Wednesday, March 6 2013

JUSTICE Minister Christlyn Moore yesterday hinted that Government is in support of gay rights but said it is an unresolved and “ongoing debate” in the nation. She made the comment while addressing a forum at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on the role of Caribbean MPs in promoting human rights.

“The Government seeks to recognise the rights of all citizens including the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community,” said Moore. She added that it is “a matter of ongoing debate”.

Pressed on this issue by a Jamaican MP, Moore said there has been some resistance from pockets of civil society, especially the Christian religious communities, adding, “so the matter is still deviling us”.

She said some segments of society see legalisation of same-sex marriage as contrary to Biblical law, so that the challenge now is how is it to be “sold”? On the human-rights question of child- marriage, Moore said there is dialogue about harmonising the age of consent across all different religions, although also noting that such a move could risk impinging on religious practices and thus being seen as discriminatory against a particular religion.

Other areas of human rights raised by Moore included corporal punishment, capital punishment, the rights of migrants and the rights of persons with disabilities. The three-day seminar is due to end today with an address by Senate President, Timothy Hamel-Smith.