Students launch lecture series on gay rights
Professor Robert Wintemute
(CNS): The Students Society of the Truman Bodden Law School is delivering a series of free public lectures this month looking at the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality – a topic rarely discussed in Cayman on public platforms. “Misogyny and homophobia: What is the Cayman Islands doing to promote gender and LGBT equality?”, the first of three lectures, will be held in the Grand Court on 15 January.
The lecture, which will be delivered by Professor Robert Wintemute of King’s College London, will start at 6pm and will examine European Convention on Human Rights and gay rights, the current status of the issue in the UK and the Cayman Islands, and an overview of the local laws promoting gender and LGBT equality.
He will also address the basic elements to understand how homophobia has followed in the steps of misogyny and racism in the western hemisphere.
Cayman does not have a long history of tolerance for LGBT rights and many organisations supporting that global community describe the islands as gay-hostile. The laws against homosexual activity and discrimination were forcibly repealed by the UK just 14 years ago in 2001. On each occasion that gay cruise ships have docked in Cayman they have been greeted with demonstrators.
However, the Student Society said it was committed to engaging with the local community by giving back part of the knowledge and understanding that students learn at the Law School, in particular about legal matters that matter to all.
Despite the hostility in some quarters to the idea of gay rights, particularly civil marriages for members of the LGBT community, the Cayman Islands governor is backing the series. Helen Kilpatrick will deliver the second lecture on 22 January, providing an overview of the laws of the Cayman Islands in relation to gender and LGBT equality. Kilpatrick congratulated the Student Society at the school for organising the series.
“The lectures are a great chance for the public to gain information about relevant and interesting legal matters,” she said. “I am particularly pleased that the first lectures cover gender and LGBT equality, issues which are relevant not just to these particular groups but to all the people of the Cayman Islands. When I arrived as governor, I said in my first speech that I would naturally be taking a particular interest in gender equality issues.”
Dr Leonardo Raznovich
The last of the series will be delivered by Dr Leonardo J Raznovich, lecturer in law at the Truman Bodden Law School. Raznovich will explain how homophobia, like misogyny and racism, is arguably the result of defined policies enacted into laws that historically resulted in the criminalisation, pathologisation and segregation of the targeted members of these three sectors.
Raznovich said he was delighted that the school was able to deliver the series. “I hope it will highlight the global position on gender and LGBT rights. I invite all interested parties to join us for what I am sure will be interesting and informative lectures,” he added.
Although he will not be taking part, the premier also offered his support to the series. He said the students’ choice of title was particularly apt.
“As a former student of the Law School and as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands, I am very aware that legal matters really do matter to all. This lecture series will enable members of our community to have the opportunity to listen to distinguished legal speakers’ views on current issues that affect all our lives. I urge all those who are interested to attend the lectures, to gain a wider knowledge and understanding of important legal matters.”
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These are lectures about GENDER and HUMAN EQUALITY. If you don’t agree with a lifestyle then fine, no one should force a belief on anyone but it seems that the majority of the bible thumping, ignorant commentators on this forum are doing just that and it’s downright ridiculous. Everyone is entitled to equality no matter their religion, race, sexual preference, etc. Anyone who thinks that refusing anyone their basic HUMAN RIGHTS should be ashamed of themselves and go back to reading the bible to understand what human kindness, compassion and acceptance really is.
Encouragement is not bullying. I don’t make fun of anyone, degrade anyone or even beat anyone to do anything. However your post on this public domain fits the definition of bullying. You said, ” Only a handful of students and one teacher in particular is pushing this cause and it is so wrong on many levels and the Director should know better. These are not the views of the majority of the student members so please student society DO NOT share the wrong information.” What is so wrong about speaking about gay rights? now you are pressuring us a LAW SCHOOL, a school of EQUALITY not to speak about issues. How about this, write a letter to the Chief Justice telling him not to support the issue since we were personally contacted and OFFERED the Grand Court to hold the lecture. Before you say it’s a 2 student 1 teacher issue get all your information together. There is a majority support of this lecture because education is does not exclude speaking about gay rights.
I’ll hopefully see you at school.
Leviticus 20:10-13King James Version (KJV)
10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.
13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Caymanians are sick and tired of outsiders with and agenda coming here and trying to make Cayman like their own country. If your country was so great why not stay at home with your own values
Don’t you dare speak for all Caymanians as if you represent each and every one of our voices. I am Caymanian and gay and would love to not feel like a second class citizen in my own country. It isn’t a choice, it’s the way we were born. Stop judging and hating others and hypocritcally calling yourself a christian. It’s time for Cayman to move into the 21st century.
Cayman is not Canada.
I didn’t know Cayman did not want to be educated. From what I see most Caymanians are educated, intellectual people; who can in fact hold open discussions about issues that do not agree with.
I didn’t realize that you had a personal conversation with God about his views on homosexuals. You are taking parts of the bible that you feel justify your ignorance. Homosexuals are not new to the world we have been around since the beginning. If we were not supposed to be here god, who took the time to create us, would have destroyed us by now…Unless he actually does not have a problem with homosexuals.
Let there be light.
Being gay is genetic; therefore, gays are created by God in His likeness.
The Bible needs to evolve based on new evidence.
Boy you fool too… read the entire Bible before making comments like this one.
1. God create man in his own image, basically we are counterfeit dollar bills.
2. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sinfulness of man which included homosexuality along with adultery and much more worldly sins.
So stop referencing Bible scriptures to ease your own opinion about your existence. Being gay is not genetic, it is a choice… there is absolutely no proof of it!! It is only a theory that a gay scientist came up with in attempt to make people accept it into modern-day society. So try again!
Let us forget the Bible for a second… we going the logical and scientific route: Male+female = child(male or female), male+male= no child, female+female= no child… logically which group has a scientific outcome. Which one is a act of nature. It is proven that opposite sex are needed to reproduce naturally.
So whatever you decide to do with your lives, stop forcing it down the throats of others… that goes for straights and gays alike. Lawfully, live and die by your own beliefs.
Gay is gay … leave them alone unless they want to infringe on your rights or try to push their education on your children. Then I say you have the right to do something about it! / As for the atheists on this panel, you guys on the moral question make me laugh 🙂
“ism” is still link with beliefs 🙂
Then don’t go to the lectures. Holding a public lecture on a subject hardly seems to be bullying. No one is forcing you to attend or even say that you, as a student of the school, subscribe to any of the views advanced. In trying to prevent any discussion whatsoever it rather looks as tho the bullying shoe is on the other foot.
“There is nothing fixed or final about the homosexual orientation and its natural expression, homosexual behavior. No politician, church leader or member, judge, teacher or counselor, or homosexual person, or friend or family of a homosexual person, needs to feel forced into a position on homosexuality based on the apparent immutability of homosexual orientation. Homosexuality is not inborn, not genetically dictated; nor for that matter is heterosexuality or any other human behavior. In fact, our genes do not make us do anything. Whether it’s homosexuality, a foul temper, bed-wetting or addiction to chocolate, our genes have very little to do with it. The level of genetic influence could easily be as low as 10%, the balance of 90% coming from post-natal cultural and environmental influences. And that 10% is not a direct genetic influence on homosexual orientation; it is a direct influence on a separate trait that can predispose toward homosexual orientation. Every human being has a 10% genetic influence on behavior of any kind, and that minimal genetic influence drops commensurately with whatever environmental interventions (e.g., cultural influences, social factors, therapy and counseling) of an opposing kind are brought to bear upon it (1).
So, the next time a homosexuality advocate tries to convince you that homosexual people are born gay, that God made them that way, that their homosexuality is “natural” and/or that their homosexual orientation cannot change, do not believe them. They are trying to get you to believe a lie, as the evidence clearly shows.”
The geneticist from Stanford University cited by Did a Bit of Research http://genetics.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/homosexuality seems to disagree with you. So we can evaluate the relative merit of your opinions, can you clarify whether your opinion is based on any professional qualifications?
You would be correct, O astute Diogenes.
Oho. That makes more sense to me now. Someone is trying to smartly push their agenda? Strike while the iron is hot right? This is becoming pervasive isn’t it? The world needs to educate as strongly as the LGBT is trying to gain ground, to blunt this whole movement. I do not see that happen. There is absolutely nothing wrong with stand behind what you believe. So don’t hate because I do not support your belief.
I don’t believe you have properly considered the absurd cruelty with which you would need to live your life by following the code of the bible to the letter. The prescribed slavery, forced marriage of rape victims, punishment of death for working on the Sabbath et al. reflect the backwards society that wrote the texts.
Your assertion that prophecies in the bible have been proven true is patently false. The creation of the modern state of Israel was not some divine act, it was an agreement made at the end of WW2 used to overcome the horror of the holocaust (and justified using biblical passages in media/arguments of the time).
If you give up any attempt at being literal with the bible, then the overwhelming message is one of peace, love and acceptance – something almost all Christians profess.
You cannot hold onto literal passages about homosexuals in the bible while ignoring all the other equally-abhorrent literal passages regarding rape, slavery etc – if you do you are simply being prejudiced and cherry picking passages to defend it.
For the love of God why can we not openly embrace your neighbor regardless of their sexual preference? Why can’t our society exert the same about of energy and efforts towards the breakdown of the social fabric of these beautiful islands as we do towards the homophobia?
Love everyone equally regardless of their differences.
Once more as you are not here please don’t pull the comments apart. The Director is not pushing these views on anyone but we have bigger issues and in any event is best to step down.
On the series, no one should push their views using the students and student society. There is no need for them to step down but do it on their own time with their own name not under the Truman Bodden Law School’s name.
Alden McLaughlin and Helen Kilpatrick will be responsible for the greatest catastrophe to strike these islands. The ’32 storm will seem like a nor’wester compared to what is coming.
When the rainbow is raised above George Town, expect judgement. Do we honestly believe that God subscribes to our ‘learned’ adulterations of the truth?
Time will tell.
Strange that you would say that a rainbow depicts judgment. My Bible says that a rainbow depicts a covenant between Noah and God that he will never destroy the earth again with flood waters. I think you really need to study the Bible by yourself and not with a group of people that think they know what god wants and does.
Sorry to burst the bubble, but a rainbow is the refraction and dispersion of sunlight by moisture in the atmosphere.
I totally agree with you but I was trying to show this doomsday Christian that he doesn’t even seem to know what the bible says.
The biggest downfall of these islands is our people not addressing the rampant crime taking place on this tiny rock. Stop looking for someone to blame. Remember the old adage “when you point a finger three point back”. Look within yourself before you take aim at others.
I thought the bible also says that “thou shall not judge”, “love thy neighbour”. It is up to God to judge all of our sins, not you, I or any other human being.
What you have just said I find hard to believe, clearly the objectors did not educate themselves enough with their objections to why religion should be dismissed so those people were not aware of all the FACTS that you claim exist in the bible.
Let us start with the fundamentals. Can a man and a man procreate? Can a woman and a woman procreate? It is frightening to see where this world is heading particularly where gay couples are allowed to adopt innocent children. Isn’t it better a child raised in a normal man and woman environment and later choose to go the other way than to be raised in a gay parenthood? I can see all the responses coming back but it does not take way from the simple logic. Gays cannot procreate which means mother nature never designed for this to happen. Everybody knows that so lets stop fooling ourselves please.
Umm, are you that uneducated that you are not aware of the crisis the world is in with over population? The fact that the world is currently running out of food and fresh water means nothing to you? Do you realise that governments around the world has to rely on the introduction of genetically modified foods? A lot of the food we eat has been developed in a lab (corn, wheat, meat) and not by ‘mother nature’. Now tell me what’s more unnatural, your logic about making more humans or stuffing your face with something made in a Petri Dish?
If you think for one second that being raised by same sex couples affects all children you are greatly mistaken. I have met many, many people that were raised by same sex couples and they came out just fine, the majority are straight and married to the opposite sex with children of their own. Believe it or not sexual orientation is not a choice, if a child is raised in a loving home they will become who they were meant to be. I’m sure you’re aware of a few people like 50 Cent – the rapper, who was raised by his mother and her female partner and he turned out perfectly fine as a millionaire womanizer or maybe even Rene Russo?
Gay people do not affect your daily life so just be concerned with yourself and where your soul will be heading, instead of enlightening the Cayman Islands with your ignorance and bigotry.
Umm, i was always puzzled how gays justifies their sexual orientation… how did you put it? … not a choice! Really, so with your educated opinion having sex with animals is a sexual orientation that is not a choice as well?
Your sexual preference or perversion is a choice, a choice that one makes. My next remarks is only for illustration.. for example, one light or dark skinned person with curves or muscles, tattoos or without, police or criminal… basically a choice, a preference which will align your sexual orientation!!
Everyone believe they’re right based on their own belief.
Anyways Joseph, each to man to his own.. more woman for me and my sexual orientation.
Ummm, 2 cents, I think they get into a shoving and shouting match. Whoever wins becomes dominant.
2 Cents, you have 0 sense. You are actually comparing sexuality with having the choice to being a criminal or law enforcement? Instead of worrying about gays, I suggest you go back to school and educate yourself. Ignorant.
Every time a gay couple adopts a child born out of a heterosexual union, they are giving the thumbs up to what should be. Furthermore, if it is our creator’s intention to make provision for homosexual relationships, why go through the trouble of creating two sexes? I would think that’s more work and that we would end up with one sex right? And if so, I wonder how the population will survive through time? Maybe people would be miraculously born and come out of the bushes. Hmmmm. I wonder why I do not see two roosters going at it, and two male dogs going at? If by chance they were, is it as prevalent as what the world is seeing today? I wonder why a positive and negative terminal in a battery creates energy. We should have two positives or two negatives then?
Do not get me wrong, I do not discriminate but just as there is LGBT or whatever we call it, we should have an organisation promoting heterosexuality. Why isn’t that happening at the level the LGBT is trying to take this? Promote one way, let us promote the other way. And do not get pissed off with me, because I stand for what I believe. I will defend my believe as well.
You are being non-sensical: if it is “our creator’s” intention to deny homosexual relationships, why go through the trouble of creating homosexuals?
As you clearly did not find it yourself, Wikipedia info for homosexual behaviour in animals: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals
If nature did not intend for this to happen then why are heterosexual couple consistently giving birth to homosexual children? Why do homosexual acts occur in other species?
No one (seriously) disputes that a child is ideally raised by their mother and father in a loving home. That does not change the plain fact that there are millions of children who don’t have this, need a home/parent figures and there are gay couples out there able and willing to provide. Your prejudice aside, there is no reason why this is not good for everyone.
Very interesting article – ‘Ask the Geneticist’ from Stanford University http://genetics.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/homosexuality
Things are never as clear cut as people with some axe to grind seem to think.
Just because a man and a man can not procreate does not mean they shouldn’t be allowed to raise children. The most important factor when raising children is a loving home and I’m sure if you look around the island there are children being raised by heterosexual couples who offer very little love and a lot of abuse. Being able to have children does not make you a good parent. Also, there are several other species that have homosexual relationships. To end this no one decides to be gay, you are either born that way or you are not. Saying it’s a choice is ridiculous because I am certain you did not wake up and decide to be straight.
I assume you mean hypocrites, not Hippocrates, the founder of the modern medical ethic and who died at least 350 years before Jesus arrived? Although since H believed illness was naturally occurring and not inflicted by god(s), perhaps you are right.
this is why we need a laugh meter!
You do understand, as a law student, that the lectures are about the legal issues and obligations? You want people to resign for talking about what the law actually is, as opposed to what public (or at least your) opinion may want it to be?
No is suggesting anyone resign. No one should push their views using students as a cover!. This debate could go on all day and night my learned friend but the majority will keep speaking out.
Bullying comes from ignorance…….
Everyone is entitled to their view – however just because generations of the same family held the same, possibly biased, views, does not mean this topic should not be aired. Good on this minority of students. It is a brave move and should be applauded as it is the 21st century and discrimination need not be a part of anyones lives.
Charlie, we have bigger issues at the school to fry. This is not one of them. However you are free to enroll and have an opinion. You can attend if you want to. You don’t know the story!!!
As a Caymanian I’m at times disgusted by the level in which religion has brainwashed a significant majority of people of this country. They cannot seem to think for themselves and automatically regurgitate what they have been fed- that it is wrong to treat the LGBT community unfairly because it’s not what God wants but it’s perfectly fine to ignore all the other archaic rules, restrictions and
oppressions devised in the bible because society and modern laws have deemed it
appropriate. The bible was nothing more than a cleaver tool conjured up by King James and his predecessors to control the masses- once which proves to be effective to this very day. The Bible as been through so many iterations
and translations by ‘man’ that any marginal individual would be led to question
the legitimacy of its contents and whether any reliance, if any at all can be
placed on it as being ‘Gods word.’
More importantly though, I hope the law lecture covers discriminatory
laws such as the Health Insurance Law, (2011 Revision) as it has inequality
smeared all over it. The government has taken the liberty to define my spouse as
a ‘person of the opposite sex.’ Let me decide if I want my partner to be of the opposite sex!
So I assume that since you believe everything in the Bible and take it literally, then you also support the below? Do you own slaves? You should. They may be very useful. And if someone in your family who is female and is found to not be a virgin, you should be OK with having them stoned.
Leviticus 25: 44-46:
As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.
Deuteronomy 22 23-24:
If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city.
Both you and Christian Caymanian are extreme. I assume you are an atheist (disbeliever in God) who is just as bad as the fanatic theist. Always extreme views on both sides. No balance
Incorrect, atheism is the absence of theism, it is not an extreme anything. That would be like someone who doesn’t collect stamps being extreme in the world of stamp collecting.
Atheism my friend is an “ism” meaning its a religion, or it would have its root “ism” part to it. I find atheist stepping on their own toes when they criticize other people’s faith as if they never had or expressed a faith sometime in life. I find it amusing that on their deathbeds many atheist have confessed in the notion that their is a God and how wrong they were in rejecting God’s grace.
All to say my dear friend, you actually need more faith, yes more faith to be an atheist, because your premise is based off the notion that their isn’t a God, a supreme intelligence that is the source and sustainer of the universe. And a little child will simply ask the atheist where is the proof???? … lol … the fact is – there isn’t any proof to the atheist’s argument. He has to make it up all along to save his face! He assumes his mind and intellect is capable of making universal judgements. No one can tell him or her anything. But he/she has no evidence to refute the theist, so in light of the millions who say there is a God, in light of the testimonies, the atheists says there isn’t by a blind and irrational faith! He is just as surrendered to a faith like a theist is.
But there is a difference I find between atheists and theist. You know what that is? I personally find atheists very egotistical folk, prideful, and think they know it all. And for theists, I find them more humble, able to back their faith, and loving people. Also, I find atheists satisfied with being immoral because they feel life is all about doing as you please and then you die … that’s it, no more to life after this one! There is no one to answer to, no accountability to a supreme being. You can harm anyone who steps on your toes. O they know their are consequences for your action.
But I laugh when I hear an atheist say they believe in karma … lol that’s funny … well, look at it, if you believe in karma, you must believe that morality sticks! Morality is not an individual thing but a universal matter, and logically, if there is universal and absolute morality, then their must be a source of the moral code that presses on the consciouses of every single human being.
How foolish it is to say you know ultimate reality and you are a part of that reality. It is like the created thing saying that it is better than its creator. How ridiculous! You use your five senses and your little head to make a universal conclusion, then you go by that faith, cussing everybody else who doesn’t have your blind faith, then at the point of death cries like a baby when you find otherwise! Their is really no excuse for a person to be an atheist but for the notion to be immoral, to say “I can do as I please. I’m going to die and I can indulge in my passions and there is no universal moral code against this” Its a worship of self religion and hence I find them have no sense of the unity of life.
You find amusement in people on their death beds?
yup …. btw … did I say anything about homosexuality? that’s another story
Ok, just so I’m clear it’s not immoral and it’s loving to find amusement in people on their death beds?
By your logic ‘racism’ is a religion, sexism is a religion, plagiarism is a religion. They’re not though.
An atheist doesn’t need to, or attempt prove anything because there is nothing to prove. The burden of proof is on those making the claim. Trying to prove there is no god is like trying to prove there is no easter bunny.
What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. It’s as simple as that.
The morality argument has been long debated between theists and atheists. The reality is we survived for about 200,000 years before a prime mover was credited with the creation of the universe and our moral compass. That’s a lot of births and deaths. It’s a lot early humans working together to provide shelter and food. Working together, protecting each other and surviving together – all without the treat of eternal damnation. The human race would not have survived without our built in moral compass (just like we see in nature).
Saying an atheist has less morals because they fear no consequence speaks more to your own lack of morals than anything. If you’re only ‘being good’ because you’re afraid to go to hell then it’s you that’s lacking morality.
I find it disgusting that all these ‘moral’ religious people here are the ones spouting hate against people for their sexual preference. Why is religion so obsessed with who people sleep with and how?
Hundreds of years ago we believed the world was flat. In a few hundred years people will laugh at those that believed in the man in the sky.
lol
Atheism – a (opposite of) theism (having a theory)
So they just don’t have a theory on religion; they don’t believe in God. I presume they believe the world is the way it is because it is the way it is.
Many professed atheists are extremists. Many seek out argument with people who believe in God as if it is their mission to destroy the other persons belief. Wearing atheism as a badge and brandishing it to all who have the slightest belief in God makes it sure resemble a lot of the religion that they so vehemently protest.
if atheism is the absence of theism then that means they’re on the other extreme side; sorry, it doesn’t sound like they’re in middle to me 🙂
he also had a problem with people eating conch, lobster and turtle
As a Caymanian I have to say in my experience we have a very ignorant society towards this topic and the churches have never and proabably never will be supportive as they seem to act as if they lay down the law. Well if you like it or not it is an issue to be addressed, if you like gays are not they are human beings and are existing and here to stay. As a society its a shame that many gays which there are even many that are Caymanian who feel shut out, dismissed, and opressed. I could go on and on, but unfortunately Cayman has many other issues that it needs to evolve to learn to deal with more maturely. This is just one of many.
I recall the Uk and Caymanian politician came together and made a Constitution for these islands. Guess who they had to bless it? The religious. And now we have a Constitution that is weak and only sometimish in representing the people.
Getting ready for the new Kimpton Hotel known to be gay friendly.
Well done to this student society. It is great to see them challenging the general views of society. Who says the kids there have no get up and go.
Cayman doesn’t have a long history of tolerance for gay and lesbian rights? How about NO history of tolerance at all?
What is the Cayman Islands doing to promote gender and LGBT equality? Going to be a short lecture. Hopefully they don’t forget to mention Tara Rivers extensive contribution by signing Cayman up to CEDAW 😉
Cayman is gay-hostile? Huge understatement. I personally am not gay but I don’t understand the ignorance and hate for the LGBTQ community. At the end of the day they are human beings just like us, with the same dreams and aspirations, emotions, etc.
Hopefully this opens some peoples’ eyes.
I believe most of the gay hostility is from caring Christians who really believe they have the best interest of the gays at heart…. but that’s another whole can of worms.