Cayman Islands succumb to UK demands on same sex marriage
![Progressives United, Chairman, Honourable Julian Fraser RA, recently reminded the House of Assembly Members, the VI has avoided the legalization of same sex marriage “like a plague.” He called on recently elected Premier of the VI, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (pictured here), to confront the matter saying, “It’s an issue you [Premier] has to face… your government has to face it, it’s not something that’s you could avoid or walk away from.” Photo: VINO/File](https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/cache/images/800x_f_Fahie_07.jpg)
The Cayman Islands' Chief Justice, Anthony Smellie, ruled that the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman was unconstitutional and violated multiple rights.
He subsequently ordered that the local law be changed to reflect that same-sex couples are allowed equal access to marriage as heterosexual couples.
UK’s Demands
His ruling followed a petition by Caymanian Chantelle Day and her partner Vickie Bodden Bush.
The ruling by Chief Justice Smellie, has now set legal precedent for OTs, Crown Dependencies and the Commonwealth and will inherently bring added pressure on the VI which has been resisting the UK’s demands.
Chief Justice Smellie ordered in his ruling that section 2 of the Marriage Law be changed to state “‘Marriage’ means the union between two people as one another’s spouses.”
He also stated: “This Court is … bound not to allow the violation of the Petitioners’ rights to continue without redress. The Constitution, in its mandatory requirement that the Law be brought into conformity, must prevail.
VI Position
Leaders in the domestic political and religious circles have been united in their stance against the demand by the UK.
Only recently, Progressives United (PU), Chairman, Honourable Julian Fraser RA reminded the House of Assembly Members, the VI has avoided the legalization of same sex marriage “like a plague.”
He had called on recently elected Premier of the VI, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (D1), to confront the matter saying, “it’s an issue you [Premier] has to face… your government has to face it, it’s not something that’s you could avoid or walk away from.”
He implored new Premier Fahie to, “show that you have leadership skills, show that you have tenacity that I always thought that you have and deal with these issues.”
Committee Report
The ultimatum by the UK stems from a UK parliamentary committee report which called on the Theresa May-led administration to set a date for all OTs to remove belongership status, legalise same-sex marriages and implement the public beneficial ownership registries.
In its report entitled, “Global Britain and the British Overseas Territories: Resetting the relationship”, the Committee said, “It is time for all OTs to legalise same-sex marriage and for the UK Government to do more than simply support it in... It must be prepared to step in, as it did in 2001 when an Order in Council decriminalised homosexuality in OTs that had refused to do so.”
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51 Responses to “Cayman Islands succumb to UK demands on same sex marriage”
EITHER God’s laws as they pertain to marriage designed by the Creator;
OR man’s (and his man-made constitution)
As long as there is mutual love involved, I believe the Creator accepts that.
But I know, lots of people don't believe in Live and Let Love...they believe in judging others.
Go read the Bible inspired by the Universal Creator.
The substance of your comment sounds more like mutual LUST.
Adultery is an abomination too but Christians participate in it, support it and condone it.
“His ruling followed a petition by Caymanian Chantelle Day and her partner Vickie Bodden Bush.”
Will the Christians reject or accept as fellow worshippers? It’s legal per the law of the land ...
The Bible condemns ALL forms of sexual immorality. Not just one type. Now that this last one has been legalized, which in some lands has been the case for years now, what is the BVI Christian community going to do about it? BVI Christians are allowing and accepting other forms of sexual immorality. Are they going to discriminate against this one?
Two-faced masquerading Christians. Backboneless & double-tongued - claiming to be following God’s righteous decrees but they are not. Fakes and liars.
Get with humanity.....this shouldn't even be news. One love BVI is soon going to have a new meaning.
Let me explain. Aint no one saying gay people have a right to marry in the same church you worship at.
No one is saying we are changing the scriptures to allow for gayness.
No one is saying you all should have to ever encounter these terrifying men and women who love each other.
All the law is saying is that if two people - man and man or woman and woman love each other and decide to commit as companions to each other for the long term, then the legal rules that apply to man and woman unions - like inheritance, the right to have on power of attorney, recognition in cases of identity, hospitalisation of one party, insurance, ownership of homes etc. - all the real boring things that bureaucratically enable a couple to be recognised by THE LAW, applies to these people.
They can get married at a registry office or in the presence of a registrar and all the above will become legal.
This is NOT a bunch of LGTB people invading your nice, safe self-reinforcing church environment and making moves on your macho best friend who you've secretly had your eye on since school days. ;)