Aug 15 - ERG Welcomes Same Sex Marriage Bill
Equality Rights Group Chairman, Felix Alvarez, has today warmly welcomed the Government’s announcement to introduce the Same Sex Marriage Bill in Parliament.
Mr Alvarez said: “On the basis that Parliament will now finally address the notion that the equal application of the law to all citizens is an inviolable and necessary principle of our society. Through this, Gibraltar understands that ‘separate but equal’ approaches to people’s options and status in life are not the best way to personal sovereignty, individual self-determination, integration and social stability. Those were the salient elements and demands underlying our One Civil Marriage Law For All Campaign, and we can only be satisfied to see Gibraltar responding.
“Today we think of all the children who will grow up never having to realise they would once have been thought unworthy wherever they walked. And are deeply and genuinely grateful for not only all those coming generations that need never know, but also for those who have known only too well and whose pain has now opened into a smile.
“The ERG has worked very long and very hard for 16 years, non-stop, to get to today. And during that time, we have been coherent in always insisting on non-discrimination, for example, in the Civil Partnership law approved in March 2014 so that those provisions included both heterosexuals and LGBTI people. And, on the very same basis, we have insisted on the extension of marriage to all citizens regardless of gender. In so doing, Gibraltar joins the growing community of nations which, after years of unjust discrimination, have determined to opt for justice.
“We thank the Chief Minister and, especially, the Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento, for the important behind-the-scenes work of consultation and discussion that has been undertaken following Government’s Manifesto commitments on this matter. Emerging as we did from an atmosphere of total and resistant silence and taboo in 2000, ERG has always been known for its, at times, controversial advocacy of open discussion, dialogue and debate, however difficult, as a means to promoting advances. And, although the wait for change in favour of Equal Marriage was, at times, anxious and frustrating for many in the Community, the desire for progress, evidenced in our formal but discreet meetings and discussions with Government over the period, has permitted us to move forward in understanding.
“However, we must still wait for the outcome in Parliament. Whilst we believe the outlook is very favourable, the final decision is in the hands of the House. Even though we shall be closely monitoring MPs voting on the day, the result cannot, as such, be wholly guaranteed or ascertained at this stage.
“We hope and trust, nonetheless, that a parliamentary majority will be voting in favour and without further change or delay. Nonetheless, Government’s announcement made mention of additional religious safeguards having been built into the text of the originally published proposals document. However, ERG has not been provided with advance notification of these and so, although this is probably due to an oversight, we will not be in a position to comment on this aspect until such time as we have had a chance to reach a considered view.
“I would like to take this opportunity, nonetheless to assure the religious communities of Gibraltar that the advance this proposed legislation represents will in no way impinge upon Equality Rights Group’s commitment to the defence of human and civil rights for all – among which religious liberty is fundamental. Though we have emphasised and clearly stated our position on this specific matter to Government directly and unequivocally, it may have slipped the general public's attention in the heat of what has been a very impassioned debate over the past year or so, but it has always been a repeated and central tenet of ERG’s very public campaign on One Civil Marriage Law for All that this was to be a civil, not a religious legal provision.
“This emphasis in our Campaign, for whatever reason and despite frequent reiteration by us, was hardly noted but it is a vital and important one. ERG is an across-the-board human and civil rights organisation, and Gibraltar’s religious communities will always find ERG standing shoulder-to-shoulder, as an ally, in defence of their legitimate rights.
“Respect, nonetheless, can only be a guiding value when cherished by all. The rights of non-religious people, and the freedom from religious imposition on a secular state and Constitution such as Gibraltar’s must also be fully recognised. Co-existence is a two-way street, and recognition of an essential give-and-take in society is something that we at ERG value, trusting and confident that this will allow us to continue collectively building a society of peace, equality and prosperity.
“ERG, not for the first time, extends a hand of dialogue and understanding to the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, all other Christian denominations present in Gibraltar, the Jewish Community, the Moslem Community, the Hindu and Bahai congregations and denominations in Gibraltar, as well as the Buddhist Sangha. It would be a step forward if that invitation were now heard and reciprocated.
“In a similar vein of inclusion, ERG thanks Unite the Union, NASUWT GTA and GGCA for their solidarity, and the Secular Humanist Society of Gibraltar (SHSG) and its members for their principled and unwavering support. Our gratitude also to Government and all political players and Parties, including the GSD Parliamentary Opposition and Independent Marlene Hassan Nahon, for coming on board on this important and, at times, bumpy journey towards change and equality. And last but certainly not least, ERG thanks its very many friends, supporters, and increasing numbers of fellow human rights travellers across the whole of Gibraltar who continue to accompany us in conviction and friendship.
“Now, it’s up to Parliament!”
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