Anderson: Why Single Out LGBTQ Community?
[Updated] After Minister Caines challenged “churches, community clubs, fraternities, sororities, the LGBTQ community, and most importantly family,” to “step up and be part of the solution” to the island’s gang problem, Mark Anderson said he thought it was “very inappropriate” for Minister Caines to “single us out from the straight community,” as they are “already a part of the entire community.”
Pointing out that he agrees that gang violence “is a matter that concerns us all, and the entire community should do their part,” Mr Anderson said what concerned him “is that of all times to include the LGBTQ community in a national matter, why did Government choose this one?”
File photo of Mr Anderson from his 2014 island wide walk to raise money for the Centre Against Abuse
Minister’s Comments
These comments follow after National Security Minister Wayne Caines said, “Our gang violence problem did not start overnight and will not be resolved overnight.
“We are steadfast in our belief, that if we are to see an end to violence in Bermuda, our community must rise and play a part in the process. All churches, community clubs, fraternities, sororities, the LGBTQ community, and most importantly family, I challenge you all to step up and be part of the solution.
“Whether through mentorship, job training, big brothers and sisters or chatting with the men on the wall, everyone has the opportunity to tackle gun violence and it is our responsibility to do so.”
Mark Anderson Responds
Mark Anderson, a well known local entertainer and activist, said, “I think that it’s very inappropriate and I take offense for Minister Caines to single us out from the straight community, as I would like to point out we are already a part of the entire community of this country.
“Let me also say as a citizen of Bermuda I agree that the gang violence situation is a matter that concerns us all, and the entire community should do their part to tackle the situation. What concerns me, is that of all times to include the LGBTQ community in a national matter, why Government chooses this one?
Noting that the Government is trying to “deny the LGBTQ community their rights to marriage,” Mr Anderson also added that he doesn’t “think Minister Caines has included the LGBTQ community amongst the rest of our citizens in previous statements.”
“Yes, the LGBTQ community can play a positive role with our community issues and for that I appreciate the Minister’s inclusion even if it is a back handed acknowledgement,” he said. “So I was just curious as to what inspired the Minister to include the LGBTQ community in his statement.”
We asked the Ministry for a response last night and will update as able.
Update 2.07pm: Minister Caines said, “My intent in including the LGBTQ Community in my statement was not to single out any one group of the community. My goal as always, is to reach out to all of the community.”
“At times I do this by calling specific groups within our community to highlight their ability to assist in eradicating the gang problem.”
“It just so happened that at that moment I wanted to include the LGBTQ community among others in reaching out for their assistance.”
“It is unfortunate that my message was misinterpreted.”
Your government is hypocritical in every way. This is just another revelation of their idiocy, homophobia, greed and racism. Nothing new.
Mr Aanderson if you hadn’t noticed thats how they roll, say and tell what they feel at the moment.
How did the Minister single out the LGBQ community when he also listed various other communities?
It’s seems overreacting to me
I think it’s seen as odd when the other entities mentioned are distinct groups or organisations. Clubs and churches and sororities, etc. LGBTQ isn’t really a defined club like that.
LGBT community is more of a community the the “straight community”. It was odd to include LGBT nonetheless.
Kinda like spending a few hundred thousand trying to fight against homosexual people’s right to marriage.
Why did he not include straight people in the list? Looking at it form this perspective he has singled out LGBQ.
Well Mark, you voted for these people. The fact they are extreme anti-gay bigots is nothing new.
Actually, the majority of Bermudians voted for this lot. We do not know who Mark actually voted for.
Yes we do know who Mark voted for. On the radio interview this morning he made a big point how he voted for them.
Yes we do he said it on the news last night. IJS
So he needs to ask himself why he voted for them…was he made to believe that the plp were friendly to LGBTQ? Was he deceived? Did he truly believe that the plp could do a better job of running Bermuda inc?
Bear in mind that many voters in Bermuda aren’t single issue voters.
Well that is a relief! I hope that in the future they weigh the issues that they are voting on and make sound decisions so their vote won’t be wasted. Until then people who voted plp need to sit back and enjoy the ride otherwise they will be seen to be breaking ranks.
Gay people continuously try to control the narrative. The Minister said a whole lot more than those two words, yet this is the only thing this guy takes from it. What does he want, an apology or something?? It makes me sick.
Well the gays are very emotional people and we can’t win as when we don’t name them they feel left out and when we do they get all emotional that we are singling them out! OMG calm down gays!
Talk about playing into stereotypes
They tried the same thing with Kevin Hart.
Yes, as a matter of fact, an apology would be welcome. LGBTQ community is not a club or a community group like the others mentioned in that list. Why did he not single out black, white, Portugese and so on?
It’s really not that deep.
I see six different groups listed not just a singular……………stop letting every little thing bother you mate.
Why then did the minister intentionally leave out the black community, does the minister not think the black community can play a positive role in the gang situation, does the minister feel the black community is not passionate about the state of Bermuda? Why does the minister seemingly distrust the black community? what does the minister have against the black community…?
Or do you for some odd reason feel the Black community is included when the minister singles out the churches, community clubs etc..?
now spend some time back tracking your own prejudices when you (and the minister) feel that the Black community is included with all the groups he singled out while the LGBTQ community is not.
No, I agree. While the minister made a huge mistake saying this, it’s not something that requires him to be fired. To be fired he would have to, for example, film himself sexually harassing some girls working in a shop, and then post it on the internet as though it was ‘funny’. Something utterly ridiculous like that would get him fired, surely.
Yup.
All things considered.
Another example of Caines.Just another fake politician out for himself.
How is it single out if its with six other groups? Mark get off the stage, you sound STUPID!
All Churches, All community clubs, All sororities/fraternities transcend race/gender/religion/age/whatever other characteristic you want to define people by. This should really have been followed by “All people”. Instead it was LGBT people not straight people, black people, white people, old people, young people, people with long hair, people with no hair etc etc etc….
So yes out of the many types of people in our community LGBT were singled out. No doubt Mr. Anderson was asked his opinion on this and gave it so no need to attack the messanger.
That said I don’t believe the minister had any malice in his words or that this is a huge gaff that requires his sacking. It’s just thoughtless words which we have come to expect him.
Call for inclusion , but when included call to stop being singled out….lol. Last i checked he listed 6 communities of sorts, religious, etc.Stop being so sensitive. If you get offended that easily pretty soon people are going to mime everything.
Last I checked singled out isn’t included.
Love Mark Anderson.
I don’t think it should be taken as offensive, but it was a REALLY weird thing for Wayne Caines to say!
And no matter what anyone says that’s it in it’s most basic form .
A really weird thing to say .
Like when he said “got titty milk”
I believe the point he is making is that the LGBTQ community are not meant to be some organisation or structured club like churches, community clubs, frats, sororities and families are.
Other than families, these are mainly groups which people actively chose to join for their benefits.
The LGBTQ community is not the same. You don’t join it like a club..there aren’t scheduled formal meetings, elected officials, membership fees/donations… . They’re just part of the island wide community that have a different preference to the norm.
This is why the issue has been raised.
Not to say I agree that it should be raised in the media or that it isn’t necessarily overblown .. but I can empathise and understand why it was raised.
But don’t you choose to be in the LGBTQ community? You can’t look at a newborn and say they are apart of the community, even though people will claim that. It’s something that you become affiliate with when you are older.
Hey Mark,
Stop exploiting every opportunity to be heard and recognized!
Its all about you!
Has the LBGTQ community lost anyone to gun violence? Are they a community that have gang members and who gangs will listen to?
If so, then the Minister is correct in singling them out, if not….. well then Minister Caines should explain why he has appealed specifically to them so they can assist him in whatever he thinks they can do to stop the gang violence.
If they don’t include LGBTQ it’s a problem, if they include them, it’s a problem. The LGBTQ community has been fighting long and hard to be heard and included and respected,so what’s the problem?? You wanted to use the black fight to justify yours…welcome to our world. Seperate but equal. You can’t win for trying.
Here here!
I thought you lot were tired of being excluded. Make up your minds. Or do you only want to be included in Marriage? Even when Domestic Partnership offers you everything but the title.
As for the gay community voting in the PLP….. laughable! You aren’t the majority. Most are OBA/anything but PLP supporters.
“Even when Domestic Partnership offers you everything but the title.”
So “separate but equal” is a good thing now huh?
The tyranny of the bigoted majority rises once again. Typical.
*Most are OBA/anything but PLP supporters.*
Proof that you haven’t been around much or for too long .
Being “excluded” and just “not being specifically named” are two different things.
Doesn’t anyone see the difference between clubs, community groups and sectors of society? He should list people with blue eyes, black and white people, red haired people and so on. It’s just general ignorance and the unwillingness to learn.
Learn what??? Sometimes its not always about the LGTBTQ community for crying out loud. This is an appeal to stop violence but gets muddled into a LGTBQ issue. Theres a certain president that does the same thing. Everyone is important but its not about you this time its about us losing people to gun violence…enough with the personal agendas geesh, we get it.
Not about me? What makes you assume I am gay? It is far from personal. It’s ignorant assumptions like that that cause these discussions.
When all you’re looking for is affirmation, it’s easy to be offended by anything and everything.
Minister “titty milk” Caines asks LGBT community for support, but at same time works (via PLP Govt. Privy Coucil appeal) to take away their rights….
Minister Titty Milk Caines has clearly lost the plot. The varnish is peeling off and revealing the inner man.
The more things…….
Let’s just move on and pay attention to the more pressing matter…. we’re losing the younger generation which is our future…. Stop The Violence!
This minister’s ignorance and shallowness become more apparent by the day. God help us if this is the best we can elect.
it is a case of trying to find something to a make an issue out of. I am a member of the LBGTQ community and I understood what was meant. We in my community must stop being petty, it waters down the big issues we re fighting.
God help you? Not if you are a gay supporter! So endeth the lesson!
Hey today is not about rainbows, it’s about bullets and violence. You want to be included in the community issues and when we include you u don’t want inclusion. Can’t win inna. You have took the spotlight off of the main issue which was young people dying to you being upset because you were included in a community discussion.
Pretty insensitive from the sensitive community.
A Govt that does NOT value Human Rights for all, is very dangerous to Societal, progress, growth & prosperity. Now we see that the Minister of Health was “very lose with the truth with the payments to Dr. Brown” and should resign as she completely misled the HOA.
HERE HERE!
Minister Titty Milk–it just never gets old!!!
he isn’t the most smooth person is he?
Minister Caine’s gets odder by the day maybe it’s just the inexperience
Don’t worry Minister Caines – I didn’t take it the wrong way. Appreciate being included.
Why is Mark calling foul he ran down the OBA who had their back,voted for the PLP who was against them and now he is complaining.Be careful for what you vote for you just might get it.
If you’re referring to the whole marriage equality campaign, the OBA didn’t have anybody’s back. They were clearly hands-off and struggled to find a direction with some key figures pro (Baron, Gordon Pamplin), some against (Cannonnier, S Richards) and some straddling the fence.
Maybe not. But the OBA didn’t think they could break the constitution when they felt like it.
Let’s call it what it is….another stupid comment from Wayne Caines. He seems to have no intellectual filter for public speaking. No need to single any groups out in your pleas for gang reduction assistance. Simple meaningful statements is all that’s needed. Some politicians try so hard to sound important they come off as sounding awkwardly rehearsed and out of their intellectual depth.
Wayne Caines should have been Fired and Removed from Office over his Titty Milk sexual remark to those 2 girls in London.
Nobody takes him serious anymore,he’s lost it.
For your informationn Titty milk is sold in the UK…
Be glad you was counted in LGBQTA,Seems like everybody forgot the 2-1 referendum result…Bermuda said NO THANK YOU!!
“Be glad you was counted ”
I’m just glad I got an education, and don’t have to suffer like you obviously do.
I didn’t vote because legally it had to happen anyway. I’m sure many more people were intelligent enough to figure out it was a pointless referendum. Clearly you weren’t.
The referendum was unanswered and non-binding and, thus, the results are completely irrelevant.
Bringing them up shows a desperation and weakness of your position.
Do you have any ACTUAL reasons to continue discriminating against the LGBT community?
Whatever you do Minister , don’t make the mistake of leaving Mark and the LGBT group out of the Bermuda Day Parade this year.
The TQ are useless and should be dropped. So should the L since the G covers both men and women. GB community sounds about right.
I think the minister unknowingly spoke out of turn it wasn’t deliberate.I believe he isn’t up to date with this particular segment of society.That’s strike number two Caines.I can see how they would be insulted being classified as an organization or club if you look at it.Get your self a speech writer before you get to strike three.