MP Roseburg: Same-sex marriage debate is inevitable for St. Maarten

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Sjamira Roseburg is calling for an open, respectful public conversation on same-sex marriage, stating during a radio appearance Thursday morning that the issue should not be avoided because it will eventually reach St. Maarten as well.

While speaking on The Breakfast Lounge with Lady Grace, Roseburg said the island cannot remain silent on the subject, particularly as legal and policy developments across the Kingdom of the Netherlands continue to move in one direction. She indicated that residents and stakeholders should be engaged through structured dialogue and consultations, allowing space for differing views while keeping the focus on equal treatment and the practical implications of law.

Across the Kingdom, same-sex marriage is already established in multiple jurisdictions. The European part of the Netherlands has allowed same-sex couples to marry since 2001, while the Caribbean Netherlands, Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius, have had marriage equality since 2012.

More recently, Aruba and Curaçao began permitting same-sex marriage immediately following a July 12, 2024 ruling by the Dutch Supreme Court, which upheld earlier findings that excluding same-sex couples from marriage was not permissible.

With Aruba and Curaçao now implementing marriage equality, St. Maarten is widely described as the only remaining jurisdiction within the Kingdom where same-sex couples cannot yet marry locally under the same framework.

Roseburg emphasized that silence does not make complex social issues disappear, and that delaying discussion only makes future debates more difficult when legal changes or court outcomes force the country to respond quickly. She encouraged a fact-based national conversation that avoids personal attacks and respects the reality that many residents hold strong religious, cultural, and personal views.

Roseburg noted that, as Parliament and the wider community address sensitive matters, the public discourse should prioritize policy outcomes and the lived impact on residents, rather than turning issues into divisive social media battles. She urged that any discussion on same-sex marriage be handled with maturity, clarity, and an emphasis on understanding what the law requires, how it may evolve, and what it means for St. Maarten’s institutions and society.

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