The Tribune

BAHAMAS Christian Council President Bishop Delton Fernander, who has become expert at being unwitting, has unwittingly done the country a blessed favour.

His undemocratic and anti-free speech attempt to block a forum hosted by Pride Bahamas at the University of The Bahamas scheduled among a host of activities between October 4 and 10, has backfired.

Proponents of liberal democracy and academic freedom, who seek to protect constitutional principles such as freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas, should send Bishop Fernander and his clerical cohorts a thank you note, perhaps emblazoned with the dazzling colours of the rainbow.

The homophobic pastors provided students and the country an object lesson in intolerance and the necessary freedom of a university to offer open discussion on a broad range of ideas, a number of which some or many may disagree.

The forum and university lecturers should use the protest as a case study in both democracy and homophobia in their sociology and other courses.

This journal reported on Monday, “Bishop Fernander said he accepts that universities foster debates, but does not expect UB ‘to be used as a propaganda tool for special interests’.”

Congratulations, bishop, for accepting that universities foster debates. Then why are you pressuring UB as to what debates should be allowed? Alas, Bishop Fernander giveth and taketh away what is acceptable for debate depending on his supposed divine writ.

Like the ayatollahs and religious police in Iran, Saudi Arabia and other more fundamentalist countries, Fernander and his bigotry squad seek to dictate to UB, which enjoys academic and other freedoms, who meets their criteria for freedom of expression at the University.

There is an age-old political trick of seeking to diminish others as “special interests”. Is an organisation addressing domestic violence and seeking to have marital rape criminalised a special interest? What about a group of pastors protesting a gay and lesbian forum at a university?

The bishop pronounced: “The interests of the country, the interests of the people, the interests of the people of God who stand up for righteousness, should be what is used for taxpayer dollars to push forward in our country. We are the people sending our children to these classrooms.”

The arrogance and ignorance are breathtaking. So too, the nakedly aggressive attempt to discriminate against those hosting the forum.

Prejudice is a worrisome matter. But actively encouraging the university to discriminate is undemocratic and unconstitutional. The pastors are obviously seeking to belligerently flex their political muscles.

The university has a right to host or co-host a forum with Pride Bahamas or even with the bishop and pastors if it sees fit. And, of course, everybody has the right to protest within the law.

The university is funded by a broad diversity of students, taxpayers and donors, a number of whom are gay or lesbian, as well as many who may be heterosexual, but are comfortable with the open discussion of ideas. Moreover, the interests of the country are served by dialogue and debates on a broad range of matters.

How well do some of the protestors understand the role of a university and the purpose of a social science department? What about their understanding of the Bahamas Constitution? How many of them have read past the Preamble or understand that it has no justiciable force?

We are notorious in The Bahamas for reverend doctors, many of whom do not enjoy theology degrees from more substantive universities, and who certainly do not possess doctorates that would be recognised by various theologates.

One wonders how many would have the qualifications to attend UB, let alone teach a course in religious studies.

UB’s website notes: “Welcome to Social Sciences. The value of a Social Science education is greater than ever. Indeed, Social Sciences provide the basis for all human understanding. They comprise the disciplines that define, shape and guide our societies.

“Currently, we offer degrees in the following disciplines: Law and Criminal Justice Studies; Sociology; History; Public Administration; Psychology; Law; Social Work and Religious Studies. Through these disciplines, students are exposed to the scientific study of thought and behaviour and develop strong analytical and research skills.”

The bishop thumped: “This week, I believe, engenders a sense of anxiety in our country because we’re concerned that we are playing not only on the younger minds, but now we’re playing on the young leaders of tomorrow that we want to be prepared to lead our country in a better way.”

Translation: These young people, who are university students, are ignorant and need us to clarify this whole LGBT matter. Moreover, as The Tribune reported: “Bishop Fernander suggested Christian Council members will attend the event if it is not cancelled.”

Firstly, this sounds like an attempt to bully and intimidate those who may attend or who may want to attend the forum. Perhaps some of the Christian Council members want to attend because they are LGBT curious.

If they attend in a spirit of dialogue, they may actually learn something from the students and other attendees, including about themselves. But if they are attending in order to intimidate, this would be a shame.

Perhaps they would like members of the LGBT community or others to attend their church events to protest their bigotry, opposition to decriminalizing marital rape, and other unenlightened views.

Given that the university is a broad forum for understanding that addresses ignorance, prejudice and bigotry, it might be good for the pastors to attend. They might learn somethings about human development and sexuality, including about their own human subjectivity.

The university might consider other forums on topics such as “Faith, Reason and Critical Thinking for Religious Leaders”; “How to Understand and Interpret the Constitution”; and “Constitutional Freedoms of Speech and Expression.”

Given the history of prejudice, bigotry and violence toward various religions, the pastors might be reminded that their freedoms and rights are intimately tied to and protected when the freedoms of others are likewise protected.

To her credit, UB chair Allyson Maynard Gibson refused to be intimidated by the pastors. She clarified: “University of The Bahamas was established by University of The Bahamas Act 2016, which establishes a Board of Trustees ‘… which shall … be free from undue influence from political, religious, or other external bodies and shall protect the institution from such influence.’

“The School of Social Sciences will host a forum entitled ‘Black Bahamian Subject Formation: From Non-Subject to Subject Part II’. It is hoped that students and citizens will continue to engage with UB, the national tertiary institution, as it carries out its fiat, among other things, to encourage our students (and all Bahamians) to exercise critical thinking.

“Forums such as this are the places where, as a part of UB’s national development mandate, our national spirit will be enriched and developed, as people with differing views engage in civil discourse and our students and citizens develop a better understanding of different viewpoints.”

Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB) president Daniel Thompson offered an excellent reasoned response to the pastors.

“This is not the Baptist Community College, neither is it the Anglican seminary. This is the University of The Bahamas, and so we do not judge people based on their religion. We do not judge them based on their sexuality. We do not judge them based on their gender or ageism.

“Again, people are free to express themselves outside the gates. They’re free to express their opinion, and I welcome the expression, but my members who are involved in an academic discourse on sexuality have a right to speak freely, and their academic freedom must be protected.

“When I speak as an academician, I speak based on my academic freedom. When I’m outside the gate on Sabbath when I attend my church, I speak in my religious capacity, but when students enter these walls, when scholars enter these walls, when Bahamians enter these gates, they enter with the freedom of expression as an academic institution.”

Sadly, the bishop and his fellow performers cum protagonists seem like stock figures from central casting hired as part of a satire showcasing the pitfalls of prejudice, ignorance and bigotry.

Perhaps Hollywood filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry, who has a home in The Bahamas, might direct a performance with a Bahamian Madea-like character, schooling the homophobes on love, openness to others, care for all of God’s children, and other graces of character.

A Bahamian Madea would know how to respond to bullies. Perhaps at the end of a spirited monologue on love, she would sing in her inimitable style:

“I see trees of green

Red roses too

I see them bloom

For me and you

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world …

“The colours of the rainbow

So pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces

Of people going by

I see friends shaking hands

Saying, ‘How do you do?’

They’re really saying

I love you.

“I hear babies cry

I watch them grow

They’ll learn much more

Than I’ll ever know

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Ooh, yes.”

A wonderful world in which LGBQ+ Bahamians and others no longer endure prejudice and discrimination. We are making progress. Not too long ago, certain forums could not be held at the University.

Though the country has a long way to go, Pride Bahamas and UB should be applauded and supported in their efforts to discuss and to extend the fullness of freedom for more Bahamians.