Gay tourists denied entry to Nevis

Nevis, West Indies (eTurboNews) — The West Indies Tourism Minister Malcolm Guishard Wednesday expressed his concern over the events surrounding the incident on March 23 when a ship, the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises ship, S.V. Polynesia, chartered by the Gay Naturist International organization was refused the right to disembark passengers to Nevis following the Port Authority’s routine customs clearance procedures. 

Based on remarks made by one individual among the team of Port Authority, Customs Department and National Security personnel who boarded the ship, passengers and crew assumed that the decision to refuse entry reflected an anti-gay sentiment among the Nevis Island Administration, said the West Indies Tourism Ministry.

Tourism Minister Guishard has stated unequivocally that this decision was made solely on the basis on constitutional law which prohibits public nudity in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.  The Ministry of Tourism added that the officials who boarded the ship that day felt that they did not receive adequate reassurance from the Captain that the passengers would abide by those laws and therefore the ship was asked to leave.  “A chorus of voices has been steadily rising in the media questioning whether this decision is related to the fact that the aforementioned charter was booked by a gay and lesbian affiliated organization,” the Ministry said in a statement.

“Nothing could be farther from the truth” claims Mr. Guishard.  “Having said that, I want to acknowledge that there may have been personal comments made by one government official, as he attempted to deal with the issue of public nudity which were particularly insensitive to the gay community.  We must understand that those regrettable comments represent one man’s opinion and not the general consensus of the Nevis Island Administration.  We are currently investigating the situation.

As a result of the incident, a public outcry in the media over the past few days with charges and counter-charges have surfaced.  “We sincerely extend our deepest apologies to those who feel their sexual orientation has been maligned.  This situation has been distorted to the point that our traditional open-minded outlook on tourism is in question and that is truly disheartening,” Mr. Guishard said in an official statement. 

He further noted that, “Nevis, has always opened its doors to anyone who wishes to enjoy our beaches, restaurants, hotels, sporting events and sightseeing activities as long as they remain respectful of the laws here in the Federation.  I pledge to continue that approach to tourism while, at the same time, introducing internal dialogue and sensitivity training among all our island officials to the unique challenges and opportunities presented within a diverse travel demographic.”  

 “We are a conservative nation here in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis but we are also open-minded and fair.  We may never condone public nudity but we can still welcome visitors from all walks of life,” the minister concluded.

March 31, 2005   Posted in: Caribbean