Bermuda becomes first to legalize gay marriage, then repeal it

Bermuda has become the first nation in the world to legalize gay marriage and then repeal it.

Bermudan Governor John Rankin approved the repeal Wednesday night, outlawing same sex-marriage for the island, a British territory that is self-governing.

The island’s supreme court ruled last year that such marriages must be recognized, though the measure approved by the legislature in December allows only domestic partnerships instead of same-sex marriage.

That vote came after a non-binding referendum in 2016 where majorities voted against same-sex marriage.

Rankin was not elected by the people of Bermuda, whose prime minister is Edward David Burt, and is rather a British diplomat.

His gave “assent” to the bill in a process similar to Queen Elizabeth II’s ascent to new laws in the United Kingdom, despite LGBT activists hopes that the colonial governing structure would stop the effort to repeal gay rights.

International human rights groups such as the LGBT-focused Human Rights Campaign had condemned the move, which it said “unconscionably ripped away the right of loving same-sex couples in Bermuda to marry.”

It noted that the Bermuda Tourism Authority had warned lawmakers about the repeal and said it may affect those coming to the Atlantic island, referencing the economic impact on North Carolina after it passed a “transgender bathroom bill.”

More on the bathroom bill:

Bermudan Minister of Home Affairs Walton Brown, whose party proposed the legislation, said that Britain “ recognizes that this is a local government decision” and claimed that the law still protects the rights of gay couples.

Same-sex marriages from the brief period of legality will continue to be recognized in Bermuda, and opponents of the repeal have said that they may challenge the law in court.