GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Over 3,000 gay cruisers are expected to converge on Grand Cayman Tuesday 31 January, in what is billed as “The Largest Gay Cruise in History II” by the specialist gay tour operator, Atlantis Events. The Navigator of the Seas cruise begins in Miami on Saturday, 28 January with 3,200 out of the ship’s 3,840 passengers, reported to be gay men and women. The seven-day journey takes the guests to Cozumel in Mexico (30 January), Grand Cayman (31 January), Labadee in Hispaniola (2 February) and Miami (4 February). Officials at the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Port Authority confirmed that the ship with its gay cruisers was heading to Grand Cayman and would be in port between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm on Tuesday next week. The Royal Caribbean ship pays bi-weekly calls to the Island; however, gay cruises were halted in 1998 when the Cayman Government bowed to public concerns and said no to 900 gay men and women due to arrive there. Eight years later, there seems to be a change of heart as officials at the DOT and the Port Authority said that the cruisers are welcome. According to officials at both offices, who wanted to speak anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the gay cruise, Government established a non-discriminatory policy in 2001. “The Government has no policy of discrimination and will not practice discrimination against anyone,” the spokesperson said. “All law-abiding visitors are welcome and will be treated in the same manner despite sex, race, religion and culture. We don’t question people’s sexual relationship, we’re only concerned if they don’t comply with our laws and way of life.” Opposition Leader, McKeeva Bush, said it would be interesting to see how nationals would react to the gay cruise. “It’s interesting to see what is going to happening when they arrive here,” he said. “We know that the churches are opposing it.” Mr Bush said he is aware that Government’s policy towards gay cruises has changed. “The Government’s policy has been to welcome everyone as long as they comply with our laws and heritage,” he said. The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) supports the non-discrimination policy once the gay tourists abide by local laws and customs. “It’s a policy my party endorses but we must ensure that they recognize the Cayman Islands’ Christian principles,” he said. “Gays come here all the time by plane but it’s only when they’re coming by boat we seem to know when they’re coming.” While many religious leaders declined to comment on the cruise, one pastor said the Bible clearly speaks out against homosexuality. Pastor Ken Love of the Calgary Baptist Church said it is wrong biblically so his organisation is against it. “It’s an ungodly life and the Bible speaks out against it. We’re against it because we follow the teachings in the Bible,” he said. In 1998, residents strongly opposed the arrival here of the Leeward vessel in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, and amid the controversy the Government denied its entry. That refusal had drawn criticism from the British Government and other countries, which accused the Cayman Islands of discriminating against gays. The then Tourism Minister, Tom Jefferson, sent a letter to the cruise line stating that the Government had refused the ship’s entry based on careful research and prior experience. “(The Government) could not count on the group to uphold the standards of appropriate behaviour expected of visitors to the Cayman Islands, so we regrettably could not offer our hospitality.” The DOT response in 1998 noted that residents were “shocked to see men holding hands and kissing in public”, ten years earlier. In July 2003, church groups and politicians vowed never again to allow a gay cruise to call at the Cayman Islands, when news broke of a gay cruise planned for Grand Cayman in January 2004. The cruise never materialised due to poor bookings, so the controversy died down after several months. More than a year later, the event is back on the calendar and the numbers have swelled to almost four times that of the last gay cruise in 1998. According to the Atlantis Events, it is the largest gay and lesbian tour operator in the world, hosting 15,000 guests annually on its all-gay cruise, resort, and tour vacations. “We’re the leaders in all-gay charters of fine cruise ships and first-class all-inclusive resorts,” the company said. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com