Anti-gay moves in South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu
Rejection of same-sex marriage follows a proposal to ban LGBTQ rights advocacy
The parliament in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has voted to prohibit same-sex marriage. That move came less than a month after establishment of a committee to draft a national policy banning LGBTQ advocacy.
Vanuatu, formerly known as the New Hebrides, was jointly administered by France and the United Kingdom before it’s independence in 1980.
Erasing 76 Crimes editor Rob Salerno covered the latest developments in his “Out in the World” column for the Blade:
Vanuatu’s parliament has amended its marriage laws to explicitly ban same-sex marriage, amid a new crackdown on LGBTQ people in the South Pacific island nation.
Prior to passage of the marriage law amendment, Vanuatu’s Marriage Act neither explicitly forbade nor permitted same-sex marriage. The new law now states that same-sex marriages may not be registered in Vanuatu.
Interior Minister Andrew Napuat told Radio New Zealand the law expresses the government’s opposition to LGBTQ couples. He also threatened anyone who attempts to conduct a same-sex marriage with revocation of their license.
“When the law was passed (Nov. 14), it made clear the government’s full intention, along with our leaders, that every pastor who performs marriage ceremonies must understand that they cannot conduct a ceremony that is against the law and expect it to be registered,” Napuat says.
“If anyone conducts a marriage that does not follow the spirit of the law passed today and seeks our registration, his or her license will be revoked to prevent further marriages. This applies to religious, civil, or traditional ceremonies.”
Earlier this month, the Justice and Community Services Ministry announced it was forming a committee to draft a national policy banning LGBTQ advocacy in Vanuatu.
The proposed crackdown comes after the president of Vanuatu’s Council of Traditional Chiefs said the activities of the country’s LGBTQ advocacy group VPride threaten traditional values and Christian beliefs.
While Vanuatu is a deeply conservative country, same-sex activity has never been illegal since independence from Britain and France in 1980.
