Dear Sir,

Once again the issue of gay marriage is at the forefront in Bermuda. There are impassioned opinions on both sides. I will not tell anyone how to think, but I would ask if gay marriage was adopted in Bermuda, how would that affect those who are against it, on a daily basis, or even at all?

The real answer, without using the “but the children will see it” argument, is not at all. Your groceries will cost the same, your Belco bill will remain the same, nothing will change.

If anything, it is a positive for the community: Bermudians abroad would return home, there would be more people to buy houses, cars and groceries, which in turn would create more tax dollars and general money in circulation.

Many Bermudians already identify as LGBT. They already live here and they already are openly living their lives as couples, sharing housing and bills; sometimes children. So, again, I ask: if Bermuda formally allows for the marriage of gay couples, how does this change your life?

It doesn’t, but it does change the life of hundreds of Bermudians who are essentially exiled from their country of origin because the person they love is not allowed here without a work permit. By extension, all of those Bermudians have families here in Bermuda, and those families are not able to see their loved ones as much as they would like because of this completely unfair situation. I saw a post on Facebook last night and it mentioned that the outcome of the court case that will start today (January 30, 2017) will dictate where that person will end up living their life. If the case is successful and gay marriage is formerly recognised here, he will be able to move home and live in his own country; if it is not, he will remain overseas because that is where he is recognised as a human, in love and married with all the contractual rights that come along with it.

How can anyone, in good conscience, tell another Bermudian that they are going to stand in the way of someone living in their own country because they do not like the thought of it? That is the only argument that the Preserve Marriage movement really has ... It doesn’t like the thought of it. In closing, I want to remind people that it is your right to be against anything in life, and you are able to protest peacefully in any way you deem appropriate. But, remember, gay marriage is an eventuality in Bermuda; it will happen.

You can choose now to let your beliefs on the topic take a back seat to allowing fellow Bermudians to come home, spend money in our economy and be proud of our country, or you can be that person marching with a sign in your hands on the front page of the newspaper, where your stance on the subject can be recorded in history for all to remember.

MICHAEL DICKINSON