The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas is not ready for state-recognition of same-sex marriage, former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette told The Tribune yesterday.

Mr Symonette, also a former minister of foreign affairs and attorney general, was contacted by The Tribune concerning his thoughts on last Friday’s landmark US Supreme Court decision to legalise same-sex marriage nationwide and continuing public debate on whether it will have an impact on the movement here in The Bahamas.

“I think the decision will certainly heighten the awareness concerning same-sex marriage, but the decision itself has no affect on our laws,” he said.

He stressed that “the issue for The Bahamas to determine is whether we are ready for the recognition of same-same marriage.”

On Friday, the US Supreme Court delivered a historic victory for gay rights, ruling five to four that the American Constitution requires that same-sex couples be allowed to marry no matter where they live and that states may no longer reserve the right only for heterosexual couples.

Commenting on the ruling last week, US President Barack Obama said in a White House statement that the court ruling has “made our union a little more perfect”.

When asked yesterday if he thought The Bahamas was prepared for a similar occurrence, Mr Symonette said: “I don’t think The Bahamas is ready for it and I think that’s such a pity.”

“You’ve just seen the decision handed down in the United States. Ireland just the other day held a referendum for its people on the issue which they ultimately supported. I think we as a nation can’t be progressive in certain areas and allow certain things and then be regressive in other areas.”

“I personally don’t agree with it, but at the same time I would have no objection to it because we love who we love,” he added.

Rev Dr Ranford Patterson, president of the Bahamas Christian Council, was also contacted yesterday for a statement on the matter.

While he expects to publicly speak on the issue as early as today, he said: “I can’t do it without meeting with my people first.”

Retired Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez told The Tribune on Sunday that the Bahamas will “inevitably” face “immense pressure” to let gays and lesbians marry in this country.

“I expected the ruling which came down from the US Supreme Court,” Archbishop Gomez said when contacted. “It’s happening all across the western world and promulgated by governments. It’s all a part of a new man-made doctrine, an attempt to extend democracy principles to human life.”

“I don’t think there will be immediate implications for the Bahamas, but it’s inevitable now and only a matter of time before pressure will be brought to bear on our government by the United States.”

As a result of Friday’s decision, the US joins the following 21 countries that have same-sex marriage legally recognized nationwide: The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Argentina, Iceland, Portugal, Denmark, Brazil, England and Wales, France, New Zealand, Uruguay, Luxembourg, Scotland, Finland (signed 2015, effective 2017), and Ireland.