Dear Sir,

In The Royal Gazette edition of September 3, 2020, you published a story about veteran Progressive Labour Party politician Michael Scott retiring from the front line of politics and making way for the Attorney-General, Kathy Lynn Simmons, to be the PLP candidate for Constituency 36 in the upcoming October 1 election.

In that same article, Ms Simmons stated that the same-sex marriage “controversy”, now scheduled to go to the Privy Council in London, had to favour the majority view.

This shocked me, Mr Editor.

The advancement and protection of human rights and equality throughout the Western world have been long, hard-fought battles over many decades, and came about through the courageous few fighting against the majority viewpoint.

I’m saddened that Ms Simmons has not chosen the higher road on this issue. She should take a page from Mr Scott’s book and show some leadership, for it was Michael who voted against the Matrimonial Causes Act in 2016 that was drawn up to restrict the legal definition of marriage to between a man and a woman.

Leadership is about making tough decisions and changing laws and policies that discriminate against minorities. Bermuda would be a lot poorer today if the thinking displayed by Ms Simmons prevailed way back when the minority few were fighting for equal rights and justice.

In Michael’s own words from The Royal Gazette edition of September 5: “You can’t tell people who to love, and I will stand very firmly on human rights, and recognition of same-sex marriage and same-sex values is coming.”

I agree with Michael. I just can’t get my head around the person replacing him not showing leadership on this same issue.

ALLAN D. MARSHALL

St George’s