Premier open to same sex-marriage debate
When asked during a press conference held today, August 20, 2013 at the Central Administration Complex whether he was willing to debate the issue, Dr Smith responded, “I’m willing to debate any issue, I’m not saying to you what my position is, I’m saying it’s something that has to be discussed, the position that government will form after a discussion. No discussion has taken place on the matter.”
Premier Smith acknowledged that a decision had been made in the United Kingdom regarding the issue of same sex marriages but stated that he also knows that this decision did not indicate that the Virgin Islands must follow what was decided.
The UK Parliament passed legislation in July 2013 that would allow same sex marriages to be legal in England and Wales and this is expected to be brought into force by mid-2014.
The Premier’s statement is in contrast to a position expressed by Health Minister Hon. Ronnie W. Skelton on an edition of the NDP Radio show aired in February 2013 where he insisted that the Virgin Islands, as a Territory of the United Kingdom, would have no choice in applying the law locally.
Premier Smith would not acknowledge, however, whether he was in support of having same sex marriages within the Territory.
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23 Responses to “Premier open to same sex-marriage debate”
I think the weed has gotten to your head and well as that wacko S......e. How does being open to discussing something equal 'following everything that america does' and we are not even a subordinate of that country. Did England legalize medical marijuana? I really dont see the basis for your stupid argument. keep smoking in your closet until it catch a fire but stick to the subject and if you have nothing pertinent to say about it just go sleep off your weed induced haze.
and just as they cant touch the law about children getting immediate rights until england says they can, if england say that this territory have to abide by their same sex law i really dont see what anyone can do beside puff up and do as they say or bite the bullet and go independent...lets see how long that will last.
1. Tourism. It could attract a broader spectrum of potential tourist and boost the economy. Plus we'll be one of the first and few Caribbean islands to make gay marriage legal which will boost our reputation and our standing in the world's public eye. A lot of our tourist come from places where gay marriage is legal. They are very open towards gay people because they're connect to a gay person in someway or another, whether it's a family member or friend or they themselves. Tourists do not want to visit a place where they know they or their family will be unaccepted and uncomfortable. This really is a make or break situation for us. Tourism is one of our economic pillars and the wrong choice could cripple us.
2. The world is moving forward. There will come a time where this issue will be a non-issue. Why not put ourselves on the forward thinking side of history? Everyone deserves equality. That message echoes throughout our history. If you pay attention to history you will see that people don't stay oppressed. Eventually, they learn to fight and the longer we fight this, the longer the war will be, the more martyrs will be made, the more scars will mar our history. Look at the effects of slavery. Of Jim Crow and lynching. All we'll do is create a legacy of hatred and leave a big mess that could possibly take decades –if not centuries– for our descendants to clean. Why not save them the heartache?
3. All the arguments I've seen against gay marriage are either religiously driven or emotionally driven and that just doesn't suffice. Although most of the population is Christian, we don't have an official religion and we don't have the right to force people to abide by the laws of a religion they don't believe in (nor should we). Laws are not emotionally based either. They are based on logic and what is good for society. What is not good for society is people propelling irrational hatred and creating a hostile environment simple because a person lives a life different from "the norm." What is not good for society is creating a lot of mentally dissociated people who live two lives; the one expected of them and the one they truly want. What is not good for society is teaching kids how to hate people because of their sexuality before they even know or understand what sex is.
I actually find it funny –as in ironic funny– that we're a population of mostly black people and we're fighting this using the same book that justified the slavery our ancestors to justify the injustice, the cruelty and indignity of homosexuals. If "the good book" was wrong when it came to slavery, why can it not be wrong with it come to gays? Hell! It's wrong in way more than marital rights. Furthermore, I've heard a lot of unchristian things being said about gay people. I'm actually disgusted at the level of hatred I hear from Christians when it comes to this topic, some speak as if they have no sins. I thought Christianity was suppose to be about love. And isn't there something in "the good book" about not casting stones when you yourself have sinned?