For some time, the subject of same-sex marriage has been talked about and debated around the world. For us, here in Anguilla, it has evoked lots of emotion on both sides of the issue. It is one of those issues which the British Government seems intent on imposing on the people of the Overseas Teritories, including Anguilla.
In light of the recent ruling in Bermuda, this is likely to stump the British so the future of same-sex marriage in Anguilla is likely to remain uncertain for some time – at least for now.
Following is the ruling on the landmark case between the Attorney-General of Bermuda and Rod Ferguson and others, and a reaction from our own Pastor Philip Gumbs of the Church of God of Holiness-Anguilla, who has been very vocal, not only in Anguilla but across the region, in objection to any consideration of recognising, legalising or legitimising same-sex marriage.
Privy Council Ruling
The London-based Privy Council on Monday, March 14, sided with the Bermuda government in its battle to ban same-sex marriage in the British Overseas Territory.
The ruling by the Privy Council, the island’s highest court, came after two days of hearings more than a year ago on the case between the Attorney-General of Bermuda and Rod Ferguson and others.
“The Board allows the appeal. Lord Hodge and Lady Arden give the judgment to the Board, with which Lord Reed and Dame Victoria Sharp agree. Lord Sales gives a dissenting judgment,” the Privy Council noted.
Bermuda’s Ministry of Home Affairs earlier confirmed that at least US$411,627 from the public purse had been spent on hiring lawyers and law firms involved in the case.
The case in London marked the final chapter in a roller-coaster saga that at one stage saw Bermuda become the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage and then take away the right, but a series of court decisions meant that gay couples could get married on the island.
Monday’s ruling will end those marriages.
Legal sources say the ruling could also set a precedent for same-sex marriage across the UK’s Crown Dependencies and other Overseas Territories, as well as a host of former territories.
Pastor Philip Gumbs’ Reaction
Di One Engine Plane Crash
Well, well, well. We knew it shouldn’t stay in the air because it couldn’t stay in the air. But, as with Putin’s massacre of Ukrainians, might is right, and in a western world that has essentially declared that the earth is flat, and that gravity doesn’t exist by decreeing that a man is a woman just because he wants to be, that men can compete in women’s sports simply because they claim to be women and to deny them that “right” is, oh my, so mean and hateful, insanity happens, and all of us in the British Overseas Territories would have been forced at jail point to board that one engine plane.
The sobering reality is that if a lie is repeated again and again it becomes incontestable truth for many people. So, we heard a thousand times, “Gay marriage is a fundamental human right”, “Gay marriage is essentially all over the western world and we in the Caribbean, and certainly Anguilla, have no choice but to accept it.” Unfortunately, many Christians and sincere people didn’t even try to fight.
But thank God for those who refused to be ruled by a lie. The courageous truth warriors and family defenders in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, who I know personally and have been privileged to work shoulder to shoulder with, dared to defy deception and won a victory that resonates across the globe. UK Blocks Gay Marriage For Cayman Islands and Bermuda! is the headline everywhere. This has profound ramifications for us here in Anguilla and other BOTs.
We also commend those local believers and pastors who stood up, stood out, and spoke out. I must applaud our government for clearly stating at the public consultations that they stand firmly opposed to amending the constitution to recognise gay so-called marriage. The ruling by the Privy Council highlights the importance of a clear and sane definition of marriage being enshrined in the constitution, and thus I anticipate an urgent resumption of the Constitutional Reform process.
A few months ago, I wrote several articles showing why the entire lgbtq arguments, and in particular gay so-called marriage, fly in the face of God’s word, genuine love, science, and sanity. My point was that the only engine that could make the gay so-called marriage plane fly is the iron fist imposition by our mother country whose leaders have repeatedly attempted to deceive us into believing that the European Convention on Human Rights obligates all signatory states and their territories to legalise gay so-called marriage. I quoted at length from the ECHR rulings to expose the lie. In the process the leading local luminary of the fight bravely admitted that he was wrong to instinctively accept as truth the oft repeated lie from the leadership within the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Aye, I announced the crash. Anguilla heard and several Caribbean islands and readers in the UK heard. But on Monday, March 14, 2022, the world reverberated with the ruling by the Privy Council: “international instruments and other countries’ constitutions cannot be used to read into (Bermuda’s and Cayman Islands’ constitutions) a right to the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.” Folks, this is huge!
The one engine plane crash. Ti mash up!
