A Pride Week forum at the University of The Bahamas (UB) got heated yesterday with the event's speakers accusing members of the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) who "sat in" on the event, of being disrespectful, as the two sides clashed verbally during the question and answer session.

The speakers accused Christian Council President Bishop Delton Fernander of failing to control his members, who at times shouted comments in the middle of responses from the presenters.

On Sunday, the BCC said it was concerned about the University of The Bahamas' (UB) decision to host a Pride Week forum on the Oakes Field campus, claiming it is part of the "immoral indoctrination of our young people".

The discussion focused on how Black Bahamians have formed their identities, and how Black queer Bahamian identities are formed within the context of the modern Bahamas.

At the forum yesterday, there were several, at times desperate, pleas from moderators for members of the audience to be silent.

During the question and answer portion, one of the event's speakers, Joey Gaskins, a sociologist and adjunct lecturer at UB, questioned whether he would be able to go to a church and speak on the pulpit. After he posed that question, several audience members shouted out in disagreement.

With Gaskins pleading for members of the audience to allow him to finish speaking, LGBTQ activist Erin Greene, who was also a speaker and seated on stage with Gaskins, rose to her feet and addressed Fernander directly.

"Mr. Fernander, what I would appreciate from you is to take control of those who would say they are here as part of your message," Greene said.

"They have been disrespectful."

Greene's intervention led to shouts of disapproval from some members of the audience.

Gaskins continued saying, "All I'm doing is asking a question.

"The purpose of this question is not to say that you should not have a right to speak in this forum. That's not what the question is.

"The reason why I'm asking this question is because this is a social science event, and I'll get to that point about academia and advocacy in a second, but you will not allow me to come to your pulpit, for a couple of reasons.

"One, because I am not a theologian; all of you are. You are trained in what it is that you do, right?

"All of us are trained academics sitting up here. Right? And I would encourage the Bahamas Christian Council to hold a forum on those various scriptures that you read out at the Anthropology of the Hebrew society in which they were built. The linguistics of the original text of the Bible, and let's have that discussion because we can do that.

"I think it would be really informative to the people in this room as well, since that is what you stand on. That's the first thing.

"The second thing is, I'm not allowed on pulpits because I probably do not share the same values as you do in the church.

"Here, that has nothing to do with whether you believe in God or not. The values that are in this room are about critical thought and rational engagement."

Some members of the audience took issue with Gaskins' comments with one person suggesting that Gaskins was accusing the anti-LGBT audience members of being irrational.

"Jumping up and shouting like that sir is not rational," Greene replied.

After more shouting from the audience, Greene added, "Don't be childish, gentlemen. You represent religious communities. Don't be childish."

Fernander and his group considered the event "an affront to our national values on the campus of a publicly funded institute of higher learning".

He had appealed to UB's board and acting president to cancel the event. They refused.

Before the event began, Fernander told reporters they wanted to sit in on the forum because "it's hard to respond to something unless you hear what has been presented.

"And that's what we simply want to do, to sit in. We were invited, and like every other, we want to sit in and hear what it is that has been presented.

"They say they're free of influence. Someone is influencing them and it isn't us.

"We the people are not influencing the decision making of UB. Some other force is doing that. So we're here as members of the public to come and represent the interests of God. So we want to hear what is being presented. I think we're being invited to do our own event, so we want to hear what we will respond to."

Fernander also defended the BCC from criticisms that it is selective about the issues it advocated for and against.

"Let me say this, sometimes in the use of language and the skill set that you have, you could paint a picture and say that we are picking on this group," he said.

"We protested carnival. Isn't that heterosexual? Isn't that something where both parties can get involved? We felt it was wrong. So let's not paint a brush that does not exist.

"Let's not do it for the UN, let's not do it for embassies here, let's not do it for special interests.

"I want them to hear us clearly. We are not picking on anybody. We represent Christ.

"And we want the country to know we will stand for righteousness, whether it's heterosexual, whether it's homosexual, whatever sexual.

"We are here for the King's advice. So, I know they want to paint us with a brush that we are this way.

"There's so much the church is involved in, but whenever we touch your spot, that's when you try to paint us and villainize us.

"Please, we're smarter than that."

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