Activist says Pinder comments inappropriate

As of Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Erin Greene

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

LOCAL LGBT activist Erin Green criticised Deputy Registrar Ron Pinder yesterday for language he used when stressing earlier this week that he is heterosexual, saying someone who uses such language should not be a representative of the government.

Uproar erupted on social media recently after photos of a wedding between Alfred and Rickia Pratt were posted online, with many mistaking the couple as lesbians. Mr Pinder officiated at the ceremony.

Mr Pinder called a press conference Monday to refute the erroneous assertions, and also insisted that he is “not a sissy” or “a punk,” but is instead “a man.” He said some people had also speculated that he was a homosexual.

“I think his choice of words, his decision to speak to the social controversy was a poor decision,” Ms Greene said yesterday. “It was unnecessary. The statement itself was embarrassing and I can’t imagine it was a representation of the government so it must’ve been a personal statement. The party that allows him to represent it should be embarrassed.”

Ms Greene stopped short of calling for Mr Pinder to apologise and denounce his comments.

“At this point in time I don’t think any right thinking citizen agrees with his statement or thinks it was appropriate,” she said. “I don’t think anything further is warranted. They don’t think a person who speaks like this and engages their professional duty should be given another opportunity to be a representative of the government. No matter what your position is on same sex marriage, none of us expect our state representatives to speak in such a matter.”

Ms Greene also addressed the weekend uproar over the pictures of the married couple.

“This situation, the response, should show us that what we consider to be LGBT issues are larger than just that which affects the LGBT community,” she said.

“The man...doesn’t look like the typical male. That doesn’t mean he isn’t male. The inappropriate response to him indicates people are still confused about gender, sexuality and some of the issues raised surrounding the (June gender equality) referendum.

“At the same time I saw some healthy response which was, ‘look, just because he doesn’t look like a typical man doesn’t mean he isn’t a man and it’s none of your business; it’s between him and his wife.’ It was good to see the support his family gave and other service providers. They supported the family’s right to privacy and tried to build a wall around a family which means that we are progressing. Small, sustainable leaps are much bigger than unsustainable, large leaps.”

Mr Pinder represented the Marathon constituency from 2002-2007 as a member of the Progressive Liberal Party.

milesair 7 years, 6 months ago

Heaven forbid anyone should think of Mr Pinder as anything but straight. There is an irrational fear of homosexuality in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean that has its roots in religion. Religion and the propaganda inspired "religious ministers" caused the no vote with the amendment election recently that continues to keep woman as second class citizens in the Bahamas. I guess if you tell lies in the name of God that it is perfectly all right. I wouldn't expect homosexuals in the Bahamas to have equal rights anytime soon even though it doesn't say anything in the Bible about denying people their rights because of their sexual orientation. That is a human invention like bigotry and discrimination which obviously God didn't invent. Perhaps, sometime in the future all women and men will have equal rights. I won't hold my breath as Christianity has been distorted to such an extent that it will take a long time before equal rights will be made the law of the land. Christianity has been reinvented by the current crop of so called Christians and has little to do with the Bible or God. They have reinvented their religion to suit themselves not God!

birdiestrachan 7 years, 6 months ago

Ms. Green move past it people say things about other people all the time. It is Mr: Pinder's view. you have a rght to your life style, many people disagree with it. that is their God given right to disagree . Respectfully disagree.

ohdrap4 7 years, 6 months ago

Same applies to Mr. Pinder.

And to you, Birdie. You have a right to your lifestyle.

And, to think of it, politicians, they have a right to their lifestyle too.

DreamerX 7 years, 6 months ago

Public office is not a God Given right to make a private opinion known. Are you even a functioning adult, to even assert such an inane concept?

TorontoGal 7 years, 6 months ago

I so agree with you MILESAIR! Religion in the Bahamas especially, as I see it, has been reinvented to suit themselves and the preachers who still believe in fire & brinestone! We have not made our country join the western world in the 21st century. This is how people are controlled especially women who have not had the opportunity to control their own life.

Hosexuality has been around since the time of the Bible and it's not going anywhere. By the same token those of us who defend homosexuality, although are not necessarily of that persuasion. We are people who care about each other, our family and our friends and don't understand the need to bash anyone who happens to be different. Many Bahamians cry foul if there slightest hint of racist (and racism goes beyond white against black) why is ones sexuality anyone elses concern!

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 6 months ago

Pinder's statement was almost nonsensical, but the truth is homosexual behaviour is scorned all over the world, even in the most liberal countries who rightly legislate fair treatment of individuals.

This phenomena is not isolated to the Bahamas or developing nations for that matter.

Until MSNBC/CNN no longer have to report on the mistreatment of some bullied teen or Rachel Maddow has no reason to cry foul for the way a soldier was treated in the military because of sexual orientation, until then it looks like the 21st century escaped the entire world.

sealice 7 years, 6 months ago

All Mr. Pinder's words showed was that he really is a punk and a sissy because he is a Homophobe......

bandit 7 years, 6 months ago

If someone has to declared what Mr. Pinder did then you have to question what he really is. If you are what you say you are and are confident in you sexuality then you should not have to defend it to anymore. It makes you more of a suspect. Just saying

banker 7 years, 5 months ago

I have to say that it takes true courage for Erin Greene to advocate for the gays when nobody else will do it for them. Fweddie won't. He is an odious hypocrite and coward.

Ms. Greene has put her personal safety at risk by her advocacy, and I applaud her for it.

It's about damn time that we collectively gain enlightenment as a nation and realise that homosexuality is not a lifestyle choice, and religion is not a panacea, and Haitians are valuable people and human capital on par with anybody and everybody, and that sweethearting is not okay, and that single parenting is really really bad, and corruption should be punished by jail and even death to those parliamentarians for their crimes against the Bahamas, and that all of the Swindlings should have their money taken away and put into the treasury and the honours taken away. There are so many things wrong with the Bahamas, and Ms. Greene is not one of them, but our own birdie is, and birdie and her ilk are a mental cancer on this nation, rife with ignorance and a slave mentality. Spewing hate against people is not an opinion and not a right.

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