Barbados does not recognise same-sex unions. In September 2020, the government announced its intention to enact civil unions for same-sex couples, providing several of the rights, benefits and obligations of marriage. It also announced the possibility of holding a referendum on legalising same-sex marriage.
Civil unions and limited rights
editIn July 2020, the government launched the "Welcome Stamp" visa program, allowing foreign workers to stay on Barbados for up to one year. After receiving criticism that the program only allowed workers to bring their opposite-sex spouse with them, the government changed the program rules to allow workers to bring their same-sex spouse as well.[1]
On 15 September 2020, the government announced its intention to pass a form of civil union, providing same-sex couples with a subset of the rights and benefits of marriage, and after that hold a referendum on the issue of same-sex marriage.[2] Governor General Sandra Mason (since 2021 the President of Barbados) said in a speech to the Parliament that the country must have a "frank discussion" and "end discrimination in all forms".
Mr President, my Government is prepared to recognise a form of civil unions for couples of the same gender so as to ensure that no human being in Barbados will be discriminated against, in exercise of civil rights that ought to be theirs.
LGBT activist Alexa Hoffmann said Mason's speech was filed with "smoke and mirrors, tiptoeing around and the use of buzz words. […] A nod is being given to civil unions but yet anything that relates to the LGBT community physically being able to practice that relationship is still criminalized and completely forbidden",[3] referencing the fact that Barbados law at the time criminalised same-sex sexual relations. Homosexuality was decriminalised in Barbados in 2022.[4][5] Bishop Michael Maxwell said that no priest within the Diocese of Barbados would be permitted to officiate at a civil union ceremony, "The position really is that our church continues to stand against what it considers to be same-sex marriages."[6]
Same-sex marriage
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Background
editIn June 2016, Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite said the Government of Barbados was not considering changing the law to allow for same-sex marriages; "As a lawmaker, if Jane decides she wants to live with Janice, that is their business as far I am concerned. But I will not change the law to allow them to be married in Barbados. I will not stop them from being able to access health care, being able to have a job, or to be able to eat and sleep and do all the things I do." Activist Donnya Piggott said at the time that the local LGBT community was "not interested in pressuring authorities to legalize same-sex marriages".[7]
In March 2022, attorney at law Lalu Hanuman suggested that the Marriage Act may not prohibit same-sex marriage, and called on same-sex couples to challenge the law in court. "It does not say in the prohibited or void sections that a man can't marry a man or a woman can't marry a woman. I think it ought to be considered a test case where an LGBTQ person approaches the magistrate to get the bands published … and tries to get married to someone of their same gender. I am confident it will be refused at the Magistrate's Court level, but then challenge it all the way up to the Caribbean Court of Justice and I think it could well succeed", Hanuman said. The Act uses gender-neutral language, with parties to a marriage referred to as "persons", except in section 3 which states that "a marriage solemnised between a man and a woman" is void if the partners are related.[8]
2018 Inter-American Court of Human Rights advisory opinion
editOn 9 January 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) issued an advisory opinion that parties to the American Convention on Human Rights should grant same-sex couples "accession to all existing domestic legal systems of family registration, including marriage, along with all rights that derive from marriage".[9][10][11] The advisory opinion states that:[12][13]
The State must recognize and guarantee all rights derived from a family bond between persons of the same sex in accordance with the provisions of Articles 11.2 and 17.1 of the American Convention. (...) in accordance with articles 1.1, 2, 11.2, 17, and 24 of the American Convention, it is necessary to guarantee access to all the existing figures in domestic legal systems, including the right to marry. (..) To ensure the protection of all the rights of families formed by same-sex couples, without discrimination with respect to those that are constituted by heterosexual couples.
Barbados ratified the American Convention on Human Rights on 27 November 1982 and recognized the court's jurisdiction on 4 June 2000.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "StackPath". www.gaytoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
- ^ "Government to recognise 'a form of civil unions' for same sex couples". Barbados Today. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- ^ Moloney, Anastasia (17 September 2020). "Barbados pledges same-sex marriage vote, but supporters doubt reform". Reuters.
- ^ "Barbados' top court strikes down laws that criminalize gay sex". The Guardian. December 13, 2022.
- ^ González Cabrera, Cristian (13 December 2022). "Barbados High Court Decriminalizes Gay Sex". Human Rights Watch.
- ^ Joseph, Emmanuel (22 September 2020). "Anglican church not backing same sex civil unions". Barbados Today Traffic.
- ^ "Gay blow: AG rules out same-sex marriages". Barbados Today. 7 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016.
- ^ "Attorney suggests Marriage Act may not prohibit same-sex marriage". Barbados Today. 9 March 2022.
- ^ Pretel, Enrique Andres (January 10, 2018). "Latin American human rights court urges same-sex marriage legalization". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ Chinchilla, Sofía; Cambronero, Natasha (January 9, 2018). "Corte Interamericana ordena abrir la puerta al matrimonio gay en Costa Rica" (in Spanish). La Nación. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ "Inter-American Court endorses same-sex marriage". Yahoo7. Agence France-Presse. 9 January 2018. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "Opinión Consultiva OC-24/17 De 24 De Noviembre De 2017 Solicitada Por La República De Costa Rica" (PDF) (in Spanish). Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Contesse, Jorge (July 26, 2018). "The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' Advisory Opinion on Gender Identity and Same-Sex Marriage". American Society of International Law. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IACHR 2001 - Annex III". cidh.org (in Spanish).
External links
edit- Abramschmitt, Céline (2007). "Is Barbados Ready for Same-Sex Marriage?: Analysis of Legal and Social Constructs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2024.