Dear Sir,

Can someone explain to me how Preserve Marriage was granted charity status? The Charities Act defines “charitable purposes” in part as the “advancement of human rights, or the promotion of equality and diversity, and the advancement of education”. Preserve Marriage wants to deny human rights to people in our community, therefore they are trying to prevent equality and diversity. What educational programme did they put forward which passed the “public benefit test”?

Additionally, the Attorney-General has said that the marriage laws in Bermuda that Preserve Marriage wants to maintain violate international human rights regulations. So the Registrar General’s office has approved charity status to an organisation that, it could be argued, is promoting an illegal platform. I believe that Preserve Marriage has the right to promote their message, but they DO NOT qualify as a charity.

Preserve Marriage tells us their research shows that in countries where civil unions have been instituted, that within six to eight years, same-sex marriages are granted. I guess all the social disruptions that Preserve Marriage claims will come with same-sex unions failed to happen in the 20 countries they investigated. Those countries were able to quickly move away from civil unions, and established marriage for all. Many of those same countries are on the lists of best places in the world to live. Could it be that countries where citizens are not judged by their sexual orientation, are healthier places to live? As the great Whoopi Goldberg said: “If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t marry a gay.”

ROB CORDAY