Comments on: Bahamas police accused of harassing gay tourists

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 23:18:00 +0000

I'm with David – if you're planning on hiding in the cupboard under the stairs, don't bother leaving a space for me.I think the guy from the shipping company made the point that he has always found the people in the Bahamas to be very friendly. Bit of a knee jerk reaction to suggest we all start boycotting the place

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By: Nike

Nike — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:43:00 +0000

To be honest, such poeple/countries will welcome a boycot from Gay people. It is Gay people that like those places!

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By: David S

David S — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:12:00 +0000

The way you deal with ignorance is to engage with the ignorant – to let them see for themselves that we need not be feared. To deal with ignorance, you look out in the world, not engage in navel gazing!

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By: William - Dublin

William - Dublin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:37:00 +0000

Who said anything about "shy away"? Its very simple, you don't spend you money with homophobes. Simple economics, not "shying away". Who you choose to spend your money with is probably the simplest and clearest message one can send.Maybe you should refrain from using extreme logical conclusions, you don't appear very good at it.

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:54:00 +0000

Yeah, maybe we should all just retreat to a great big gay bunker somewhere and man the barracades in case any straights come nears us.The cruise company have made it clear that they have been there a number of times before without incident (I have come to know nothing but pride and love in The Bahamas people) and the tourism director has stated that the "Ministry of Tourism and Aviation does not condone discrimination in any form."The world would be a very different place if gay people had just sat at home wringing their hands over the last few decades. The freedoms and the levels of equality we currently enjoy.Where there is inequality we need to face up to it and challenge it, not shy away from it like we're in the wrong.

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By: William - Dublin

William - Dublin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:31:00 +0000

Zeke, you're spot on. The only real power anyone truly has, is the power as a consumer. We shouldn't visit a homophobic country to give them our "pink pounds" no more then we should put money in the coffers of a Church. I'm sure there are a myriad of islands this cruse ship can visit without stopping at this backward little rock to be intimidated by the local police.

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By: Zeke

Zeke — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:40:00 +0000

The REAL disgrace here is not the fact that homophobic Bahamian police acting in accordance with the homophobic Bahamian culture.The REAL disgrace is that gay companies and gay people continue to go to these homophobic countries to spend their money and thereby fund their homophobic regimes.I'm always stunned every time I hear about a gay person, or a group of gay people going to the Bahamas, Jamaica, Zanzibar, Dubai, Russia etc.I'm even more stunned when I hear them come back bitching and moaning about how they were treated poorly while they were there and acting totally surprised that they weren't treated like royalty in a country that abuses and oppresses their OWN gay people.Why don't these ignorant, clueless and selfish gay people just send their money directly to their local anti-gay organization or send a check directly to the anti-gay governments of these homophobic countries, so they can cut out the middle man?Gay people need to be more thoughtful about where and with whom they spend their hard earned money.

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