The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Christian Council yesterday trashed Carnival’s Road Fever event as revellers gear up for this year’s weekend of festivities.

Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander said “reported” displays of lecherous conduct represents a moral stain on the country. He fears activities involving people who wear “little clothing” will lead to sexual violence or other violent confrontations because young men “may not be able to handle seeing their female friend in sexual contact with other men on the streets”.

Bishop Fernander’s statement drew rebuke from many across social media yesterday. 

Now in its fifth year, Bahamas Carnival’s popular Road Fever parade will take place on Saturday.

“Before the first staging of what was then ‘Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival’ several years ago, the Bahamas Christian Council expressed serious concern about the introduction of this type of event into our country and strongly warned of the potential harm that we could be exposing our young people especially our young women to,” Bishop Fernander wrote in a statement yesterday.

“Since its inception, Bahamas Carnival continues to challenge the moral, ethical, cultural traditions and practices of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas most especially the principles enshrined within our constitution which promotes the foundation of our nation as a country of ‘Christian values,’ the spirit of ‘industry’ and a commitment to the ‘rule of law.’

“The band owner’s association now organises and stages their ‘Road Fever’ event comprised with individuals wearing very little clothing, consuming alcohol from various mobile open bars and performing sexual acts on one another throughout the streets of New Providence.

“The reports are some of these Road Fever participants who make up various groups, openly perform vulgar and sexual acts while becoming intoxicated during their parade route throughout our streets and at times in front of young children and the elderly.

“We believe that Bahamas Carnival most especially road fever is a direct contradiction and an affront to our national values, Christian principles and social decency and order.

“We strongly condemn this open display of sexuality, nudity, open consumption of alcohol and indecency associated with this event. We also further state our deep concern for the safety of our young people, especially our young women during these Carnival events.”

The bishop’s statement continued: “With a mixture of men and women flaunting near naked bodies, engaging in sexual contact with event participants and the open flow of alcohol, we stand with others who believe this event has the potential to lead to sexual violence, rape and other violent confrontation most especially between our young men who may not be able to handle seeing their female friend in sexual contact with other men on the streets.

“Simply put, we believe that Bahamas Carnival Road Fever is a vulgar, sexually charged event which many believe is a serious ticking time bomb waiting to explode into a dangerous series of circumstances. Especially, as we as a nation seek to develop wholesome initiatives to correct so many of the social ills in our society.

“We call on the all social stakeholders to take a serious look at the staging of Bahamas Carnival especially Road Fever to determine if this kind of event is what we want to allow on the streets of our country and to also determine if the staging of Road Fever is in line with our laws regarding public nudity. We must also as a nation determine if this kind of event is beneficial to the health and well-being of our young people and to our national and cultural identity.”

People disparaged the Christian Council for its statement on its Facebook page.

“Dear BCC, no one cares what you think,” one person wrote. 

“I need this same energy for the convicted child sex offender who now has a new church,” another person wrote. “Thanking you in advance. Side note if parents know of this so-called vulgarity, it’s on them to not have their children see this.” 

“Not everyone in the Bahamas is a Christian,” wrote someone else. “Also, Junkanoo gets violent every year - women are constantly sexually harassed there with sweaters on. When you guys decide to start addressing and actually helping with real issues, instead of always bashing people for having fun and dealing with life in their own way, then you’ll start making sense. This makes absolutely no sense, and it’s organisations behaving like you are, in this post, that have kept this country down for decades. Please get a real message that actually helps people because this joke is old, and stale.”

Carnival this year is sponsored by BTC, Commonwealth Brewery Limited, the Grand Hyatt, Baha Mar, Superclubs Breezes and Bahamasair. It was previously heavily subsidised by the government and was the brainchild of former Prime Minister Perry Christie, who modelled it after similar events in the Caribbean. The first Bahamas Carnival event was launched in 2015.