Often it is a glance or a whisper that creates an uneasy feeling. Sometimes it is something more blatant like a foul remark that underscores the thorny, cutting reality of homophobia in Guyana, and which has created setbacks in the national AIDS response.
There is rarely any open dialogue on the local community of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Guyanese that has retreated into obscurity afraid of venturing out for HIV-related information, HIV testing and more importantly, treatment.
No exact figures are out but it is widely believed that only a few HIV-infected LGBT Guyanese are currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment, solely because of homophobia, which is aligned with that chronic phrase that has seriously affected HIV efforts — stigma and discrimination.
The isolation of the LGBT community in Guyana, the Caribbean region and at a global level through homophobia is contributing to the spread of HIV by creating an environment where people who need vital information are afraid to access it. The criminalization of homosexuality has also impeded this access. Seven Caribbean countries, including Guyana, currently criminalize homosexuality.
Outside the law books, there has been no serious political commitment, initiative or programme to address homophobia. Entertainers, deejays and individuals across the Caribbean have denounced it, exposing strong biases and more increasingly advocating violence against the community.
Jamaican singer, Bounty Killa, had unleashed a scathing attack on the community in a controversial performance at the Ignition concert in Guyana in April this year. Prior to his arrival, a flood of letters had protested his inclusion at the concert on the grounds that he was homophobic and a staunch advocate of violent acts being perpetrated against the community.
“Don’t judge me if you don’t know me and like everyone else I deserve to live freely without fear,” one member of the local Society Against Sexual Orientation and Discrimination (SASOD), said on May 19 at a public forum while speaking generally about the pains the LGBT face.
SASOD, which has been campaigning for greater tolerance locally, convened the forum two days after International Day Against Homophobia (May 17) was observed to shine a spotlight on the urgent need for local healthcare providers to show greater tolerance and stop discriminating against members of the local LGBT community. Although several invitations went out, persons barely attended. One member of SASOD notably remarked that even within the community persons are afraid of showing support.
The forum was held under the theme, “Homophobia: Impeding access to health education and services for all Guyanese”. SASOD said access to health services in Guyana can be improved by providing anti-homophobia training for health-care workers and auxiliary staff to mitigate same-gender and HIV-related stigma, adding that as the quality of client services improve, LGBT Guyanese will gain confidence that the public health system does not house homophobic prejudices and allow discriminatory practices.
For SASOD it is not so much a gay rights issue as it is an HIV issue and it feels that the detrimental effects of homophobia on HIV health promotion affect all Guyanese.
Time to discuss
homosexuality
Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, in addressing SASOD’s call said he was cognizant of the fact that homophobia adversely affected the national HIV response by driving persons with different sexual orientations into the shadows where they could not be reached. He said this has negatively affected the local fight but pointed out that some work had begun in this area with empirical studies being carried out as part of the continuing effort to change attitudes and behaviour.
He said the time has come for Guyanese to start debating and discussing homosexuality because it existed in the society despite the laws of the country, and as part of the discussion, the current laws regarding homosexuality needed to be examined.
“Three years ago at a Champions for Change meeting in the region I advocated for a re-examination of the laws regarding homosexuality and I feel the same way now. We need to look at them because they do in fact criminalize the lifestyle,” he stated.
Ramsammy said that at a societal level there were Guyanese who condemned homosexuality because of personal or religious beliefs. He added that the church in particular had been teaching contradictory values because on the one hand it taught that the practice of men having sex with men was not allowed and on the other, urged tolerance, acceptance and support.
The minister clarified this by noting that the belief about homosexuality being wrong in the Christian faith was understood and that there was nothing contradictory about this. However, he said, when persons decided to defend certain positions and referred to certain values in their arguments this conflicted with their teachings.
With respect to local health care workers, he said the sector had no room for persons who discriminate period, adding that the sector provided services to every citizen irrespective of race, religion and sexual preferences. He said that anyone who was uncomfortable in the execution of his/her duties should not be in that sector. Further, he added that the ministry was considering disciplinary action against those persons who it was confirmed had discriminated.
He pointed out that there were individuals currently working in the sector who held certain beliefs, which bordered on being biased. This, he said, was not present in the health sector alone and reiterated that it was time for a debate. Ramsammy said the health sector might not be ready to lead or start a national discussion on the subject but it was open to any discussion.
He said the Ministry of Health has already been engaging small groups to learn more about the problems facing them and how the ministry could help.
“The ministry alone cannot create the kind of change that is needed, SASOD, civil society, other stakeholders would need to come together and discuss this issue if we are going to achieve anything and this could take a long time,” he said.
An assault
on life itself
Dr Ruben del Prado, UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Guyana and Suriname, urged SASOD to keep pressing in its fight to reduce homophobia. He said homophobia fuelled the HIV epidemic.
“Any country that wishes to claim a good national HIV programme must assure that it is based on respect of human rights, tolerance and unimpeded access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support – for everyone!” del Prado declared at the public forum.
Quoting Dr Mirta Roses, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), he said, stigma and rejection reduced the likelihood that people would protect themselves and others against HIV. Hatred against people with different sexual identities or orientations was an assault on life itself and a clear violation of basic human rights, which call on us to avoid distinctions between human beings.
He said it was both a call of duty and an honour for UNAIDS to support SASOD’s call for decriminalisation of homosexuality in Guyana, stating that the eradication of discrimination against sexual minorities must be underlined as fundamental for progress within the AIDS response.
He issued a call for health workers in Guyana and elsewhere to stop, “the backward, archaic and unacceptable behaviour of discriminating against any person on the basis of sexual orientation”. According to him, decriminalisation of same-sex activity is as urgent as ever and the fight for the respect of everyone has to be everyone’s fight.
Further, he said that UNAIDS and the wider UN family want to stress that the recognition of sexual minorities, as components of our civil societies, and the acknowledgement of the equality of their human rights, will contribute to learning how to live together, that is, the learning of democracy, decency and respect.
On May 19, SASOD launched the Spectrum Health Net project, which was designed to address the invisibility of many to targeted prevention programmes. Spectrum Health Net was designed to provide holistic information, education and communication materials primarily through web-based formats, which include special pages for LGBT people. This project has resulted in the development of the website at http://www.sasod.org.gy and other supporting materials.
Nevertheless, SASOD pointed out that while web-based dissemination was useful where literacy was adequate and the internet accessible, without meaningful face-to-face engagements, a powerful tool in providing AIDS services, including HIV prevention was lost.
Next month, the group will hold its Film Festival, which aims at promoting an understanding of homosexuality by screening films on the subject in addition to other critically acclaimed work in the region and further afield.
