Town hall meetings on the reform of Anguilla’s constitution are continuing. On Thursday, September 23rd, the issue of same-sex marriage was once again a point of concern in the meeting at the Zion Methodist Church in North Hill.
As it was at all the other meetings, the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Kenneth Hodge, was the moderator and his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Aidan Harrigan, the facilitator.
In providing a general overview on the points of the current draft constitution, and delving in an explicit analysis of changes and adjustments made throughout the years, the Permanent Secretary made particular mention under the heading UK Convention on Human Rights. He said that one of the points which had been getting a lot of airplay was the protection of the right to marry in Section 16. He noted:
“The Anguilla Government favours language for marriage as being between two persons of the opposite sex, while the U.K. insists on no such limitation, since in its view to do so would be to put Anguilla at odds with the UK’s Convention on Human Rights.” “That Convention, the PS insisted, “does not allow for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”
In responding to these pronouncements, Pastor Gareth Hodge made some bold comments that indicated his, stance on the subject of same-sex marriage. He referred to the preamble which states:
“Acknowledging that the society of Anguilla is based on certain moral, spiritual and democratic values, including the belief in God, the inherent dignity of the human person, the inalienable right of the freedom of the individual and respect of the fundamental rights and freedoms and the rule of law.”
The Pastor stated that it held the notion of a belief in God. If this is to stay in our constitution, then it is important that we look at the definition of marriage from God’s point of view, which is clearly stated in the Bible.
“Marriage, as God designed it, is a union between two persons of the opposite sex. Marriage, God’s way, is between a man and a woman. I am aware that there would be many who would tell me, ‘You are entitled to your religious viewpoint. You can stick to your viewpoint and teach it to your congregation, but your congregation does not have the right to impose your teachings upon anyone else.”’
In reflection, he hastened to say: “Well, since a Pastor or a congregation has no right to impose the Biblical views on the secular humanist, then that secular humanist has no right to enforce his or her rights on me, either.
“When we look at our moral, spiritual, and democratic values, if our constitution is to preserve such values, then I say we are in a fight. We are in a fight because I am aware that the UN, as mentioned here tonight, seeks to uphold human rights that are universal. These rights will allow males to marry males and females to marry females, and, according to the UN charter, they are not to be discriminated against…”
“It is my view that while individuals of homosexual orientation are free to do what they want in their own bedrooms, in their cars or on a beach, I also have a right to have my children and grandchildren grow up in a society that respects our moral, spiritual and democratic values, including our belief in God and his directive on marriage as being between a man and a woman.
“Therefore, if this portion of the preamble is going to stay in our constitution, then we must define marriage God’s way — between a man and a woman. Or else, we may as well take God out of it, altogether, and let us craft a secular humanist constitution. But we can never have it both ways.”
The Pastor noted that in the United States and Europe, the legislators shy away from legislating same sex marriage. They have left it up to the court to decide. He said that if two people of the same sex went before a judge who is of a homosexual persuasion, that judge may opt to rule in favour of the same sex couple and give them a license to marry. But if the judge is of a biblical persuasion, then most likely he will opt to rule against the same-sex marriage [irrespective of what is legislated].
“But we are going to put the onus on our legislators to do the job of legislating.” he insisted. He declared, “If our Marriage Act is going to define what is marriage, then that is up to our legislators. And the legislators are going to come back and ask, ‘What does the constitution say? Right now, we are not looking for any compromising language on marriage, as suggested by the UK.” The constitution should give a person the right. The constitution clearly states, ‘with respect to their fundamental rights and freedoms and the rule of law.’”
“Marriage is what marriage is,” the Pastor emphasised. “No one has the right to change the definition of marriage, as it has always been the union of a man and a woman. Although people have their right to live under whatever arrangement they desire, marriage itself must remain constant, and since no one has designed it or invented it, but God, then no one has the right to change God’s ordinance. So let us try and fight to preserve traditional marriage.”
He observed that there were a lot of people, in civil society, who were advocating for normalisation of same-sex marriage in our constitution. “This is where we are going to have strong disagreements,” he said. “It is not my intent to push my religious view down anyone’s throat. But at the same time, I am not prepared for anyone to push their secular humanist view down my throat either…This is a national constitution, and I have a right to try to preserve our moral, spiritual and democratic values.”
