MLAs wrong to condemn constituents
Bille Bryan, of Colours Cayman, writes: With all the news surrounding our LGBT community in recent weeks, it has been a trying time for our small organisation. As such, regrettably, we have not had the opportunity to properly address many of these events and would like to share some of our thoughts and feelings in this short message.
Firstly, we are deeply disappointed in the Court of Appeal’s decision on 10 April 2019 to stay, effectively nullifying Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s historic ruling that would have promised marriage equality for all same-sex couples across the Cayman Islands.
We are especially disheartened that Ms Day and Ms Bodden-Bush, who, with a stellar legal team behind them, both fought long and hard for this monumental victory, only to ultimately be forced to postpone their long-awaited ceremony and endure a barrage of attacks from the public as well as prominent members of government.
It is telling that our elected officials would go to such extremes, condemning and essentially advocating for violence against the very people they’ve vowed to represent and serve.
However, we have every confidence in Ms Day and Ms Bodden-Bush to keep on fighting, no matter the cost. And they should be assured that they are by no means alone in this fight, having the full support of a strong and vocal community to empower their efforts.
That said, Colours Cayman would also like to extend our thanks to those who attended and to those who helped organise last Sunday’s “Out Of Our Shells” celebration, which was a phenomenal success. We were truly touched to witness so many willing to take to the streets and be visible, whether for themselves or on behalf of the many disenfranchised in our marginalised community.
We sincerely hope that such a vibrant display of support encourages those who are still fearful to stay strong and demonstrates just how accepting and loving the people of our islands really are, be they Caymanian, American, British or of any other nationality.
We also would like to express our gratitude to Governor Martyn Roper for publicly voicing his support of the ruling and for taking a clear stance on the issue of marriage equality.
And finally, as a reminder to all, and to opponents of same-sex marriage in particular, Colours Cayman as an organisation has no quarrel with our local religious community. We do not promote nor condone any anti-religious rhetoric and believe that everyone should have the right to practice their faith as they so please, provided it does not infringe on the rights of others.
We advocate for LGBT rights as human rights and promote the inclusion and equality of LGBT persons in the Cayman Islands and throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, and rest assured, we will continue to strive to encourage dialogue, provide education to and promote visibility of our diverse and underserved community.
Billie “Bee” Bryan is the Founder and President of Colours Cayman a local advocacy group for the LGBTI community in the Cayman Islands.
Category: Viewpoint
Although I support what Colours is doing or trying to do I agree if Colours is going to be the voice of the LGBT community they need to be more focused and organzied and not have a knee jerk reaction. The march for example should have been better organized and promoted. If so, the numbers would have been greater. Many LGBT supporters heard about it at the last minute.
Agreed. Colours would’ve had equal or more turn out if their event was more organized other than a single facebook post.. I’m straight but would’ve came out to support them if I had known prior to seeing the livestream of the event.
The politicians sponsored their bigotry event and the churches also had big ads in the newspaper days before.
Will be fun watching the churches implode in August when we have a repeat of Bermuda’s failed appeal.
Today in town was beautiful….so many people..so many Caymanians standing up for their beliefs…culture…values..law…God…a proud day to be a Caymanian! Wonderful peaceful Caymanian event.
What concerns me is Government was voted in to run the country not to push “their so called religious beliefs on us”. From what was stated the Government is breaking the law, “Human Rights”. I wish England would come here and get this sorted out instead of making Cayman look like a backwards country. Julianna should be ashamed of herself “enticing” people to come and march against the rights of these woman. Julianna technically is enticing unrest!!!
Listen you ignorant clown…the Cayman Islands Constitution has no marriage rights for homosexuals. Only the Cayman Islands people can change the constitution. ..and if the UK wants to change it against our will then we will go independent! The Minister did not incite any violence ..she simply made people aware of the legal right to object to a wedding should they have grounds to object. In so far as your suggestion that Minister O’connor did something illegal to warrant you UK saviours to do something to her…mark my word…..it will be a dark day in the world the day someone tries to bring false charges against her. That will be the day you wish you left good people alone!
What about Batabano parade sexual act imitations? Is it in your culture also?
How about child abuse? Animal sodomy? Violence against women?
Batabano and Pirates week and similar events were created mainly by tourism Ministry officials or with their or governments support as a means of stimulating the economy…as experienced in other Caribbean countries historically carnival evolves as a means of oppressed and stressed people to rebel and forget every day life which is almost always facilitated by the use of alcohol and other drugs. Get it straight….church, Christianity, and culture can be different things. In regard to your other questions…don’t be idiotic …a couple cases of someone abusing a horse is by no means a representation of Cayman culture. …it is an example of a sick individual who should be caught and punished according to law.
If you are going to force obedience to Hebrew Scriptures laws don’t pick and choose which ones you want or don’t. The law did not apply to non Jews. The Jews were born under the law, no choice. The rest of the world could choose. I find the whole queer thing repugnant. That is my business, my business is not to judge. I have every right to my opinion and the queer community to their’s. They don’t hate me nor I them.
The judgmental religious community who advocate the continued impingement of their own citizens’ Civil Rights, and use their pulpits to galvanize hate and division, are absolutely the primary enemy of equality in this instance. Ironically, they are also betraying the second Great Commandment of Jesus and disqualify themselves from the Kingdom they seek. We can’t pretend their limited but connected numbers aren’t the driving force behind what we are witnessing. Anywhere else in the free world, there would have been arrests.
Billy I don’t believe anyone has any issues on who anyone wish to love. However, when our constitution is amended without consult with the people of the land and the respective members of the LA, then there will be issues going forward with other persons beliefs and desires. Let’s say a Caymanian living overseas returns home and wishes to have more than one wife and marriage is accepted at age 16. Do you believe our constitution discriminated against this Caymanian beliefs? Or should we continue to chip away at every law on the books that makes Cayman a great place to live? Be careful we dont end up like the rest of the world!
This is not what happened. You need to actually read the judgment from the Chief Justice. The Constitution wasn’t amended at all, the Marriage Law was found to be repugnant to the Constitutional Rights by Act of Parliament and set aside. The LA still must replace it with a revised Marriage Law 2019. Pretending that there is some legal justification to continue to treat LGBT citizens as sub-human remains intentionally cruel and totally unacceptable in 2019.
We are being invited into an Alice in Wonderland world when someone, even should it be the Chief Justice, solemnly asserts that the recent Grand Court judgement did NOT change the Constitution. It is necessary for us to keep to the real world. I suggest that this goes to the heart of the apparent disconnect that the community is now experiencing.
They need to get a life
Frankly as long as the women are all fine with the arrangement and no other local laws are broken, who gives a 5h*t.
All this sanctity of marriage stuff is two-faced BS. There are plenty of unsanctimonious marriages in Cayman already, I don’t see anyone campaigning against those.
Nobody is saying that bigamy should be legalised yet Christians speaking out against gay marriage insist we need to draw the line before gay marriage as a bulwark against every man one day wanting to marry fourteen women and a horse called Gerald. This is what is known as a “Straw man argument” (an argument against a position that no one is taking).
Why do Christians feel the need to judge everyone and impose their worldview on others? The bible does not say “Judge not lest ye be judged… unless those people are not like you in which case have at it.”
There is a name for a Christian who believes the literal word of the old testament while ignoring all the teachings of Jesus: a Jew.
When are people going to learn to live and let live.
Your own argument is a ‘straw man argument’. You have stated ‘Christians’ when it is clearly not all Christians that share the same view.
Yeah, right. Except for all those posting in response to this article.
A straw man argument is when no one is making it. There are plenty of Christians vocally judging others and enforcing their views on others right now.
But point taken.
What business is it of anyone’s if a woman wants to marry a woman and a man wants to marry a man….its non of anyone’s business!!!
On to other news.
Where is the best vacation spot in The Cayman Islands?
The airport out of there.
Make sure leave your status behind, don’t make a coconut leaf hit you on the way out!
So Christian of you.
Amen…though shalt not steal! 🙂 lol
Why such a toned-down statement?
While I support everything LGBTQ, I am quite disappointed to read just now a statement from Colours Cayman.
You should have issued a celebratory statement at the end of March.
There should have been another as the attacks on the LGBTQ community escalated.
And then another the eve of the stay.
I’m sorry Miss Bryan, your group only seems to be a shadow group.
Should your group have issued immediate, solid statements at the outset, perhaps the trying time that you cite as a reason for your silence could have been lessened.
Well said.