‘We can make laws for ourselves’- Premier on UK same-sex marriage bill
The bill was on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, introduced in the House of Lords to legalise same-sex marriages in British Overseas Territories, including the Virgin Islands, where they’re currently banned.
Private Members bill
Gay rights pioneer Lord Michael M. Cashman put forward the private members’ bill, which is a bill introduced by MPs and Lords who are not government ministers.
The proposed bill extends to six Overseas Territories; Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Anguilla, [British] Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It will seek to introduce equal civil marriage for same-sex and different-sex couples.
‘I do not agree’- Premier Wheatley
Premier Wheatley told Virgin Islands News Online on July 11, 2022, he is not in favour of the legislation being forced upon the Virgin Islands.
“I do not agree for any legislation to be imposed on the people of the Virgin Islands from the United Kingdom parliament. We have our own parliament, and we can make and amend laws for ourselves,” Dr Wheatley stated.
Bill unlikely to succeed- Cayman Islands’ Governor
The introduction of the bill comes after the UK Privy Council denied marriage equality to both the Cayman Islands and Bermuda in March 2022.
According to Cayman Compass on July 6, 2022, Cayman Islands Governor Martyn K. Roper, in response to queries from the Compass regarding the bill, replied in a statement, “I understand the Private Members’ Bill introduced by Lord Michael Cashman in the UK’s House of Lords on same sex marriage in the Overseas Territories, including the Cayman Islands, has little chance of progressing. It is not a Government Bill and it is not yet clear if it will even be debated.”
Before a bill can become law in the UK, it has to be passed by both the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
According to the UK Parliament website, only a minority of Private Members’ Bills become law “but, by creating publicity around an issue, they may affect legislation indirectly. introduced in the House of Lords”.
Cashman’s bill has been given a first reading in the House of Lords. The next step, which has yet to be scheduled, would be to undergo a second reading, where, typically, the bill is debated by members of the House of Lords.
After that, it goes to ‘committee stage’ where a detailed line-by-line scrutiny is done and amendments added. There is then a third reading and a final chance to make amendments and votes.
If the Lords make changes to the draft bill, it is then sent to the Commons to agree, change or reject it. Once the bill is finalised and passed by both houses, it is sent to the queen for royal assent.
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54 Responses to “‘We can make laws for ourselves’- Premier on UK same-sex marriage bill”
The closet is called PRIVACY and that is where b@*ty business should be PRIVATE.
We should respect our fellow residents with same-sex attraction just the same as we ought to others. But that does not mean that we should weaken the foundations of our society by pretending that 'de-gendered marriage' is a marriage or that persons can change their sex by self-definition.
Hear what Paul says in Romans 1:18-30:
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
HAVE MERCY , LORD! This is His Word and His Word needs no debate! Amen!
There are many more ways of living that do not fall under your way of living. Like you said, "I respect the right of every ADULT individual to make their own choices, and that is really your business. Please respect my right not to accept your choice."
Obviously you DO NOT respect "every adult individuals choice."
Also ... "Please respect my right not to accept your choice."
No one is asking you to "accept others choices" but you are expecting everyone else to accept and LIVE by your way of life and choices. You can't have it both ways.
My dear, you are a hypocrite.
Wishing you kindness and love.
The BVI is full of male and female LGBTQ members, including individuals in the clergy and grocery businesses. BVI doesn't seem to mind it's female to female populations, however its the b****s that seem more to offend. Acceptance to anything outside of what is considered "norms" really does need to be considered. All people are equal in the eyes of God....right?
What do you call priests raping young boys? Messengers of God???...Hmmm. You are a Hypocrite! Who said: "we are all one family and related"?
Is it fair to tell me only now, that you are one in-bread bunch with serious psychological and physical (bodily) disorders? Have mercy please !
SALOPNESS & MALPOPNESS, DOWN RIGHT N***Y PLAYING IN SH**!
AND NO ALL LOVE IS LOVE, PURE LOVE IS LOVE, THE LOVE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED BY THE ALMIGHTY FROM THE BEGINING OF TIME! THUS THE REASON HE DESTROYED NATIONS THAT INDULGED IN WHAT HE HATED UNPURE LOVE (WRONG SEXUAL LOST). FIRE GO BURN!!!!!!!! AND TO THOSE WHO KEEP TURNING BACK TO SEE IF THEY CAN ACCOMODATE WRONG AND STILL TRY NOT TO OFFEND OTHERS THEY WIIIIIILLLLLL TURN INTO PILARS OF SALT, JUST LIKE LOT! ST**KY SH**Y NAS****ESS, NYARK!
Pleading on this BVILOVE , we speak about daily.
God Bless.
Remember he could’ve been your Uncle ,Son , Nephew etc.
#Justice
I pray for justice for Mr. Smith.
Trust in this police force does not exist, BVI love they say.
I see why the UK wants to rule here in our beautiful islands. It is for them to be on our beautiful beaches with their nastiness! God forbid! Where are the churches in all this? The churches need to make their voices heard. The church is not to sit quietly and accept the situation.
No you can't. COI proved this.
Your religion only applies to you. Stop forcing it on other people.
Anyone can do whatever they want with any flag. Freedom does not just apply to you. It applies to others too.
Whenever ya'll are put in a similar position you play the victim? Where's the support for ostracised people in our community now huh?
Even if you try and argue that it's the big bad UK imposing this on us, what do you think they did with Christianity, that you hold so dearly as a strawman for casting out ideals you don't agree with?
Yall want to act like the politicians are the only hypocrites, guess what?
The real truth is that the BVI community is plagued with homophobic, hyperjudgmental, and illogical values that will never let its people be truly free.