Governor Eddie Calvo's religious beliefs prevented him signing Bill 119-33, also called the "Guam Marriage Equality Act".

The bill was introduced into the legislature in June, hours after the District Court of Guam struck down the island's same-sex marriage ban.

The court ruled that the ban was unconstitutional.

The introduction of the bill, authored by Senator Nerissa Underwood, came three weeks before the US Supreme Court's ruling supporting same-sex marriage.

The passage of the bill now means Guam's local statute reflects the district court's ruling.

A spokesman for Governor Calvo said the governor would not stand in the way of progress, but his religious beliefs kept him from signing the bill into law.

Guam's Catholic Church was highly critical of the district court's ruling in June.

"The recognition of a same-sex union, as marriage, destroys the basic fabric of society, and will destroy human beings in the process," Archbishop Anthony Apuron of Agana said at the time.

In a statement following the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage in June, Governor Calvo said it was important to acknowledge civil rights of individuals and those of religious organisations.

"It is important that we all remember that love is at the heart of . . . the arguments to allow gay marriage and those that promote the traditional definition of marriage," he said.

He also asked the legislature to consider freedom of religion when moving forward with legislation to reflect the Supreme Court's decision.

"New legislation must find the balance that ensures the rights of all Guamanians are protected," he said.

Sources

• Pacific Daily News
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Pacific IDF

This is the first time such a thing has happened for 50 years.

There have been weeks of protests against it from Islamic hardliners.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is also the first person from the country's tiny ethnic Chinese minority to become leader of Jakarta.

He was sworn in at a ceremony by President Joko Widodo on Wednesday.

He replaces Widodo, who took office as head of state last month.

Like the president, he was a political outsider without deep roots in the Suharto era.

Despite the opposition from Islamic groups, many Jakarta residents support the governor.

They believe it takes a strong leader to fix the problems of the capital, which include a threadbare public transport system and inadequate flood defences.

Source

• channelnewsasia
• Image: frontroll.com