LGBT activists back Domestic Partnership Bill
(CNS): Colours Cayman, the local advocacy group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, has backed government’s Domestic Partnership Bill, even though it falls short of marriage equality. Describing it as a “step in the right direction”, Billie (Bee) Bryan said Cayman still needed a legal framework that is functionally equivalent to marriage as required by the Constitution and the appeal court but the group nevertheless supports this bill.
Bryan explained that the Colours’ legal team had engaged with government on the draft legislation and secured some small but significant changes that would be addressed when the bill is dealt with in the Legislative assembly next week.
Same-sex couple Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden, who have been trying to secure some form of marriage equivalency in Cayman for three years and whose legal action ultimately led to the bill being brought to parliament, are continuing with their appeal to the Privy Council against the local appeal court’s decision to overturn the chief justice’s ruling that legalised same-sex marriage last year.
Bryan said Colours Cayman would also continue to pursue the same rights with the same name. “However, our organisation does believe in the rule of law and has respect for decisions of the Cayman Islands courts. Whichever side of the fence one is on, Colours Cayman will always be, above all, on the side of respect for the rule of law,” she said.
As a result Colours Cayman supports the bill, which creates a legal framework that can be accessed by same-sex couples, and the campaigners are urging the members of the Legislative Assembly to support it.
“The government’s preferred option of domestic partnerships rather than marriage is disappointing to many, to say the least, including Colours Cayman,” Bryan said. “The Court of Appeal made it very clear that there is, contrary to popular belief, no prohibition in the Constitution preventing the legislator to extend marriage to same sex-couples.”
But given the lack of any provision for same-sex couples, the activists have taken a pragmatic approach and are willing to accept domestic partnerships.
“There can be no excuse for further delay or prevarication and a legal framework must be provided irrespective of any appeal to the Privy Council,” Bryan said.
- Fascinated
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Something bothers me here..Why would the Government meet with this group but not with the general public or should I say, their constituents and voters?
Nobody here has their hands clean as even some of the LGBT individuals and their supporters are in support of restricting the rights of some groups of consenting adults to enter into a domestic partnership. If this issue here is about consenting adults that love each other being able to have the same rights and privileges as married couples then let ensure that all groups of consenting adults have the same rights.
Some of these comments are exactly why things have not gone ahead successfully. The dramatics, hype, and hatred from you lot is ridiculous. You want acceptance and respect but act like spoiled children if someone disagrees with your stance. Respect begets respect.
They don’t need to ask for your approval, when it comes to their rights. If you don’t respect other people’s rights, that’s a problem with YOU, not them.
So apparently you believe when “YOU” act like “spoiled children” that is OK?
I would say, those folks simply want “their rights'”
You say they are being “dramatic, with hype and hatred”… That sounds just like the folks opposing equal rights, your position. Get the syntax correct.
Actively suppressing peoples lawful rights erodes the respect you feel you deserve, and it earns you the justifiable contempt your deep hindsight bias prevents you from owning.
Always said
Give men the right to marry as many women as they wish and the woman want
And
Give women the right to marry as many men as they wish and the women want
Why this special carve-out for the special segment
Live and let live
Love and let love
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I wonder how all the married DL brothas feel about this.
This is one issue where the mother country should just implement legislation without the consultation of the LA. This is about human rights, fairness, equality and decency and not about the archaic mindset and beliefs of a group of people living by ‘the good book’. The world won’t stop, the sky won’t fall in, your children won’t suddenly become gay. Do the right thing Cayman and allow ALL people to have equal rights. You might gain a bit more respect from those of us who do believe in equality for all. And then sort out your woman beating speaker of the LA too!
Bravo 6:57 well said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A “step in the right direction” for some people is a slippery slope for some other people.
…yeah, tyrants, vengeful bullies beware!
Slippery slope? Civil union? Slope to what?
Please give us our right to have your union legalised. Tired of having to put up with the immigration bullsh**.
I don’t care what label you put to our union being legalized just DO IT!!!!!
I NEED TO HAVE MY FOREIGN BORN PARTNER HERE WITH ME.
Let us live together with the right to work, live together withour worrying that he has to go when immigration deems it.
I have been with my partner for 14 years which is longer than most of my friends’ heterosexual marriages.
That must count for something.
No more BS!!!! I deserve this right.
You see… they still give you thumbs down. They know that a lot of us actually suffer but still approve of that. What do you call it??
“What do you call it??”
Caymanian racism… Elected to office, tolerated and accepted, re-elected.
No one to blame but ourselves. Sadly.
Don’t worry. When the planes come in, we’re all going to die of Covid, right?
With the average age of death world wide been 78 ……
I think not ..
I think not at all…
Can someone please explain to me why a foreign married same-sex couple living and working in Cayman had their Marriage recognized for the purpose of immigration legality and a Caymanian with her same-sex spouse has to battle it out in the courts.
Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EXPLAIN it to me.
Because most of the CIG and many citizens are intolerant of other lifestyles. “Their’s is the only proper lifestyle”.
In 10, 20, 50 years, they will be viewed as a bigot: chauvinist, partisan, sectarian; racist, sexist, homophobe, dogmatist, jingoist. Sadly, they will plead “guilty as charged! My lifestyle is the only moral lifestyle.” (as they abuse their wife).
And yet, we still elect representatives as such, and patronize their businesses and support their views by being complacent.
Fishing and gardening are chosen lifestyles. Being born gay is not a hobby interest that can be switched off and on as it suits others. This is why there are higher court rights that need both codified recognition and protection here. Civil and human rights are there to protect everyone, but especially the minority that would not have protection otherwise.
Sure, I’ll be glad to tell you.
It’s all about the money. When foreigners come here to work or simply to live, they bring buckets of cash with them. This money comes either right away for wealthy investors or over time for professional workers.
Did you know it takes at least KY$ONE MILLION in investment here in Cayman in order to get a permanent residency? That does not include Hundreds Of Thousands of Dollars in fees to apply for residency.
I am sure that is the answer.
4.44pm Rodney, your comment may be correct for some people. Your comment is very insulting to those of us who are not rich, survived all the hierarchy insults and degradation from certain employers, put our time in to apply for residency, citizenship and status without assistance or give away freebies!
Bad governance, preferential treatment, incompetence and corruption (although not necessarily in that order).
News Flash / respecting the rule of law in this case ? no this is the rule of Hypocrites ? Bigots . The fight for legal marriage of same sex couples , Has been already been approved in many civilised countries around the world . You have many templates for the rights of same sex couples , use them . How about the law in say ahhhh the U.K ? Fight on ladies , my respect for you just gets stronger each time i read about this bullshit twisting of legal rights .Miss u guys .Im gonna get blasted on this one lol . Bring it on .
I am ashamed of my government, and now my countrymen and women.
I see in a recent Cayman Compass Poll that a clear majority do not support rights for these folks.
I see MANY marriages between unloving “straight” parents. Physical abuse, verbal violence, neglect of children… But these unions/marriages are accepted because they are “morally correct by gender.”
After 36 years of marriage to my wife, I value having a loving, respectful union where certain legal rights are included. For couples who share these same values, but cannot obtain legal rights is a travesty.
Shame.
I’ll accept all thumbs down, as apparently a majority believe in discrimination.
I hope this bill passes as yes it is a step in the correct direction, but certainly not acceptable for many. Again, shame on intolerant views.
Rights are not a popularity contest. Nor are they pie. Legally, it doesn’t matter if intolerant heterosexuals and backward politicians (law makers!!!) can’t figure this out. ALL UK Territories have had (for many years) the obligation to not only provide for same sex civil unions, but the substantial obligation to protect and safeguard those rights (from their own recent maligned behavior it would seem). CIG hasn’t just been on the wrong side of this passively. They are actively campaigning against the rights of their own voting citizens, and misappropriating public funds to do so.
Women stole pink, gays stole the rainbow. Prove me wrong.
I’ll prove something, you’re lame.
This process railroading our culture needs to be shut down post haste!
Your culture?! No. If you mean your bible based culture then there would be no adultery & no eating of shellfish amongst a load of other things your bible ‘teaches’. No tolerance for other religions, no tolerance for interracial marriages, but keeping of slaves ok (known here as Domestic helpers). Women would not have got the vote.
Yet your ‘culture’ turns a blind eye to sexual & physical abuse, white collar crimes & having sex outside of wed lock & bearing children by multiple partners.
All lives matter. Let’s stop the discrimination.
If you want to stop the discrimination you unmitigated flurry of verbal diarhhea, then start by not discriminating against Caymanians. Your attempt to label Cayman’s culture with all of the above is indicative of where a vast majority of the discrimination is and comes from. Your attempt to paint all of Cayman and Caymanians with said brush of derisive and divise malarky is the height of ignorance and you, Sir and/or Madaam, are the problem.
My, my, the truth hurts. We assume you are part of the majority that perpetuates intolerance.
Totally agree Jonathan!
I am so sick and tired of everyone of this groups popping up and attempting to label us and want us to accept everything they do. They came here and found us here. We have always welcomed everyone, black, white, brown, gay, whatever.. all we ask is that when you come here you respect us and our culture.
9:28 “Always welcomed everyone.” That is a total lie. Apparently you have not been reading recent posts expressing the opinion that many should leave. As well as past comments by elected officials expressing outright bigotry.
We elected them, the voters are to blame for keeping bigotry in power.
What does this have to do with the price of duck eggs?
Newsflash: I’m born and raised 8th Generation Caymanian, and gay as a two dollar bill.
Live in peace by minding ya business and staying out of my love life with another consenting Caymanian adult or continue to hate your fellow countrymen over something that has zero effect on your marriage or life. Your choice.
Who is getting involved in your love life? No one cares what you are doing or who you are screwing. Most people seem to generally not care, to each his/her own is the mindset.
Ah, so I can do as I wish, but am denied the same rights as you????? Of course you care. You elect bigots. You accept only those with your values, assuming only yours’ are proper.
To each his/her own, then support qual rights.
It used to be – Women deserve equal rights. Blacks deserve equal rights. Sound a modern day theme. Allow loving couples to be as protected with the same rights as you.
Except this this isn’t true. If it were true, there would be provision for civil unions and same sex marriages already, but there isn’t. Same sex spouses would already be allowed to share legal title over mortgages, child custody, have visitation rights to see their spouse in hospital and/or execute powers of attorney, be appointed lawful next of kin executors, but they can’t. You correctly admit, it’s not anyone’s business but theirs. Yet we have a government (applauded by some) that repetitively intercedes to prevent their own people from going about business that’s not theirs to meddle in, nor do they have a legal leg to stand on. That’s the issue.
and who gives a crap..that’s the problem..If you want to be gay, be gay, nobody is stopping you but stop bashing others that are not..This street runs both ways…
You missed the entire point of the comments.
You are OK with folks being gay, but won’t support equal rights, so they are less human than you? Less of a born Caymanian that supposedly was born with the same rights as you. As it stands now, a born Caymanian has rights, but if they desire legal protection within marriage, the laws take their rights away – laws WE set up; WE institutionalized bigotry and discrimination.
You say be what you “WANT to be”, instead of “being who you ARE.” – reflecting profound ignorance that their lifestyle is a conscious choice.
Hetero rights are not the subject of institutionalized oppression and state-backed lawsuits, appeals, etc. Fundamental civil rights are for everyone, they aren’t to be rationed, or metered out on the basis of some assumption of abject popularity.
Don’t blame Colours for taking whatever legislation they can get from this Government. Still, it’s a strange concession when the Bill is so obviously flawed.
Colours said they support the Bill with certain amendments, so letˋs see what changes are made to the Bill next week.
Why is such a polarizing issue such as this not taken up by a referendum?
Is this the Unity Government way of getting blood off their hands by saying that the courts forced us to do this..
Alden has fought every court battle against us being legislated by the courts but funny enough he thought this one wasn’t worth it..
For or against, the people of these islands “must decide” on this issue not a mix-up coalition of politicians who continue to fall apart day by day..
Would you hold a referendum to introduce slavery? If you did, and 95% of people supported the idea of free Labour from some Asian country, would the wishes of the people be of any relevance? Do you now understand why popularity and human rights are (and must remain) different things.
Human rights issues can not be put on referendum and it has been explained numerous times.
In the long run there must be majority support. There is no objective standard.
You understand that if it was left to a vote, slavery would Have continued long after it was abolished. Caymanians refused to free their slaves and the Royal Navy had to come and force the issue, against the wishes of the “majority” FACT.
Boy, you can hear some $hit..Who told you that foolishness?..When did Cayman have slaves?
CNS: There were slaves in the Cayman Islands by at least 1730, with a growing number over the next century until emancipation in 1835. Source: ‘Founded upon the Seas, A History of the Cayman Islands and Their People’ by Michael Craton. Learn your history.
Cayman still has many thousands of indentured, forced to work unpaid overtime, denied legal minimum compensation, healthcare and pension. It’s happening right now! They definitely can’t vote!
“Boy, you can hear some $shit”…
A Caymanian education we assume??? Wow, how uninformed/uneducated and still able to text and forment lies. (Look that term up). Ignorance will eventually catch up. Don’t like that thought – get educated! Some how, some way, it is your future. Don’t want to… Don’t complain!