The Virgin Islands Daily News reports Senator Judi Buckley (pictured)of the U.S. Virgin Islands has proposed a new bill that would allow people in the islands' jurisdiction to marry.
Until now there has been now proposal of such kind, but Buckley says this felt like the "right time" to introduce the bill, given the ongoing action on gay marriage in the U.S.
The senator states that while she may not be still be in office by the time a decision is made on the bill (her term ends in 2015), she is happy to have started a conversation.
Buckley is not seeking reelection, and as she keeps things honest in pointing out: "when you know you're not running for re-election, it takes away the fear."
The bill Buckley has introduced offers simple amendment to Virgin Islands law, especially compared to the "marriage ban" confusion we've seen stateside in the last few months. This bill would simply change one sentence of the Virgin Islands Code: from a marriage being described as between "a man and a woman" to "between two persons."
Currently, in the Virgin Islands, same-sex couples are able to marry and get licenses in other states, and have their union recognized.
Buckley's bill is not without opposition. Church groups have banded together to create a group called "One Voice Virgin Islands," which has created a Change.org petition opposing the bill.
