A union leader who made disparaging remarks about the LGBTQ+ community has acknowledged that his comments “unintentionally caused offence“.

Chris Furbert, the president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, made the remarks during the BIU’s Labour Day banquet at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club on August 30. A Pride awards ceremony was being held at the same venue that evening.

Mr Furbert did not name the Pride gala, but, as reported at the time by TNN, told guests at the BIU’s event that there was “another banquet” that had almost deterred him from attending because “I didn’t want to be a part of those people”.

That remark was later condemned by Linda Bogle-Mienzer, a labour relations organiser with the Bermuda Public Services Union, who was saluted as a “trailblazing icon“ at the Pride event.

In a joint statement today, Mr Furbert and Ms Bogle-Mienzer said they met earlier this week to discuss “the impact of the comments”.

It added: “At this meeting, we engaged in an open and constructive dialogue.

“Brother Chris acknowledged that his words unintentionally caused offence, and recognises the concerns raised by our membership and the broader community.”

The statement said that, for more than 40 years, Mr Furbert had “passionately advocated for workers' rights, with integrity, dedication and a commitment to fairness and justice, without bias and prejudice, regardless of personal views”.

It went on: “By issuing this joint statement, we want to make it clear that the BIU and BPSU's shared core values of unity, solidarity, fairness and respect are non-negotiable and remain at the forefront of everything that our unions do.

“We stand united together in reaffirming our unwavering commitment to, and respect for, all members of our community.

“As leaders in the trade union movement, we understand that workers' rights cannot be separated from human rights, and it is our shared duty to uphold the dignity and worth of every individual.”