Sun: Gay Couple’s Cruise Wedding Cancelled
The UK’s Sun reported that a gay couple had their “dream wedding on a cruise” cancelled after Bermuda-registered P&O cruise line contacted them citing the change in Bermuda law.
The Domestic Partnerships Act passed in the House of Assembly and then passed in the Senate, with the Domestic Partnerships Act [PDF] designed to replace same-sex marriages with a domestic partnership which can be entered into by both same-sex and heterosexual couples.
After it passed in the Senate on December 13th, 2017, the Bill then went to the UK-appointed Governor for assent, which is normal procedure and generally seen as a formality, however it has been a topic of speculation in this case, and as of this time, we are still waiting on official word on assent.
Screenshot of Sun’s tweet
The Sun’s story said “A gay couple have had their dream wedding on a cruise cancelled after P&O axed all same sex ceremonies.
“Stephen Henderson, 29 and partner Stuart Andrews, 36, have been going on cruise holidays for the past four years but couldn’t find a way to have a ceremony on board.
“But in April 2017 P&O Cruises announced they would be conducting civil partnerships as the firm is registered in Bermuda and the island’s Supreme Court had recently legalised same-sex marriages.
“Stephen and Stuart excitedly booked their wedding with the holiday firm in June 2017 and began organising their big day immediately which would have taken place on July 22 2019 in The Bay of Biscay.
“But on December 20 P&O Cruises contacted them revealing that their dream wedding had been cancelled.
“Stephen, from Coventry, in Warwickshire, said: “It is just mad. It is the 21st century. It is the most important day of our lives
“I would understand it if it was booked with a company in a different country but this is like going into to Sainsbury’s and them saying, ‘you can’t come in because you’re gay’.
“We were planning so much already. We got everything organised. With me being disabled I didn’t want to have to go look at venues.
“It is very hypocritical. They pride themselves on being a British company providing for the British people. It floored me.”
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises told the Sun: “On May 5, 2017 a Supreme Court decision was made in Bermuda legalising same sex marriages. P&O Cruises were delighted by this decision as we have wanted to offer same sex ceremonies for many years.
“The Government of Bermuda has now entered into a process to change this recent law on same sex marriage, the new bill will replace or overturn the Supreme Court decision, which legalised same-sex marriage in 2017.
“They will now be looking to introduce a Domestic Partnership which will replace the previous bill.
“Although we are awaiting further information from Bermuda, it is unfortunately likely to be the case that Bermudian law will not permit a same sex wedding ceremony on board our ships after January 2018.”
What great news and publicity for Bermuda!
At least there are still some countries that are morally viable.
Can morals be taught or are they inherent?
As evidenced at de hotel on New yers.
And populated by a majority of morons. Especially on your end oj
We’ve been called worst and still thrive.
We dont die, we multiply.
Shame Bermuda isn’t one of them.
No morals involved in promoting discrimination.
But you don’t have a problem with that, do you?
You like discrimination, as long as it’s YOU doing the discrimination, right?
The comments on the U.K. articles say the Bermuda people have a right to deny gay marriage. Sorry but the whole world is not in support of it nor do they care about attention seeking stories like this.
Preserve Marriage Demonstration At Parliament, May 25 2017. Bermuda spoke loud and clear. Not on this island.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWfWk73aR88
I am sure this will not be the last story we see about this – the local and regional newspapers will also run these stories. It is, as they say in the media trade, going to run and run ….
So two people cancel a cruise and its news?
SMH
They didn’t cancel, their plans were cancelled because of the Government making a backwards ruling. So yes it is news.
No two peoples wedding gets cancelled because of the dumb decision of our government. Read the article dumdum.
The irony of The Scum Newspaper printing this.
Suddenly they are looking out for gay people ??
This shows what you get when you vote in a prehistoric bible bashing government though.
No place in this age.
Remember, people told you that re-banning same sex marriage would hurt Bermuda.
The PLP knew this but did it anyway.
Sorry, Not Sorry
The collateral damage of our Government’s decision to take away marriage equality will ripple out in many ways. We have simply chosen not to be a beacon for same sex couples looking at beautiful places to be married.
We could do ourselves a favour and publish the current ranking of human rights, diversity and inclusion that our Bermuda Government supports, tolerates or rejects in 2018.
Good!!! Keep that Unnatural stuff somewhere else. Not nice trying to explain to your kids this weirdo stuff. Bermuda is another world for a reason. We’re not trying to be like everyone else. We will once this law changes and the casinos are here. Then Bermuda can be “In it and Of it,”
If one country and society ever demonstrated the apex of irony with a side helping of hypocrisy it’s our beloved Bermuda lead by the illustrious,progressive and forward thinking PLP.
What a proud period for us!!!
Moron. You are so sucked in by the same Church that used to feel just as adamant about gambling. But things have changed a bit on the gambling front, haven’t they? It is all about money and power, not morals. You are the pawns being used in that little struggle.
Good grief – I suppose you would like to live in the Neanderthal age as well …
Imagine if that was your son…how would you feel?
How is it unnatural? there are hundreds of documented cases of homosexuality with wild animals proving that it is very natural. And it’s very easy to explain it to children, the fact that you’re too lazy or too scared to do it isn’t justification for denying people the same rights as every one else.
So did anyone ask those wild animals if they are gay? No? Then how do they know they are? BTW, there are also cases of incest and infanticide among wild animals that is natural, so why don’t we allow that too? We can’t just pick and choose things that we perceive as “natural” because we feel it suits us.
……….
it’s really hard not to respond with swearing but I’m going to try.
First to answer the stupid question that you already knew the answer to, No the didn’t.
They didn’t need to ask because as you full well know the researchers can tell the gender of the animal in question and thus if two male or two females are the same way as a male and female of the species then that a good indication they are gay, there are clearly other requirements that the researcher look for but in most cases the animals meet those requirements.
We don’t allow incest and infanticide be cause we as culture no longer deem it appropriate behavior for a quite a few reasons, which again you know full well. We pick an choose things all the time based on the views and beliefs at the time but it doesn’t change the scientific facts.
These reports are not “perceive”, these are properly done scientific reports that prove that this behavior is occurring is happening in the wild, in nature, thus making it natural which is proves Bob’s point about it being unnatural as wrong.
That’s what the old slave masters used to say too… trying to explain to their kids…. fast forward 100+ years… how stupid did they sound? That’s exactly how you will sound once the law changes and Bermuda becomes “in it and on it”
You are disgusting. Wake up and live in the modern world. Rights are Rights. Love is Love.
Make Bermuda Great Again!!!
Right about now all shipping companies registered in Bermuda, & paying Government handsome fees for doing so, are reconsidering renewing their contracts with Bermuda & taking HAMILTON off the sterns of their ships.
Sheer stupidity on the PLP Governments part to appease so few.
Fake news
you’re just like your hero, Trump. Just another supremacist.
This will happen very soon
How much money will we lose from the shipping registry?
Hey it’s Matt Lucas’s stunt double…
Attention seekers.
U mean like the pee el pee?
I keep hearing about the negative aspects of the decision on gay married….tourism will suffer, there will be negative press, etc.
Has anyone considered the possibility that tourism could benefit as the religious and conservative crowd will have a more favorable view on Bermuda and potentially visit? I am sure the religious and conservative market is quite large.
“Has anyone considered the possibility that tourism could benefit as the religious and conservative crowd will have a more favorable view on Bermuda and potentially visit? ”
You’re right. The religious conservatives overwhelmingly embrace gang violence, homophobia and racism. I’m sure they’d flock to an island with such a high percentage of alcoholism and unwed mothers.
Bring on faith based tourism, that’s where the good money is!
Has anyone considered that all of those deeply Christian and religious people already choose to NOT come here based on our historically embarrassing out for wedlock birth rate , the preposterously high rates of infidelity , the shootings , crimes against tourists , the foul , un-christianly language one is exposed to anywhere on the island 24 hours a day , much perpetrated by schoolchildren ? Shall we even take on the behavior of certain church heads and ‘pastors’? And the list goes on and on .
Two different Bermudas OJ ? Huh ?
you really think the church goers are the kind of crowd we want here? Its honestly bermudians like yourself that give this country a bad name. No brains No common sense No empathy. Its disgusting.
I hope not. Too many bible thumpers here as it is.
No it won’t benefit at all. You kee hearing that because as you see it IS happening…we are losing tourists.
This is the kind of thing that will keep Bermuda falling back and keep it in the dark ages. There are Bermudians amongst us who are xenophobic, racist and homophobic and these people need to just leave.
Many don’t the horrors that are going on in other tourist destination. those things don’t take place in Bermuda. Bermuda is one of the safes tourist destination in the world and we need to start marketing our self as so. We Pick and choose if you want to come here to try and change us go else where.
This action by the government proves that Bermuda is not safe as it shows that Bermuda is willing to make people second class citizens.
Get your head out of that cloud of self made delusions .
We’ve got one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world and if you think tourists aren’t on the list you need to be reminded of the Antje Herkommer and Middleton debacles.
‘Safe’ yeah , in your own mind . I bet you think we’re suddenly a paradise again after a brief lull in 2012-2017 .
you are delusional because tourists that are decent people can go any where the want in Bermuda and have no problems. and as far as i know you can not say that about any other place in the world
and so it begins,more and more problems will follow as is ALWAYS the situation with the plp.
All those couples affected should sue the Government for losses.
Not before we get Reperations for slavery.
Are you kidding me?
Too late ! You’re part of the system and have been benefiting from it since the day you swam from your mommy .
You want reparations ? Take your $100 and go back to where your ancestors came from .
I want interest on my $100. and i want you to go back to where your ancestors came from as well.
Just like yours , my ancestors came from somewhere else . Like all Bermudians .
And on one side of the family they were slaves too a long time ago.
But we don’t discuss it (ancient history) just got on with making the right decisions and working hard .
Sorry, not going anywhere at this point .
you don’t discuss it because it dose not effect you there is a different and last i checked i have not met anyone that works harder then me. yet still my progress is stifled.
Who cares lol
So????
So??
I heard someone say we should target the bible thumping Christians to Bermuda who agree with the PLP and Preserve Marriage.
Well, we tried that with Faith Based Tourism back in the platinum period of Tourism. We all remember well how that little fiasco turned out. Then we had the invited speaker who felt that more extreme measures should be taken against gay people…and he was chucked off the island.
How many gay couples stole money or were invited to spew hatred?
It would be interesting to know exactly how much the shipping registry contributes to government coffers. I’m thinking that if all the cruise lines decide not to renew we will definitely miss the fees. Not to mention new cruise lines considering running cruises stops to the island.
Highly likely that they will all consider changing registration to elsewhere. After all business is business and weddings bring other cruise passengers in the form of the guests.
Such a shame ‘civil marriage’ was confused with ‘holy matrimony’. One is man’s acknowledgement before his peers the other is man’s acknowledgement before the church of his beliefs. A person will always have to acknowledge before his peers as legislated by civil laws. The other is optional according to his belief.
Time for the ships to re register under a flag that doesn’t condone bigotry.
Its the right thing to do.
You sound Heterophobic
You sound stupid
Thank You!!!
lol.
Confirmed!
As we differentiate between born and paper Bermudians as per the talk show should a born Bermudian have more say on issues?