And finally tonight, the Belize Equal Opportunities Bill first emerged in 2020 and five years later it still hasn't been passed due to resistance principally from the churches.
The Bill would provide protection from discrimination and to promote equal opportunities for multiple classes of people. But The politicization of gender has made the bill too hot for legislators to handle. But apparently not for the Prime Minister who boldly pledged support for the bill on Sunup yesterday:
John Briceno, Prime Minister "Well, if you were to hold elections in a month or two or three months, we don't have enough time to pass the bill. We have discussed the bill, there's general support for the bill, but there are a few little things yet that the churches or more the small conservative churches are having issues with."
"So we need to try to address some of those. But let me start by saying this. I believe in a merciful God. I believe in a God of love. I believe that God loves all of us. And so when some of these churches say, oh, you can't do this with, oh, these are gay and God is going to..."
"I tell them, that's not for me to judge, nor you to judge us between that person and his or her creator. And so I support this bill, and that's my full support. And so I want to give a commitment that we are going to pass the equal opportunity bill."
"I hope we could do it by the end of this year. But we do, we have to do a little bit more of consultation, because like in everything, we need to make sure that we try to bring people together as best as we possibly can."
"We can't please everybody, but we will try to do our best to have a bill that's workable. One of the main issues that they were having is that there were this issue of, I think they were having like a commission that would be separate from the judiciary, that anybody could go and say, oh, I've been taking advantage because of my views."
"It don't have to be about sexuality, it could be anything, you know, and that is one of the main concerns, and even the private sector was worried about that. So I think that has been addressed, but we have a little bit more work, but we should be able to..."
"No, I really believe we must have it done, we must, and I'm giving you my commitment."
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"Well, if you were to hold elections in a month or two or three months, we don't have enough time to pass the bill. We have discussed the bill, there's general support for the bill, but there are a few little things yet that the churches or more the small conservative churches are having issues with."