The Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, has made his feelings about marriage equality unmistakably clear.
He also said that there "will be no same-sex marriage in Fiji" in his lifetime, according to the Fiji Sun.
The topic, he said, is one pushed by non-government organizations "under the issue of human rights.” But for any woman who wants to marry another woman, Bainimarama offered this advice: “Go and have it done in Iceland and stay and live there."
His comments Tuesday were made in response to human rights activist Shamima Ali who recently said on a news program that Fiji should consider allowing same-sex couples to marry.
Sexual activity between people of the same sex has been legal in Fiji since 2010. Same-sex marriage, however, has been expressly banned in the country since 2002. (It has been legal in Iceland since 2010.)
Ali, head of the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, called Bainimarama's statements "extreme homophobia" and regressive towards the LGBT community which already struggles with discrimination, Radio New Zealand reports.
"It's just not in keeping with statements that government has been making in terms of human rights, and violence against women, and our aspiration to be on the U.N. Human Rights Council in the near future," she said.
While many religious organizations and communities in Fiji still frown upon the idea of a same-sex union, there is a growing tolerance towards homosexuality.
A tolerance that, if history has taught us anything, will probably only continue to swell, which will likely force Bainimarama and other like-minded individuals to move to Antartica if they want to hold on to such beliefs.
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