"Are we going to give necrophiles (people who have sex with corpses) their right? Are you going to say it is okay to murder someone and then have sex with them?”
Laventille based Redemption Christian Centre/ TT Response President Bishop Dr Victor Gill posed this question during a press conference at Family Life Ministries, Cecelio Avenue, Kingston, Jamaica on International Human Rights Day (December 10).
Gill was attending the Caribbean Conference on Faith and Family: Protecting Children Preserving Our Future at Jamaica Conference Centre, from December 7 to 10, which coincided with International Human Rights Day.
Using triple platforms of the press conference, JTV and Portmore Holiness Church pulpit, Gill reiterated his anti Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual ans Transgender (LGBT) stance.
Among those present were Dr Wayne West, Chairman Jamaica Coalition For A Healthy Society, Reverend Phillip Gumbs (Anguilla), Dr Veronica Evelyn (Barbados), Bishop Nicholas Sykes (Cayman Islands), Rev Peter Garth (Jamaica) and Dr Daniel Thomas (Jamaica). They were joined by Mercy and Truth chief executive officer Basil Hansson and his wife Diane.
Don’t infringe on my rights
During his remarks, Gill said: “At the heart of the issue is the question of rights. From all the discussion, it is clearly gay rights. Their plan is to get rid of Christians and to assume a new brand. My position is to represent my nation and the body of Christ. Thus, we are not endorsing gay rights. Our children must not be subject to it. We can’t subscribe to it.”
Gill added: “We believe it is important to defend our position (anti LGBT). Rights can’t exist in a vacuum. Rights must be defended by law. Don’t infringe on my rights. It is clear gay rights and Christian rights can’t co-exist.”
Reverend Peter Garth said: “My position is clear. Marriage is the only institution that is ordained and sanctioned by God. Any nation that goes contrary to this (divine will) is a nation in crisis. There is clearly an erosion of family life. Jamaica will be judged as a nation, if we permit evil.”
Meanwhile, Gumbs said “Gay sex is taboo.”
Concerned about the right to life
West said consensus among the speakers was they were also anti abortion.
“We are concerned people about the right to life and the right to take life and to have abortions. We are concerned as the United Nations celebrates its 70th anniversary we have to monitor the UN and OAS. We have to keep our eyes on the judges.”
During Saturday’s session, West presented on Secular Humanism and Judicial Tyranny while St Lucia’s External Affairs Minister Sarah Flood-Beaubrun spoke on the Challenge Of Defending Family at United Nations.
Adding her voice to the forum, Evelyn said she believed that the African-Caribbean family was in trouble. She attributed this to several factors including a low birth rate and an aging population. She said the nuclear family is God’s ideal, and, it is therefore the best model for developing strong Caribbean families.
Flashback
At home, Gill had called upon pastors, Christians and well wishers to protest the court’s decision to amend the Sexual Offences Act in order to legalise homosexuality in Trinidad and Tobago. Gill and pastors including Ancil Murray led protests at front of Parliament, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, outside Hall Of Justice and through the streets of the city. He had called upon Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to intervene.
In April, Justice Devindra Rampersad had ruled the country’s buggery laws were unconstitutional. The judge said it was highly unfortunate that some influential members of society would embark on such a route that could bring the independent and fair judiciary into question.
Asked about the ruling, Gill said: “The last thing I know it is before the Appeal Court. Based on the last ruling he altered the buggery law to give consent among adults to practice homosexuality. There is no precedent in our law for a judge taking it upon himself without it going through the legislature.”
