BVI leaders back constitutional ban on same-sex marriage as hearings continue

Officials in the British Virgin Islands are standing behind proposals that would bar same-sex unions once a revised constitution is adopted in the months ahead. The territory is running public consultations on the document, and elected representatives have agreed to adopt language from the constitutional review body that would make clear that only couples comprising persons of the opposite sex at birth may marry under law.

Draft text circulated so far defines marriage in those terms. The move comes while the dependency waits for judgment in a high-profile legal challenge to the existing marriage definition.

At a recent consultation session, Premier Natalio Wheatley declined to take a firm public stance, saying he did not wish to influence ongoing litigation. “I don’t want any of my comments to impact the court proceedings,” he stated.

He added that government is mindful of how human rights groups and international standards view the issue. “What I can assure you is the concept of adhering to principles, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights, is really foremost in our minds,” he said.

Wheatley also argued that policy must reflect local values. “At the very same time, ensuring that we defend and represent our culture, our heritage, and our way of life,” he said. “I believe that in a tolerant society that we have here today, that it’s possible for those two things to coexist.”

Whether the marriage restriction will survive in the final text remains uncertain. As a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, the BVI may ultimately need approval from the United Kingdom, which could weigh heavily on the outcome.