Same-sex couples still pushing to get married in Jamaica

Despite Jamaica's Marriage Act stipulating that a marriage can only be between one man and one woman, the Registrar General's Department (RGD) is still getting requests from same-sex couples to perform their wedding ceremonies or grant them marriage licenses.

In May of last year, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck said an increasing number of gays have been requesting marriage licences from the authorities in Jamaica. He, however, said that their petitions will not be entertained.

"We don't support same-sex marriage," Chuck said during the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives. "People have been coming, asking us for marriage licences for two same sex [people], but this, at the moment, is not permissible."

Despite the clear position of the Government, the quest by same-sex couples to get married in Jamaica has continued. On Thursday, Michelle Williams, supervisor of the RGD marriage unit, told THE WEEKEND STAR that same-sex couples have been trying to tie the knot in paradise.

"We do get a lot of calls from same-sex persons seeking to find out if the RGD offers the service, and we also get calls through the Ministry of Justice, because some persons actually make the attempt to get the minister's licence because that is a requirement for marriage at RGD," said Williams.

A source also told THE WEEKEND STAR that some same-sex couples get married overseas and come to Jamaica to have their wedding ceremonies, or often perform vow renewals at private hotels.

Williams said that even if those ceremonies do take place, no legal document can be produced to state that the same-sex couple got legally married on the island.

"As long as there is not a legal document to state that they are married in Jamaica, we can't regulate that activity in terms of saying that they can't do it, because it is not a legal document to say that they got married in Jamaica, because our laws do not allow it," said Williams.

Jamaica's Constitution does not recognise same-sex marriage. Section 18 (2) of the Charter of Rights states, "No form of marriage or other relationship referred to in subsection (1), other than the voluntary union of one man and one woman, may be contracted or legally recognised in Jamaica."