Gay Marriage Repealed by Bermuda in a first
On February 7, the governor of Bermuda signed a bill into law that repeals same-sex marriage, reversing a Supreme Court ruling.
The Domestic Partnership Act gives domestic partners rights that are similar to married couples, but not the legal title.
The governor said that "[t]he Act is intended to strike a fair balance between two currently irreconcilable groups in Bermuda," noting that a majority of Bermudians do not agree with same-sex marriage. The Act states that "a marriage is void unless the parties are respectively male and female," but also recognizes and aims to protect the rights of same-sex couples.
The Act also recognizes same-sex couples who were already married under Bermuda law before its enactment, as well as any overseas same-sex marriages that occurred before its enactment.
Bermudans were first granted the right to same-sex marriages after a Supreme Court ruling in May 2017 but the decision outraged many on the socially conservative island, including church leaders and thousands protested outside parliament.
Under the Domestic Partnership Act 2017, already passed by Bermuda's House of Assembly and Senate, any Bermudian will be allowed to form domestic partnerships which the government says will offer equal rights.
