Human Rights In Bermuda

I have written before about discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but today I write not to make any particular argument, but to urge those who may be reading and who share a commitment to universal human rights without concern for who you love to come and show your support on the 25th of May  from 13:00 - 14:00.

The organizer gives a bit of background:

"On Tuesday May 1, within two days of returning home from school, I was given 15 minutes to leave Windsong Guest Apartments after its owner canceled my reservation, refused to accept my money, and attempted to slam the door in my face. She told me I could go "stay with my girlfriend." I ended up outside of the apartments with my two suitcases, angry and in tears.

Regardless of how you feel about homosexuality, respect is respect and fair is fair. I am organizing Home is Where the Hatred Is in order to raise awareness about discrimination against gay people on the island. From 1:00-2:00pm, we will stand in front of City Hall asking for our lawmakers to take complaints of discrimination seriously and to move towards an amendment of the Human Rights Act quickly.

I have contacted the Human Rights Comission to lodge a complaint, but because sexual orientation is NOT a protected ground under the Human Rights Act, the Human Rights Commission can't do anything about it. With sexual orientation in the HRA, people who have been discriminated against on the basis of their sexual preference - gay or straight - would be able to file a complaint against offenders and have justice done.

Thanks for your committment to equality and non-discrimination. Let Bermuda's decision makers that we won't be bullied out of our beautiful home by hateful, hurtful people. See you at City Hall."

Lets send a message that we've waited long enough and leave no doubt in the minds of our parliamentarians that we expect action now.

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