Churches march against plan to legalise same-sex unions
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The first in a series of marches to protest against plans to legalise same-sex unions in Barbados was held on Saturday.
More than 200 church members marched through the town of Holetown in the parish of St James, in a show of force to send a message to the Government that the Church is not in agreement with making same-sex unions legal.
According to Dr Veronica Evelyn, executive director of Family-Faith-Freedom Barbados, the registered charity which organised the march, the gathering consisted of worshippers and leaders from different denominations.
“As you know, it’s COVID time and we have to be careful, so we are limited in numbers; we could not go over 250, so we are very happy with the turnout,” Evelyn said.
Meanwhile, chairperson of the registered charity, pastor Paul Leacock, said the series of marches would demonstrate the Church’s disagreement and request for Government to reconsider and rescind its decisions to institutionalise same-sex unions in the country.
Last month, in her delivery of the Throne Speech, Governor General Dame Sandra Mason said a public referendum on allowing same-sex unions will be held.
The tourism-dependent Barbados must have a “frank discussion” and “end discrimination in all forms” so as not to be “blacklisted” for human rights issues, the governor general then said.
“My Government will do the right thing, understanding that this, too, will attract controversy.”
She added that the Government would accept the result of the public vote.
A date for the referendum has not been set .
