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The claimants, gay Vincentians Sean MacLeish, left, and Javin Johnson.
The claimants, gay Vincentians Sean MacLeish, left, and Javin Johnson.
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St. Vincent and the Grenadines attorneys Jomo Thomas and Zita Barnwell, on Tuesday, represented their clients, gay Vincentians Sean MacLeish, and Javin Johnson at the first case management conference in the challenge to the country’s anti-buggery laws.  

The case management conference comes ahead of the pre-trial hearing today, Wednesday at the High Court in Kingstown.

MacLeish and Johnson, who live in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively, along with co-counsels, English barristers, Jason Beer QC and Peter Laverack were unable to attend, said a statement by Anansi Tales, a public relations outfit. 

The CMC will lay the groundwork for how the case will proceed onto the formal hearings, and all parties involved remain confident that the case will be represented well at the courts, the statement said.  

“Mr. MacLeish and Mr. Johnson wish to thank their brilliant legal team for their sterling work thus far in preparation for the case and wish to highlight that all parties involved in the case are working pro-bono and acting in the best interests of the citizens impacted by the discriminatory practices the case seeks to address. The team is working towards one goal creating a fair and equal society for all citizens,” the statement said. 

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“The impetus of these proceedings are attributed to the claimants homophobic abuse whilst resident in SVG, and the fundamental breach of their human rights, dignity and right to a private life. These experiences are unacceptable, unconstitutional and goes against the agreed principles of International human rights laws and charters that St Vincent and The Grenadines have agreed to,” the statement added. 

MacLeish said: 

“I am looking forward to a successful resolution of my historic case as it progresses with the pre-trial hearing on Nov. 13th, 2019. These discriminatory, colonial anti-gay laws have no place in a free and equal society. They should not be allowed to occupy space and power in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to marginalise people like me. I am proud to follow the legacy of Chatoyer, our great Garifuna national hero, who fought for freedom for his first nation people of Hairouna.”

MacLeish said it is “unfortunate” that a group of churches are planning what he described as “an anti-equality protest march” on Thursday.

He said the event is “an affront to the realisation of social inclusion for all citizens regardless of sexual orientation. 

“Their position is against international law to protect the human rights of all citizens, a global community that SVG is a part of and needs. This is especially poignant since our nation, celebrated a seat on the United Nations Security Council, this year. People should not have to live in fear of or subjugation to their fellow human beings because of their sexual orientation. I am a proud, gay Vincentian man, and my sexual orientation should not nullify my human rights; the same rights that other heterosexual people claim for themselves.”

MacLeish said that on June 30, 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a historic resolution on “Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, and gender identity”. He said SVG “now has the opportunity to show the world the same with a ruling that champions equality”.

11 replies on “Gay claimant says churches’ march ‘an anti-equality protest’”

  1. I do not care if gay do as they wish in private. I do not think it is a matter of choice as many in the church believe. I dislike gay people trying to think they can convert me or others into being gay, but I also dislike church people trying to convert me into something they believe. I find it disgusting when men dress-up like women in public and proposition other men for the purpose of attracting them for homosexual activities; beyond this, those that do not do this should have rights and be free from persecution.
    What is very strange here is that these people conducting this march claim to be “Christians”. What is a Christian? Some say those that believe in the word of God. That makes Jews and Muslims Christians too. Some say a Christian is someone who follows the teachings of Jesus. That makes more sense. Jesus was believed to be the most TOLERANT being that ever walked the earth. I wonder what he would say about these intolerant “Christians” that believe more in the Old Testament (the teachings of the Pharisees) than in Jesus. These people may as well call themselves Jews (Pharisees), or maybe Anti-Christians. I say this because Jews scorn homosexuality amongst Jews even though they promote homosexuality for other religions, in particular Christians.
    Didn’t Jesus say:
    “Beware of the teachings of the Pharisees.”
    Donald Trump has said that there will be negative consequences for nations that are intolerant to non-heterosexual peoples, (LBGT or whatever it is called). If Trump said this what do you think things will be like when we INEVITABLY will have a Democrat US President!
    I advise we use our brains and exercise some tolerance and avoid future Economic Sanctions because we instead wish to be intolerant and hateful, “holier than thou”. Can we find a middle ground somewhere that saves our society and avoids once and for all, and for all time, Global Punishment based on our own stupidity and “holier than thou” arrogance?
    I applaud both these lawyers for taking this case. It takes great courage because it will inevitably make them many enemies and invite scorn upon them. Most politically-minded lawyers would avoid this issue like the plague.

    1. Christians have the same right as any other member of our society to stand for what we believe in. I do not hate persons for their choice, I just uphold the truth of God and righteousness. Jesus was tolerant but he never compromised the truth or holiness…..read your bible again. Seems that in today’s world everyone has the right to believe or disagree except the Christians….we are the only ones asked to sit silently by and watch our rights as citizens be taken away. Trump is your benchmark…..his own people don’t even believe in him as a competent leader but that’s your benchmark…..sad! Soon we will get to the point where persons who claim not to believe in God oppose prayers in schools and bibles, when all hell breaks loose as it has in America, then everyone will be bawling for prayers and where is the church.
      At the end of the day it was foretold in the bible, that these perilous times will come, woe be unto those who choice carnality over truth and righteousness! May the God of mercy have mercy on us all and may His truth be reveal to all before it’s too late!

  2. God is not mocked this is not a march about hating homosexual people it’s a march about them wanting us and our children thinking it’s ok to do what they are doing which the anal area was not made for sex whether with women or men .

    1. Kittana Albertr says:

      Do u and the church not know that some husbands do it to their wives as well and some women can’t have a more satisfying sex life without their men doing it to them so what’s the difference between men and women doing it and men do it to men There isn’t any difference at all. The church is going about it the wrong way . The church needs to repent change their attitude and put on Christ and be Christ like fighting against flesh and blood will never work the church has to fight spiritually they have to fight in the spirit cause they are not dealing with flesh they are dealing with higher powers so they need to stop this their march and protest and get down on their knees and do spiritual warefare In order to pull down strongholds so that these individuals can be set free from this abomination .

  3. It is quite clever actions on the part of these two individuals to choose attorneys Jomo Thomas and Zita Barnwell! In this case both the NDP and the ULP has been cornered by that choice.

    “6 countries effectively impose the death penalty on same-sex sexual acts. Three are in Asia (Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen) and the other three are in Africa (Nigeria (the northern states), Sudan and Somalia (Jubaland region))”.

    In addition, the death penalty is a possible punishment in 6 other countries and these are Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates., Also in Iraq the death penalty could be said to remain too, as the offence has not been removed from the law for such sexual acts.

    We as Vincentians needs to ask ourselves what kind of a society we aim to promote when giving an ear to Jomo Thomas and Zita Barnwell’s clients, if we at the same time is keeping an eye on the Law of God. Will we also abandon all remaining vestiges of our Christian past? Will we to now say that God is dead? Or if he yet is, he really does not care at all what we as a people do!

  4. You are asking Duke what is a Christian! So here is what Christians generally believe and that are known as the Apostles’ Creed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostles%27_Creed

    In addition, in order to understand who Christians are DUKE, you will need to get to grips with what are called “doctrines.” Doctrines are stated in Bible text. To understand the doctrines is to understand Christanity in its true form.

    One such a Doctrine DUKE is the idea of “JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH”. This is a doctrine that was made famous by Martin Luther and which had sparked off the Reformation in Europe.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/luther_martin.shtml

    Many would argue DUKE that it is the adherence to the Christian belief system and its Ten Commandments, that have made many nations in Europe and the USA, the prosperous people that they are today.

  5. Will this be “an anti-equality protest march”? Really? And the connent above…. Interesting! Jehovah God help us!

  6. The Christian Council is telling the world that they have failed on the spiritual realm prayer not working so it’s to the streets physical realm. Dangerous. Confrontational. Reckless

    1. Kittana Albert says:

      Prayer not working cause no love and lots of unforgiveness God will not hear anyone’s prayer if there is unforgiveness

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