It was quiet, late afternoon in George Town and remaining tourists could be seen dotted here and there in clusters, popping in and out of stores on the waterfront.
Andrea Cantave waves goodbye to cruise passengers. Photo: Cliodhna McGowan |
It appeared to be any normal cruise day, but it had been an interesting day for some cruise passengers, who had been greeted earlier in the day with slogans and cheers from some residents.
However, passengers from ‘The Largest Gay Cruise in History II’ on board the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, which docked in Grand Cayman on Tuesday, said they would return here, and all in all they had a pleasant visit.
Brad Loase from North Carolina said that when he first got off the boat he saw a sign saying ‘welcome’ but then across the street from the Port Authority building he heard what he calls ‘the standard quotes that people say to us’. He also saw people holding signs quoting Leviticus 18:22, saying ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination’.
Mr. Jeff Banning from Dallas said that perhaps certain segments from the Bible should not be taken this literally.
Mr. Loase said he was offended by the signage and by what people were saying. But then a woman welcomed them to the country. ‘She was a beautiful person,’ he said. He said that the gay community has contributed a lot to humanity and yet people continue to be against them.
‘We respect everyone for who they are and we would just like the same done for us,’ he said.
When asked if they had ever experienced disruption like this in any other destination they said that they had not.
Mr. Loase said he was shocked by the protestors because a newsletter on board the ship had carried a message that the Minister of Tourism in the Cayman Islands guaranteed that they would be welcome.
However, despite the disruption, he said that he would come back here one more time, just to give it another chance.
Their tour guide had been tremendous fun, they said, while driving 11 of them to Stingray City. ‘All’s well that ends well,’ they smiled, describing their encounter with the rays as ‘awesome’.
Another group of passengers from the ship said that they had just spoken to a very nice resident who had offered to take a picture of them. This was after three other people had declined to take their photo, when asked. They said they hadn’t considered that this may have been because they were gay.
The group was wandering around George Town doing a lot of shopping and were eager to show their bags full of jewellery, cologne, body care products and liquor.
Gerry Cackoski from Washington, DC, had also seen the quote from the Bible and described it as being a very selective choice.
Stephen Kovac from Miami said they had been treated very nicely by other residents, who stopped to let them pass by on the sidewalk.
Another from the group, also from Miami, had seen a gentleman get arrested in town and had noticed a high police presence in the area.
All in all, the group found the island beautiful and would like to come back. At no point during the day had they felt nervous about being here, they said.
Also shopping in George Town were Chris Baca and Sam Saucedo from New Mexico. They had seen a lot of protestors when they emerged through the port gates just after noon, and Mr. Baca said he had found this humorous. ‘I generally respect other people’s opinions but I think this was ridiculous,’ he said.
He said that a tourist destination should not be protesting about its tourists just because they don’t understand the life they lead.
Their tour guide had a great sense of humour and joked with them, however.
All in all they had felt respected and they had loved their trip to Stingray City. They both eagerly said they would like to return.
Meanwhile, late Tuesday afternoon, back up outside the Port Authority building, Jane Seymour and Sheldon Carter sat holding their quotes from the Bible’s Book of Leviticus.
About 10 to 15 feet away from them Andrea Cantave of George Town also sat, but her agenda was very different. Each cruise ship passenger that went by, she waved her hand to them and wished them a pleasant journey home. She thanked them for coming to her island. Earlier she had been welcoming the passengers.
‘The God that instilled love in my heart told me to come and meet his people,’ she said.
‘I could not come out here and condemn my brothers and sisters,’ she added.
The cruise passengers smiled back and some took her hand. ‘You’re a brave woman,’ one of them said to her.
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