Video: Carla John On Marriage, Rights, Bermuda
What is it like to be a gay Bermudian whose marriage isn’t recognised in your home country? Carla John is a Bermudian who is married to her Canadian wife and has a 14 year old son.
She lives in Sudbury, Canada and although she often returns to Bermuda to visit with family, she chooses not to return to live as her marriage would not be recognized.
Ms John recently sat down with Bernews to discuss the debate over marriage equality and the impending referendum.
In describing her time on the island, Ms. John said, “I was born in Bermuda, went to Dellwood, Berkeley, and Bermuda College for Hotel and Restaurant Management, and then I left to take physical education in Nova Scotia, and then I came back. I taught at CedarBridge, Warwick Academy, and Port Royal.”
When asked if she would like to return to the island to live and work, Ms. John said, “We have considered it, and we have been looking at properties because the prices seem to be going down, but the way the same sex marriage or civil unions, the way that it’s being approached, it doesn’t seem to fit.
“We already have the freedom that we want; in order to come back to Bermuda, it would have to be equal to, or better, than what we already have.”
Ms John pictured at her sister’s Salt Spray Soap store on Water Street, St. Georges:
When asked about the difference between perceptions of same sex marriage in Canada and in Bermuda, Ms. John said, “Since same sex marriage has been around for over a decade, that stuff doesn’t really come up; not to say that everyone in Canada accepts it and loves it and embraces it, but the laws protect us.
“They can have whatever thoughts they want to, you can go to whatever church you want to, I attend church, my church is an affirming church. To say that gay people can’t be Christian or things like that, I don’t hear stuff like that in Canada, not publicly.
“In Bermuda, it seems to be said openly and it’s not right; it’s just not right.”
When asked about Bermuda’s upcoming referendum on the topic, Ms. John said, “I’m not sure what the point of the referendum is: to spend all that money, which Bermuda clearly does not have, to have other people vote on my relationship, when I didn’t get an opportunity to vote on theirs. It seems a little bit unfair to me.
“I’m guessing that it’s just slowly making it’s way here, and people are pushing back against it because they don’t want to see it in Bermuda. I’m guessing that most of it is religion-based, but I’m not completely sure. Some people say that they’re atheists and against same sex marriage, but I think that’s a really small minority.”
Video interview with Ms John, with guest interviewer Lisa Pickering:
When asked about the Preserve Marriage group, Ms. John said, “From my understanding, it’s a group of Christians from different denominations that have gotten together. They say that they’re not a Christian group, and now they have charity status, so I’m not really sure what’s going to happen after the referendum.
“I thought that that’s what they wanted, I thought that’s what the whole purpose of this group was, to force a referendum. Now that we have the referendum, I don’t understand what their purpose is; I’m a little confused too.
In explaining what she would like to see happen, Ms John said, “In the next year or so, I would like for same sex marriage to be made legal. I would like for Bermuda to have maybe a small pride celebration to celebrate the same sex marriage ruling, whenever it does happen. I think it will happen – it’s just a matter of when.”
When asked for her closing thoughts, Ms. John said, “I would like the young people to know that it does get better; being gay is not this thing that’s going to ruin your life. There are many, many couples with children who are doing excellent, they’re doing great, and that can be you, too.
“When I was young, I didn’t really have that many people I could look up to, and say that’s what I want to be. I started believing a lot of the negative stereotypes about gay men and gay women being promiscuous, and not being able to settle down, but that’s not true.
“We were raised by these heterosexual people, most of us, so we learned what they taught us. How could we all of a sudden be this different, this alien thing, that can’t form relationships, and can’t raise children, it makes no sense. I want the young people in particular to know that it does get better.
“Travel, see the world; there are lots of gay people out there. Have fun.”
Great work Bernews!!!
Carla i have always seen you as an honest, sincere soul and thank you for bringing to light what so many of us struggled with in Bermuda being “different.”
I too have left my island home and married my wife and we discuss the same issues around returning: freedoms, religion, stymied beliefs etc.
Hopefully Bermudians can one day allow people to live in peace and stop being so judgmental!
Until then we will remain in societies that allow us to be who we truly are!!!
This is a great article and I’ll be voting for marriage and not civil union and I hope the marriage vote is a yes.
Vote yes to both!
listen lady stay where you are Bermuda will never allow gays to legally get married
frank,
Why not? After all, we’re waiting for someone to post a valid reason to oppose gay marriage and nobody has provided one yet. So this is your chance.
As usual, you are wrong. Hate-filled, hateful ignorant and wrong.
Thanks bernews for covering this. I think a referendum is a bad idea. We should not let the majority determine the rights of the minority.
We live in a democracy, that’s how it works.
I thought Mrs. was correct for marriage and not Ms.
Twisted
You can use either.
Ms. is more for hiding your marital status.
I go by Ms. and I don’t hide my marital status. I also don’t let it define me. I was a person before I got married. I kept my name too. Too bad I’m also a stay at home Mom who cooks and cleans and Martha Stewarts the fudge out of some flower arrangements. I’m a feminist and a homemaker. Heavens no!! Juxtapositions everywhere!
No one is shocked that you don’t understand…
Ya, like trying to make sense out of non-sense.
LMFAO
That would be every time I read some of the complete rubbish written by you.
No one can make sense on the nonsense you post while hiding like a coward behind a hood.
Pay attention PEOPLE, Canada, Airport and Open Door Policy. Mmmmmm
Yonge Street in Toronto is Gay City !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another example of nonsense.
This is gibberish.
You have the wrong street….
Obviously you’ve never been to Toronto. Ironically, the street most associated with the gay community is Church St
Carla, you rock!!!
Sad to say, but you and your family are better off in Canada. I don’t see any major changes in Bermuda happening anytime soon. My daughter and her partner are moving overseas for the very same reasons you mentioned, and I give them my full blessing. It’s a HUGE world out there, full of many opportunities and although Bermuda will always be home, the world is your oyster.
We’ve recently seen one family run business announce that it’s closing for this reason.
God forbid if we have a gay pride parade in 24th of May.
F!@#ing disgusting
Whats your view on Carnival?
Carnival is beautiful women advertising their beauty for MEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ooh, and a sexist. women are only for the male gaze, huh?
I take it you regularly attend Carnival?
Why? Would you do something?
Or will you just stay hiding under your hood like a coward?
Hiding. Hoping no one can read his mind while he relives those experimental years in college.
Just when our children are trying to figure out Racism, now this twisted S!@#.
Yeah, you spreading even more hate does make it harder for kids to understand that they shouldn’t…
The truth is, that gay marriage in Canada has brought about many negative effects, which many people are reluctant to talk about. Here are some consequences, as highlighted by one Canadian woman who is the child of a gay parent:
Parenting: The laws surrounding parenthood and parental rights immediately changed.The bill that legalized gay marriage (Bill C-38) included a provision to redefine parenthood from “natural parents” to “legal parents”. Children no longer have a legal right to both their biological parents. And biological parents no longer have a legal right to their children.Additionally, same sex marriage has infringed upon important parental rights for all parents. The Human Rights Commission began regulating parents’ ability to teach their children their beliefs, opinions, and faith if the parents’ beliefs are different from what the schools teach and promote.
If you teach your children that same-sex sexual relationships are wrong and that every child has a father and a mother, and that only man-woman sex in marriage is allowed, you run the risk of thought police questioning your beliefs, especially if your children discuss these subjects in the classroom.
Consequently, parents experience state interference when it comes to moral values and teachings about family, parenting and sex education in schools.
Speech: Hate speech became a crime in 2004. Hate speech can be defined as anyone disagreeing with homosexual behavior. Though the hate speech section of the law was repealed for 2014, most provinces have additional hate speech laws that have the same effect. Before the repeal, the Human Rights Commissions of Canada had a 100% conviction rate. If someone filed a “hate speech” complaint against someone, that person had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. The Human Rights Commission still has power to enter private residences and remove anything pertinent to an investigation involving speech. This has essentially nullified the ability for Canadians to speak and write freely including on the internet.The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has censored all media. Broadcasting licenses can be revoked if a television or radio station airs anything that can be considered anti-lgbt.
Religious Freedom: Employers, business owners and all alike whether large, small, in home, or family owned do not have the freedom to deny any service to LGBT for religious reasons. There has been no wedding cake battle in Canada. It’s just illegal. In fact, what is preached in churches can be brought before the Human Rights Commission. Freedom to assemble and speak freely about man-woman marriage, family and sexuality are restricted. Activists often sit in on religious assemblies, listening for anything discriminatory towards GLBT, so a complaint can be made to the Human Rights Commission. Most faith communities have become politically correct to avoid fines and loss of charitable status.
It has been ten years since gay marriage became legal in Canada. Since that time laws that offered freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and religious freedom have essentially been overturned in favor of protecting the feelings of a very small part of the Canadian population. The rights of parents and children have been trampled. A change in marriage laws affects all in a nation. A nation cannot redefine family, the basic unit of society, without serious consequences for everyone.
So, thanks but no thanks, Ms. John, please keep gay marriage in Canada, along with your snow and taxes – Bermuda doesn’t need, or want such negative effects here.
Thanks you for sharing! This is exactly what we want to avoid. Changing marriage is a huge deal. It has ramifications that those who want instant gratification are unwilling or unable to see. Preserve Marriage is looking at the bigger picture.
Mrs. John, You seem quite fine living in Canada and coming to visit Bermuda. Marriage shouldn’t change just because you and a small minority want it to.
How will this change marriage for you?
Exactly.
They won’t have an excuse to not live their homosexual truth? That’s a lot of feelings to grapple with…a lot of years of denial and living closeted…self hate is a helluva drug.
Sounds to me you’d just rather keep the ultra conservative status quo here in Bermuda rather than being progressive like most other developed countries. Your last sentence just showed how xenophobic and close minded you really are. This island needs to rethink it’s isolationist opinions of things that directly affect us as or we’re going to get left behind!
Laughing, I myself am far from ultra conservative, but neither am I a sheep who will blindly follow “progressive” (what EXACTLY does that mean anyway?) countries simply because they do a thing first. Neither am I convinced that these “developed” countries are on the right track, either socially or economically. It is not xenophobic to point out inconvenient truths about a country and its people…it is not close-minded to question things when certain events are happening and the facts are there to see.
We should not be lemmings who fear getting left behind…we should look to be leaders who forge our own way ahead.
Given your stances on gay marriage and immigration the ‘ultra-conservative’ tag fits you to a T. Like T is for Trump.
Congrats.
Everyone hates trump, yet everybody act like him. They hate foreigners etc
A brief excerpt courtesy of Matt Barber “Unmasking the Gay Agenda”
This is the JAMMIMG Bernews is helping to perpetuate with this opinion piece.
“Jamming” refers to the public smearing of Christians, traditionalists or anyone else who opposes the “gay” agenda. “Jam homo-hatred (i.e., disagreement with homosexual behaviors) by linking it to Nazi horror,” wrote Kirk and Madsen. “Associate all who oppose homosexuality with images of ‘Klansmen demanding that gays be slaughtered,’ ‘hysterical backwoods preachers,’ ‘menacing punks,’ and a ‘tour of Nazi concentration camps where homosexuals were tortured and gassed.’
“In any campaign to win over the public, gays must be portrayed as victims in need of protection so that straights will be inclined by reflex to adopt the role of protector … The purpose of victim imagery is to make straights feel very uncomfortable,” they suggested.
But, perhaps Kirk and Madsen’s most revealing admission came when they said, “[O]ur effect is achieved without reference to facts, logic, or proof.”
And so words like “homophobe” and “heterosexism” were pulled from thin air, not because they had substance, but because they were effective jamming tools. Anyone who holds traditional values relative to human sexuality suddenly became a “homophobe,” a “hatemonger,” a “bigot.”
Not even churches are safe.
“Gays can undermine the moral authority of homo-hating churches over less fervent adherents by portraying [them] as antiquated backwaters, badly out of step … with the latest findings of psychology. Against the atavistic tug of ‘Old Time Religion’ one must set the mightier pull of science and public opinion. … Such an ‘unholy’ alliance has already worked well in America against the churches, on such topics as divorce and abortion. … [T]hat alliance can work for gays.”
And, oh, how it has.
Dislike all you want but these are the thoughts of the gay agenda’s two most influential architects.
That the truth of the deception hurts is not my problem.
Im going to look up that article/piece you’re referencing because I’ve noticed this “gay agenda” lurking in the background for years and years. And quite frankly if you haven’t you need to wake up.
It is well funded and orchestrated with a most sinister design indeed.
To be clear I DO NOT DISLIKE HOMOSEXUALS generally – you can find a bad person on any street corner – I simply prefer waters that are un-muddied by financial, political and “humanitarian” influences…those influences have a stated purpose in this regard.
It is easy to see – witness for yourselves the destabilizing nature of it all.
Article is here Anonymous….
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mbarber/080213
Well funded? Preserve Marriage appears to have that title when it comes to lobbying groups in Bermuda.
None of this is true. It is all lies and misinformation.
If your position is so strong, why do you have to lie in order to make it. Why not just give one valid, defensible argument against marriage equality? Why not back up your argument after making it?
Will you do that?
If not, this is just all ad hominem nonsense to distract from the fact that you have no real reason to oppose this.
This would be a great comment – if it were true.
One of Portia’s parents must be gay.
Please don’t do this, let keep the respect level high. your comment does nothing for the conversation and only gives Portia validation on be a ‘victim’.
BTW Religious freedom is never about stopping persecution. It’s simply about being the one that gets to do it.
http://tinyurl.com/hgrxob4
on the nose
any links? Or did they not include them when they sent you this to post?
It amazes me that you are speaking against hate speech… Incredible.
And yes, we DO want this here. Many of us do.
You don’t speak for us
I see that you’ve posted some that someone provided you.
I’m guessing you didn’t read them.
In what world is change negative? We have to change, we need to change. Yes, change will require more change but how is this bad?
Thanks for speaking for Canadians by the way… I’m Canadian, I think we can speak for ourselves.
Do you really expect anyone to believe that the law allowing same-sex marriage in Canada made it so “biological parents no longer have a legal right to their children”??
Nothing but half-truths and out right lies!
Portia quotes a bunch of unsubstantiated fluff.
Gay marriage has had no negative consequences in Canada except upset a bunch of closed minds.
I live here and cannot recall any freedom of speech/press/religion reatrictions mentioned.
Portia is using the same GASLIGHTING techniques that have been used by bullies down the ages by saying “highlighted by one Gay Canadian parent” as the foundation of her “argument” without any attribution.
We are allowed to speak freely: anybody here is allowed to say they are “against” gay marriage. The problem for Portia is the people who are pro gay rights also have a voice and are far more articulate and have a stronger moral case for sharing the laws equally than the antigay rhetoric of “God did not mean for this.”
The problem with the people who oppose gay marriage is they no longer have any principles left which justify holding out on allowing equal rights for all humans.
They don’t want to be accused of dehumanizing gay people so they use baseless arguments and the stick in an unconnected phrase that says “highlighted by a recent gay married woman.”
Bermuda. Get with the rest of the world.
Yup … THE GAYS ARE COMING and you have nowhere left to hide. Which us a great relief to your son or daughter who can now come out as gay and not have to worry about your culturally created hate for their actions.
Hear Hear!
Smoke ganja and be marginalized, brutalized and none of the “equal rights” bandwaggonists could care less.
Sage, I’d happily support the legalizing(sp?)of weed. when they start holding rallies and meetings i’ll be there to support. Just cause i support one thing doesn’t mean i ignore all others.
Not true at all. Many of us are anti-criminalization of marijuana.
We just recognize that – as has been pointed out repeatedly- these are two different topics.
And you vociferously defend one cause while completely ignoring the other(s). It’s a gay world we only live in it. Discussing two topics shouldn’t be that difficult, especially when they both are human rights issues.
Again, wrong. I don’t ignore it at all. You, yourself know this, as we’ve had conversations about it.
Organize a movement and you’ll be shocked at the support.
But you haven’t. Have you?
Queer, ganja-smoking, equality-loving Bermudian right here.
It’s all about intersectionality, sage.
Cannabis decriminalization is different fight for a different day.
I’ll be there by your side when you’re ready to fight for legalization of plants.
Will you be by my side to fight for the legalization of love?
Jonathan, the only one posting unsubstantiated fluff on here is you. Simply because you personally “can’t recall” any instances of negative consequences or the restrictions mentioned above doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You are not the arbiter of Truth. However, there are numerous cases and instances that support what I posted:
Halpern v. Canada (AG), 2002 CanLII 49633 (On SC), paras. 242-43.
Saskatchewan: Marriage Commissioners Appointed Under the Marriage Act (Re), 2011 SKCA 3.
Smith and Chymyshyn v. Knights of Columbus and others, 2005 BCHRT 544.
Lund v. Boissoin, 2012 ABCA 300.
Whatcott v. Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, 2010 SKCA 26;
Kempling v. British Columbia College of Teachers, 2005 BCCA 327 (CanLII).
Fred Henry, Bishop of Calgary, Alberta http://www.ccrl.ca/index.php?id=4917
Scolaire de Chenes; Glen Hansman, “Parents cannot ‘opt out’ of provincial curriculum: clarifying alternative delivery”, BC Teachers’ Federation Teacher Newsmagazine, vol. 19, no.2, October 2006, available at http://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=9396&printPage=true.
Ontario’s Accepting Schools Act, S.O. 2012 C.5. See also, Chamberlain v. Surrey School District No. 36, [2002] 4 S.C.R. 710 and S.L. v. Commission scolaire des Chenes, [2012] 1 S.C.R. 235.
You yourself make a whole lot of unsubstantiated and biased claims, i.e. that those who support the gay agenda are somehow more articulate and morally superior, yet you yourself offer nothing to back up your own arguments, nor do you even paraphrase my statements correctly. But it’s okay, I understand that empty vessels make the most noise.
Ummm…. Did you read any of these? Obviously not.
Did you gargoyle – money says you didn’t?
OMG…did you just copy and paste this list from somewhere, and didn’t even read them or look into them? LOLOLOLOL You’re funny (and scary).
Let the dislikes be your guide as to whether you should keep commenting or just pack it in!
Portia – what argument are you making? Taking your first case to support your statement, paragraphs 242-243, the judge is saying the base reasoning (procreation) to justify a ban on same-sex marriage is unacceptable:
[242] In sum, I do no accept that the objective of procreation is a basis that can support the restriction against same-sex marriage. Rather, it could be reasonably argued – as it has been by the Applicants – that it appears to be a mere pretext used to rationalize discrimination against lesbians and gays.
[243] One could reasonably reach the conclusion that the real, although unstated, purpose of the restriction is to preserve the exclusive privileged status of heterosexual conjugal relationships in society. If that was an underlying purpose – and I do not go so far as to decide that it is – it could not be justified in a free and democratic society. Moreover, given that such an objective would of itself be discriminatory and contrary to Charter values, it could not be construed as being pressing or substantial. Any justification based upon the belief that heterosexual relationships are superior to same-sex relationships would be rejected as being “fundamentally repugnant, because it would justify the law upon the very basis upon which it is attacked for violating” the Charter right.
You clearly have read none of these. Most are completely contradictory to your arguement. Did you actually believe that no one would check?
You are a liar.
Live and let live!
Judge not lest ye be JUDGED!
Mind your own business!
Well said Carla. All the best to you and your partner. Wherever you choose to live you are an asset to your community. Bermuda will change for the equality all for eventually.
In the past the “church” and other bigoted people opposed the changing of the sodomy laws, the sexual orientation amendment and the like. Anything involving sex gets church goers, and their leaders filling the public gallery, and marching around Parliament. There seems to be a problem for them with a person’s right to choose who to love, and have as a bed partner. More important issues like crime, and education folks yawn about. This form of ignorance shall pass. Thank God for open-minded Bermudians who believe in “live and let live” and “love thy neighbour as myself”.
The referendum is indeed a waste of time and money. The Government and the Opposition are both cowardly in not bringing legislation to Parliament. Neither are standing for the rights of Bermudians to be treated equality under the law. It is only a matter of time that freedom will reign.
Paridise Island gone to Paridise S!@$.
European habits ALWAYS F!@# up Rich Wholesome Culture.
History has proven that.
Wow! You have the nerve to claim racism then openly bash a whole culture.
And your ‘rich wholesome culture’ remark is right out of a supremacist playbook (i.e. my culture is better than yours).
This is why no one takes you seriously when you constantly whine about racism.
You are what you hate.
Hear hear!
Have you been to Europe? It is incredibly diverse. There is no “European culture” and saying shows how ignorant you are. Is there an “African culture” or an “Asian culture”? No! They’re CONTINENTS full of many different people with different languages, customs, histories etc.
Please don’t call Bermuda Wholesome – with the pedophilia, drug & alcohol abuse, rapists, racists and misogynists running rampant it is far from that.
And where do you live
If Bermuda was so bad it paid you a lot of consulting money
Is this the same Carla J that produced a meme of an expat on the beach laid back in a deck chair in his suit?
It had an offensive comment below to the tune that expats need to turn up hang around and get status?
I really hope not as it belittled all the hard work put in to the community by expats and demeaned the HR aspect.
Maybe I have my Carla’s mixed up, I really hope so and if i do then I apologise.
Campervan
( pro gay and a proponent of ALL human rights)
Yeah, I’d do my research before throwing out that comment, because if that’s the ‘wrong’ person you’ve just smeared her name without cause.
Campervan – you have no credibility – “Hey I am calling you out Carla J but if its not the same person hey I am sorry!” What’s the point of your post above besides taking a cheap shot at someone to discredit them?! What are you accusations based on besides someone having the same initials as your guilty party?! If you truly are PROGAY and a proponent of ALL HUMAN RIGHTS then you should be supporting Carla and others like her for having the courage to stand up and voice their opinions instead of trying to discredit them based on spurious accusations!
The poster/meme is on on Carla’s FB page for all to see. I believe that she may have created the offensive artwork in question. So research “done”
I DO support Carla in her pro gay agenda and I AM a proponent of all human rights
For the record, some of us attended the SSM AND the Pathways rallies in Bermuda recently as we are not selective with our prejudices.
I also realise that the straight community does not have a monopoly on bigotry.
I just think its a shame that Carla is unable to connect the dots/similarities of the 2 issues.
Peace.
Please connect the dots for me, oh wise one.
I’m not really sure what the point of your post was, other than to bring up that fact that you disagree with me on another issue. That’s certainly your prerogative, but please feel free to engage me in dialogue on the actual meme, it is public.
Thanks for your support on marriage equality though.
Here is the actual meme for anyone interested in taking a look: Find it on the La La The Meme Maker FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/1053065214732136/photos/a.1053068831398441.1073741827.1053065214732136/1053068844731773/?type=3&theater
Stay in Canada where it makes sense , no fighting , no arguments , no funny stares , no pokey neighbors . Go live your lifestyle in absolute peace .
This is one of your more disgusting posts.
Bigoted, anti-Bermudian hateful nonsense.
Ahhs wondering when used goin show up spoutin yah nonsense bout hatered , bigoted and anti dis n dat foolishness . Go Canada wiff her !
And, as usual, you decide to respond with an ad hominem, rather than address the point.
You’re ridiculous.
You post to a Bermudian that they should stay elsewhere, but it’s me that’s the problem?
Nah, that would be you, spreading hate and anti-Bermudian bigotry.
Disgusting.
Sad.
And bad for Bermuda. If anyone should leave, it’s you. We don’t need hatred here.
People have lost flags…monuments have been or are to be removed…words have been demonised or removed…the word of God and his teachings have been nullified and so on…All because “they offend somebody”…well guess what..? Homosexuality “offends” many…so where are you gonna take this here…are you gonna legislate something “offensive” for the sake of a few or..? Well don’t stop there…there’s a lot of illogical legislation to be corrected…and to read someone’s comment about this particular subject who thinks this is “progress”…wow…life’s hard! wear a helmet!
Is there a point in here?
This isn’t about offending people. It’s about denying Bermudians equal access to rights and privileges. And on here you have people telling a Bermudian that they aren’t welcome in their own country!
How is anyone ok with this?
Gods word has not been nullified God made absolutely no mention of homosexuality in the bible he spoke out on lots of issues but not homosexuality strange don’t you think his main message was LOVE it’s a great read the bible maybe you should read it one day .
This is not even close to being true. You are either purposefully deceitful, or Biblically illiterate regarding the statement you’ve made.
It is irrelevant.
Your god should have absolutely no effect on anyone else’s life.
Any chance that you, “HW”, will offer a single argument against marriage equality that you’re willing to actually defend in an honest, real conversation?
Or will you continue with this silly, dishonest facade?
I don’t believe the Harry Potter series made any mention of homosexual marriage either (but I must admit I haven’t read the books, only seen the films and the internet memes and discussed the cannon in extensive detail) and yet I believe her righteousness J.K. Rowling is totes down for the rainbow.
Oh…wait…it’s JUST A BOOK and probably has no meaning or influence in your life…much like your little book has no meaning or influence in my life. Funny that. How about we don’t legislate the world based on your book and I won’t try to pass a law that all primary school children need to sit under the sorting had to get their school house assignments.
Same sex marriage has been around for a decade or ten years.Male and female sex marriage has been around for tens of thousands of years,or decades,sorry I go with marriage between male and female.Peace.
That’s fine. No one is forcing you to not do that.
Go with marriage between male and female all you want.
But why do you think you should get a say in anyone else’s marriage?
Why do you get to make the choice, but no one else? Why does everyone have to make the same choice as you?
Oh, wait. You don’t have the courage to actually respond to people, do you?
I forgot.
MH where do you read all that “hatred”in TKS ‘s very neutral post ?
Just because you hate the same things doesn’t mean his post was neutral.
Odd that, yet again, YOU don’t have the courage to address the points.
Then again, you enjoy your hood, too, onto you?
“…don’t you?”
I trust you do know that both the Catholic and Orthodox churches had same sex marriage liturgies on the books for centuries?
Homosexual marriage has been around for tens of thousands of years too, dear, sorry to burst your bubble.
Not a surprise that you want us all to join in with your ignorant stone age beliefs. What happens if we don’t? You chop off a few people’s heads? that’s the normal way with some of you lot isn’t it.
Great job Carla to many hypocrites on this island. Both in church and out of church. It is amazing how it’s alright for so many MARRIED people to have outside affairs. That’s acceptable and there the ones that are against same sex marriages please give me a break. Get your heads out of the sand. I love my gay friends and I respect them God be with you all. To much hatred on this island stay where you are.
BERNEWS STORY
Carla hit the nail on the head with this – “It doesn’t make any sense to us”,
“To be but on a civil union list”…
She’s right about not seeing the point about a Referendum.
To have a Referendum over “rights” is tacitly homophobic.
For me, the OBA have failed miserably, as have the PLP on #marriageequality
To push forward a “non-binding” referendum with a choice of half rights or full rights is simply mind boggling.
So if YES YES wins, what does Dunkley and the OBA do?
They could do nothing. They are not “bound” to do anything.
This reeks of kicking the can of #humanrights down the road.
I truly hope the majority of Bermudians see and demand equality for same sex couples.
CHOICE
Bermuda has been given a choice of half a loaf or a full loaf.
When the country abolished slavery was it for 7 days a week or just 3?
#marriageequality
#lovewins
#lovewinsyesyes
VOTE YES YES in the Referendum
Come on Bermuda!!! Give me a break. How is this even a debate? Grow up, change with the times.
I want to take this opportunity to thank those who see marriage as a human right for their support. I am humbled by your kind words. Please vote YES/YES on the upcoming referendum on marriage equality. It may not make much of a difference in your (heterosexual) life, but it will make a world of difference for me and my family.
Thanks again,
Carla John
Thank you Carla for speaking out!
I am voting YES YES, absolutely!
it’s a civil matter. all adults should be allowed to legally marry whomever they choose!