TOURISM VS. RELIGION: ANTI-GAY RALLY TARGETS U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NASSAU 001382

SIPDIS

CA/OCS FOR SHIRLEY CRAWFORD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2014
TAGS: CASC PREL BF
SUBJECT: TOURISM VS. RELIGION: ANTI-GAY RALLY TARGETS U.S.
CRUISE SHIP AND CHRISTIE GOVERNMENT

REF: NASSAU 1342

Classified By: CHARGE ROBERT M.WITAJEWSKI FOR REASONS 1.4 (B).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) A number of prominent Bahamian religious figures led
a "Save the Bahamas" rally in downtown Nassau on July 11 to
protest the pending arrival of the cruise ship "Norwegian
Dawn" which is scheduled to dock in Nassau with a group of
"gay family" travellers on board the morning of July 16.
Supporters claimed thousands participated; local media put
the number of protesters at 300-500; Ministry of Tourism
officials claimed only one hundred were in attendance. The
religious leaders delivered fiery denunciations of
homosexuality; accused Prime Minister Christie's government
of wanting to make The Bahamas a "playground for gays"; and
alleged that the current House of Assembly has "too many
sexually-confused parliamentarians" -- a not so veiled
references to Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell. Mainstream
Bahamian religious figures characterized the rally's leaders
as vocal extremists, though representing the overall
anti-homosexual position that reflects most Bahamians'
attitudes. Members of a local gay-rights advocacy group were
also present at the protest and were verbally attacked by
some of the demonstrators. HBO has been seeking out and
interviewing representatives of both sides of the
controversy. The HBO documentary film crew will also
accompany the cruise ship and its celebrity host/financial
backer Rosie O'Donnell when it docks in Nassau on July 16.
Embassy has been in touch with the Ministry of Tourism in
anticipation of Friday's expected protests.
End Summary.


PROTESTING THE "SEXUALLY CONFUSED"
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2. (U) Several well-known Bahamian religious leaders
organized and participated in the "Save the Bahamas Campaign"
in Rawson Square, in the heart of downtown Nassau across the
street from the country's parliament and adjoining the Prime
Minister's offices, to protest the cruise ship, "The
Norwegian Dawn", which will be docking in Nassau July 16 with
a group of gay family passengers. The cruise, reportedly
organized to promote homosexual family values through on-ship
seminars, is reportedly being financially backed by celebrity
comedienne, Rosie O'Donnell. An HBO documentary filming crew
is scheduled to be aboard ship during its cruise and port
calls in order to produce a film about gay family life.


3. (U) The prospect of the group disembarking while the
cruise ship is in Nassau has exercised several local
conservative religious figures. At their July 11 rally, they
attracted a vocal crowd of supporters. Nassau's two
principal newspapers estimated the protesters at between 300
and 500. However a representative from the Ministry of
Tourism, Deputy Director General Ms. Vernice Walkine, balked
at this number and insisted that there were more likely "a
hundred and change, max..." when contacted by Embassy
Political Officer on July 13, 2004.


4. (SBU) Leaders and organizers of the protest rally
included Pastor Mario Moxey, Apostle Christopher Wallace, Dr.
Myles Munroe, and about a dozen other religious figures.
Apostle Wallace characterized gays as "sexually confused" and
"sissies". One pastor declared that "The Bahamas doesn't
need no 'sissy money' from Rosie O'Donnell."


ATTACK ON REPUTED GAYS IN GOVERNMENT
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5. (U) The rally's organizers did not limit their attacks to
the cruise ship passengers. Expanding on his target to the
media, Pastor Mario Moxey asked coyly if "The Ministry of
Tourism has consented to HBO filming a documentary in the
Bahamas aimed at showcasing our country as a destination for
exclusive homosexual activist groups." Apostle Christopher
Wallace of the Christian Tabernacle Church also attacked
unnamed members of parliament as well, declaring that "we've
gotta fight this in Parliament because we've got too many
sissies in Parliament...next election we cannot vote for
sexually-confused parliamentarians." Apostle Russell
continued with only a lightly-veiled reference to The
Bahamanian Foreign Minister (and member of parliament) Fred
Mitchell scathingly declaring, "When we have our own
parliamentarians saying they can't find no wife. Fifty-one
year old men can't find no wife? All these gorgeous,
brown-skinned women and you can't find no wife?" (sic)


MODERATION CAN COST YOU AIR TIME
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6. (U) In their July 13, 2004, editions, The Bahamas two
major daily newspapers, "Tribune" and the "Nassau Guardian",
both reported that members of the Bahamas Christian Council,
a powerful conglomeration of representatives from Christian
denominations, were noticeably absent from the July 11 rally.
The newly-elected Christian Council had been taking a more
modulated stance on many issues since taking office,
including homosexuality, than did the previous
administration lead by Bishop Samuel Greene.


7. (SBU) When contacted by the Political Officer on July 14,
Reverend Dr. Thompson, new president of the Bahamas Christian
Council, said that he stands by his "don't ask, don't tell"
policy. "We welcome anyone to the Bahamas, but do not want
our visitors to push their beliefs on us." In previous
meetings with the Embassy, Reverend Thompson, as well as
Anglican Archbishop of The Bahamas, Drexel Gomez, have
explained that they will not publicly attack gay visitors or
gay Bahamians and summarized their stance on the issue as one
of "hate the sin; love the sinner."


8. (C) Speaking with Charge July 15, His Grace Archbishop
Gomez reiterated that he saw "no advantage or benefit" to any
public demonstration against the visit, nor did he have any
plans to speak out. Referring to Reverend Moxey, the
Archbishop wryly noted that Rev. Moxey "appears to be using
this to promote his own publicity." Archbishop Gomez was
confident that there would be a "full contingent" of the
Royal Bahamas Police Force in the area to preclude any
untoward incident from occurring.


9. (C) Reverend Thompson also said that the HBO film crew
had already contacted him asking about his views of the port
call by the "Norwegian Dawn" cruise ship. Citing his more
moderate stance, he claims he was told by HBO that his
comments would not make the film, as they were looking for
sound bites from what Thompson described as "renegade
fanatics". Reverend Thompson said that no one from the
Christian Council would participate in the protests, nor do
they support them. There seems to be some dissent amongst
the Christian Council as Bishop John Humes, Vice President of
BCC, claims the Bahamas Christian Council fully supports the
"Save the Bahamas" campaign to "The Tribune" on July 15.


PROTEST AND COUNTER-PROTEST ON MORNING OF ARRIVAL
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10. (U) A second protest for the morning of July 16 in
Rawson Square has been announced by the July 11 organizers.
In the meantime, they claim they will have 50,000 Bahamian
signatures on petitions condemning Prime Minister Perry
Christie for allowing the cruise ship to dock in Nassau.
Some of the organizers have also threatened that Christie
would be voted out of office at the next election in 2007 if
he refuses to join them in opposing homosexuals.


11. (U) Although its membership is only 150 -- with hundreds
more reportedly "silent members" -- the "Rainbow Alliance of
the Bahamas," a local advocacy group for gays, lesbians,
bisexuals, and transgenders plan to be present to welcome the
passengers from the "Norwegian Dawn". A previous cruise that
also had a gay group of passengers in early June came and
went without the promised opposition rally. At this event
the Rainbow Alliance set up a welcoming stand at the port for
the day visitors. Both sides have promised to turn up the
heat -- and the attendance -- for the arrival of The
"Norwegian Dawn" with Rosie O'Donnell and HBO film crew on
board.


EMBASSY EFFORTS
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12. (C) Political Officer contacted the Ministry of Tourism
July 13 to inquire about security arrangements when the
controversial cruise reaches Nassau. Ministry
representatives said that they would be present at Prince
George's Wharf when the passengers disembark on Friday.
Deputy Director General Vernice Walkine assured the Embassy
that the Ministry was committed to the safety and happiness
of all those on board, and that they planned to have extra
security officers present at the rally. Ms. Walkine averred
that the prospect of any violence actually occurring was
extremely unlikely.


13. (C) Efforts July 14 to contact the Rainbow Alliance to
obtain information about their plans for July 16 were
unsuccessful.


COMMENT
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14. (C) Given the country's peaceful culture where the fire
and brimstone generally stays verbal rather than physical,
Friday's planned protest -- if it happens -- promises to be
loud, but non-violent. Promised protests at the last
gay-oriented cruise to visit Nassau fizzled out and never
happened after all sides had appropriately postured prior to
the ship's actual arrival. Odds are that the same thing
would have happened this time, but for two new variables
thrust into the equation -- new factors that caused Prime
Minister Perry Christie reportedly to spend Wednesday in an
emergency cabinet meeting trying to defuse -- along with
another simmering domestic political crisis. The new
variables are the presence of a celebrity, Rosie O'Donnell,
and an HBO crew looking for something controversial to film.


15. (C) Bahamian culture celebrates heterosexual prowess as
it proudly proclaims its elaborate, overt religiosity.
Bahamians also wryly acknowledge their compartmentalized
religious beliefs, commemorated in a popular Bahamian ballad
recounting the shortcomings of the "Sunday Christian" who
weekly repents their previous six days of sinfulness.


16. (C) PM Perry Christie finds himself between a rock and a
hard place on this controversy. He owes his election to the
active intervention of the conservative end of the Bahamian
Protestant religious spectrum. He also knows that 60 percent
of the country's GDP depends on tourism. The conservative
Protestant churches who were his main backers in the last
election expect some payback. Christie, who generally
prefers no decision to any decision that leaves anyone
unhappy, cannot sidestep the issue without further enhancing
his image as the Bahamian Hamlet. The FNM opposition is
enjoying watching him squirm and doing its best to tighten
the screws by repeatedly calling upon him to take a
principled stand.
WITAJEWSKI