Next month, Bermudians from all walks of life will welcome the world to join together to celebrate our island’s first Pride event. Speaking for OUTBermuda, this also is a milestone to celebrate our continued successes for LGBTQ rights, including our winning path to marriage equality for all of us, and the time to prepare for our final hearing before the UK Privy Council, whose date remains uncertain.
When the Bermuda Pride celebration was first announced, we witnessed reports of hateful and hostile speech based on individual’s sexual orientation and gender identity as well as concerns about the gathering itself. While we celebrate our community’s love, humanity and pride, our paramount concern will always be each other’s safety and dignity.
OUTBermuda is not prepared nor are we qualified to offer legal counsel. Nonetheless, we have invited our ally and supporter, attorney Peter Sanderson, to help educate each of us on the protections afforded to us under Bermuda law that are specifically intended to protect people who may be the victims of abuse or hateful threats.
