Tag: same-sex marriage
LGBT group worried by MLAs’ view of law
(CNS): The local LGBT advocacy group, Colours Cayman, has welcomed the governor’s decision to intervene in order to uphold the rule of law regarding the rights of that community and enact the Domestic Partnership Law. However, the activists have raised concerns that some local legislators have said that they are not willing to comply with […]
Governor imposing DP bill, not same-sex marriage
(CNS): Governor Martyn Roper will push through the Domestic Partnership Bill, which was defeated in the Legislative Assembly last week, rather than legislation giving full marriage equality for same-sex couples. Roper will be imposing the law through his Reserved Powers under section 81 of the Constitution and not by an order-in-council directly from the UK. […]
HRC expects UK to act as CMA remains defiant
(CNS): The passage of the Domestic Partnership Bill into law “should have been inevitable”, given the ruling of the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, the Human Rights Commission has said. But as the “Legislative Assembly failed once again” to meet it obligations, “direct intervention by the United Kingdom now appears likely”, the HRC said in […]
The defeat of the Domestic Partnership Bill
Billie “Bee” Bryan writes: Colours Cayman would like to express our deep concern and disappointment in the outcome of the debate over the Domestic Partnership Bill in the Legislative Assembly this week. This isn’t just a sad day for our LGBTQIA+ community; it’s also a terribly sad day for our wonderful Islands and our persons. The failure […]
DP bill fails as ministers break rank
(CNS): Exercising a ‘conscience vote’, two Cabinet ministers voted against the Domestic Partnership Bill on Wednesday, ensuring its defeat by one vote. Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and Health Minister Dwayne Seymour joined with the opposition benches against government on the contentious bill. But Premier Alden McLaughlin predicted the imposition of same-sex marriage by the UK […]
DP debate stirs up various prejudices
(CNS): Anti-gay rights bias and homophobia weren’t the only prejudices and odd reactions that politicians displayed over the last two days as they debated the Domestic Partnership Bill. From the opposition leader referring to the former governor as “that woman” to the health minister’s warning that women’s sexual drive increases during a full moon, the […]
Domestic Partnership Bill heading for defeat
(CNS): The u-turn by Kenneth Bryan (GTC) on his previous support for some form of legislation recognising same-sex unions left the government’s Domestic Partnership Bill hanging in the balance Tuesday night, after all members of the Legislative Assembly had had their say. Premier Alden McLaughlin is now expected to wrap up the debate on Wednesday, […]
Domestic Partnership Bill drafted
(CNS): Over seven months after the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal directed government to “expeditiously” implement some form of same-sex civil partnership legislation, a bill has finally been drafted for public consultation. The court made the order after overturning the chief justice’s ruling from March 2019 legalising same-sex marriage. In response, government has now come […]
MLAs use privilege to deride gay rights
(CNS): The veteran MLA for Savannah, Anthony Eden, led the charge, once again, of politicians using parliamentary privilege to deride the LGBT community and attack marriage equality. As well as making claims that coronavirus, the recent earthquake, AIDS and even global warming are all God’s punishment for the immorality that foreigners are bringing here, Eden […]
Gay marriage case on road to Privy Council
(CNS): Lawyers acting for Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden, a same-sex couple who have been battling in the courts for the right to marry or at least engage in a lawful civil union, have filed an application to take the fight to the Privy Council in the UK. Attorney Ben Tonner confirmed Wednesday that the […]