At least one religious group in the Bahamas is voicing strong condemnation of the US State Department’s decision to fly the rainbow flag in the Caribbean country for Pride Month 2021. 

The rainbow flag, a symbol for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) community, is being flown at half-mast alongside the US flag at its embassy in the capital Nassau.  

“Today marks the beginning of Pride Month in the United States. The US government and the US Embassy in Nassau support the equal rights of all persons to live a life of dignity, and free of violence, stigma, and discrimination, no matter who they happen to love. The rights of LGBTQI+ persons are the same fundamental rights and freedoms of all people,” the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.

It was a mandate ordered by sitting US President Joe Biden for embassies across the world as a show of solidarity with marginalised LBGT groups in celebration of Pride Month, which runs annually in June.

On the first day of the action, however, the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) slammed the US government for using its political influence to push what it considered a ‘lifestyle agenda’. 

The BCC, in its response to the rainbow flag, argued that the Commonwealth of the Bahamas is a sovereign nation, built on laws and principles, and as guests in their country, the US should respect their position. 

Like many other countries in the Caribbean, the Bahamas does not recognise same-sex relationships and offers no protection for LGBT citizens who face violence or discrimination.

While most Bahamians were either nonchalant or supportive of the pride flag, the council further urged the US to “reconsider their bullish agenda of forcing other nations to accept their social experiments”.

See statement in full below:

“Bahamas Christian Council supports the right of each Bahamian to determine their own sexual preference and their own destiny as The Bahamas does not believe in the mistreatment of citizens regardless of their sexual or other orientation. 

However, we do not believe that foreign governments, who are guests in our country, should leverage their influence to promote lifestyles that are inconsistent with the ideology of our country. The Bahamas is a sovereign democratic nation, that determines its own ideals, norms and laws. We respect the right of each nation to promote their beliefs in their own countries. 

We see the position of the United States Embassy as over-reaching and insensitive to the moral and ideological position of this country regarding the lifestyle of homsexuality. The Bahamas believes in the traditional family structure of one man and one woman. Hence, the decision to hoist and fly the pride flag is in a country whose moral and Judeo-Christian position is not only evident but prominent, is deeply concerning and could easily be perceived offensive to many of our citizens. 

If we allow this to occur without challenging it, it opens the door for the United States and other foreign nations to influence our social structure today then our political structure tomorrow by way of diplomatic bullying. We believe that all foreign diplomats should appreciate how offensive it is to attempt to do the same in their country. This is a matter of respect and a diplomatic assault upon the consciousness of our Bahamian society. 

We hope the US Embassy would reconsider their bullish agenda of forcing other nations to accept their social experiments of which they themselves are not untied and use their force and might on noble missions such as solving world hunger.”