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PM Says Judgment Is Not Greenlight To Gay Marriage
posted (August 17, 2016)

And while the not-so-veiled references to “closetsâ€￾ is one thing – gay marriage is what all of this is really about.  After the decriminalization of anal sex between consenting adults – is the next step going to be the push to legalize gay marriage? That’s the primary concern of the various church groups but the Prime Minister said that he doesn’t accept that interpretation one bit:..

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I don't agree that that's an inevitable or even necessary consequence of the chief justice's ruling. In fact I hold the opposite view and cabinet is also convinced that this does not open the door for gay marriage. Nothing can stop the people who believe in that from agitating, from taking legal action but it is not fair to the chief justice's ruling in my view to suggest that ruling in any way opens the door to that. This was a matter of striking down or reading down a section of the criminal code that imposed criminal sanctions on what was even on actions that were consensual. That's a far cry; it’s a huge leap to go from there to suggest that somehow the door is open to gay marriage. No gender policy will emerge in consequence of the chief justice's ruling and do or set out some of the things that the churches seem to fear are inevitable consequences; it won't happen. Nothing will change except as I said in this narrow regard; I can in good conscience say to the nation that in so far as the claimants are concerned they have been given what is without a doubt a shield, they have not been given a sword."

"If people were to try to press upon the government that government must in an activist way promote some sort of law that would alter the current legal position in this country that marriage is between a man and a woman. Again the claimants have every right to do whatever they wish to do. I am telling you now government, this government will not countenance that if there are to be legal challenges entirely different from the question of criminalising anal sex. If there are to be legal initiatives meant to upend the institution of marriage as we know in this society, government will absolutely and fervently and ferociously resist that sir."

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