Within the Preserve Marriage group, there are many genuinely good people — you would say a very large majority of them. Of that there is no doubt. Other than being altruistically God-fearing, this large majority are law-abiding, upstanding and loyal to the various communities they serve within Bermuda.

We say “various communities” because if it can be universally agreed upon that there are at least “two Bermudas” in play, there can never be just “the community”, as is so often spouted in soundbites to give the impression that everyone is behind you when in reality you are merely talking about like-minded individuals — or, better yet, those who are singing from the same hymnbook.

Preserve Marriage Bermuda recently lost its charitable status, and for a group that states rather insistently as a descriptive “ ... our uncompromising stand is to demonstrate love and not focus on anyone’s personal preference or to manage gay rights, but to focus on preserving the definition of marriage and to explain why it matters for the generations to come”, you have to wonder why the Charity Commissioners made a majority decision on May 16 to have the group cease and desist public fundraising pending a ministerial appeal.

The descriptive continues: “We will not participate in any form of hate speech or derogatory remarks to anyone or any group.”

And therein lies the rub.

Eight days ago, more than 3,000 gathered in and around the grounds of Parliament to answer Preserve Marriage’s “show up or forever hold your peace” rallying cry, whose aim is to convince legislators ultimately to reverse a Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for the first same-sex marriage in Bermuda — which happened on Wednesday, by the way.

Many of the thousands were provided with a sign that read: “I am standing today for marriage to be between a man and a woman for Bermuda’s next generation”.

Nothing hateful or derogatory there. But mingling with the thousands — and unmistakably receiving tacit approval — was at least one with the utterly crude “2 Batty Boy Can’t Get Married”.

If that is not offensive and homophobic, what is?

Yet the sign holder, using the language that has led to banning orders for many Jamaican reggae artists — most prominently Buju Banton and Beenie Man — seemed quite pleased with himself. And, informatively, no one among the Preserve Marriage hierarchy or its followers is known to have challenged him for reversing their message from one of peace and love into one of venom and hate.

With this as a backdrop, the stated reasons that the Charity Commissioners gave for revoking the group’s charitable status — “unlawful purposes”, “more detriment than benefit”, “pure political purposes” — appear to be spot on. When we published the story on the rally, which was also attended by a significantly outnumbered group favouring same-sex marriage under the umbrella of the Rainbow Alliance — pun intended — we intentionally “asterisked out” the offensive word used in the earlier message.

But with deepest apologies to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, the transgendered and queer, and their supporters, it is important today to allow that message, and the attendant photograph, to be seen in all their depravity to highlight the level of intolerance that exists on this island and, worse, how it is condoned by a society that on one hand purports to be one of decency while on the other hand wantonly stigmatising sections for their beliefs and sexual orientation.

It is the absolute height of hypocrisy and will leave a blight on this island for as long as we remain patently uneducated about issues outside our myopia and unsympathetic towards the needs and rights of all members in our society.