By Tim Waggoner
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, September 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Cayman Islands lawmakers voted to pass a marriage amendment bill through its second reading Friday, putting the U.K. territory firmly on route to outlawing homosexual “marriage.”
The Marriage Bill 2008 gained unanimous support during its second vote in the Legislative Assembly, and given these results, is easily expected to pass the third and final vote to be held later this week.
Provided the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not interfere with the process, the last step in ratifying the bill is the signature of Governor Stuart Jack, who, according to the Caymanian Compass, has given no sign that he opposes the measure.
The bill, which defines marriage as “the union between a man and a woman as husband and wife”, will amend the current marriage law.
“The people of the Cayman Islands are sending a clear signal that they do not wish to change the definition of marriage,” Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said. “The purpose (of this amendment) is to confirm and clarify what the Marriage Law has always meant in Caymanian society.”
Government members said they believe the bill represents the majority opinion of Caymanians. A 2007 poll asking Caymanians if they support same-sex “marriage” found that 60 percent of respondents did not.
Tibbetts responded to questions suggesting the new bill could mean a potential loss of “pink dollars” – income from the lucrative homosexual tourism business.
“Caymanians are well aware that people of a different persuasion come to our shores and they have been welcomed here,” said Tibbetts. “The basis of this bill is not financial calculations. We don’t set our family values based on how much money they make for us.”
While the bill’s passing seems to be assured, opposition parties noted during the assembly that there are still issues to address, such as the possibility that homosexuals coming in from jurisdictions that recognize same-sex “marriage” or similar unions may demand certain rights.
Attorney General Samuel Bulgin said these issues will be looked after, but for the time being, “The definition is sufficiently wide enough.”