The arrival of gay cruise passengers from The Largest Gay Cruise in History II passed without any real protest or disturbance by noon yesterday.
Police direct traffic while onlookers gather across the road from the main port en-trance to see the gay cruise pas-sengers arrive. Photo: Jewel Levy |
The cruise from gay tour operator Atlantis Events called on board the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas around 11am to the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal.
Curiosity was high from Cayman residents, with about 100 people turned out to see the gay cruise passengers arrive. Others were there to protest against their arrival. Most of the crowd that turned out were Jamaican nationals. But there was a distinct lack of placards or any sort of organised protest from the crowd which snaked its way all along the front of the Tortuga store and the Elmslie Memorial Church wall. When the first bus full of passengers from the gay cruise ship pulled out there was a cheer from onlookers, and those in the bus waved back at them.
Pastor John Jefferson Snr. from Wesleyan Holiness Church in George Town said that on Monday the Cayman Ministers’ Association had met with the Government on the issue, but the Government was standing firm to its policy of non-discrimination established in 2001.
‘It’s a disgrace,’ he said. ‘The Government uses discrimination as an excuse, but our culture is being discriminated against,’ he said.
Jane Seymour said, ‘They should not have let the boat dock because in the bible it says you should not have a male with a male’.
Henry Bush from West Bay was outspoken, ‘It’s a disgrace. We don’t need this dollar. We didn’t grow up with gays’.
Vandeen Deewitt from Bodden Town was there out of curiosity and said, ‘They’re all human beings and should be treated as equals’.
Jamaican Emma Whittaker said she and a group of friends were there out of curiosity and if the gay passengers were behaved well she could see no problem with them being here. Some other Jamaicans, who did not wish to be named, were against the passengers coming and said it would not happen in Jamaica.
Passengers approached by The Caymanian Compass from the six other ships in port yesterday said they welcomed the gay cruise and had no problem sharing the island with them for the day. ‘They are people too and need to experience things,’ was the sentiment from the Winfield family from Canada.
The Liquorish family from the UK said, ‘They are lovely caring people and a darn sight less vicious’.
Some gay cruise passengers emerging from the ship said that they had been told nothing about their presence in Grand Cayman causing a stir. However, they knew about the Altantis Events ship being refused entry here in 1998.
Another passenger said they had been reassured there would be no problem in Grand Cayman.
Another gay passenger said that he did not want to offend anyone, but that if people could meet them they would like them.
‘People are afraid of the unknown,’ said another.
Another couple said they have been coming to Grand Cayman for years and own a house here and have never had any trouble.
Port Facility Security Officer Joseph Woods said the day was passing off peacefully. There was extra security and police at the port and they were trying to keep the port side clear of people so passengers could move to and fro freely.
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