As Martyn Roper’s tenure as governor nears its end, the Cayman LGBTQ Foundation has honoured the UK’s senior representative on island with an award for his work with the local LGBTQ community.
Last week, Noel Cayasso-Smith and Aduke Natalie Joseph-Caesar, both of the Cayman LGBTQ Foundation, presented Roper with a plaque “for the supporting role he played in the LGBTQ community in the Cayman Islands during his tenure as Governor”.
“We sincerely thank the Governor for making many things possible for the LGBTQ community in the Cayman Islands and we hope that this plaque is a reminder to the Governor of how appreciative we have been of those important efforts,” Cayasso-Smith said in a statement on the award.
Roper thanked the foundation for the plaque and reminded the community of how people should treat each other.
“It is important for the jurisdiction that Cayman has an effective legal framework in place through the Civil Partnership legislation to support our LGBTQ community. Since arriving in the Cayman Islands four years ago I have stressed the importance of treating everybody with courtesy, dignity and respect and being tolerant of others, even when differences are deeply held. It is important to recognise that this is a sensitive subject for many in our community. But I believe we are making steady progress on being more inclusive of others. The annual Pride Parade organised by the LGBTQ Foundation is another step forward,” Roper said in a statement to the Cayman Compass following receipt of the plaque.
The foundation, in its statement, said the governor has helped the LGBTQ community “a great deal”, in particular with promoting their right to same-sex partnerships through his enacting the Civil Partnership Act, which took effect in September 2020.
Cayasso-Smith said he was delighted to be able to present Roper with a plaque to commemorate all that he had done, now that his time as governor was drawing to a close.
“As a result of his assistance, we feel the LGBTQ community is making great strides in the Cayman Islands and is well-poised to take even more important steps in the months and years to come,” Cayasso-Smith said.
He added that Roper has also been instrumental in getting the Cayman pride celebration up and running.
Cayman’s first Gay Pride Parade took place in July 2021, and was “a huge step forward for Cayman’s LGBTQ community,” he said.
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