US embassy cable - 04NASSAU1382

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, Tourism 
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