The Bahamas Christian Council continued its war on homosexuality this week; to what end we do not know.
President of the council, Bishop Delton Fernander, is up in arms over the University of The Bahamas' (UB) decision to host a Pride Week forum on the Oakes Field campus this week, claiming it is part of the "immoral indoctrination of our young people".
"The bottom line is this event cannot be allowed to take place on university grounds so long as it's funded by Bahamian taxpayers' dollars, because it is in violation of the values and virtues of said taxpayers as outlined in the preamble of our nation's constitution," said Fernander at a press conference outside UB on Sunday.
"The facts appear to be that this is an outside special interest group with an immoral agenda that has been allowed access to the grounds, hearts and minds of our nation's university and students who attend."
UB said its School of Social Sciences will host a forum entitled "Black Bahamian Subject Formation: From Non-Subject to Subject Part II", and added it has no plans to cancel the event.
Of the multitude of issues that plague our nation, the Christian council appears particularly focused on combatting what it believes is the LGBT+ agenda and ensuring married women cannot be protected from being raped by their husbands.
We live in a democratic country that gives everyone a constitutional right to freedom of expression within wide boundaries.
If the Bahamas Christian Council wants to decry homosexuality and the lifestyles associated with it as some sort of particular evil then it is free to do so.
And it has clearly availed itself of that freedom many times.
However, there is no world in the which the Bahamas Christian Council should believe it has any authority to dictate the open discussion of topics it may find controversial at our national university.
Open and rigorous discussion of controversial topics is a fundamental aspect of higher education and academic freedom.
That freedom ensures that scholars, researchers, and students have the freedom to explore, research, and discuss a wide range of ideas and perspectives, including those that may be considered taboo or unpopular.
Universities are meant to foster intellectual growth and critical thinking.
Engaging with controversial subjects challenges students to think critically, analyze evidence, and develop their own informed opinions.
Universities provide an ideal setting for students to engage with diverse viewpoints and gain a deeper understanding of complex issues.
Many societal changes and advancements have been the result of challenging prevailing norms and engaging with controversial issues.
The Christian church is a critical part of the social fabric of The Bahamas, and the preamble to our constitution indeed says this country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.
While that may be an over-simplification of two very different religions, both believe in a God who sets moral standards and expects adherents to live in accordance with these standards.
However, both traditions emphasize the inherent dignity of every human being, as humans are created in the image of God.
This belief is meant to lead to a respect for human life and the value of every person.
But beyond that, our constitution codifies our inalienable right not to believe in any religion or deity.
Additionally, the University of The Bahamas Act clearly mandates that its board of trustees "be free from undue influence from political, religious, or other external bodies and shall protect the institution from such influence".
Gay people exist and there is nothing Fernander can do about it.
And there is nothing he can say to change that.
Attempting to prevent them from simply talking about who they are is pointless.
We doubt there is anyone who decided to engage in same-sex relationships because they were sold on the idea by a discussion.
However, a university is a fitting forum to allow members of the LGBT+ community to talk about their lived experiences and have candid discourse.
Again, Fernander is free to speak about his beliefs, but not everybody believes as he believes.
And under no circumstance can he dictate what sort of discussion should be allowed at the university, and to even suggest it implies a deep misunderstanding of what our democracy and higher education are about.
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