|| News ||
Page 1 of 1

Bermuda: Gay Cruises OK, Marriage Not So Much


BERMUDA PROGAY DEMONSTRATORS X390 (PINKNEWS.CO.UK) | ADVOCATE.COM

A study in Bermuda has shown that while 53% of residents were in favor of gay cruises stopping in the island nation, only 27% supported marriage equity.

The Royal Gazettereports that Mindmaps, a research company, conducted the study on a group of 401 adult Bermuda residents between June 29 and July 4. The study had a 4.9% margin of error.

To government senator Walton Brown, this was to be expected: "Bermuda has been a very conservative society. I would always like to see those figures higher, but Bermuda has not yet reached the point where the overwhelming majority accept that everybody should be treated equally before the law."

Yet there has been progress. In 2007 a gay family cruise to Bermuda aboard a liner owned by Rosie O'Donnell was canceled after the threat of activism from religious groups. Then, leader of a faith-based tourism initiative Andre Curtis went so far as to threaten to pick up the cruise passengers and bus them to various churches so that clergy could pray for them.

Now, only a month before the Mindmaps research project, a gay cruise docked without protest. On the contrary, the passengers were met with a welcome party that attracted island residents as well as vacationers.

Elizabeth Christopher, a representative from equal rights group Two Words and a Comma, sees the recent reaction and the new statistics as promising. "It's worthy of mention that as far as I am aware, not a single person protested about the cruise ship that came in early June," she says. "I think it's showing people's attitudes fundamentally are changing. I don't know why. I would hope it's because of the campaign that gays and lesbians need to be protected as a group under the Human Rights Act."

Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Facebook. Page 1 of 1
Reader Comments
  • Name: QStick
    Date posted: 7/19/2010 2:10:53 PM
    Hometown: Idyllwild

    Comment:

    Tuneup1, maybe you misread me. Yep, tag me gay. What am I looking for? Nothing. I'm atheist. Don't need to belong to or be accepted by anyone or anything. Tolerated? Sure. Equal rights? Absolutely. Like the Moronic Mormon Church (or any church for that matter)? Nope, they're all cults - but that's not the point. Does communicating with ANY of the congregation EVER have any effect? Only an idiot would think it never does. Do I spend much effort trying? Nope, pretty much only when they (Mormons/7th Day Adventists) come to my door. I no longer answer the door only wearing pumps and a jack strap when I answer, but actually explain how mean their religions treat me and my bi-national husband, and how can they believe that's fair or good? I like to think they leave thinking something like, 'wow, we've never had that conversation before! he had some points!' But that's just me. I Hate the Mormon church, the Pope, a lot of things - and still I talk to em.

  • Name: Daniel
    Date posted: 7/19/2010 10:35:34 AM
    Hometown: Boston

    Comment:

    I agree we should boycott, but let's remember if the rest of the world follows suit gay people won't be coming here. As a person who lives in a state that greatly benefits from gay dollars it would be scary if that money left our state, progressive though it is.

  • Name: Paula
    Date posted: 7/18/2010 9:36:54 PM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    I agree that the sick person mentioned is a homophobic internet troll (the so called "d") and I have been the victim of this person's abuse and hatred, too. I know it is a hallmark of a very low down person to call other people names but this party goes beyond anger management issues. Even using anti-gay hate words. I think the best thing to do would be not to engage this sewer person. Nobody cares about him or her in real life and this person has been a failure on the net, too. And to judge from many of its opinions, the mind is infantile. Most pathetic are the lectures from someone who wouldn't know gay liberation if (s)he fell over it. I'm willing to bet s(he has a long police record for domestic violence.

  • Name: tuneup1
    Date posted: 7/18/2010 8:25:28 PM
    Hometown: everywhere

    Comment:

    Fran I like you. I have gone back in the archives and have see what you said about "d" is historically true. You do have a way of expressing yourself. Good work.

  • Name: Fran
    Date posted: 7/18/2010 4:08:46 PM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    to d as in demented. Please 1) come out of the closet. the moniker "d' is stale 2) get a life 3) stop abusing people here in your alcoholic bitterness. No one cares about you and your preachments and fake bio in trailer trash land. If you left the world, not one person would cry. You are a homophobic internet troll. Always calling people names but the joke is on you. Get over your gay self hatred. I know it is hard when you are on welfare after being fired for being a drunkard at bartending

  • Name: tuneup2
    Date posted: 7/18/2010 8:56:38 AM
    Hometown: everywhere

    Comment:

    Kev: To me that doesn't make any sense. California gays supported you at your state of Boston's time of need. Yes boycott spending in the fascist influenced governments in each state like Utah, Arizona, Hawaii and yes California, etc by removing their control and not against the meaning of gay rights but in the name of gay rights. Hawaiians who live there in support of sovereignty are calling for this boycott because its obvious how corrupt their government has become and Californian gays are attuned to the businesses who gave big money to pass Prop. H8 and no longer patronize them. We know about Arizona and Utah unfortunately two states I used to frequent because of its natural beauty that I spent many times hiking in as well as Alaska and Hawaii which now I must avoid. Please understand the differences.

  • Name: kev
    Date posted: 7/18/2010 7:33:12 AM
    Hometown: Boston

    Comment:

    If marriage equality is now THE criterion for gay-friendliness in tourism, we should all avoid California too!

  • Name: Tod
    Date posted: 7/18/2010 3:48:30 AM
    Hometown: West Hollywood

    Comment:

    Let's hope it is the campaign that gays and lesbians need to be protected as a group under the Human Rights Act that's helping. Usually something not so good has to happen for change to take place and maybe this was it. We know it won't happen over night, so baby-steps and praise the good things.

  • Name: tuneup2
    Date posted: 7/17/2010 4:15:09 PM
    Hometown: everywhere

    Comment:

    d for dahhh: Judging from my response to your previous post and if what you're saying is true than you agree with me. The first part was dedicated to you that we agree on however the second part was addressed to "People". Don't get your Bermuda shorts tide up in your crack.

  • Name: d
    Date posted: 7/17/2010 2:24:32 PM
    Hometown: raleigh

    Comment:

    tuneup...I think tuneout would have been better. My post responded to an earlier post. You've given new meaning to Biggest Idiot posting on here. You can pick up your tiara on your way out.

 PREVIOUS 1 2 3 4 NEXT  


Don't Miss
  • Best of Broadway Smash: Why You Will Love It

    Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, two of the producers of NBC’s new critically acclaimed musical series, explain why the backstage drama of creating a musical about Marilyn Monroe has mass appeal and why big stars like Anjelica Huston, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters, and Nick Jonas were eager to appear in it.

  • Best of Broadway How Broadway Does a Flea Market

    Find out why actress Kathleen Chalfant calls the annual Flea Market and Grand Auction in Times Square "the most glamorous flea market you've ever seen." It raised half a million dollars to fight HIV/AIDS.

  • Travel Slideshow Flag Gayest Cities in America, 2012

    It's no secret that megalopolises New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles have robust LGBT life — and we've even heard tell of little queer hoods like the Castro and P-Town. This isn't that list.

 
 
Advocate Subscribe Promo Banner 300x50
 
Follow Us Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterSubscribe to our RSS feedsDownload our app
Facebook Activity
 
1056 COVER X135 | ADVOCATE.COM
Today's Headlines