Dear Editor,
I am really disgusted about the renewed flare-up of discussions about homosexuality in Guyana. I am disgusted that these discussions now need to be taken up by politicians, such as honourable Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Member of Parliament and Minister of Health, as well as distinguished representatives of the United Nations such as Dr Ruben Del Prado from UNAIDS, who tell us that we must look again at the laws of Guyana that criminalize homosexuals. It is sad they are the ones to tell us that we have to stop, “the backward, archaic and unacceptable behaviour of discriminating against any person on the basis of sexual orientation.”
I am disgusted that I have to read in our Guyanese newspapers and on blogs 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, which is the learning of democracy, decency and respect.”
I am, quite frankly, getting more and more angry as I am writing this as a Guyanese father of two daughters and three sons. Two are still young: a son of 11 and a daughter of 14, who have to grow up to adulthood in our society. The other daughter, my oldest child, is a practising veterinarian in Canada and two sons are in the USA. One is studying law, and the other, an architect to be, is actually the one who alerted me to the sickening media and web coverage of these debates about the rights of lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transgendered persons. He keeps in touch with his motherland through reading the daily newspapers on-line. This is, by the way, the only way that he wishes to stay in touch with Guyana. He too is disgusted and moreover… he is afraid.
He is afraid that, as a 26 year old, intelligent young man, his private and emotional life is being threatened, abused and ridiculed.
My wife and I brought him up, just like the other four children in a loving household, and as a good Christian I deplore the fact that my Guyanese society that allows politicians and international friends to tell us that we are bigots and hypocrites.
I realize that I must be careful, because I hold a sensitive position that doesn’t allow me to be more explicit than I am now. And I am sorry that I can therefore not put my name under this letter to the editor.
My wife too is sickened by remarks that her son’s life and that of his loving same-sex partner are deemed ‘unaccepted’ and ‘unacceptable.’
“Why?” do we wonder, is there this religious obsession with homosexuality? Is there no other and better role for the churches, the temples and the mosques to play? Why not address our real social ills?
Why not address the other real sins that are plastered all over the Bible and the Qu’ran? What about striving to be spiritual congregations to eradicate poverty, violence and crime?
I miss my son in our home and I am sorry that he left for reasons that are more than pursuing his education. He does not even want to come to Guyana on vacation because here he cannot be who he truly is.
Stigma, disrespect and discrimination are sickening epidemics in our Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Disgusted and appalled as I am, until our repulsively obsessive Guyanese society shapes up to be considered normal and behaving within the 21st century, people like my wife and I, and many others must reluctantly rely on people like Leslie Ramsammy, Ruben Del Prado and Mirta Roses from PAHO who attempt to make things better for us.
When will Guyanese realize that the inclusion of everyone is needed to build and sustain our society? Thank you SASOD, homegrown heroes, for daring to speak out.
I dream that one day, in my lifetime, my son can return home to build roads and bridges and dams to improve the infrastructure of our land, as a fully accepted human being, for all that he is. Just as the Divine Creator has meant him to be.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
