Cannonier: Gay marriage "will not happen"

Premier Craig Cannonier has ruled out gay marriage in Bermuda.

Mr. Cannonier said: “Under my leadership, that will not happen.”

Mr. Cannonier was speaking after he praised MPs for backing an amendment to human rights law on Friday which extended basic anti-discrimination protection to gay people.

Mr. Cannonier said: “I am delighted we’re moving forward with this. It’s an important time for us on the global stage and it’s important we get up to speed with the rest of the world.”

But he insisted the amendment was “not about gay marriage” and that was not on the table.”

G8

Mr. Cannonier and Finance Minister Bob Richards were in London for a summit meeting with UK Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of the G8 meeting earlier this week when the vote was taken.

Mr. Richards said that OBA MPs had voted against PLP MP Wayne Furbert’s proposed amendment designed to ensure that marriage could only take place between a man and a woman because it was the wrong place to include it.

He said: “Neither of us was there, but I think the position of this party was that this human rights amendment had to do with fundamental, inalienable human rights – nothing to do with marriage.”

And he pointed out that any changes to the status of marriage would have to be done through the Marriage Act – not human rights legislation.

Mr Richards said: “That’s the reason we took the strategy we did.”