resent that their church’s policies of discrimination and condemnation are being dictated by foreign delegates who are operating from within a culture of bigotry.

However, the current growth of most Christian churches is from Africa and Asia. And with growth comes influence and power.

I think it is nearly inevitable that there will be scism and division in most American mainstream churches, especially those who are part of a larger international body. The minorities within those American churches that seek to hold to tradition and rejection of gay persons will align with African and Asian movements and those who believe in an inclusive theology will find fellowship with European affiliates.

Further, it is likely that there will be consolidation of the divided churches, with the liberal branches melding into a united protestant Christian church. Evidence of such a direction was visible even within this Methodist Convention by the vote for a full communion agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The ELCA already has five full communion relationships with The Episcopal Church, the Moravian Church in America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ.

I believe that within the next decade or so, the face of religion in America will be far different than it has been for the past few centuries. We live in interesting times.

The Votes:

• Approved, 517-416, keeping the statement that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.
• Rejected, 574-298, a measure that would have changed the church’s definition of marriage to include same-sex unions.
• Approved, 544-365, a resolution opposing homophobia and discrimination against lesbians or gays.

News Sources:
The Christian Post
The Ledger
The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Australia Introduces Rights for Gay Couples

Timothy Kincaid

April 29th, 2008

When the Labor Party came to power in Australia last year gay citizens expected them to live up to campaign promises made to enact recognition of same-sex couples. Until recently, they saw little progress.

The efforts of the Australian Capital Territory to enact civil unions were met by aggressive hostility by the federal government. The biggest objection was that the ACT proposed civil unions would allow a ceremony - something viewed as too similar to marriage.

Now, however, it appears that the Rudd government is willing to live up to its promise for limited rights, similar to those of de-facto couples and will effect about 100 areas of law. (Sydney Morning Herald)

The federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, will announce today that the necessary legislation will be introduced when Parliament resumes next month for the winter sittings.

The measures do not amount to gay marriage; they afford gay couples the same treatment as heterosexual de facto couples in areas such as tax, superannuation sharing and social security.

Although the article does not clarify the methods by which the couples would be determined, it will likely be by registered partnership in a method similar to that employed by Tazmania.

Norwegians Support Marriage

Timothy Kincaid

April 25th, 2008

According to Aftenposten, the citizens of Norway support the government’s plan to bring about marriage equality.

Left-wing voters of the Socialist Left (SV) and Red parties were particularly supportive, with over 90 percent saying they favored the new Act, which gives equal rights to gay and heterosexual married couples.

The Act gets solid majority backing from Labour and Liberal Party voters as well, just over 50 percent support from Conservative Party voters, and 50 percent of populist Progress Party voters say no.

Christian Democrat Party voters stand out with about 90 percent opposition to the new law proposal.

Moscow’s Banned Pride Day Becomes Pride Month

Jim Burroway

April 25th, 2008

Russian gay rights advocate Nikolai Alexeyev’s bid for a gay pride parade during the May Day holidays was rejected by Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Segei Tsoi, the mayor’s spokesman, warned that if they went ahead with the march, there “could be blood, which no one wants. He also accused Alexeyev of trying to “spoil” a traditional labor holiday, a charge which Alexeyev adamantly rejected:

“As if gays don’t support peace and don’t work,” said an incredulous Alexeyev. “Don’t we pay the taxes that support this government? I don’t understand this at all.”

In response, Alexeyev has announced that he will submit notifications for five marches per day for each day in May on different streets around Moscow’s city center. Anticipating that none of these marches will be permitted to take place, Alexeyev says it will demonstrate to the Council of Europe that “homosexuals are not allowed to freely express their opinions in Moscow — in any day in any form, in any street and in any time.” Russia is a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory to the European Convention of Human Rights, which obligates Russia to observe the rights to peaceful assembly and demonstrations. A complaint has been filed in the European Court in Strasbourg.

Mayor Luzhkov has branded gay pride parades as “satanic” and vowed that they would never be permitted in the capital.

Last year’s Moscow Pride gathering was broken up by violent thugs, Russian Orthodox clergy and police. None of the anti-gay assailants who instigated the violence were arrested. Instead, police hauled off Alexeyev, British gay rights advocate Peter Tatchell, Right Said Fred singer Richard Fairbrass, Italian Member of European Parliament Marco Cappato, German Member of Parliament Volker Beck, and 27 others.

Homosexuality was legalized in Russia in 1993, but discrimination against gays and lesbians remains widespread.

Bahrain’s Anti-Gay Witch Hunt

Jim Burroway

April 24th, 2008

We’ve reported on the anti-gay witch hunt that’s been taking place in Egypt under the cover of an anti-HIV witch hunt. Now we learn that there’s an anti-gay witch hunt going on in Bahrian, one of the U.S. administration’s allies in the “war on terror.” This witch hunt extends to school children:

School students could soon be spied on under a campaign to stamp out homosexuality, under demands made by MPs yesterday. Parliament also demanded that the Interior Ministry stop granting any residence permits to foreign homosexuals. Any already here should be deported as soon as they are detected, MPs said at parliament’s weekly session.

MPs also called for regular inspections to root out homosexuals at massage parlours, health clubs and hair salons. It also called for monitoring in schools and for pupils who veer towards homosexuality to be punished.

Colombian Couples Get More Rights

Timothy Kincaid

April 18th, 2008

365Gay.com is reporting that Colombia’s Supreme Court has added to the rights same-sex couples can receive.

The court ruled that same-sex partners must be given the same pension and health benefits as opposite-sex married partners receive.

This is in addition to the property rights granted last year.

Civil Union in Uruguay

Timothy Kincaid

April 18th, 2008

Yahoo news reports that “Uruguay holds Latin America’s first gay wedding“.

That, of course, is not true as the ceremony was a civil union rather than a wedding and as there are regions in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico in which civil unions have already been performed. Further, as the law has been in place since January 1, it is at least possible that other unpublicized civil unions have been performed.

Nevertheless, we wish the couple much happiness.

Judge Estrella Perez officiated the civil union between Adrian Figuera, 38, and actor and theater director Juan Carlos Moretti, 67, in a courtroom before a small group of friends and family, as witnessed by an AFP reporter.

Moretti later told AFP that after living together for 14 years, he and Figuera thought their marriage was “a matter of justice and a step forward for Uruguayan society.”

See also:

Uruguay To Offer Civil Unions
Uruguay Approves Civil Unions

The Pope’s Anti-Marriage Record

Timothy Kincaid

April 15th, 2008

In conjunction with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, anti-gay marriage activist Maggie Gallagher has compiled a listing of the Pope’s rants in opposition to any efforts to provide civil protections to same-sex families.

A new analysis entitled “Pope Benedict XVI on Marriage: A Compendium” [pdf] and published by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy on the eve of Benedict’s historic U.S. visit, finds that in less than three years of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has spoken publicly about marriage on 111 occasions, connecting marriage to such overarching themes as human rights, world peace, and the conversation between faith and reason.

Sadly, rather than revealing an obsession that places opposition to gay equality as more important than scandals within the church, Gallagher sees this as validation of her quest for civil discrimination.

The short pontificate of Benedict XVI is thus already a standing rebuke to those voices of our time who attempt to make us embarrassed about our concern for, and battles over, marriage, family and sexual issues – to those who see in the contemporary marriage debate merely a distraction from more important issues.

But Gallagher is a bright woman. And even she can recognize that Benedict is a bit extreme.

Marriage essential to world peace? This may strike American ears as an oddity.

Ummm, yeah. Ya think?

More Homophobia Spewing out of Jamaica

Timothy Kincaid

April 14th, 2008

It is not surprising that there is more rhetoric coming out of Jamiaca’s religious community about the evils of homosexuality. Here’s a little sample from Donald Rubie with something called Green Light Ministry.

Rubie does not like the notion of a boycott

All economic boycotts are of the devil, regardless of the apparent nobility behind it. People must submit to truth not to money; for you cannot serve God and mammon (riches).

No economic boycott shall stand against Jamaica; for the Lord does not require any nation to support homosexuality. The Lord shall judge Jamaica for her wickedness; but judgement shall turn into blessing as Jamaica submits to the truth.

But Rubie does not stop at objecting to economic sanctions.

It’s only in pride that people practice immoral lifestyles; essentially saying we will do what we want. This is why the Lord hates the proud; so He abases them (cuts them down).

The homosexual movement in Toronto centres around “pride week”, where homosexuals parade half-naked (and fully naked) along Church Street; bidding the world to join them. This parade is akin to the carnival festivals in the Caribbean and Caribana in Toronto. It’s a feast of the flesh. What people are saying at these “pride parades” is that they are proud to be an abomination to the Lord (regardless if they are frolicking in the whoredoms of carnival or abominations of gay pride). However, the time has come for the Sovereign Lord to judge the wickedness of the people. Those who want a way out of homosexuality can find a way in Christ Jesus; however those who operate by pride will be cut down in the day that the Lord judges Toronto.

Should there be any surprise when others are inspired by his words to go “cut down” the proud wicked homosexuals? They are, after all, “hated by the Lord”.

The reason that Jamaica is considered one of the most homophobic places on the planet is because of the attitudes illustrated by Rubie. As the rest of the civilized world objects to violence and murder, Jamaica’s voices of religion seek to defend and justify their own society’s inhumanity and to instead blame the victims.

Jamaica Gleaner Continues Its Hate Campaign

Timothy Kincaid

April 12th, 2008

The Jamaica Gleaner published another letter to the editor today. And, not surprisingly, it offered the obligatory “don’t beat them” statements while seeking to justify just such action.

This thing about gays and the rights they have and the rights they want is downright ungodly. If they want to be that way, it is their business; why make it everyone else’s? Has anyone thought about the rights of the people who do not want their children exposed to that kind of nastiness?

I wonder if the cruise ships that stop in Jamaica know that they are placing their gay passengers - or those who might be mistaken for gay - in danger.

Jamaica Gleaner Calls for “Dealing” with Homosexuality

Timothy Kincaid

April 10th, 2008

In an article by contributor Thomas Phinemann, the Jamaica Gleaner takes on the issue of homosexuality. Initially it appears as though it is a call for reason, but it quickly devolves into blaming gay Jamaicans for the violence enacted against them:

How can we coexist in peace? We need to start talking to each other. Tolerating homosexuals does not mean condoning or accepting homosexuality. It means that heterosexuals need to accept that there are homosexuals in this world and as human beings they have a right to be in the universe. Homosexuals need to understand that heterosexuals find the lifestyle of homosexuals objectionable, and homosexuals should not flaunt their lifestyle in public and provoke heterosexuals.

After talking about “battle lines” and “no compromise, no middle ground” for those who believe the Bible, Phinemann expresses his views which are, sadly, the predominant views on the island:

In my view, changing the law to accommodate ‘buggery’ is the precursor to changing the law to accommodate bestiality and incest. Men, we agree to disagree on the issue of homosexuality. Let us be respectful of each other as we deal with this issue.

Phinemann and the Gleaner no doubt pride themselves that they are calling for peace. He does end his article with “Let there be no hunting and no flaunting.”

But their peace speaks only to their own desires - the justification of violence and the villification of those they dislike. Under the “peace” of the Gleaner and Phinemann, gay men and women - or those who “flaunt” their existence - continue to be beaten and murdered. And what kind of “dealing” can there be for those who must remain invisible or suffer the consequence of “provoking” heterosexuals?

But now the Gleaner and others in positions of influence can wash their hands and claim that they tried.