Let the national debate begin!

Fri, May 18. 2012

Editor: The world was shocked by U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent public Endorsement of Gay Marriage in a Presidential Election year. Large sections of social conservatives and democrats condemned the move by the President; but what the president has done, is to awaken a new phase of global debate on the issue of same sex marriage.{{more}} Very shortly after his pronouncement on Gay Marriage, the Australian Prime Minister Ms. Julia Gillard said that she “stood by her beliefs and would not vote for a private member’s bill set to be introduced in Federal Parliament of Australia, later this year, to allow same-sex couples to marry”. Right here in the Caribbean, even the daughter of the Cuban President Raul Castro, during a rousing gay rights March on Saturday, May 12, 2012, said that her father advocated eliminating sexual discrimination, and reiterated her own hope that the country (Cuba) would soon legalize same-sex marriage, according to the Mail online News. Furthermore, the government of Trinidad and Tobago is currently looking into the issue of gay and lesbian marriages and a decision will be made public at some point, according to the Trinidad Express News.

Relevant to St Vincent and the Grenadines, where do we stand?

How far away are we from having a challenge to our present system, to allowing Equal marital rights for Gays, and if such a challenge arises, what would be our response?

Do we wait until such a formal challenge comes up to respond to it, or do we start now?

As for me, I say let us begin the debate now, but if we do, what would we be debating?

There are many persons within our society who hold what I call the “buju bantonist” view on same sex marriages and Gays and Lesbians on a whole.

Some believe that Gays should be banned, killed, chastised and the like, because God made Adam and Eve and not Adam and Steve and destroyed an entire City (Sodom & Gomorrah) because of homosexuality, among other sins. There is another group, however, who often ask the question as to what satisfaction can we get out of violent and discriminatory action against Gays and Lesbians and who are we to judge, in light of the fact that sin is sin, and if homosexuality is spoken out against, then so should every other sin.

I personally believe that there are many gays and lesbians in our country here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, some of whom are very much influential and I also believe that one day, that group, when it gets bigger, will be using the persuasive precedent set by Obama and other prominent figures, into pressuring our local leaders into considering the fundamental rights and freedoms of gays.

The question therefore arises: does anyone have a right to be gay?

From a religious stand point, in the Garden of Eden, God gave both Adam and Eve the prerogative of choice, in other words, freedom of choice. Both were made aware of the presence of the forbidden tree, and were told not to eat from it – now we all know how that story ended. Now, God did not force them to refrain from eating of the forbidden tree. He told them about it, told them not to eat from it and warned them of the consequences of eating from it- he gave them freedom of choice.

As for me, I do not believe that homosexuality is correct.

A man with another man cannot procreate, neither can a woman and a woman together. I, however, uphold freedom of choice. I cannot be God and I cannot judge. I would not use the buju bantonist approach and take it upon my hands to kill, ban and chastise Homosexuals. If people want to be homosexuals, they know it is wrong, they know there will be a Judgement Day and they ought to know that they have to give account for all of their actions. The major problem though, is where homosexuals target innocent, straight people into getting involved in these vile and unjustified actions.

Actions like: priest buggering little boys; children’s innocence being taken away; young people not given a fair chance to exercise their right of freedom of choice – to be able to grow up and choose for themselves their own path, because they are being bombarded by homosexuals and homosexuality in all sections of society. That, to me, is the new and emerging stage of the debate. Can you imagine a St Vincent and the Grenadines with Gays holding hands, kissing in public, hugging and caressing each other, hosting and dominating Radio and TV shows – all of which could influence your young developing children into these perverse actions and lifestyles, before they can choose for themselves?

We can choose to stay silent now and wait for that day when a formal challenge is made by gay rights activists for rights, or we can start the National debate now to form a general consensus on the issue of Gay rights and Gay marriages.

If not, we risk facing the tyranny of the minority – where the rights of minority groups will take precedence over the rights of the majority in society, as is the case in America, where prayer in public schools is no longer permitted, abortion is being promoted and more recently, Gay rights are being advanced by sitting presidents. When we allow such minority groups to gain these rights – where do our rights as right thinking citizens go? Let the national debates begin!!!

Demion “Black Star” Mc Tair