Colours Cayman comments on Cayman Islands churches rally to ‘promote Bible-based family values’
On the subject of the upcoming rally organised by The Cayman Islands Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventist and Cayman Ministers’ Association to “promote Bible-based family values,” to those concerned, please be advised, while Colours Cayman is completely in support of freedom of speech (subject to compliance with all applicable local laws) and would always encourage everyone, irrespective of whatever side of the argument they are on, to engage in discussion and debate on any matters they feel are of importance, it is critical that participants consider the backgrounds of those who purport to speak authoritatively on subjects of relevance in order to frame those discussions and debates. This is particularly important where those professionals or ‘experts’ in a particular field are given prominence and brought forward to lend support of, or to influence, a particular view or agenda.
In this regard, Colours Cayman believes that it is relevant for the population at large of the Cayman Islands to be made aware of the following:
1. To the best of Colours Cayman’s knowledge, Mr David Gibbs III is not qualified to opine on matters of Cayman Islands law nor English law. Colours Cayman is also not aware of Mr David Gibbs III possessing any particular expertise in matters of international law and European Human Rights law, all of which regulate the specific question concerning recognition of rights for same-sex families and LGBTQ people in the Cayman Islands. Therefore, any observations on matters of Cayman Islands law, English law, European Human Rights law or any laws other than those in which he is legally qualified to advise must be treated as Mr Gibbs’s personal views only; they should not be relied upon as legal analysis nor authoritative legal commentary with respect to Cayman Islands law or laws applicable to its jurisdiction, nor of persuasive authority for the Cayman Islands courts.
2. Perhaps even more importantly, in light of this, Colours Cayman belives that the general public would be interested in the background of Mr David Gibbs III, which is covered extensively in the following article:
Although Colours Cayman cannot make any comment as to the accuracy of this article’s content, it is observed that it is extensively cross-referenced, including recordings of Mr Gibbs’s sermons.
3. Colours Cayman wishes also to highlight that in May this year, Mr Gibbs was disqualified by Judge Kenneth L Popejoy for “playing for both sides” on a case in which eighteen former employees and students were suing one Mr Gothard and the Institute in Basic Life Principles over years of child sexual abuse. In ruling against Gibbs, Judge Popejoy declared that:
“Attorney Gibbs had intimate, professional and personal interactions with all of the parties to this case at various times within the calendar year of 2015! He discussed issues of dispute between defendants IBLP and Gothard and prepared bullet points on behalf of one of the trustees for IBLP as it pertained to Gothard. He met with Gothard and had various communications with Gothard in May 2015 and thereafter. In November 2015, he prepared an affidavit for Gothard to sign and clearly obtained information from that affidavit directly from Gothard. He also clearly knew that Mr. Gothard’s interest were in conflict with those of his individual clients as is referenced by the allegations against Gothard, although not a party in the original complaint filed in October 2015. Then, after preparing and forwarding that affidavit to Gothard, attorney Gibbs obviously knew that Gothard was going to be an additional defendant in an amended complaint filed in January 2016. Whether the actions of attorney Gibbs are ‘strict’ ethical violations of the Illinois Code of Professional Responsibility or not, there is clearly a clouded, convoluted and inappropriate set of interactions that attorney Gibbs had among the entire set of circumstances and parties pertaining to the litigation now pending before this Court. Therefore, it is completely and utterly inappropriate for attorney Gibbs to continue as legal counsel for the plaintiffs.”
4. Finally, Colours Cayman would like also to highlight that another guest and expert on AIDS, Mr Brendan Bain, has been reported to have been fired by the University of West Indies for stating in court in Belize that homosexuality Is a threat to public health and hence it should remain a criminal offence. Mr Bain was fired because his view is unsupported in the medical world by any serious health organisation—including the United Nations and the World Health Organisation. The Supreme Court of Belize rejected Mr Bain’s opinion and declared unconstitutional the sections of the penal code of Belize that criminalise homosexuality in a judgment issued on 10 August 2016, a copy of which it is attached for your convenience.
If the organisers of the rally are keen to frame a legal and/or medical discussion, it is critical that both they and the attendees understand the actual law as it applies and is currently in force in the Cayman Islands today and what the current medical experts’ views are across the globe.
I remain at your disposal should you require any clarification or would like to enquire further. You can contact me via email at this address or by phone at +1 (345) 324 3779.
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EDITOR We were also sent two attachments with the press release that pertain to the above.
