By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
A LOCAL LGBTQI group is hoping The Bahamas will follow the lead of Pope Francis in endorsing same sex civil unions.
Pope Francis publicly voiced his support for these unions in “Francesco”, a recently released documentary.
“What we have to create is a civil union law,” Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic church, said of same-sex couples. “That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”
Alexus D’Marco, founder of the Bahamas Organisation of LGBTI Affairs, described the Pope’s comments as “progressive”, adding LGBTI people were not looking for special rights.
“I do think it’s very progressive of the Pope to make such a statement,” Ms D’Marco told The Tribune. “In our country and in our climate the issue is the word marriage because it comes from a biblical text.
“But the Pope used the phrase ‘civil unions’. Everybody has a right to family. That’s a civil liberty. That’s a civil right. Everybody has a right to marriage. Everybody has a right to protect their assets. Marriage is a way of protecting one’s assets.
“For example, the church can’t give you a divorce, courts have to give you a divorce so that is something that has to go through the courts. I think his endorsement of it is using the correct wording.”
She continued: “LGBTI people aren’t looking for any special rights. These rights should already be afforded to them as citizens in their own country. There are no special rights.
“What is happening is there is discrimination of their rights. This group of people can do this and this group of people can’t. So, obviously we see there is definitely an imbalance on the scale as far as who gets to do what in a country.”
Ms D’Marco said she is optimistic The Bahamas will move in the right direction.
“I am optimistic that we will be moving in the correct direction as it relates to civil unions and rights for LGBTI people in the country.
“I think again it takes sensitisation and education. Again, there are no special rights but I do think that there are some civil liberties that have been denied to this group of Bahamians and, yes, I am looking forward to that progression.”
“Francesco” debuted last week at the Rome Film Festival. The film followed the Pope as he visited countries around the world before COVID-19 and discussed the issues close to his heart: climate change, refugees and social inequality.
On Monday, Bahamas Faith Ministries (BFM) Senior Pastor Dave Burrows told The Nassau Guardian there is no need for “special rights to be afforded” to same-sex couples.
The pastor was quoted as saying: “In a country that is a representative democracy, I would have to leave it up to those individuals and parties involved to determine what is best for them, as they fall in an entirely different category.
“I believe all humans have a right to be loved and treated with respect, but at the same time, I do not think we can equate the two relationships.
“To my understanding, existing laws allow for persons to have legal rights and privileges as citizens that are sufficient to peacefully exist regardless of their background, persuasion or orientation and there is no need for new or special rights to be afforded.”
Comments
UN 4 years ago
A group of Bahamians loudly proclaimed they felt this was wrong. That’s a head-scratcher because literally every female in the country is stalking a woman (8 long years). Why would heterosexual females talk about a woman’s sexual history? Are men known to single out a man and talk about his sexual history? Are men known to confirm they’re pedophiles by picturing a grown man as a boy? Warped.
We can get away with feeling we’re all in a relationship with you but sane people can’t protect themselves?
joeblow 4 years ago
We have to decide what kind of society we want. "Normal" can become a new low that we allow ourselves to become accustomed to. It is clear that men and women are different physically, psychologically and physiologically. These differences are complementary in child rearing in order to perpetuate civil society.
When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted there was no consideration of the right to families being extended to same sex couples, since that thought was anathema at the time. The LGBT community has hijacked "civil rights" to advance an ideology that is anti nuclear family and anti society all in their pursuit of "equality". They have changed the definition of marriage, family and gender.
People should never be judged on that over which they have no control and that which cannot change, like race, but sexual expression is a CHOICE. This fallacious LGBT ideology is not rooted in the immutable characteristics of race or sex, but feelings and fluidity that oppose basic biology and common sense. It is sick, it is pervasive, it is destructive to young minds and it has to stop!
SP 4 years ago
Everything is about money. Pope Francis, finally found a way to reverse dwindling pews and coffers! The popes' decision to supersede the laws of GOD will entice the huge crowd of alphabet people to flock to the catholic church for acceptance and "civil unions"!
Next, the Anglicans, Baptist, etc, will have to follow suit when they realize a dramatic fall in membership and profits, as all the alphabet people quickly move to the Catholics.
Takis6011 3 years, 4 months ago
Rich(alphabet) people are a small minority in Carribean,Central America(Guatemala,Honduras,Guyana,Souriname etc),Sub-saharan Africa,Balkans,Asia,East Europe.The majority of people in the biggest part of world(and Bahamas) are very poor.The fastest growing religion in Sub-saharan Africa,Carribean,Central America etc is PENTECOSTALISM.All devout people will move to Pentecostalism.Look the religion map of Africa here https://pt.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheir…
ScubaSteve 4 years ago
Being gay or lesbian is NOT a choice. I didn't "choose" to be heterosexual, it's just how my brain is wired. The same applies to someone that is gay. They didn't choose to be homosexual just like I didn't "choose" to be heterosexual. It is simply how your brain is wired. For example, there is NO way on Earth I could wake up tomorrow and "choose" to be gay. And the exact same would apply for a gay person. There is NO way on Earth they will wake up tomorrow and all the sudden "choose" to be heterosexual. It is simply NOT possible. God made me the way I am and God made them the way they are too. God loves all his children!!
joeblow 4 years ago
... give this some thought and you will realize that thoughts always precede feelings and actions. Acting on a feeling helps to cement that perspective. There is always a point when a person can say no. That is why there are not more dead bosses in the world!! People have thoughts and feelings everyday that they make a decision not to act on! The more a person does something, the more natural it becomes. Celibacy is a choice, as is monogamy and every other form of sexual expression, theft, rape murder etc! Think about it!
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