Just two months after huge history was made in Australia with the Australian government legalising same-sex marriage, Bermuda takes a massive step backward repealing their bill legalising same-sex marriage just six months after it was signed.
Bermuda Gov. John Rankin signed a bill legalising domestic partnerships for LGBT+ couples in Bermuda, which will replace marriage. The action was immediately criticised by LGBT+ citizens and members of the community.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Walton Brown, defended the decision by saying a referendum proved most Bermudians don’t want same-sex marriage. In a statement, he said “It is the government’s belief that this act addresses this position while also complying with the European Courts by ensuring that recognition and protection for same-sex couples are put in place,”
The Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda stated it was “disappointed but unsurprised” with the passing of the recent act, and it creates a “watered down’ version of rights”. Also included it the statement from the Rainbow Alliance stated, “Bermudian politicians on both sides of the aisle have failed to provide any kind of progressive, thoughtful, or justice-minded leadership on the issue of marriage equality.”
Bermuda, being a British territory, the British government has also come under fire to give an explanation as to why it allowed Bermuda to become the first place ever to repeal same-sex marriage legalisation and why foreign secretary Boris Johnson approved it. Harriet Baldwin a junior foreign office minister said the government was “obviously disappointed” but felt it had no other choice but to approve the move.
Affinity writers Olivia Hurley and Abbey Perrin weighed in and talked about what the repeal meant to them, being apart of the LGBT+ community
Abbey said, “It is very contradictory for them to say that they are protecting those in same-sex marriages yet they are just erasing our rights. There is a fine line between protecting and erasing rights and they crossed it.” and Olivia added, “Religions are supposed to be peaceful, non-hateful but what they’re doing and what most religions do is discriminate. That’s hateful, and its one of the worlds biggest contradictions. It hurts knowing that LGBT+ people still have massive obstacles in their way when in the UK and other countries we don’t experience the same levels of hatred they do. This should be a wakeup call for many people in the community that we must acknowledge each other and work together. It should also be a wakeup call for all those arrogant enough to believe that LGBT+ people have already achieved it all.”
