Bermuda Has Ruled To Keep Same-Sex Marriage Legal

Bermuda has legalized same-sex marriage for the second time…
 
Bermuda has become the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, take away the right, and gain it back. Bermuda’s Court of Appeal has confirmed that same-sex marriage will stay legal in the country, in the latest flip-flop victory for gay couples on the island.
 
Bermuda’s top court ruled on Friday (November 23) that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, rejecting a government bid to overturn an earlier court ruling that reached the same conclusion.
 
“In the judgment about to be handed down, we dismissed the appeal of the attorney general,” Sir Scott Baker, president of the Bermuda Court of Appeal, told the crowded courtroom.
 
Same-sex marriage was legalized in Bermuda May 2017 with a landmark ruling, after it deemed a ban on such a union a discriminatory violation of human rights. However, in December 2017 the Bermuda Assembly voted to re-ban same-sex marriage just six months after it was legalized. In June, the Supreme Court overturned that decision, but a month later, the Bermudan government filed an appeal to reverse it. Now, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the Supreme’s Court initial overruling in June.
 
Maryellen Jackson and Roderick Ferguson, who fought the ruling, said in a joint statement: “Speaking for ourselves and on behalf of gay and lesbian Bermudians, we are grateful for the court’s decision, and its recognition of the significance of marriage in supporting and protecting our families.
 
“Equality under the law is every Bermudian’s birthright. Bermuda’s LGBTQ community is strong and proud. When our voices join together, we will be heard, and we will continue to make progress.”