Just a month before The Supremes made their groundbreaking decision another country beat the US to be the 20th Country in the World to legalise same-sex marriage. Actually we didn’t get to hear about it until very recently as when the new Law came into being, the country’s computer system was down. Eventually, as in their long established tradition, a note of this new Act was published and posted on the notice board of the Island’s General Store.
Actually no-one thinks that any of the 50 residents of the Pitcairn Islands, a speck in the Pacific, that is technically a British Overseas Territory is in fact gay. Seventh generation resident Meralda Warren told an AP reporter that she had known of one gay islander, but that was a long time ago. She sadly failed to mention whatever happened to him.
The Island’s Council were happy to follow the suggestion from the UK that they pass this new Law but as Ms Warren commented ‘It’s not like Pitcairn Islanders were pushing for it, but it’s like anything else in the world, if it’s happening elsewhere , so why not?’
However before you Google for direct flights to the Island (clue, it’s near New Zealand … we looked it up) there is one wee snag if you want to have a church wedding there. The only preacher on the Island is a Seventh Day Adventist (i.e. a Mormon) who thinks that gay marriage is a big no no.
It may however still become a wedding destination for the gay community from another very large neighbor Australia who have still not legalized same sex marriage in their own country. Shame on them.