“Mr Speaker, I had the unfortunate encounter with a chairperson of a board while in a meeting speaking about certain projects. I mentioned a project on Virgin Gorda that can bring substantial revenue to the territory. I was told ‘I don’t want to hear Virgin Gorda out of your mouth! Virgin Gorda is coming out of your mouth too often’,” she said at the First Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

Sexism?

“So I had to address it, it was on my chest. I could not come into this HoA today and not speak of this. It bothered me for two weeks that I barely slept. I would even venture, Mr Speaker, to say that Chairperson would not have said that to a male member of the HoA,” the Junior Tourism Minister added.

I put him in his place!

Hon Flax-Charles then told the HoA that she ‘put him (Chairperson) in his place!’ when he uttered those words to her.

She continued, “It is unconscionable, it is disrespectful that we should speak to each other in that manner. We promote that it is ‘One BVI’. I’m a Virgin Gordian, I am a British Virgin Islander, and most recently I am an At-Large-Representative of this territory. Therefore, I not only represent Virgin Gorda where I live, but I also represent every single district in this territory. If Tortola does well, the entire BVI does well if Virgin Gorda does well, Anegada does well, Jost van Dyke does well.”

Flax-Charles then questioned whether other persons would soon be rebuked for calling names of villages and islands.

“What are we coming to? Who will it be next? Will it be Tortola? Will I not be able to mention the word Tortola? Will any member of the House not be able to mention Baughers Bay, West End, Sea Cows Bay?” she asked.

Don’t let the power get to you

The vocal Representative then reprimanded the Chairperson and others like him to remain humble despite the position they hold.

“Please do not allow power and authority to get to your head! I think the Honorable R.T O’Neal would be saddened by this because as a Virgin Gordain he worked for the entire BVI,” she pointed out.