Archbishop condemns hatred to gay community

ARCHBISHOP Jason Gordon has condemned hatred towards the gay community and urged TT not to follow US values.

Back in June a group of religious leaders including Gordon and Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Secretary General Sat Maharaj, called on Government to amend the Marriage Act to prevent the introduction of same sex marriage and for no amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act that would facilitate the LGBT+ community. The statement was made at a media conference facilitated by the group Rebuild TT and held at Archbishop House. The meeting came two months after Justice Devindra Rampersad ruled in the High Court that TT's sodomy laws were unconstitutional following a constitutional claim brought by Trinidad-born gay rights activist Jason Jones.

Gordon, speaking with the media Thursday night at An Evening with the Archbishop: An end-of-year celebration of the Catholic News 125th Anniversary held at Archbishop's House, Port of Spain, said not much has happened beyond the initial meeting of the religious leaders.

"We all stand firm with one central point that legalising same-sex marriage is not going to help our country and the development of our country on the one hand. On the other hand that does not mean we can continue with the kind of hysteria and the kind of hatred and hate speak that that community has received. And I think we have to hold both of these things together and find the way forward for us as a country."

He continued: "I don't see why we should be imitating American values and American ways of life. We are not America; we have traditions of our own. And I think we have to be courageous enough in TT to live our values and to be both hospitable and at the same time be able to speak truth."