According to reports The British Virgin Islands government is moving toward introducing legal recognition for same-sex relationships through civil partnerships, while maintaining its opposition to same-sex marriage, according to Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley.
Speaking on the Too Inquisitive podcast, the Premier said the government is seeking to strike a balance between respecting cultural traditions and meeting its legal and constitutional obligations. Dr. Wheatley emphasized that the government does not support discrimination based on sexual orientation and acknowledged that same-sex couples are part of the Virgin Islands community. However, he maintained that marriage would continue to be defined differently under the territory’s constitutional proposals.
“When it comes to the question of marriage, which is a cultural, semi-cultural, religious concept, we’ve decided that same-sex marriage is not something that we recognize here,” Dr. Wheatley stated.
The Premier explained that international human rights obligations require the territory to provide some form of legal recognition for same-sex relationships. He said this could take the form of a Civil Partnership Act or Domestic Partnership Act, similar to frameworks adopted in other jurisdictions.
According to Dr. Wheatley, civil partnerships could provide couples with legal protections relating to inheritance, social security benefits and other matters without changing the territory’s position on marriage. He also noted that the proposed framework would not necessarily be limited to same-sex couples.
“It would be any two people can enter into an agreement that would be able to pass on certain types of benefits in the event that one partner passes away,” he said.
The Premier indicated that further details will be presented to the public in the near future as constitutional and legislative discussions continue. The proposal has received support from BVI Governor Daniel Pruce, who described the move as an important step toward ensuring the territory complies with its legal and constitutional obligations.
The issue has remained a source of debate in the Virgin Islands since a 2021 ruling by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court determined that same-sex couples are entitled to legal protections equivalent to those afforded by marriage.
The proposed civil partnership framework forms part of broader constitutional reform discussions currently underway in the British Virgin Islands.
