Hashtag: #DomesticPartnershipBill2017
Ellen DeGeneres: ‘I Guess I’m Canceling My Trip’
Television host Ellen DeGeneres — who has one of the most followed Twitter accounts in the world with 77 million followers — has tweeted about Bermuda’s same sex marriage legislation, saying “I guess I’m canceling my trip.” The tweet — which was posted this evening and as 15,000 likes/retweets/comments as of this... Read more of this article
Rainbow: “Shocked At Contradictory Comments”
The Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda said they are “shocked at the contradictory comments made in the House of Assembly regarding attracting more LGBTQ tourism” adding that they advocate for an intersectional approach to equality and “both the Government and Opposition have failed in this regard.” Their comments follow after discussion... Read more of this article
Audio: Minister Simmons On LGBTQ Tourism
When it comes to the “controversy surrounding Domestic Partnership Bill, when you compare Bermuda to many of the destinations in the Caribbean, Bermuda is far in advance of many of our competitors,” Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Jamahl Simmons said, adding that “the message that we will continue to push is that Bermuda... Read more of this article
Column: ‘Will Not Accept Anything But Equality’
[Opinion column written by Kirkland Hamill] When Bermuda repealed the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision, I wrote an op-ed in The Advocate about not coming back to the island until it was repealed and marriage reinstated. Some people thought that was extreme, and counter-productive, and would end up potentially punishing the people I wanted... Read more of this article
SSM/Partnerships Policy Takes Effect On June 1
The Domestic Partnerships Act is set to take effect on June 1st of this year, Home Affairs Minister Walton Brown said today, adding that this means “same sex couples can get married in Bermuda until May 31, 2018.” In delivering a budget brief in the House of Assembly today, Minister Brown said, “The Department is also readying itself... Read more of this article
UK Minister Answers Questions About Bermuda
Bermuda’s Domestic Partnership Act legislation continues to be a topic of discussion in British Parliament, with the Minister of State responding to questions from a Labour MP. Labour MP Catherine West asked the Minister of State “what recent assessment his Department has made of the status of LGBT+ rights in Bermuda” and “what... Read more of this article
‘SSM Ban Violates AGU Location Requirements’
The Geoscience & Society Summit was scheduled to be held in Bermuda in September, however the organisers said as a result of the Domestic Partnerships Act, “Bermuda no longer meets AGU’s meeting location requirements” and they “are evaluating the options for relocating.” A statement on the organisation’s website under... Read more of this article
U.S. LGBTIQ Group: ‘Don’t Boycott Bermuda’
The US-based LGBTIQ rights group OutRight Action International said a “misguided reaction is unfolding” to Bermuda’s recent legislation, and have called for people to not boycott Bermuda, saying the “campaign stands to hurt rather than help” and have called for people to “instead learn how to empower local organizations... Read more of this article
Couple Cancels Cunard Cruise Over SSM Law
Jamison Firestone and his husband have cancelled their Cunard cruise, with Mr Firestone saying he does “not feel comfortable taking a cruise on a ship registered in a jurisdiction that does not accept my marriage.” This follows after the assent of the Domestic Partnership Act, as cruise lines registered in Bermuda — Princess Cruises,... Read more of this article
Legal Challenge Filed: Same Sex Marriage
[Written by Don Burgess] Lawyer Mark Pettingill has filed a motion on behalf a client challenging the Constitutional issues of the Domestic Partnership Act. Mr Pettingill confirmed to Bernews he filed the motion Thursday afternoon. Governor John Rankin signed the Domestic Partnership Act into law last week, which replaced a court decision allowing... Read more of this article
Data Analysis | #BoycottBermuda Hashtag Use
The #BoycottBermuda hashtag has been recorded over 900 times in the past two months on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and various websites, according to an online tracking service. We started tracking it when it first appeared in December 2017, and with the assistance of an online tracking service, compiled the relevant data below, spanning from December... Read more of this article
NOM Played ‘Significant Behind Scenes Role’
The U.S. based National Organization for Marriage [NOM] stated they played a “significant behind-the-scenes role” in what they termed the “tremendous victory in Bermuda,” saying that NOM President Brian Brown traveled here twice “to meet with activists from Preserve Marriage Bermuda to discuss potential strategies.” Founded... Read more of this article
