The crowd reacts as the ruling on same-sex marriage was announced outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday. (AP)
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE landmark US Supreme Court decision to legalise same-sex marriage nationwide was met with mixed reactions by Bahamians yesterday.
On social media, reactions ranged from the accepting to the apocalyptic, while some government leaders and politicians were slow to reflect on whether the ruling will have any local impact.
One Twitter user said: "The Bahamas don't need to emulate the US and follow up with that same gay marriage (expletive). God soon whip them with the judgement stick."
Other Bahamians, however, celebrated the move, such as former DNA member Farrell Goff, who welcomed "all (his) gay American brothers and sisters to the real world of marriage" in a Facebook post.
The US Supreme Court decision to legalise same-sex marriage came a day after the country released its 2014 Human Rights Report on the Bahamas which highlighted societal discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
The report said: "According to non-governmental organizations (NGO), LGBT persons also faced discrimination in employment, for which victims had no legal recourse," before adding: "The government does not keep statistics on such incidents. Although sexual activity between same-sex consenting adults is legal, the law defines the age of consent for same-sex couples as 18, compared with 16 for heterosexual couples. No domestic legislation addresses the human rights concerns of LGBT persons."
When contacted for comment, State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez said the US Supreme Court's decision may pose interesting challenges to this country from the perspective of private international law, though he cautioned that he needs time to examine the matter more closely.
Ultimately, he said he doesn't believe the changing reality of marriage laws in the US will cause the Bahamas to face pressure to change its own laws on same-sex issues.
"The decision poses some interesting issues from a private conflict of laws perspective," he said. "It's called private international law. That discipline of law really examines cross-border issues and this would be a major one in the gay community. What happens if two Bahamian homosexuals or lesbians go to Florida and get married? Let's say they live over there for a number of years and they come home at some point. What happens? Those are the kinds of issues to look at."
However, he said: "There is no more pressure on the Bahamas with respect to LGBT issues than what existed yesterday or last week. I don't think the government is under any pressure at this moment. You have certain moral arguments that are now coming to the fore from the Christian community that would be intensified as a result of what happened in the States."
As for the US State Department report highlighting discrimination against LGBT people, he said: "We would always have that as long as we do discriminate homosexuals. But having said that, in the English speaking Caribbean we are the only country which allows consenting sexual practices between consenting adults. Our laws would've been a concern to them if our criminal laws remained the same but at present, two homosexuals can meet in a hotel room and do whatever they wish to do. That's a fact. No one is going to peep in to see if they are behaving themselves or not. So, unlike us, most of the countries in the region outlaw homosexual sex whether consensual or not."
Comments
Bahamianpride 8 years, 10 months ago
Gay people are going to wake up one day and realize they just stepped in shit. They had the good life but now welcome to the hell called marriage. Marriage is not just a religious institutions, its also a business. You are essentially incorporating yourself with this person. And when this business fails, which happens over 50% of the time, you more than likely will lose up to 75% of your assets, custody of your kids, and face the possibility of paying spousal support for many years. Before gays could tell the lesser earner or less motivated partner, I would love to marry u but it's against the law, now u r screwed. I have always said it in my comments, let them suffer like the rest of us. Congratulations gays welcome to the torture chamber...
Zakary 8 years, 10 months ago
Marriage is not just a religious institutions, its also a business. You are essentially incorporating yourself with this person. And when this business fails, which happens over 50% of the time, you more than likely will lose up to 75% of your assets, custody of your kids, and face the possibility of paying spousal support for many years.
On point Bahamianpride. It really makes you wonder why people would fight so hard to have the government become their third party in a contractual agreement such as marriage.
Our laws would've been a concern to them if our criminal laws remained the same but at present, two homosexuals can meet in a hotel room and do whatever they wish to do.
True, but I think same sex marriage will come to The Bahamas regardless.
TalRussell 8 years, 10 months ago
Comrades you'd think adultery would ranks high a reason for the 2000 divorces in The Bahamas in 2014. Not so, the majority of married Bahamalander couples go down da divorce route, only cuz they simply can no longer get along. They can't stomach each others company no more, much less da sex.
Regardless 8 years, 10 months ago
Hopefully gays will stop making such a fuss of themselves and tone down the rhetoric. Gays in The Bahamas can fly to Vegas and get married and divorced till the cows come home. Groovy. You reach! Now do us all a favor and keep your lifestyle and preferences to yourselves, especially in the service industries. Patrons don't care and are not interested in your choice of lifestyle except the minority you represent. Not everyone wants to be your best friend because you feel imperative to advertise the fact you don't or can't have intimacy with the opposite sex. Move on and have a life.
Zakary 8 years, 10 months ago
Hopefully gays will stop making such a fuss of themselves and tone down the rhetoric.
Yeah they should quiet down now, but there is more rhetoric to come from all these other rights groups. I read an article the other day on the politico magazine entitled http://www.politico.com/magazine/stor...">“It’s Time to Legalize Polygamy” where the writer advocates for the legalization of polygyny and polyandry on the basis of consenting adults.
I’ve also heard that trans-racial is the new edgy social trend. Conservatives around America must be fuming with rage. Don’t worry though, they say yesterday's liberals are today's conservatives. We live in some really amusing times.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 10 months ago
Many of us have always found it most interesting and unusual how the electoral college in the U.S. allows the winner of the U.S. presidential election to have less than a majority of the votes cast. Now we see the U.S. supreme court ignoring the wishes of the majority of the residents in each of the 30 or so states (representing more than 80% of the states in the UNITED States of America) whose laws do not permit same-sex marriage. The U.S.A. today is certainly no longer a shining example of democracy at work which likely explains why it is slowly but inevitably yielding its once overwhelming dominant position in the world to China. By succumbing to political pressure from the loudest voice in the room and wrongfully legislating new law rather than interpreting existing law, the U.S. supreme court has once again created a hot spot of division in American society as it did in its earlier rulings and ultimate stance taken on abortion. I truly feel sorry for most patriotic Americans who have had to stand by, watch and suffer the consequences of the foundation of their democracy being yanked right out from under them. The forefathers of America never envisioned that the separation of powers they created through a system of checks and balances would eventually fall victim to a supreme court being allowed to over reach its powers due to the near constant and viciously hostile wranglings between the executive and the legislature which have rendered those two arms of the U.S. government dysfunctional. By the way, a bi-sexual American man has just filed the first suit against the U.S. government claiming the right to be concurrently married to two people; it seems he has had a longtime threesome going with his male and female lovers and companions and all three of them believe they now have a fundamental right to be married to each other at the same time. All of this is becoming much too frightening to even ponder; meanwhile China simply forges ahead!
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 10 months ago
No, most Americans support the right of consenting adults to be and do as they wish when it comes their own sexuality and sexual relations with one another. Most Americans continue to respect the sanctity of the longstanding institution of marriage with no change to its fundamental definition: the matrimonial union of a man and a woman. Unfortunately, those who shout the loudest and demonstrate the most know that they are able to drown out the voice of the majority in U.S. politics today.
Reality_Check 8 years, 10 months ago
Since when do polls replace election processes or form the basis for the bypassing of the legislative arm of government? Polls are much too easily manipulated by the pollsters for the outcome sought by their sponsors. This applies to even the largest and most reputable polling organizations in America to day, and most politicians in the U.S. will not dispute this very simple fact!
duppyVAT 8 years, 10 months ago
agreed ............. polls lie everyday in our country!!!!!!!!!!!
TruthHurts 8 years, 10 months ago
Most of my relatives from the US despise same-sex marriage however I'm pretty sure they were not aware of this pole you've shown here. So.. those who have the time and energy to take the poll will, however it still doesn't prove or deny either points!
newcitizen 8 years, 10 months ago
Don't worry, I'm sure enough other bigots managed to profess their hatred on the poll, just as I am sure many of the people who support the rights of individuals didn't manage to fill it out.
Reality_Check 8 years, 10 months ago
Why do the "rainbow types" always label the opposing view as bigots? The "non-rainbow types" usually don't label the "rainbow types" as bigots! Are the labels "rainbow types" and "non-rainbow types" evidence of bigotry by their very use? If so, how do we deal with terms like "racist" and "non-racist"? Is "bigger" offensive to "smaller" and "shorter" offensive to "taller"? Geez, I'm lost for the use of appropriate or politically correct comparisons and adjectives when I talk about just about anything these days! Being called a "black man" instead of an "African-Bahamian" quite frankly would not be the least offensive to me!
Bahamianpride 8 years, 10 months ago
Ikaliki: Imagine this scene in court, gay divorce hearing, a man's lawyers tells the judge my client deserves to be maintained to the standard of living he is accustomed to. Reply, But your honor he's a man and can work...Nope he deserves spousal support u 2 are married and by the way he gets the kids and you have to pay child support. He also gets half your pension, investments and to keep the house. Before this ruling 2 gay dudes could be living together, something happens and each go their separate ways and take what they brought to the relationship. Be careful what u ask for... As a straight man I wish for a law that discriminated against me getting married, I could envision how much money I would have today. U don't need to be married to name someone in your will or trust to receive your assets and that way also u can change it as u please if this person does no longer act in your best interest. In America, now that the government is involved you're screwed. I support gay marriage because gays have been happy for to long while the rest of us have been doing hard time. Every gay person I know, always on vacation, always going to wonderful events, always cheery, well enough already come join us straight people in the torture chamber especially us men.
Reality_Check 8 years, 10 months ago
Good. Your second sentence says it all. You agree Bahamianpride has the same basic right to disagree with you under the law as you have to disagree with him. Now clam up and move on to marrying whomever (or whatever) you wish!
TruthHurts 8 years, 10 months ago
@Reality_Check
Well put..we all thank you for that! lol ; )
PKMShack 8 years, 10 months ago
Who cares about America and their social issues. We need to worry about ourselves. WE have way bigger problems in our own country.
newcitizen 8 years, 10 months ago
You're right, the same people who are so worried that marriage will be corrupted by loving individuals, are the same people who don't care at all that our elected leaders are raping and pillaging this country for their own personal gain.
banker 8 years, 10 months ago
If we had enlightenment and sexual orientation equality, maybe the Happiness minister would be happier, the Globetrotter minister would be less foreign, the Prime Minister could listen to his favourite band AC/DC in public and the Bahamas would be a much gayer, richer, happier and stylish place.
Bahamianpride 8 years, 10 months ago
lol
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 10 months ago
After all, who in their right mind would not be for a helluva lot more gaiety in their daily life! It's just that same-sex marriage stuff that's gonna end up being a real problem for many Americans.
duppyVAT 8 years, 10 months ago
I agree with PKM and banker ................... our biggest problem is not gayism ........ its the heterosexuals who are raping, scheming, abusing, divorcing and abandoning their spouses and children .................... maybe things would be better if Bahamians were all gay
pablojay 8 years, 10 months ago
Yeah "duppyVAT" to answer to your comment "--------- maybe things would be better if Bahamians were all gay" , a few years back a Klu Klux Klan member said that he wished that 150 years ago ALL BLACK PEOPLE WERE GAY,THE WORLD WOULD
DEFINITELY BE A BETTER PLACE.
TalRussell 8 years, 10 months ago
Comrades I get da feeling some the posts on here are coming from closeted frustrated straights, who it doesn't mean they're not gay, It just means they're hiding it from you. My male friend says he'd be all for the gay lifestyle but why did they have invent bottoming. But these are same guys likes so much be bottoming they's female sexual partners. Told my friend, look Comrade if it'll make you fell more manly, tell them please wear panties bed, remove your guilt complex. You go figure hey, an ass is an ass.
banker 8 years, 10 months ago
The whole point, is that it doesn't matter if they gay and like or dislike ....... (fill in the blank with your particular predilection). They are just folks who can't help what or who they are. And they, like the rest of us, are just trying to get along in this world, the best the can, with the cognitive toolset that they have.
It is really unenlightened to judge them based on archaic religious beliefs. It's just awfully enlightened to not discriminate against them. It is awfully enlightened to wish for the constitutional equality of women as well. It is awfully enlightened to not like or support a corrupt political party because of the fact that they are corrupt and living a lie.
I would hurl projectile vomit at the thought of sex with a man, but that is not unique to men. A jungliss once stopped her car at Goodman's Bay and asked me if I wanted to 'pay her to party with me'. She looked like she had the entire compendium of STD's, with a whole flora and fauna of frontal love crickets and cockroaches, and I got the same feeling.
Now, I must admit, to my shame, that I have participated in homophobic talk and thrown a few homophobic slurs at specific politicians, but that was to hurt them because of their inexcusable criminality and behaviour. I'm not really proud of it, but I fail as a human because my anger at what they are doing to my country overtakes me.
arussell 8 years, 10 months ago
I don't condone gay marriages or relationships but I'm a strong believer in equality and if persons want to live that life style and it makes them happy then so be it. What I do know is that when we all die and that must happen we all will have to answer to God. We all remember what happen to Sodom and Gomorrah, but then again we living in a world where people dont believe in God or serve different gods even when Christ walk the earth people didn't believe in him.
TruthHurts 8 years, 10 months ago
That's why the US like many other countries to-date are drowning in their cesspool of stupidity. They think they are so smart with their so-called-activism on every single thing under God's blissful heavens. But they never seem to think about the consequences down the road. Where these decisions will lead them. Soon they will all come to see the folly of their ways. We all will!
newcitizen 8 years, 10 months ago
I wouldn't be to worried about judgement. I think we'll have many disappointed people when they realize there are no Pearly Gates.
banker 8 years, 10 months ago
The crazy part is that when the lights finally go out, and the brain stops functioning, you don't really know that you have been had because it is completely over for you, and there is no consciousness to say "Hey, those preachers stole my money and there is no afterlife"!
berry 8 years, 10 months ago
I believe that if more men be open then there wouldn't be so much families destroyed and women left frustrated by lies. I think adults should be allowed to marry who they want.
PKMShack 8 years, 10 months ago
Bahamians mindya business and figure out how we will survive with all the B.S. we have at our shores. Too worried about other people tings and business. Trust me you won't find no one worrying about our business on these islands we have.
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