Patrick Menzies is fast becoming known that type of activist who - shall we kindly say - agitates with strong messages, but who often lacks the numbers to flex.
Today, he organized protest of 5 - including himself - to call out Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. Menzies claims that Elrington made a controversial public statement which could be interpreted as a subtle support for the LGBT agenda.
He invited the media out and explained his latest grievance:
Patrick Menzies - Lead Protester
"We are out here for two reasons; one is to bring awareness to the constitution awareness month that we are doing in Belmopan at the national assembly plaza. On Wednesday will be 30 days. We are having a special meeting at 10am to bring awareness to that, but #2, most Belizeans don't know that Minister Elrington or Minister of Foreign Affairs said at the OAS when they were discussing de-criminalization of homosexuality the LGBT, he said specifically that he supports - he said that 'we supports all' the principles of the OAS. We like to have a stronger OAS. Fine with the strong OAS, but we have a problem with all the principles. They were there to de-criminalization homosexuality. That is a crime in Belize. How can the Minister of Foreign Affairs representing a nation that says that homosexuality is illegal? How can he say in an international body that we support all of its principles - that is a complete oxymoron; how can you support all the principles, but we don't support gay? It's completely wacko. We want Belizeans to realize that Minister Elrington needs to either retract what he said or change jobs."
Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"Do you think that the government will take you seriously considering the fact you don't have 10,000 people behind you?"
Patrick Menzies
"I like that. I will request that the government realize that we are the alliance of ministers and leaders and also tell them and remind that Gideon went out with 32,000 and fought a war with 300. That's less than 1%. If we have 50 people, that's the equivalent of 5,200, so if we have 100, that's the equivalent of 10,200. So however you want to look at it its fine, but we are not dependent on numbers, we are dependent on a supreme God which is specified in the constitution of Belize Section A where the people of Belize affirm."
As far as we know, the official state position at this time is that Belize continues to refrain from supporting the LGBT convention which was tabled at the 43rd OAS General Assembly. Foreign Minister Elrington told the press and his counterparts that Belize couldn't vote on it because there is still that unresolved challenge to the country's sodomy criminal law. Viewers may remember that that case - better known as the UNIBAM Challenge - was launched by activist Caleb Orozco, on behalf of himself and others in the local LGBT community.
