Photos: Demonstration At House of Assembly
[Updating] People are currently gathered on the grounds of the House of Assembly this afternoon [May 25] as Preserve Marriage – which has been campaigning against same sex marriage – is holding a demonstration, while the Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda also made a call to their supporters to attend.
Update 1.10pm: The photo below shows the crowd size a few minutes ago
Additional people have arrived since the photos below were taken, and will update as able, and are also streaming 360-degree video of the demonstration here.
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\we know how to fight for what is right.
The PEOPLE have spoken AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!
How is not giving someone the same rights as you the “right thing” ?
Hey Reuben. None of us truly have equal rights. The law discriminates for a myriad of reasons for example:
Age discrimination – like not giving a 10 year old a drivers licence.
National Origin – Bermuda’s immigration & employment practices discriminate based on national origin. Many countries discriminate in their immigration policy, requiring Visas for some and not others.
This is why J. Simmons ruling was wrong. Every thing the government does can not be a service. Some things are solely the function of the government and the government does discriminate-all the time based on what will support the desired outcome and will of the people.
Yes. The law discriminates FOR A REASON!
There has been no reason given to continue this discrimination against same sex couples. Not one that holds up. Not once.
That’s why the ruling was correct.
Unless you’d like to step up and offer a reason?
Oh and by the way, I never said equal rights. What I asked was “How is not giving someone the same rights as you the “right thing” ?”. Want to give an answer??
Or just answer why you should have rights under marriage and i shouldn’t?
You’re never right. ESPECIALLY about this!
There really wasn’t a fight. There were about 4 rainbow umbrellas 2 or 3 flags and @ 30 colorfully dressed Bermudians and their friends. I saw that both sides greeted their friends & others with hugs and then respectfully disagreed. No hate. With thousands of Bermuds on parliament grounds even those who vehemently disagree, hate loss that day and love did win. Well done Bermuda!
No hate… other than the messages of “you don’t deserve equal rights” and the lies of “we’re not religious, we just think that God made marriage and everyone has to believe what we believe”.
Yeah. No hate.
Preserve Marriage talks about keeping our children in a homophobic bubble protected from the evils of SSM. Don’t they realize that these same children are going to be ill equipped when they travel to University or vacations or whatever else because the rest of the world has moved on. They will feel insecure and afraid when they meet openly gay people because they wouldn’t have been taught tolerance. The children are the real victims of all of this small minded bigotry. Members of Parliament do the right thing.
Are you serious, talking about boogieman antics.
Children know the difference between gay and straight, just because we teach them Natures ordinary way of living that they’re gonna be totally oblivious to the twisted concepts of this world?
And again with this “Nature’s way” nonsense which has been shown to be a lie, time and again.
Don’t you ever get tired of hating people?
Actually children have to be taught “Twisted Concepts”, most children could care less who is straight or gay, they have to be taught racism, they have to be taught to hate those that don’t fit into your narrow view of the world.
And how about the kids who, once their sexual identities develop, realize that they’re homosexual? What kind of devastating effects will such PM garbage have on them?
No different then those who found out that they were homosexuals in the past, except it and deal with it.
Just like Black people are told to do from our injustice.
Dont feel good does it.
Yes. Let’s continue discrimination and hate against these kids, because we did it in the past. That’s a good reason.
“, except it and deal with it.”
That’s what we’ve been saying…why won’t you accept it and deal with it? You won’t because you’re selfish, nosy, jealous and bitter.
It’s accept, by the way, but I don’t expect you to know the difference.
Totally agree. They will believe they are sinful and should no longer be part of their family when mother/father turns their back on them. I heard ‘lifestyle’ today at the rally, so these poor kids will be subjected to conversion therapy. I can’t imagine loving, Christian parents doing this but apparently the PM lot only believe in god’s love when it fits in with their narrow minded perspective.
Homosexuality is a sin plain and simple. Now if you want to argue with The Most High then go ahead that’s your business but I don’t want that around me nor my children.
Since not all of us believe in your “Most High” or agree with your definition of “sin” so you shouldn’t be trying to force everyone else to live their lives according to your interpretation of your book.
I hate to burst your bubble but on the topic of homosexuality being “around you or your children” how exactly is blocking same-sex marriages going to prevent the existence of homosexuality? After all, gays will still exist. And they’ll still be “around” you and your children.
Of course, assuming they go away to college they’ll find themselves surrounded by people for whom the concept of same-sex marriage is old news. Students who grew up in high schools with gay/straight alliances, where the LGBT community is accepted as totally normal.
BTW – what will you do if one of your children turns out to be gay? How are you going to react?
Things being against your religion means that YOU don’t get to do it, not everybody else.
Why do we have to follow your religion?
Some of those “poor kids” were already subjected to “conversion” therapy when someone interfered with their innocence and betrayed their trust.
Many are already confused and need to be free to talk to both sides to make their own decision as to how to live their life.
There is no proof that people are born gay and everyone doesn’t find homosexuality by consenting adult romance. All of Bermuda’s children interact and live with their LGBT family and friends, they will be just fine without forcing SSM on everyone.
Then stop using ‘saving our children’ as an excuse for denying SSM. It has no impact on children or on those who don’t like the homosexual way of life. You don’t like gays adopting children? Then stop throwing them away.
You can’t stop people being in love regardless of gender whether they were born that way or not, who cares and the quicker you show acceptance the better off our society will be. Oh and by the way, your version of ‘conversion’ therapy has been practiced by your priests for decades. Yeah….. talk about a betrayal of trust.
First, I agree that there shouldn’t be any betrayal of trust in what should be safe places with safe people. No excuse for that.
I disagree with the idea that SSM has no effect on children. Please read Dr. Robert Oscar Lopez’s story, or Heather Barwicks book which represents @100 stories, or Katy Faust. They had loving SS parents but still say that all the love in the world didn’t give them the unique parental gifts of the missing father or mother.
Marriage is the only relationship that has been promoted by governments all over the world, Not because governments hate LGBT persons but because promoting traditional marriage best protects children and is the linchpin for stronger communities.
First, I agree that there shouldn’t be any betrayal of trust in what should be safe places with safe people. No excuse for that.
I disagree with the idea that SSM has no effect on children. The are numerous adult children who share their pain on line. They had loving SS parents but still say that all the love in the world didn’t give them the unique parental gifts of the missing father or mother.
Marriage is the only relationship that has been promoted by governments all over the world, Not because governments hate LGBT persons but because promoting traditional marriage best protects children and is the linchpin for stronger communities.
This is nonsense that has already been shown to be false. Come on. It’s not fair to continue spreading lies.
So who exactly is “forcing SSM on everyone”? Last time I looked no-one was insisting that you marry someone of the same sex. And unless I missed something, I don’t remember anyone trying to ban opposite-sex marriages.
I admit to being at a loss as to how this is going to affect you. After all, the only way that SSM marriage could possibly affect your marriage is if one of you is gay.
But everyone keeps asking for a single valid reason to object to SSM and so far NOBODY (that’s with a capital “nobody”) has provided a single one.
This is gibberish.
No one is “forcing SSM on” ANYONE.
Bermudians won’t be forced to marry someone of the same sex. Traditional marriage won’t be affected.
You know this. You’ve been told this repeatedly and yet you continue to spread these lies.
Please stop it. You are hurting people.
Then why would someone “choose” to be gay? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not for gay marriage, etc but that argument is just dumb lmfao!
So your back spreading your lies
No one is converting kids that is a lie, it is not a choice and yes people are born gay. do you really think that people wake up and go “You know what i want to be gay cause being picked on every day at school sound fun, and the verbal abuse from people is cool”. You never chose to be straight and I never chose to be gay.
And no one is “forcing” SSM on any one (another lie), once its all done it be the same as any other marriage you don’t really care about.
So are children will be ill equipped when they travel the world because they are not pro gay marriage.
Please inform me when and where your next live stand up comedy show will be held.
Hit a nerve did I? GOOD! I can take the personal insults because that’s all you’ve got left
You are mixing in SSM which is not a human right with sexual orientation which is a human right. No one is denying that LGBT persons exist, everyone has intimate relationships with LGBT friends and family.
Disagreement vs. hate. Not the same.
But blocking or trying to block someone’s rights is discrimination and leads to worse things after all if gays aren’t same in this matter why should they be treated the same in others??
I still don’t see how marriage is a human right.
Never said it was, I said blocking some one’s rights, the rights that are grant to people once they are married.
Annnnd silence.
They always run away at that one.
In the fifties no-one denied that black people existed but that didn’t stop the proliferation of whites only lunch counters, washrooms, and water fountains.
Why do you lot ALWAYS ignore the fact that you are promoting a denial of equal access to rights for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON.
You never address that. You never offer a reason.
Now you have to. Ad populum arguments – “The majority of countries don’t have it” and “The will of the people” – are logical fallacies and thus aren’t valid.
Claiming that “God is against it” and then saying “it’s not about religion” is a lie and thus isn’t valid.
So, offer a reason or stand down.
And, as per usual, it’s not about disagreement, it’s about baseless discrimination and that IS hate.
More political bull s&^t
This day was TOO beautiful for a rainbow.
“This day was TOO beautiful for a rainbow.”
yes, the rainbows were beautiful. The rest, really ugly. These preserve marriage people are horrible…like you, OJ.
I understand that both the demonstration by Preserve Marriage and the Rainbow Alliance have passed off peacefully which is commendable indeed. I strongly believe in “preserving marriages” wherever possible and that should be the sole aim of Preserve Marriage. I do not know, nor have I ever heard anyone in Bermuda who is against marriages between a man and a woman. That has never ever been under threat in any way shape or form. Never! Allowing same sex couples to marry is simply an extension of the right to marry and in no way detracts from heterosexual marriages.
There are some folks who like to paint a picture of all those supporting same sex marriage as somehow being either gay themselves or anti-religious. As a happily married heteterosexual man I can say that this is totally untrue, and I know of many happily married couples who share the same beliefs as me. It’s time to move on.
Speaking of common sense, I have wild chickens running around my neighbourhood and de order of nature I see them function, is it common sence or Nature.
There are 134 different species that have homosexuality in them and it has been proven by science. So it is natural but you have been told this before.
Havent seen any in Bermuda.
I have not that really matters, just because you haven’t seen something doesn’t mean that it isn’t there, but you really don’t care do you?
That’s because you are blinded by hate.
Actually, there are a lot more than that. Some 500 species exhibit homosexual behaviour but only one is homophobic.
” is it common sence or Nature.”
nothing you’d be able to comprehend.
Only you could learn any life lessons from chickens.
Feral chickens need to be exterminated anyway .
Are any of them married?
Heard OJ tried to marry one, but it turned him down.
No they’re not married, but a rooster has enough sense to know that a hen is where he puts his pen.
LOL
You really need to learn something about birds in general and chickens in particular. If you look at the Wikipedia article entitled “List of birds displaying homosexual behavior” you’ll find that chickens are, in fact, among the 150 species of birds that do exhibit homosexual behaviour.
You’re speaking against homosexuality, not marriage.
ANd you lost that fight a LONG time ago.
They aren’t going to change the HRA because you are full of hate and ignorance you absolute clown.
at the end of the day…people deserve a right to make a decision like this without interruption of pursuits from bigoted intolerant people. we are talking about the happiness of people hear. I would also love to big up those who protested against the preserve marriage protest. props to you!
at the end of the day…people deserve a right to make a decision like this without interruption of pursuits from bigoted intolerant people. we are talking about the happiness of people hear. I would also love to big up those who protested against the preserve marriage protest. props to you!!
Sadly not even half of these people would show up to a demonstration over our education system that is failing our future.
To be fair, that was announce how late in the morning?? Had I know i would have taken a walk down to show my support, as it was i didn’t know.
Truth. Can’t get the population to mobilize about the state of public education or the amount of gun and knife crime on the island, but if it’s about gay folks, then let the pressure groups assemble en masse.
Absolutely!! This is what I don’t understand. I feel that this demonstration is completely hypocritical as if all of them are perfect and none of them are sinners themselves. If you want to make it biblical, the Bible also mentions that idolatry, stealing, and drunkenness are on the same lines as sexual immorality and Bermuda’s alcohol problem is huge. Why aren’t they protesting that? Don’t pick and choose what you want from the Bible. Instead, just admit that you are homophobic! Do I think its right, no. But a lot of thinks are wrong with this world. People have a choice. Let them make their own decisions.
How do you know what other issues people protest? Besides, Your logic is flawed in that nobody is out there campaigning to uphold stealing and drunkenness as good things that should be celebrated as being beneficial to greater society. The minute people start campaigning to celebrate adultery as being good for society, I’m right there to protest that too.
And I take it you are also referring to the SSM supporters as well.
Meanwhile, in Manchester, kids are getting blown up by religious nuts. Here, religious nuts are trying to force their beliefs on other people too.
Why can’t we all get along?
Religion is the reason we can’t get along. Religion creates more hatred than all other things combined. Religion has murdered more people than anything else. Religion, a set of beliefs created to account for the unknown, is why humans hate.
Your post is demonstrably false. Just admit you’re opposed to religion or don’t believe iit. Don’t make up complete and utter nonsense.
Axelrod’s Encyclopedia of Wars documents over 1,763 wars in human history. 123 of those were religious in nature which accounts for less than 7% of all wars.
For your own information, here’s what some dictators who wanted nothing to do with religion are responsible for:
Stalin- responsible for over 42 million deaths
Mao Zedong- 37.8 million+
Hitler – nearly 21 million
Chiang Kai Shek- 10.2 million
Pol Pot- almost 2.5 million
Care to reconsider your outrageously false claim?
Not sure about the rest but Hitler jumps out at me as being religion, after all he started with the Jews ( a religion ) and based on his own hate of the Jews and he used the cultural hate of the Jews to push his plan to wipe them out first.
How many died in the Crusades? How many have died in the recent bombings done by extremis? How many minorities died at the hands of the Klan?
@Crangis Are you claiming that ISIS are not religious, and that Marriage is not a religious ceremony? Your hate group on on the hill yesterday, and some of their banners, were a disgrace and an embarrassment to themselves and to all right-thinking human beings.
they call it a marriage LICENSE which is issued by the state…. the wedding is the religulous ceremony.
The wedding CAN BE a religious ceremony… but doesn’t have to be.
@ Crangis,
Are you really suggesting Hitler had nothing against religion? Pretty sure the Jews might disagree
Read what I said. I said he wanted nothing to do with religion. He did not wage a religious war against the Jews.
Looks like communism was responsible for 100m or so.
Anyway, the point stands. Religeon is a source of tribal conflict. My superstitions are better than your superstitions. My superstitions are good; your’s are bad. That’s all these protesters are about. They all they’ve got.
We cant get along because fools like you are calling people who have enough common sense to know the Natural order of life, nuts.
Saying a lie over and over doesn’t make it true, clown.
Only if the lie is “the missing $800M,” then it’s ok to repeatover and over. Lol
Irony Procul.
Two different groups with opposing views expressed them together.
What a beautiful day in Bermuda.
Yes we can all get along as can be seen with documentary proof.
People can protest against gay marriage but not shed a single bit of worry when a group of minors were shot at last week resulting in one having the potential to never walk again. Really shows where some people heads are at.
What about the SSM protesters who were protesting PM Peaceful Demonstration. They also have the same obligation to be concerned about massacred children.
Billy Bob. You can’t judge the heart of everyone standing for traditional marriage. I can assure you that the recent massacre of 28 Coptic Christians won’t get a blip in the world media.
Nobody cares that Christians are the or among the most persecuted people, must be something about Christ. Death and injustice is wrong and we are All equally accountable for one another.
Another lie. Playing victim by spreading lies is dishonest and unfair.
Please stop. It’s pathetic.
But a lot of them are not even true Christians!!! Once again just a bunch of hypocrites picking and choosing what they want from the bible.
Not being a Christian doesn’t absolve any one from moral responsibility, especially if you claim to fight for human rights and have the moral high ground.
We ALL have a responsibility to live decently and to respect one another regardless.
Not being a Christian shouldn’t stop that.
And what did any of what you just said apply to the comment you responded to??
And yet you don’t respect gay folks.
You think that they should be denied equal access to rights and treated like second-class citizens.
Respect? You don’t know what the word means.
Well done Preserve Marriage!
Thank you for being the voice for so many in the community that simply value traditional marriage.
Yes. Well done Bermuda!
So how exactly does SSM impact “traditional” marriage? Is anyone telling you that you have to marry another woman?
How will traditional marriage be affected?
Again the majority show up in numbers but yet the minority feel they are being neglected. Keep in mind, the minority are influenced by outsiders (expats) who are slowly eroding our culture.
Yes I said it, same sex marriage is not a part of Bermudian culture.
Well that’s stating the obvious. However it will become part of Bermudian culture as gays get married and then guess what?…….. nothing will change for the majority. Sun will still rise in the morning. However for the minority they will be able to stand proud with their partners, shoulder to shoulder with other married couples.
Same-sex marriage isn’t a part of Bermudian culture? Sorry but times (and cultures) do change.
After all, there was a time when mixed race marriages weren’t a part of the culture. When blacks being allowed to join whites only clubs wasn’t part of Bermudian culture. When slavery was a part of Bermudian culture. When ….
And discrimination is? I mean, yes it is, but we always fought against it, didn’t we?
And this xenophobic nonsense is worthless. We’ve ALWAYS been a melting pot until recently, assimilating other cultures into our own.
SO… yeah. Ya wrong.
xenophobic homophobic is what you are. go back to the last century where you belong.
Look at all those crazy people that want to keep marriage between a man and woman.
Look at all those twisted people that want to marry the same sex.
Hateful bigot. Shame on you.
It’s shocking to see many Bermudians who have marched for equal rights in the past, march today, to deny others equal rights!
Because they grew up knowing de Natural Order of Creation.
You have already been told about all the animals in nature that have been documented with homosexuality in them. So it is natural.
The natural order of creation? You might want to tell 500 species of animals that exhibit homosexual behaviour about that.
Religious argument. Invalid.
I have a job and worked all day, who has the time to demonstrate and get paid.. Not me!!!
To be fair most came on their lunch hour, and in my case I had taken a holiday day so there was that option too.
That why they had it on lunch hour, oh I forgot some people dont have that privilege.
Regardless of what you believe in. If you’re convicted then you should stand up for what you believe.
The 2 crowds today represented 1 Bermuda! 1, The overwhelming majority who stand for traditional marriage and 2. Their family & friends, the minority that stand for SSM.
The large crowd surrounded the rainbow alliance with respect and kindness regardless of the insults that were dished out to traditional marriage supporters. Regardless of them again staging a counter demonstration and trying to shout down the PM speakers. Regardless of the underhanded activities used to get the SSM ruling. We can respectfully agree to disagree but we are still 1 Bermuda.
Did you read some of the placards PM were holding and the lies that were being spewed by your speakers? We were there purely to ensure the truth was being told as is our right to do. As for underhanded activities? Please explain.
Look at you, playing the victim in all this. No one from the marriage equality group insulted any one, we just pointed out when speakers were twisting the information as is done when people want to deny others rights. and kinda hard to shout down some one on a loud speaker anyway. And what underhanded activities? Tell us what they were, was it the Bermudian who decided to challenge an unfair law in the courts so that he could marry the man he wants? Oh and the whole “agree to disagree” in this is bull as you still have your rights and i would still be denied mine, but you don’t care cause well you already got the rights.
What “underhanded activities” are you talking about? The judge applied the law as written and her ruling is detailed and clearly written. I’m sure you’ve read it and can tell us where she erred? After all, the government took legal advice and were told that they wouldn’t prevail on appeal.
This is yet another lie from “Daylily”.
Nothing in here is true.
Respect and kindness? While people spewed demonstrable lies in an attempt to justify discrimination against our fellow Bermudians? That’s neither respectful nor kind.
Respect? When people came over and argued that “it is against God’s will” and then, when explained that not everyone follows their religion, said “This isn’t a religious argument”? That level of bizarre dishonesty is not respectful.
How about the guy with the “Batty boy” sign? Was he respectful?
Were the scowls and the insults and lies told by the speakers respectful? I don’t think so.
If you think PM was being respectful and kind, you weren’t there.
Thank God we are civil because anywhere else it would’ve been UGLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It WAS ugly. You would have loved it.
That’s because the majority are Christians who are controlled by Religion.