We Hold These Truths To Be Self Evident

This is a piece I have been toying with writing even since I set up this blog and story in yesterday's gazette has finally given me this opportunity to bring forward my views. It's a controversial topic and one that divides along some of the deepest divisions of our world today. No not race but, rather another division as old as humanity itself. Religion.

Bermuda has the ability to join the global leaders on this topic, taking an important step forward and righting a wrong that has existed for millennium or show itself to be no better than the Bermuda and the world of old.

In the words of HRC Chairman the lack of a solution to this issue "is a violation of all human rights laws and the right to human dignity."

And:

Supported by the Amnesty International Bermuda;

Backed by the Bermuda Bar Council;

And with such political figures like Renee Webb and Dale Butler behind it;

This issue could be nothing other than the glaring absence from our Human Rights Act of what some activists have called simply two words and a comma. "Sexual Orientation,".

So what exactly does it mean that this two words and a comma is nowhere to be found within the legislation that outlines the legal basis for the Human Rights possessed by all people. Well put simply it means that those self evident truths, those unalienable. natural rights possessed by all men and women by birthright are curtailed for no reason other than archaic homophobic bigotry.

It is time we move beyond the ignorant ideas that the campaign against protection under the human rights act has based their arguments upon throughout the world. One cannot claim Homosexuality is a choice in a world where such a choice makes one vunerable to the worst kinds of vicious attacks, one cannot claim it is a hedonistic activity engaged in only by the immoral without exposing an argument based solely upon bias and hate and in this day and age one cannot claim it's illegality based on a verse in a religious text written two millennium ago which is almost completely disregarded in most other walks of life. It's time for this to end! We live in the time of secularism, of the rights of man, of freedom, of justice and of equality. Or do we?

That is the question that Bermuda will answer as the outcome of this struggle becomes apparent. We have some major legislation coming forward as parliament reconvenes the session, including the discussion and implementation of the crucial PATI legislation but, those two words and a comma; those simple symbols which mean so much; which can garuntee freedom, liberty and equality; which separate the modern from the archaic, the just from the unjust and open minded from the bigots cannot be allowed to fall by the wayside. The gauntlet has been dropped Bermuda. Assume your place as a leader on the world stage. Or prove to me that I am condemned forever to expect too much, to hope for what is not and to engage again and again in that age old curse of...

Wishful Thinking