Gov’t won’t collide with Church

If Justice Minister Delroy Chuck was not clear enough when he said in Parliament “We don’t support samesex marriage,” then Marlene Malahoo Forte’s comments in the House of Representatives on Tuesday should leave no room for ambiguity.

“This Andrew Holness-led administration is on no path to collide with the Church or any other wellthinking members of the Jamaican society on issues which define the fabric of our society, even in the presence of challenges,” Malahoo Forte declared.

While she did not specifically mention issues such as buggery and same-sex marriage, she left little doubt that she was referring to these hot-button topics. She said that the country has “many, many problems” and will have to “have to work out these problems”.

Malahoo Forte, Jamaica’s minister of legal and constitutional affairs, signalled that the Government will hold firm to its position, “even in the presence of challenges”.

“We are going to have to hear from each other because we are going to have to live better with our differences. But this Andrew Holness-led administration is on no path to collide with the Church or any other well-thinking member of the Jamaican society on issues which define the fabric of our society,” she said to thunderous applause from legislators.

Malahoo Forte, however, cautioned them by saying, “I want you to know we have a lot to work out because we have a motto that says ‘Out of Many, One People’.”

Last month, Chuck told Parliament that an increasing number of gays have been requesting marriage licences from the authorities in Jamaica. He said that their petitions will not be entertained.