Father Palacious issues apology for women's dress comments

Anglican Archdeacon James Palacious.

As of Friday, December 29, 2017

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ANGLICAN Archdeacon James Palacious issued an apology on Friday for his recent statements about the impact of how women dress, admitting his words "could very well be seen as victim blaming".

In a Facebook post about Junkanoo tips last week, the Royal Bahamas Police Force advised that “if you appropriately dress, it takes away the chance of being groped or touched in an inappropriate manner.”

The advisory proved controversial.

In comments published Friday, Father Palacious defended the police force's decision to exhort people how to dress to ward off unwanted attention but also emphasised that women have a right to dress how they please without being subjected to such attention or groping.

Following criticism of his comments, Father Palacious released a statement to The Tribune on Friday.

The statement read: "I write this statement further to my two interviews with the Guardian and the Tribune on Thursday past.

“I make reference specifically to the widely circulated report of my comments on the Facebook page of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in which it talked about the way some females dress, and urging them to dress 'appropriately.'

“While I am prepared to stand by what I did say in the interviews and what was reported, there are some things that I should have said that would have brought more balance to my statement and position.

“Both articles report me as emphasising that a woman has a right to dress the way she sees fit. I went on to say that however scantily a woman is dressed, men ought to respect them and not believe that they have the freedom to grope them. This is wrong and it is a crime.

“In retrospect, my statements should have emphasised more the need for men to restrain themselves and not grope females. Such behavior is criminal and the police’s warning should have emphasised that rather than just refer to the way women are dressed. Our police do an excellent job of constantly emphasising zero tolerance policies as it pertains to things like drugs, burglary and murder, the same sort of passionate energy should be used to emphasise the pursuit of justice for crimes against women. As a society, the conversation should move from a focus on women’s clothing to the way we treat and respect women and each other at large.

“Because this emphasis was missing from my original discourse, there is good reason for me to be accused of blaming the victim, and for that - the idea that the victim is anyway responsible - I apologise.

“I have been vocal about my support of gender equality. Furthermore, both newspapers reported my unequivocal stand of support for legislation to criminalise marital rape. This is a position I held from 2009 and is more representative of the high esteem in which I hold womanhood and the rights of woman over their bodies whether they are married or not.

“We must teach men proper respect and appreciation for women.

“Once again, I apologise for statements that could very well be seen as victim blaming."

More like this story

TheMadHatter 6 years, 10 months ago

Thank you Father. It takes a real man to apologize when appropriate - just like the old Purdue chicken commercial "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken."

I'm sure the comments on the previous article were a bit "unusual" to behold for someone of your generation. That (if true) would certainly be understandable. But these days, in these modern times, sluts have rights too. They also wear tights, these sluts with rights. So don't pick fights with sluts with rights who party in the nights, cause their freedoms have soared to new heights.

I have created a website to support their cause, and you (or anyone) can make donations with Visa, Mastercard, or Paypal.

www.SlutsSandAndSea.org

Thank you.

sengli02 6 years, 10 months ago

You will be judge for all unkind words spoken out of your mouth. Be careful.

sengli02 6 years, 10 months ago

There you go pimping people for money.

TheMadHatter 6 years, 10 months ago

SengLi02 - It was a joke buddy. I was one of the people arguing against his remarks on the prior article. All the "slut" stuff above is just said as a joke - hence the rhyming like Dr. Seuss stuff - LOL. The first sentence, however, is very serious. I do thank the Father for his clarification, and I agree with him that both men and women should have been warned. I also sincerely applaud him for the follow-up. It takes a real man, an honest man to stand corrected or at least acknowledge an oversight. I now have great respect for this man of the cloth. I pray he has a great and prosperous new year. Hopefully he can support and come to convince other churches to support the need for good sex education in our schools to prevent disease and early pregnancy which ruins the lives of our young women and their offspring who themselves are thus born with a child as a parent.

I have nothing against the scantily clad ladies - they are great - I just wish them to also be safe in their endeavors.

God help this nation - we surely need it.

sengli02 6 years, 10 months ago

Sorry if I misunderstood. I am just on edge regarding this topic.

TalRussell 6 years, 10 months ago

Comrade Archdeacon James Palacious careful cause ya diggin. What are we to now makes them sermons of yours which could very well be seen as victim blaming from the pulpit, we sure wouldn't want the Anglicans to have to fire Archdeacon James Palacious, likes he has called for the ministers departure from cabinet over her own statements.

OrlandoBethel 6 years, 10 months ago

It is a sad day in the Bahamas when a supposed Christian leader is afraid to tell women that they should dress in modest attire...the Archdeacon James Palacious may have changed his pliable and flimsy mind but GOD's word has not changed (I Timothy 2:9-10 KJV).

Orlando Bethel

John 6 years, 10 months ago

In the main time TOTO a well known toilet manufacturer has developed a $6,000 toilet for its 100th anniversary. Not only does the toilet play music and is self sanitizing but , according to the commer, ‘ It can clean your front or your rear ‘. What next?

ashley14 6 years, 10 months ago

lol

banker 6 years, 10 months ago

I think that I saw them for sale on www.SlutsSandAndSea.org

Sluts need mechanized hygiene.

On the same website there is also pink Delicious-Palacious shirts like in the picture for role-playing while making out with the Sluts. You wear the shirt in delicto flagrante all the while exhorting da slut not to be a jungliss.

TalRussell 6 years, 10 months ago

Comrade Archdeacon James Palacious can bring a new prospective to his Sunday mornings sermons, by inviting Miss J., to share his pulpit. Miss J., is a regular caller to local talk radio shows who has confessed to being a former Lesbian Matrix.
Amen!

sheeprunner12 6 years, 10 months ago

Let us not forget that this "esteemed churchman" cheated on his beautiful wife with the housemaid ........ Like David and Bathsheba ....... I suppose he wanted to get nearer to God's own heart ........... It is hard to listen to such a BIG hypocrite about women's issues.

bogart 6 years, 10 months ago

Profiling me as a prostitute likely means you are probably one of the few junkanoo spectators dressed in winter clothes with scarfs and ear muffs sitting in some top corner looking. The way I dress enables me to dance, move, shake enjoy and participate in my culture to that infectous beat, kalik,kakik, kalik, hear the drum, the horn....everybody dancing. The Police (state, religeous) or anyone else should not be making any statements that attempt or influence or alter the expression on how junkanoos should now dress unless the law is broken and influence dancing enjoyment an express myself to my junkanoo..an shake...an wine. dey trying to rob us but not dis time, we ain gon get swing. P.s..when we dress 'scantilly' we know it is not we who gon need protecting if we get groped. So be on the scene officer to save the groper.

DEDDIE 6 years, 10 months ago

On the street we would have said "the Bishop chicken out." All I know is that, I don't do a double take when a women is wearing a big dress. The women know why they dress in the manner that they do. Ask the prostitute and she would tell you the reason also.

banker 6 years, 10 months ago

If you want to ask a prostitute anything, or even requisition the services of one, and sometimes for free, pay attention and I will let you in on a secret on how to do it. Wait till after 10:30 PM and walk the sidewalks of Paradise Island Drive from Atlantis to the Cloisters and back. Wear "street" clothes - chinos and a shirt with a collar. No shorts, and don't wear your work clothes if you work in the hospitality industry. The jungliss and front-sellers slowly drive their beat-up cars up and down PI Drive, and when they spot you, they drive up and ask if you want to party.

I lived in a condo near the end of PI Drive (until very recently) and I would go out at night for a late night stroll, and would be propositioned nightly until they all recognised me. They would scope me out and figure that I wasn't Bahamian because I was walking PI drive and wasn't in a uniform. And since I was forced to speak the Queen's English at home when I was being raised in Nassau, I spoke like the man on the six o'clock news. I would ask if they were professionals, and they said yes. I would say that I would never pay for sex, and they said that they would accept "udder tings". Once a team of two of them said that they just wanted a night of fun and lots of drinks and tings in a fancy house. Actually I felt sorry for them. But they are still there, paying the toll at the bridge like it was a numbers house ticket, hoping to hit the jackpot.

John 6 years, 10 months ago

And so Adam and his wife heard God walking in the Garden and so they hid themselves. And so God called out to them and asked ‘Where art thou?’ And the man responded and said ‘I heard you in the garden and so I hid because I was naked.’ And God asked, ‘How do you know you was naked?’ And the first Adam responded,’This woman you gave me, she did’est ibid me to partake of the forbidden fruit and I did’est partake of it.’ And so the Bible goes on to say ‘As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end. Adam blamed Eve for the first sin and today even as we speak women are being blamed for mans sin’

bahamama 6 years, 10 months ago

Wow! I am amazed that any religious person, never mind a higher up in the church, actually talking with sense. I just finished watching Harrison Thompson’s video on this topic and he made an excellent analogy about him wearing his chain. Just because wearing a chain may make you a target of robbery, doesn’t make it any less of a crime when someone actually snatches it. Do you also say of a robbery victim: “Well, they shouldn’t have been wearing a chain if they didn’t want to get robbed?”

I’ve heard the expression that it don’t matter if someone walking down Bay St. butt naked, that doesn’t give anyone the green light to touch them.

Also, how poorly do y’all think of men that they can’t contol themselves when they see a woman in a short skirt?

stillwaters 6 years, 10 months ago

Men can control themselves, it's just that the message this type of dressing sends out to people, is not the intended message. The little fools just want everyone to see and be in awe of their wonderful bodies, not grope them..........(.sigh aloud)

ashley14 6 years, 10 months ago

Someone has been burned by a women. Not all women at not to be disrespected, just as men. If you find the real thing hold on tight for men and women with the character that we all desire are hard to find. Some even pretend to be, but watch close one's true self will shine through.

stillwaters 6 years, 10 months ago

See????

stillwaters 6 years, 10 months ago

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2018…

Sickened 6 years, 10 months ago

Nice! She definitely looking for offers. Sex, money, a role in a movie, front cover of a magazine.

bahamama 6 years, 10 months ago

@stillwaters - I see the photo. Does that mean that someone has a right to touch her? I understand that some people are more conservative that others. It’s merely a matter of personal taste.

stillwaters 6 years, 10 months ago

No, not saying that. All must understand that the message taken is not the intended message.

hrysippus 6 years, 10 months ago

That fine apology given by Father Palacious, ................. ..... Was framed in a way that really was most gracious,. .... ...... Those Junkanoo goers who are scantily dressed, . . .... Revealing all the assets with which they were blessed,,,,, .... ... .... May Prove a temptation that's hard to resist, .......... ......... To some of dem adolescents suffering testosterone's gift. .......... .... . Visual stimulation and hormones running high, ...... .... ... Can cause a situation to make a woman cry, ......... ......... . A modest way of dressing is better in a crowd, ..... ...... .. So everyone behaves in way to make us proud.

bahamama 6 years, 10 months ago

You all are conveniently forgetting that the way a woman dresses does not protect her from perverts and the morally bankrupt. I don’t know how else to say it.

I was on a school bus with my fellow class mates in high school. All of us girls were wearing our school uniforms and one of the boys in the class took it upon himself to touch our behinds. All of our skirts were down to our knees or longer. Are frumpy school uniforms now to be considered “scantily clad” because some idiot adolescent boy felt compelled to feel us up on the bus?

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