The Haitian Senate last week approved a
bill that seeks to criminalize same-sex marriage and prohibit any
public demonstrations in favor of LGBT rights.
According to the
AFP, the bill calls for banning “any public demonstration of
support for homosexuality and proselytizing in favour of such acts.”
The bill also seeks criminal punishment
of “the parties, co-parties and accomplices” to a marriage
between two people of the same gender. The bill would impose fines
of about $8,000 and prison times of up to three years. Gay and
lesbian couples are not allowed to marry in Haiti.
The bill now heads to the Chamber of
Deputies, where its fate is unknown.
Charlot Jeudy of Kouraj, an LGBT rights
advocate, told the AP that the proposed law would violate Haiti's
constitution. He said his group is lobbying lawmakers to reject the
bill.
“We have the right to protest and we
have the right to be who we are and we have the right to be
free,”Jeudy said.
Writing at The Washington Post,
Eugene Volokh pointed out that the bill would “interfere even with
attempts to change people's minds about such questions.”
“Very bad,” he wrote, “whether or
not you ultimately agree that the state should legally recognize
same-sex marriage.”