There has been much huff and puffery in Bermuda regarding whether to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by adding it to the Human Rights Act. Both political parties have been evasive on the subject (with the exception of Renee Webb and Dale Butler) fearing the bullying pulpit.
Well, there’s been a particularly nasty case in the courts this week of man who was attacked on the street with a machete because he is gay. Mr. Justice Greaves has it right:
It is a human right of every citizen that he ought not to be discriminated against on the basis of race, his origin and such. This court can see very little difference between such rights and the rights and expectations not to be violently attacked on the basis of one’s sexual orientation.
On that basis, even though the law provides no protection for sexual orientation, the judge counted the gay bashing as an aggravating factor and locked the attacker up for seven years.
Bermuda needs to move forward on human rights protection on the basis of sexual orientation.
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