Audrey Matura Shepherd – did she willingly resign, or was she forced to do so because of anti-gay comments she made in her Amandala column? She denies that she was pushed out, but concedes that OCEANA introduced a new policy that would effectively prohibit her from continuing to speak openly against a move to legalize sodomy in Belize. Today, the Leader of the Opposition, who has benefited substantially from OCEANA's work, said he stands in solidarity with her:…
Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition
"Audrey enjoys my full and unqualified support. I have great respect for her as she has always been a strong advocate for many different issues but of recent she has been a strong advocate for our environment, in particular our oceans. I have enjoyed a very good working relationship with her in that regard. I have always been proud to associate with her in terms of her work as the Vice President of OCEANA in Belize. I regret greatly that this discussion that is taking place in Belize today has led to this and divided our society and has led to this situation. As Audrey said it was her decision to resign because she did not want to place her organization in a compromising position where they were the source of attacks that were really aimed at her personally; so I regret that this is the case."
Matura-Shepherd a former journalist, UDP Senator, and Conservation policy advocate says she will now return to what she calls, her passion, which is law.
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