Education minister urges disruption to gay wedding
Juliana O’Connor-Connolly in the LA on 3 April 2019
(CNS) UPDATED WITH RESPONSE FROM DAY: Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly has urged the public to attend, uninvited, to what will be the first ever same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands in order to object to it. In her contribution to a debate in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the member for Cayman Brac East implied that gay people are evil. But the minister also read out details of the marriage notice for the two women, Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden, who successfully petitioned the court for their right to marry.
She told people they could object to the union ahead of the wedding, but if they missed that “window of opportunity”, they should go to the ceremony and object then.
In response to the minister, Day told CNS, “The marriage law has been modified with immediate effect by the chief justice and same-sex marriage is now legal. The minister of education’s call for objections to our marriage in writing/in person demonstrates a blatant disregard for the rule of law, and raises concerns of abuse of her position of power as a leader in our community. It also shows a complete disregard to the call from the premier urging everyone to act respectfully.”
In the LA on Wednesday, O’Connor-Connolly accused Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, who legalised same-sex marriage from the bench last Friday, of “judicial tyranny”, and did not hold back on expressing the religious beliefs fuelling her objections to the decision.
The debate was triggered by a private member’s motion tabled by Arden McLean (East End) and seconded by Anthony Eden (Savannah). It was moved up the order paper by the premier after he delivered a statement outlining the government’s intention to appeal the decision of the chief justice in the Day and Bodden same-sex marriage case.
The education minister labelled last Friday, the day the chief justice delivered his decision in the case that was heard in the Grand Court in February, as “Black Friday” and claimed it was another signal of the impending end of days, as she derided those who would dismiss her comments as religious bigotry.
But like many of the members who spoke in the debate about the judgment that delivered marriage equality for the Cayman Islands last week, she focused her debate on the opinion that the judge overstepped his powers when he changed the law. She suggested he had put the democracy here at “grave risk” and said the judgment was based on “foreign disciplines” coming from people who have an agenda.
“I just can’t find the words to adequately describe the tsunami — spiritual, social and otherwise — that has been going through this country since last Friday,” O’Connor-Connolly said. But she said that the legislature had started the “resurrection” after Black Friday with this motion and debate and the government’s decision to appeal.
Government is also seeking a stay to prevent the law from taking effect, but it is not clear that even if the attorney general was able to successfully receive such a stay from the Court of Appeal, it would be in time to prevent Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden from marrying next week, as planned, or stall any other ceremonies where a same-sex couple has already received a licence.
It is not yet known how many local same-sex couples have so far applied to the General Registry for licences to marry, but CNS understands that a number were planning to do so in light of the chief justice’s ruling.
It is also understood that a number of Caymanians who have married overseas are now seeking to have their expatriate spouses listed as dependents, since those marriages have also been legitimised and recognised in law locally as a result of the CJ’s ruling, which currently still stands.
See Ask Auntie column: What are the rights of same-sex couples married overseas?
See the motion in the CNS Library
See the anti-gay marriage debate in the LA below on CIGTV
Category: Politics
What a despicable woman.
The honorable member should be forced to resign for her despicable comments – inciting hatred which is what she has done is surely a criminal offense – let’s all go to every wedding on island and object and see how she likes it. There has been a lot of foul homophobic comments by the government and on this page
May you burn in hell honorable minister for that is what you deserve shamefully hiding behind a book and denying basic human rights.
You don’t need to agree for it to be right. XXXX
Helloooooo!!! It’s 2019 and people still quote the Bible to facilitate their beliefs, full of incest, murder, beastiality, homophobia, cruelty…….that is often read to children on sundays.
Blind stupid FAITH. Christians believe in something that has after a few thousand years no PROOF.
Baby Dinosaur “Dad, does God exist?”
Dad Dinosaur “Not yet”
May God save you when you choose to turn around at the last minute. You God less blasphemer.
Both the current government and the opposition should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this matter to get to this stage and to have the audacity to now play the Caymanian people as fools with this last minute appeal to try and save face. With the exception of Mr. Eden and Mr. Suckoo, the rest of you guys and gals are a disappointment to this country. Our way of life, values and traditions are all gone forever. The irony of this is that people come to our shores for the uniqueness of our culture so what next now since we will be no different from everywhere else in the world???
Juliana is a disgusting human being !
What a horrible woman
Juju made sure UCCI did not hire a gay president. She saved a whole generation from becoming gay. She deserves a medal.
Billy goats, get your billy goats here.. Oh here you go @8:02 and nice healthy billy goat just for you.
What an embarrassment to our island this silly homophobic imbecile of a person and her supporters are.
Can we stone her if she is wearing a cotton blend? Leviticus 19:19.
God help us if she wears rayon, surely the fires of hell will beseig us.
Cannot believe Alden doesn’t have the balls to stand up for basic human rights, and denounce this kind of hate speech.
I thought he was a person of integrity, but I was wrong. He is a coward.
XXXXX I urge caymanians to not be disruptive idlers. Leave the PM alone so they can enjoy their union with their daughter.
And to the bible thumpers and leviticus whatever they quoted, should we now criminalise adultery and sex before marriage? Oh wait, it that ridiculous?
Seems like people only count hate in one direction. Pro Gays want to burn those that oppose same sex marriage and anti Gays want to hate on Same Sex marriage. Neither will even consider the other side as human and decent as long as they disagree with each other’s position.
Interesting choice of words. Only one side actually has a history of doing actual harm and treating the other as barely human and it isn’t the side draped in rainbow flags.
Because it is only in one direction…
Homophobic people want to deny queer people their human rights and if possible want lgbtq people off the island too.
LGBTQ people just want that homophobic people stop killing and harassing them.
Anyone can quote Bible verses to support their point so here are two that should also not be ignored:
a. John 8:7 – He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone…
I am not condoning homosexuality but there are other many other sins that are committed every day. According to the Bible homosexuality is an abomination but adultery, lying, stealing, fornication, gossiping among many others are also sins.
b. Romans 12:19 – Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
As Christians, it is not our job to be judge, jury and executioner, that is for God.
For those who do not believe in God or the Bible then they will feel sure that nothing will happen to them and they should be able to live as they please without fear of discrimination or retaliation.
Fellow Christians, we are to love our fellow man and pray tirelessly for them. We are to be in the world but not of the world. Remember the two greatest commandments. God does not need our assistance in fighting any battles so stop the hateful speech, stop the ridiculing, stop the finger-pointing.
Love to all my fellow Cayman citizens.
So you agree its a SIN..
Those who live in the past can not lead anyone into the future.
It would seem some “hate monger” has access to a lot of computers out there.
When is that mental health facility opening up east again?
HE Governor Roper along with the Deputy Governor and sorry of excuse of a Premier we have needs to demand that Julianna apologies to those Ladies. She is pure evil and should be made to step down from her position as a representative of these Islands for calling for violence and evading on the privacy of Miss Day and Bush.
But I wish that she would really attend the ceremony she will see what LOVE is about.
#standwithChantelandVicky
100% Agreed.
Lets get this hashtag going too #standwithChantelandVicky
I’m horrified by her irresponsible comments. She’s essentially inciting violence by telling people to turn up. This is awful on so many levels. She should not be anywhere near running this country.
While I don’t agree with the wording/manner/tone Ms. Juliana used in the LA, she does have the right and also the duty owed to her constituents to oppose this ruling. I believe she was merely letting people know that all marriage ceremonies that take place in Cayman are open to the public to attend (the receptions are invited guests only but it is law that the ceremony is nonrestrictive). Since the public can attend she was highlighting the fact that when the marriage officer says “is there anyone present that objects to this union speak now or forever hold your peace” that’s the time people can speak up.
I’m a Christian, I’m not in favor of the CJ’s ruling at all, but I at the same time I do not hate anyone for being gay. I do however hate the sin they are choosing to commit but not the person, just like I don’t hate the thief, adulterer, lier etc. but I do hate the sin that is being committed.
Right now emotions are highly sensitive on both sides and that is to be expected. This is a huge change for the Christian community to digest and it’s not a road that will be easy to travel but I urge my brothers and sisters in Christ to be prayerful, continue to share the Gospel and conduct our responses in a way that would honor the Lord. Yes we can stand up for our beliefs but let’s do it with love. We can’t make anyone chose Christ but we can be a light in a world of darkness and hopefully that will draw others to Him.
or !money, or children, or an expense account
Am I the only one that missed the “tsunami” that has been raging over Cayman since last Friday?
If you hate gay people so much then stop reproducing them. Gays cannot reproduce gays. Just saying!!!
But can stupid reproduce stupid?
Based on your comment, apparently so.
Yes
What a nasty, poisonous, backward little hell-hole Cayman has shown itself to be.
In a civilised society, that woman would be hounded from office.
She should be arrested for inciting a breach of the peace. I agree, a nasty, bigoted and hateful woman.
Should have been arrested for theft of public funds when traveling the world with her “driver” , spending tens of thousands on personal gain by using govt equip to pave friends driveways etc.
Shameless stupid uneducated .
What would Jesus do?
That is the question that anyone of a Bible based faith should be asking themselves… Our Heavenly Father, must be so deeply disappointed in our society, for so many reasons, but this being the subject at hand here, is surely one of them. God is a fair and just God. He does not sleep nor slumber. And may God spare us from His wrath!
He destroyed the City of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin! The sin of their city! Those who call homosexuality the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah are only partly right. We could paraphrase here, replace for the Cayman Islands. There are many sins that we need to be addressing and repenting for as a nation. ALL sin separates people from God.
Every person stands in need of God’s grace and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ to receive eternal life.
How would Jesus respond to the Minister’s proposition? Or the wedding at hand here? Would He attend if invited? Would He congratulate the newlyweds? Would He protest? Would he gay bash?
God is not silent on the subject of homosexuality.
However, let us not ever forget to do everything in love. Anything Christians do or say should be motivated by love and not animosity.
Not very Christian like of you Ms. Connolly. Even if you don’t agree, spreading hate won’t make the world a better place. There are other sins such as gluttony, adultery, stealing and dishonesty, now how would you classify yourself and other political figures my dear?
This “Juju” Minister of Bollocks is a waste of skin. Why isn’t her holiness dealing with all the baby mommas/daddies out of wedlock etc getting their drink on rubbin up on other people’s people? Her judgemental a** needs God. Leave people alone bad Juju.
She, personally can say and do what she wishes, but not when she is incumbent of CIG. The position comes with a protocol to follow. Unless the country is run like a Mom&Pop store.
There’s no sense in labeling others “evil” or “tyrant” since all men/women are created equal and God loves all those he created.
God loves all of us, which is why He said clearly what is right in his eyes and what is wrong, and He then told us directly in simple words to do what is right. I love my children. That doesn’t mean that I will condone whatever they want to do.
I have no problems with these people, i am for letting them live the way they want and enjoy their lives, but there should be a difference between two same sex couples and a male and female couples, the law should continue to read marriage for a husband and wife for a man and woman, but a man cannot be classed as a wife or a woman be classed as a husband, so same sex couples should be classed as “civic unions” and spouses, therefore , should read as, “will u take this man to be your spouse and this man to be your spouse” (and same for two women) and “what the law of the Land has joined together let no man or woman put apart”, so they can share insurances, pensions etc., etc.,and get on with their lives. Live and let live. . i hope people and Government will understand what i am trying to say
. Thank you.
Well if the CIG and the oh so holy people of this island acted when this issue first presented its self, we would not be here.
Well according to Julianna she has met him personally and he only loves straight people. Hey did anyone see this kind of commotion and condemnation by her when the child molester was asking for status? Selected outrage! She is a disgrace.
With this , another example of the hateful rhetoric that is being displayed by the elected members of the government of Cayman , they should tread very cautiously here on potential tissue-thin ice. Their timing couldn’t be worse to board the anti-gay rights bandwagon , with worldwide condemnation of this weeks move by Brunei to persecute their own such citizens. Calls to boycott Brunei interests didn’t take 24 hours.
The LGBT community in the US should pressure the cruise companies to boycott Cayman if this decision is successfully appealed.
Got a problem with the legal system?
One gay cruise ship boycotted. No one cared.
Truly we don’t want the cruises. We don’t want the port. So if this pushes that agenda then I’m all for this anti gay rhetoric.
I’m there with you 100%
Visitors can arrive to the Cayman Islands on airplanes, cruise ships aren’t the only mode of transportation smartie
This has to be a belated April fool joke. Sad times for the Cayman Islands.
Minister of Education……….. let that sink in. Failing public school systems and not a peep out of her! Where are her priorities? So embarrassing and pathetic. What she is suggesting is downright rude and disrespectful. I can’t stress it enough- when people get married does anyone lose sleep over it or have a bad day because of it? No. Why? Because it’s none of our business and we wouldn’t even know it’s happening!
I just wish she would put forth this much effort into fixing our schools- but I guess our children’s future isn’t her concern…unless any of our children are gay- then it’s her main concern that they never have the same rights as straight children. Soooooo ridiculous!
Please Lord, hurry and let the rapture come soon. Please take your most deluded and mean-spirited zealots up to heaven where they might drool, hate, and mumble with you for all eternity. Clearly this will be best for all concerned. We humbly beg you Almighty God, make haste and bring on the rapture. Amen. #Blessed
Please Gay Commentator, hurry and stop insulting Christianity soon. It will never accommodate you if you don’t.
@4:28 – Why in God’s name would anyone need Christianity to accommodate them?
You all so distracted you missed the dredger moving in to the harbour.
So much for “Cayman Kind”.
yep…the biggest oxymoron i know of….
I am not against gay marriage firstly but we are talking about everyone’s rights. Just like its in the rights of these 2 people to get married, its in the rights of anyone to object as is the case of any heterosexual wedding. This is the purpose of the posting of the bands to notify the public of a wedding in the Cayman same-sex or otherwise. We are calling for equality but it seems to only be equal if its for same-sex marriages, every marriage in this country can be objected. As a politician JuJu was quite smart in keeping her constituents happy by giving them some recourse which is in line with the law. We may just not all like it but it ain’t illegal.
What rights? Marriage is not a right. And of course, everyone has rights. But if you are meaning “gay rights” that is more like preveleges of a minority. You need to study about “rights” before you use government to impose laws on the whole population.
“Privilege” is having special rights as opposite sex couples to marry and barring same sex couples the same.
Well, you really need to study rights. Marriage is a human right even in the Universal Declaration of Human rights, one of the only documents the entire civilized world agrees.
There is so much more important issues that we don’t attend to, however gay marriage is the most important thing.
Over pedophilia, rape, murder, education, or should I say lack of and the list goes on….Wowwwww!!!!
Animals sodomy
Self-hate much?
Minister of “Education”. LOL
Minister of Lack of Education
Who is this Pisacco?
I cannot wait for KARMA to knock on Tara, Anthony, Arden, Alva Sucks, Julianna and Alden’s doors. Soon come!!!
We are not to wish evil or revenge on others… as you may not get that pleasure in your time. Be very careful of calling Karma on others. God does not sleep nor slumber.
Resign now you hateful, awful woman. You are a disgrace to humanity.
Where’s she going to park the steamroller (only vehicle with wheels that can carry her and her inflated sense of self piety)?
Civil disobedience ? What goes around …
So lets now mobilise people to attend any event where Juliana is attending, public or private, and voice our objections to whatever it is. Betcha she gets the police out to enforce her interpretation of the law…
But this is Cayman going down the toilet, led by politicians (Alden, Juliana, Eden…) who probably still think the earth is flat, and the dinosaurs never existed. I’m tempted to say “God help us”, but God must be shaking his head in disbelief…
He/She isn’t. God doesn’t exist.
Over the years Ju Ju has received thousands of critical comments, but has always stuck her nose in the air and ignored them. She has ably demonstrated that the skin of a rhinoceros is paper thin compared with hers.
Ju Ju, the IRON WOMAN 👍🏼🙂
She is well out of order, but then again, so is the man presiding over the LA, the Speaker.
Parliamentary privileges are freedom of speech, freedom from arrest on civil matters, freedom of access to the sovereign’s representative, and that ‘the most favourable construction should be placed on all the Houses’s proceedings’.
Parliamentary privilege is however something that forms part of the law rather than putting Members of Parliament above the law – for example, these rights and immunities do not extend to crimes unrelated to their office (for example Labour MP Fiona Onasanya was jailed for lying following a speeding ticket).
The doctrine of Parliamentary privilege was unsuccessfully used to try and prevent details of 2010 MPs expenses scandal from emerging.
In recent years in the UK, the doctrine of Parliamentary privilege has made headlines in relation to the arrest of Damian Green and several cases relating to super-injunctions such as RJW & SJW v The Guardian newspaper & Person or Persons Unknown (‘Trafigura’) and CTB v News Group Newspapers leading to calls to reform the law relating to privilege.
Case Law:
Strode’s Case (1512)
The Case of the Five Members (1641)
Ashby v White (1703)
R v Paty (1705)
Stockdale v Hansard (1837)
Bradlaugh v Gossett (1840)
The Case of the Sheriff of Middlesex (1840)
Pepper v Hart (1993)
R v Chaytor (2010)
Who cares?
I’m a public law attorney and I’m already bored. What do those decisions have to do with anything.
With opinions like that I’m thankful she is so lazy
It is interesting to see the MANY pro-gay comments here, expressing EXTREME HATE AND VILE COMMENTS AGAINST CAYMAN AND OUR LEADERS 🤔
The same ones talking about respecting others….Amazing … you can’t count them. So many negative comments here.
If you were wake up and see the shambles our country is in, then you would be angry that your politicians put so much energy in this, but are willing to throw away our environment. Appealing this will cost $$$ and that same money is needed for far more important things, in example, Education. So keep sleeping you sheep and see where this country will be 10 years from now if we do not wake up.
What a disgusting woman! If this is what Christianity is.. then hello sinners! She only flapping her big mouth to get elected. XXXXX Lol with them spewing this hate, should a member of the LGBT community be attacked then I hope they sue the the hell out of our Goverment.
I love how these Christians only quote the parts of the bible that suit them. I’m thinking of getting myself a slave as the bible seem no problem with me having one, or more….
Anon 0342 you noticed that you quoted the one that suited your arguement as well. Christian’s are called to love all but hate sin. The problem is that homosexuality is classed as one of the sins by many.
CaymanKind.
Good afternoon everyone. After reading the press release posted by Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly on (CNS). I can’t say that am shock from her press release.
As one of our elected members in Government and holding the title as the Education Minister who we trust to provide our upcoming youth with the necessary skills to secure a job and be beneficial to society. Whatever what happened to teaching our youth these skills, Tolerance, Acceptance and Equality.
These skills are also need in today’s society to help build a stronger community. Also asking the community to hold a protest on the day of this same sex marriage is not only rude but outright disrespect. It’s gos to show she still has the same mentality a few years back when she tried to secretly over overthrow the Hon Mckeeva Bush from his elected post as the premier.
I truly hope when election time comes around next year we all put up or shut up and do the right thing.
This woman is an outright disgrace and has been for a long time….
I think this is all a ruse, orchestrated by the secret green iguana society in order divert attention and resources away from the cull.
We need a little levity. Thanks for that
Wow, instigating disregard for the law and hate against other Caymanians….surely this can’t be tolerated.
Would she like people to protest the church and anything else she does privately that’s nobody else’s business?
Wow that’s shocking. What a hateful women. Education minister? No wonder the kids exiting the schools aren’t properly educated.
When she was travelling around the world with her SO CALLED DRIVER. that’s all good. .
Unna bible basher need to stay in unna home. Us younger generation are sick and tired of unna sh..
We can’t wait for unna to be gone!
So no music on sundays
No gambling
No strip clubs
No weed
No LGBT rights..
WTF….
Unna so in the past, unna soon done!
12.37pm I hear she set the national record for travel expenses on one trip,with her “driver”, stopping in New York for 2 days shopping, on her way to the Postal Union Conference of which we were not even a member. This lady seems to be a law unto herself and does not care about public opinion, only her political affiliations.
Don’t forget about the $1800 lunch bill in Spain, during her “World Tour”, with her, ahem, “Driver”.
Ye unna lil young foolish lab rats will evaporate faster, AIDS COKE & PERCS have unna gone by 25…Go on an run your mouth on the internet now because in REAL life it would be waaay different!!
Sorry, I have a degree in accounting and make $6,500.00pm working for an accounting firm, age 26. Unna old folk disappearing soon, us youth will make sure of it..
As for the old foul Bracker. Well..
@ Bracker donkey cheater ….. hope you’re running that accounting firm one day but in the meantime I certainly hope you’re registered to vote so that you can help make sure she & others of her ilk aren’t elected next time round!
Registered in Red Bay.. See you later Premier !!
Well, that was random…
One step forward, then 10 steps backward.