A Christian dance troupe in Barbados remains disqualified for giving a Bible-based talk on gender identity, according to reports, despite an arbitrator overturning his decision to uphold the ban.

The National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) disqualified the Praise Academy of Dance Barbados from a national competition in October, accusing it of “crossing the boundaries of good taste” and making “defamatory allegations,” according to human rights group Christian Concern.

Attorney Gregory Nicholls, a Labor senator in the island nation’s upper house, had confirmed the decision as arbitrator in the dispute on November 17, but retracted his decision in a recent letter to the Praise Academy of Dance Barbados.

“I accept … that an unbiased, informed observer would conclude that there is a real possibility of bias in the present matter,” Nichols wrote. “I have therefore decided to set aside my award of November 17, 2023 in the interests of fairness to all parties involved.”

Christian Concern pointed out in a press release that a legitimate arbitration procedure must include impartiality in legal matters and that any perceived bias must lead to the annulment of a decision.

Although Nicholls reversed his decision, NIFCA judges refused to lift the ban. The Praise Academy of Dance Barbados is currently consulting with the Christian Legal Centre in the UK about a legal response, including a possible investigation into Nicholls’ alleged actions.

Lawyer Davida Maynard-Holligan, representing the Praise Academy of Dance Barbados for the Christian Legal Centre, said the justice system had been delayed while the original ruling remained in force.

“If we had not challenged and exposed what happened to the group, there is no way Senator Nicholls would have reversed his decision,” Maynard-Holligan said. “What he did therefore remains a highly concerning precedent that must never happen again on this island.”

Maynard-Holligan added that the ruling sent a “chilling message” to all Christians in Barbados, a former British colony in the Caribbean, and especially to young students who refused to conform to gender identity ideology and extremist teachings.

“Senator Nicholls’ publicly announced verdict amounted to a usurpation of our legal rights and freedoms by LGBTQ people in Barbados and cannot go unchallenged,” said Maynard-Holligan. “We will continue to seek full justice in this matter and believe that an impartial investigation should be conducted into Senator Nicholl’s actions and their causes.”

The Praise Academy of Dance Barbados, based at Sifa House in Upper Collymore Rock in St. Michael, produced a performance entitled “Speak Life,” which presented Christian views that there are only two genders alongside the Biblical perspective on sexual orientation. “Speak Life,” performed by teenage students, told the story of a 15-year-old girl who struggles with her gender identity and finds peace and her true identity in a relationship with God.

According to the academy, the conspiracy promoted parental rights and freedoms for Christian parents to raise their children within biblical norms rather than LGBT ideology.

A banner on the stage bears the Bible verse Gen. 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

After a video of the performance became widely known on the Internet, the NIFCA disqualified the group from the national competition. The academy appealed to an arbitrator at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), arguing that the decision was illegal and unconstitutional, and that there was no clarity on what violated the rules or was deemed “in bad taste.”

The Praise Academy of Dance Barbados uses dance, theater, gymnastics and music to convey a gospel-centered message about Christ so that “the nation and nations may recognize and appreciate the importance of God in their everyday lives,” the arts school’s website states.

The academy’s focus is on supporting young people “with the intention of equipping and encouraging them to live godly and productive lives.”

The Praise Academy of Dance Barbados is affiliated with schools in Jamaica and Trinidad and has addressed various social issues in artistic performances over the past 20 years. According to Christian Concern, the group has never before been disqualified because of its Christian beliefs.

Marcia Weekes, Founder and Artistic Director of Praise Academy of Dance Barbados, has led the school in numerous previous performances at NIFCA. The Academy has also been used at various government, corporate and church events.

“Marcia’s love for God is expressed through the Academy’s poignant, meaningful and inspiring dances,” the group’s website states. “She believes she exists to be salt and light in every environment she finds herself in.”