On July 11th, Plus TV issued a statement from BelizeCan,
Belize Action, and Rise and Shine Belize that said,” While
we did not personally see the hang man when we scanned the parade on Friday, we
heard about it and sent instructions to have it removed immediately. We
strongly condemn and discourage the use of such placards or images which can be
perceived as sending the wrong message. We encourage Belizeans to
exercise their right to rally in a respectful, responsible, and God-fearing
manner.” see link http://www.plustvbelize.com/news/call-for-pro-constitution-marchers-to-be-respectful-and-responsible/
This response is very different from a May 8th interview where Louis Wade spoke in the following way:
Louis Wade, Pastor
“I am aware that the media and those who are pro-UNIBAM paint a
picture as if it is the church that is the only opposition. That is not
true. Members of the public are fully aware that this is an issue of
national importance and many different groupings of people—whether they
attend church or not—are very concerned about this issue. This is why we
have said it belongs in parliament and not in the courts. I want to add
that Christians, god-fearing people, are not violent. And we represent
though vocal, we represent the most peaceful parties on either side of
this issue. And therefore we do not tolerate or encourage anyone to
directly or indirectly insight violence to anyone on either side of this
particular issue.”
And there is no doubt that tensions are rising and certain sectors take the homosexual issue very seriously.
Louis Wade
“Those who have launched an attack against the constitution and
against section fifty-three of the constitution and the morality of this
nation cannot have their cake and eat it. They cannot get into the
boxing ring, call a match on this particular issue and then also perform
the duty of referee…..source:http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/85211
Have something changed since May 8th when when I reported masked men jumped my fence, stomped my passenger door in, and pulled off the silver door strips? Yet my opponents spoke of not promoting hate and prejudice.In a channel five interview I tried explaining my concerns in the following way about the invasion:
“Yes, simply put. What has happened here is that while the church
put out a press release that they condemn violence, they have insisted
by omission or indifference, to accept or support in silence the attack
ads that have been in the media. They put out misleading, false,
misrepresentation of the facts of this case to the public is cultivating
not only an atmosphere of fear for my community or cultivating an
atmosphere of personally insecurity that I am experiencing or that I
have experienced for quite some time. If they are serious about
condemning acts of violence, I want them to take those ads down.” see at http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/85292
What I was getting at, was that institutional silence helps to intensify functional impunity that forces person to self-censor their right to movement, association, expression, dignity and access to justice. It forces persons into a mode of rights restrictions, not in the belief in protection nor enforcement. It renders them invisible and hence out of sight of the state. While the Bishop of the Anglican Church spoke below, he failed to gasp the ramification of the churches current position on section 53 and the impact the current attack ads. The interview below occurred on May 8th, 2013 with channel five and what it points out how the church is not on the same page for the Catholic Church Ian Taylor suggested that the invasion of my property was because of violence within my community.
Phillip Wright, Anglican Bishop
“We do not support any form of violence against persons of a
homosexual orientation and we distance ourselves from any such action or
tendency in the wider population. After all, the church has to find a
way to bring people together and to encourage hatred and that form of
bigotry really is not acceptable in our book at all.”
But not everyone is reading out of the same book apparently. Wright
acknowledged that, and we observed it while asking other involved
parties about their concern over threats against Orozco and the
homosexual community.
Phillip Wright
“Much like how with the wider Anglican Communion, the truth is
not everybody sees the issue exactly the same way. I think we are
unified in not seeing the homosexual behavior as consistent with the
witness of scripture. But also what you are seeing out here too is some
differences in how we move forward with that issue. So it is never a
good thing to just lump everybody into one pack. If you talk to
individual church leaders, you may also begin to understand that they
see certain aspects of the issue differently.”
Ian Taylor, Catholic Priest, Trinidad
“First of all we need to know if that is true. Why I say that is
because globally it has been determined by states that violence against
homosexuals is highest within in the homosexual communities itself.
First of all the victim syndrome that they tend to portray is actually
within the community itself—they are aggressive against each other. And
less from those who are considered heterosexual.”
Mike Rudon
“So at this point, you are not giving credibility to what they are
saying are serious threats from outside the homosexual community towards
Mister Orozco and homosexuals?”
Ian Taylor
“It would have to be substantiated by evidence.”
