If, John Rankin, the Governor of Bermuda agrees to the Domestic Partnership Act, the Caribbean island nation will become the first country to roll back gay marriage.
According to Caribbean360.com (http://www.caribbean360.com/)
The new will replace the existing right of the LGBT community to marry. However, the new "Domestic Partnership Act" contains the right for same-sex couples to enter in a civil union, but it means fewer rights than the marriage, which will be unreachable for gays.
This recent decision contradicts the ruling of the High Court from May, which states, that same-sex couples are entitled to marry under the Marriage Act. Married gay couples, who registered their marriage on Bermuda before the new legislation enters into force can keep their status.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC https://www.hrc.org/) and other civil organisations urged the Governor to veto the new Act.
Bermuda was the liberal Caribbean country regarding the gay rights. The ban on gay marriage will be a severe hit to the country's economy, namely for the tourism sector. On the other hand, decreasing human rights cannot be a right message for the international community. LGBT tourism is more than necessary for all vacation destinations, and other jurisdictions are investing a lobbying to attract more and not fewer gay guests.
Unfortunately, the Caribbean island nations are not the real paradise for everyone. The laws related to the sexual life are still the same from the Victorian times. However, the islands, which belong to the European Union are allowing not only homosexuality but even the marriage of same-sex couples, according to the European values and rights. According to The Economist (https://www.economist.com), still eleven Caribbean nations ban the homosexual activity, and attacks on the LGBT community often go unpunished. Gays are prohibited from entering in Belize and Trinidad & Tobago. Traditionally, Catholic Latino countries are more religious, but somehow the English speaking paradise islands are far less gay-friendly locations. Same-sex activity is banned for men in:
Belize, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad &Tobago, and Guyana.
Same-sex activity is banned for women in:
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, Grenada, and Trinidad & Tobago.
Same-sex marriage and civil union for same-sex couples are banned in:
Belize, Jamaica, Bermuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana.
Known arrests of 2013-2016 for same-sex activity:
Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Human Right groups are criticising for long years the outdated legislation on the LGBT community in the Caribbean region. The wrong approach hardens even the fight again the HIV. Moreover, the culture of these countries contains a lot of homophobic music, which are banned in Jamaica but only in public places.
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