The small island nation of Palau could soon become the first nation in the region to legalise same-sex marriage, following the President announcing his support to remove the constitutional ban.
According to local media, the nations President, Thomas Remengesau Jr announced his support for the constitutional amendment saying:
“Those who are different doesn’t mean that they should be outcast, second class citizens, or that they can’t contribute to the community. So I want to make it clear that I don’t believe in the constitutional amendment that promotes discrimination.”
He continued, “I want it to be on record that I support the rights of each individual, any Palauan, to be treated equally. Let us treat each other with respect and dignity.”
The Palauan Constitution currently states that “All marriages contracted within the Republic of Palau shall be between a man and a woman.”
Ironically the nations constitution did not originally ban same-sex marriages prior to 2008, when the constitution was amended to specify the marriage was to specifically be between and Man and a Woman, an amendment that President Remengesau describes as “a step backwards.”
