Video: CNN Interview Zakiya Johnson Lord
OUTBermuda’s Zakiya Johnson Lord recently appeared on the CNN programme ‘Quest Means Business’, discussing the organisation’s lawsuit challenging the Domestic Partnership Act.
OUTBermuda and Maryellen Jackson filed legal action in the Bermuda Supreme Court seeking an order declaring that provisions that “have the effect of revoking same-sex marriage” are in contravention of the Bermuda Constitution, with the lawsuit marking the second legal challenge filed in relation to the matter.
“OUTBermuda and Ms. Jackson strongly oppose any measure to revoke the right to marry by the Bermuda Government and believe that the ruling originally handed down by the Supreme Court of Bermuda in May 2017 permitting same-sex marriage is good law,” the Bermudian LGBTQ support organisation said earlier this week.
The Domestic Partnership Act will also impact cruise ships registered in Bermuda, as they must adhere to Bermuda law, and there had been some calls from campaigners overseas for ships to ‘boycott’ the island.
Whilst the lawsuit by a Bermuda LGBTQ charity and a Bermudian, it has the support of the Carnival, who said they are “actively supporting OUTBermuda” which includes providing “financial, civic and public relations support,” with the cruise line saying they “believe it is important to stand by the LGBTQ community in Bermuda and its many allies to oppose any actions that restrict travel and tourism.”
CNN’s Richard Quest started the segment by saying, “Carnival cruises is joining the legal fight against Bermuda’s ban on same-sex marriage. Now, Carnival’s partnering with OUTBermuda to oppose the law.
“The law, changed just a few weeks ago, means two major Carnival divisions registered in Bermuda can no longer conduct same-sex marriages on their ships. Joining me now is the director of OUTBermuda, Zakiya Johnson Lord.”
Mr Quest noted some have been calling for a boycott of Bermuda, which is something that OUTBermuda is not in favour of, and asked why.
“We’re not in favour of a boycott,” Ms. Johnson Lord replied. “It definitely doesn’t support the very people we want to. LGBT Bermudians are working in hospitality. Our businesses, all these people depend on it. And we are still moving forward, so it’s important to remember that.
“I think there are jurisdictions that are worthy of a boycott,” she added. “Bermuda just doesn’t fall into that category. What we need is backing and support. That’s what we need.”
“We’re taking it to the courts,” Ms. Johnson Lord added. “We think it’s unconstitutional. To revoke same-sex marriage under the current domestic partnership, it’s unconstitutional.”
OUTBermuda and Maryellen Jackson are represented by Rod Attride-Stirling of ASW Law, and they are “actively preparing evidence for submission this week and an application to join their case to the Ferguson v Attorney General case so both cases can be heard together.”
The Domestic Partnerships Act is set to take effect on June 1st of this year, which means same sex couples can get married in Bermuda until May 31, 2018.
“The Registry General will continue to accept applications for same sex marriages until May 12, 2018,” the Government previously said.
“Any applications submitted by a same sex couple after that date must be for a domestic partnership under the new Act, not a marriage under the Marriage Act 1944 or the Maritime Marriage Act 1999.”
The Originating Summons follow below [PDF here]:
Still not sure why so many religious people think they have the right to be judge jury and executioner. If those in the LGBT community wish to get married and it’s against the teachings of GOD. Let GOD judge them! The actions of many religious leaders and church gowers in bermuda stuns me. Their private life actions and their vile words will also get them a denial through the pearly gates.
Pastor Gary has gone very quiet – along with everyone else at Cornerstone.
PM has been checkmated by the gov’t decision and their supporters don’t realize it yet. That is the one positive of Brown’s DPA passing.
24 – 12
Yah… What’s 24-12 done for you or anyone else so far! Nothing. Unless of course you are one of the priveledged few that are part of the friends and family group.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make em drink….or was it think.
Friends and family has surfaced again after laying dormant for 5 years.
Did you use it for Americas Cup.
LMAO
Oj loves spouting off nonsense. U kno full well u aink een in d pee el pees friends and family. And u still love them. LMAO. Such a clown.
I trust we will all get opportunities to bid for work during Carifta. Or will we.
Or Onion Juice will we see more of the equally distributed opportunities like
Port Royal Golf Club
Bermuda Cement Company
Dockyard Cruise ship Pier
Grand Atlantic
PGA Golf
T Street
Whites Island contract
The list is endless. You want me to go on?
Ya its back again with the PLP lmfao.
“Friends and family has surfaced again after laying dormant for 5 years”
You should LYDAO my island. Stop talking about AC it makes you even less relevant.
I prefer the 24 hour clock personally
Bermuda is the new weed island but don’t worry we will soon be cryto currency capital of the cyber world, tee hee
Yup hopefully Cainsey doesn’t invist our money in it.
He’s kinda gone quiet about it. I wonder why? Not such a good idea after all?
Don’t worry …there will be at least one, maybe two more runs on crypto stock that will get people excited again and throw more money into it before the big POP
Yes Sound Off. It’s amazing who they cherrypick to demonize. These are the same people who think that the Roman Catholic crucifix, with the body of Christ, is satanic! Such unbelievable small mindedness.
It wasn’t that long ago that shallow minded inviduals thought that people of mixed race shouldn’t be allowed to marry. It wasn’t that long ago that people of different religions we’re told they shouldn’t be premitted to marry.it wasn’t that long ago that many fools people believed that people from other countries or cultures shouldn’t marry because it just wasn’t right and would never work out.
We all know some family member or fool that was outspoken about these things. If you don’t , it was probably you.
So now you want people to accept that a man can be called a wife (and expected to play the role and duties as a woman) and a woman can be called a husband (and play the role and duties as a man).
SERIOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats a far cry from interacial, interdenominational or multicultural relationships.
SMH
What on earth are you talking about?
Is that how you think it works?
This is the most ignorant thing you’ve posted in a long history of ignorant things you’ve posted!
This is mind boggling! I am speechless!
You actually just made this up, whole cloth and think it’s true!
What “duties” are you talking about? What “roles” are there that, legally, only a husband can perform?
How old are you? 90?
I mean, I know you won’t have the courage to respond to this, but… wow!
This is the most insane thing I’ve ever read from you.
No more insane than you voting for oba/UBP. The party that didn’t even help the cause you so much fight for. Now look into the mirror and repeat I am a fool Mikey.
Speaking of insane…
This is just a bizarre “The PLP are great, the OBA suck” cheerleading post, throwing accusations based solely on skin colour, using reasons that are not based in reality.
First off, “White Cedar”, making personal attacks while hiding under the white hood of anonymity makes you a coward.
Secondly. A vote for the OBA doesn’t indicate support of them. Are you seriously that ignorant of how politics work? Are you seriously that blundered by party loyalty that you think that’s how it works.
Thirdly, yeah, the OBA messed up royally on this issue and didn’t support our LGBT brothers and sisters well enough and that IS shameful and given ANY other valid alternative, I would have taken it.
However, the alternative I was offered was a party who, IN THEIR PLATFORM , said that they would remove equal access to rights to certain Bermudians, for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON.
So, since you brought it up, “White Cedar”, since you bizarrely ignored my entire post to make a pathetic partisan dig, completely off topic, who should I have voted for? The incompetents who were going to leave this as is, based on the ruling, or the incompetents who promised to take away Marriage Equality?
Is this too difficult a question for you?
As expected… off they go, like a roach.
OJ what rock did you just dig yourself out from under ….mans duties …womans duties ….hell for sure your not married …..grow up we don’t live in the 1800′s
Onion Juice – If you seriously believe this nonsense you just posted, please go and educate yourself.
Hey, OJ!
What “roles and duties” do husbands have?
Care to offer a list? Cuz my 20 year marriage kinda shows, pretty definitively, that any role I was supposed to play, I haven’t. Not always, anyway… and vice versa.
So… which roles are you talking about! Come on. Step up and back up your post!
Marriage is a simply defined term: i.e., a union between a man and a woman. Putting the bible aside, it is a union that provides balance, gives and nurtures life, and is the foundation of communities and the wider society.
But I forgot… it’s 2018, so words no longer have meaning. A man can now be classified as a woman and vice versa. One snip here and one snap there and bam. It’s easy to see that the very fundamentals through which life is understood is being turned upside down in this day and age. And yes, agendas are in play and they are using good people to lead themselves to their own destruction.
Nonetheless, given the definition of marriage, the domestic partnership act was established. Mind you, a man and a woman can also be joined together under this act. It is important to remember that it has nothing to do with sex, but it has everything to do with recognizing what marriage is.
In some liberal states in America (i.e., New York) and also in other countries, they recognize 38-71 genders. This was made possible as ‘gender’ has now become a ‘social construct’, i.e., no longer based in biology. As such, by design, gender now becomes the manifestation of whatever one ‘thinks’ they are, which can be infinite. If basic fundamental truths no longer apply, I only see chaos in the future.
‘the very fundamentals through which life is understood is being turned upside down’ – whose understanding are you basing this on? For example, native Americans recognised 5 different genders. openning your eyes beyond your norm is simply educating yourself, not destroying your world view.
Nothing in this post is true.
A. That is NOT the definition of marriage. Hasn’t been since May.
B. It is not as simple as that. You’re leaving out all the rights and privileges bestowed by the union, legally.
C. Provides balance? So, single people are unbalanced? What does this even mean?
D. “Gives and nurtures life” is false. Marriage doesn’t “give life”. You don’t have to be married to have a kid. Nor does it “nurture” life. Is it a good way for kids to grow up? Sure. But it’s not the only way, nor is it the best way. And, even if it was, a SGL couple can nurture. Or are you saying they can’t? If so, why can’t they?
E. How is marriage a foundation of community? My marriage certainly isn’t. How is it a foundation for a wider society. You guys keep using phrases like this, but never explain yourselves by what you mean. I guess it’s cuz you NOM followers know that the things you say are false, but don’t care because it pushes your agenda.
Speaking of, here comes the bizarre, off-topic trans-hate! There ARE agendas in play, and they’re all about keeping the unearned privilege you are so desperately clinging to.
The next bit is gibberish based on the falsehood debunked in the first bit of my reply.
Annnnd there’s more trans hate.
Why do you care so much what other people do?
Why can’t you just let people live their lives how they want?
Are they hurting you? If so, how? Let us know and we’ll stop it.
See, most of us liberals are fighting to stop people from getting hurt. If you are being hurt, we will work to make that stop.
Until then, we’ll keep working to help the people that you want to hurtand are hurting with all these falsehoods and faux logic.
Here, here. Excellent post Mike!
“Marriage is a simply defined term” – defined by whom?
Putting the bible aside – where is marriage defined as between a man and woman?
Nothing in this post is true.
I tried to post a rebuttal to each point, but Bernews seems to not be liking iPads or something!
Not that “J” has the courage or integrity to respond to a rebuttal.
All that’s missing from this spiel is a “if everybody was gay, humanity would go extinct” paragraph.
I know “J” and others will find it difficult to grasp, but science has moved forward at a rapid pace with regard to human beings who don’t conform to the long accepted misconception that we are all born either “all male” or “all female”. We now know that many of our fellow humans are born different from those of us who call ourselves “normal” and “heterosexual”.
The medical and scientific professions now recognize that some people are born neither male nor female in the accepted sense. They can be born as hermaphrodites, intersexed, chimeric, and a whole host of terms that were unheard of and completely unknown just a few years ago.
Chimerism is just one example. Chimerics are born with two sets of DNA. It can occur when identical twin embryos fuse in early pregnancy. In some cases babies are born with both male and female DNA resulting in them having both male and female sex organs.
To continue – For many years baby boys born with small testes have been operated on by misguided members of the medical profession who removed their male organ and created a man-made female organ in the false belief that they could be raised as females. Such cases are well documented and it’s only recently, through enlightened people such as Oprah Winfrey, that the general public has been made aware of these medical facts.
This is not to infer that gay people have genetic disorders of any kind. Quite frankly, we don’t know why some people are attracted to others of the same sex. It sure doesn’t do it for me! The reason for mentioning the above is to illustrate that we have no right to label anyone who is different as “deviant” or evil. It is time to stop the hatred and the name calling; to recognize that all of our fellow human beings should have equal human rights, and that includes the right to fall in love and to marry.
I am so glad this is being challenged!!! I “pray” that OUT Bermuda and Ms Jackson win this fight. The fact that we are even talking about this in this day and age is so ridiculous. I have never witnessed more cruel and wicked behavior in Bermuda than that of so called “Christians”. The true definition OXYMORON…….
Cornerstone, Preserve Marriage & Peoples Campaign are all silent on this – BECAUSE of 24 – 12, 6,000 VOTE PLP majority!! Even if OutBermuda win in Court, PLP has huge majority to push through ANY laws they WANT!!
Even if they’re illegal? You’re ok with that?
I cannot hep but wonder what these people will do if ththey y lose this legal fight? Meaning the gay people. Our moral compass has been shattered and we have the outside community to thank for this.
Our moral compass shattered when we decided that people didn’t have freedom from religion
And it was outsiders that pushed and supported Preserve Marriage. Why is it that you don’t have a problem with that?
OUTBermuda is a local organisation, not an ‘outside community’.
Do some research…
How about *you* provide the research on the composition of OUTBermuda, then supply your notes on the outside influences on the Preserve Marriage group?
Make an allegation and prove it.
Otherwaise, we can dismiss you as just yet another bigot, lying about people to promote your hate-filled agenda.
No i disagree with that. Its an outside community because a lot of lgbt bermudians have moved overseas because of anti gay rhetoric in bermuda, who are still working to help the lgbt community here…so yes an outside community.
So our moral compass has suddenly been shattered by gay people; presumably because for a few fleeting months they were legally allowed to marry in Bermuda, and now that can legally enter into domestic partnerships.
Strange, I thought our moral compass was shattered by the high number of children born here in Bernuda without a father (and I’m not referring to immaculate conception), and by the high percentage of our male population who are ‘serial’ adulterers. And I guess our high rate of divorce has nothing to do with this shattered moral compass?
I cannot help but wonder just how many of these children born out of wedlock have been fathered by the “outside community”; and how do we measure the number of home grown serial adulterers , and home grown divorcees , compared with those in the “outside community”?
Bring back stoning too!
” Our moral compass has been shattered and we have the outside community to thank for this.”
LOL
All those baby daddies are foreigners?
You’re another moron
good job, Zakiya!
Yes. Unfortunately lost in the comments section which is the usual to-and-fro, is that Ms. Johnson was able to discuss the situation with CNN and articulate where the group is now.
Thank you Ms. Johnson Lord for speaking to the global mess our government has created through their willingness to ignore principles of diversity and inclusion and create a second class category of citizen for same sex couples in Bermuda.
A boycott is a natural and powerful way to react to social injustices and we need to tighten up our response as to why people, who are simply offended by our Government’s decision, should not boycott Bermuda.
We need to demonstrate to those offended, outraged and willing to boycott our island that we are currently addressing this through our courts and there are many Bermudians as outraged as they are.
This is a public relations nightmare crafted by the hands of our current Government who appear incapable of managing the fall out to our good name.
As so many our politicians say when they hold power: What could go wrong?
Everything.
And yet another thread just like all the others.
NOM-fed Preserve Marriage bigots post lies and COMPLETE insanity, then disappear like roaches when the lights come on, refusing to back up a single thing they say.
We will keep fighting for this because it’s the right thing to do.
The reason we know it’s the right thing to do is because the opposition has been absolutely and completely wrong at every turn. Every single time, they have sunk to lows that should shame them. Every. Single. Time.
This is bad for us. As a country and as a society.
Organize a March you will see who hides like roaches Mikey lolol
Are you that politically ignorant that you think that marching is the only way to get things done?
These little cowardly digs are pathetic and make you look like an idiot… well, they would if you had an ounce of integrity and took off your pointy white hood of anonymity.
Ah well. Just another irrelevant loser we can ignore.
Cracks me up that someone without the courage to use their real name, someone hiding like a roach while making personal attacks on someone else, is saying that other people are the cowardly ones!
“White Cedar” doesn’t even get just how ridiculous they are!
What’s funny is you think posting your real name makes you brave, I know more than you and that’s why you received a fat NO by Bermudians. Now go and continue to support the UBP, It’s funny how you say they messed this up….people like you always make excuses and in actual fact the ubp didn’t care to give you what you wanted before and now. Neither of their leaders before and current want SSM. Now look into the mirror and repeat those words for your vote. Yes I was a fool for voting.
14,192 people voting ‘NO’ out or 44,367 is NOT a big fat ‘NO’
Now, if it had been ,say , 33,500 out of 44,367 THAT would have been a big fat no.
It would seem that your claims about knowing a lot are false .
No. I don’t think it makes me brave. That’s not what I said. Please don’t put words in my mouth.
What I said was that making personal attacks while hiding under your hood of anonymity makes you a coward. Nothing about me and my use of my own name.
But you don’t like the truth of that, to you spun it to make yet another craven, pathetic personal attack.
And you VERY obviously don’t know more than me… about anything.
ESPECIALLY on this topic.
You didn’t address the points I made, except for one cherry picked phrase which you used to make yet ANOTHER bizarre partisan attack!
How was I a fool for voting for the OBA in the last election, with regards to this topic… or are you simply not aware that there’s a topic at hand and you’re just yelling “THE OBA SUCKS!!” like a crazy person wherever you can? Actually… is that it? I mean the things you’re saying are pretty insane… hmmm… when the PLP said, in their platform, that they’d remove marriage equality?
How does your position make a lick of sense?
Seriously.
Answer that one, bright boy.
You both sound like you need some form of therapy. The only strong point is that it’s obvious you actually voted for a party or group that didn’t give a rat about your moral compass. At the end of the vote your both pathetic you even more for voting for the oba. They didn’t do anything to help us with marriage when they was govt. Voting for the lesser of the 2 makes just as silly after everything you write.
Yet another partisan hack pretending to be moderate.
Let me get this straight…
On THIS subject, you say that I, a supporter of Marriage Equality, am silly for voting for a party that DIDN’T promise, in their platform, to baselessly discriminate against a certain sector of Bermuda for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
Two parties. One promised to discriminate against SGL couples, the other one didn’t.
And I’m silly for voting for the latter.
I don’t understand your reasoning.
Would you care to explain, or are you just gonna throw around more insults from under that hood?
Thank you Zakiya for your excellent interview with Richard Quest. We live in a secular society. Keep your biblical fairytales to yourselves.
The ship to Equality and Inclusion has set sail folks, and there ain’t no turning back.
Trump for Premier
God god god god..can we please stop bringig god into ths. He doesnt exist that was just a story to control people hundreds of years ago and used to make children act accordingly nowadays. So, as adults can we have an adult conversation on this without relying on some ancient bullsh**
People can believe what they want. They can think god is real if they want.
The problem is, as you implied, when they use that personal belief as a reason to harm other people.
NO TO SSM thank god lolol
God had nothing to do with it.
Everything God rails against was behind this.
Hate. Supremacy. Privilege. Disdain. Superiority.
You are Pharisees, twisting the Word you claim to follow for your own hateful, cowardly, bigoted agenda.
Shame on you. You are on the wrong side of history.
Future generations will shake their heads and say “how could they?” When they see pictures of you.
In this situation, you are the bigots that poured egg creams on the heads of the folks sitting at the counter. You are the cross burners. You are on the side of the lynchers.
Think about that.
Shame on you.
Idiot 2
Thanks for adding so much to the conversation. Your wit is scintillating.
Idiot 1