Dear Editor,
The constitutional challenge to reform the oppressive ‘cross dressing’ laws has brought out some of the most fascinating arguments against any notion of other genders and by extension, rights for gay and lesbian citizens.
God is often called up as the authority which says that gay, lesbian and transgender people are morally corrupt and will destroy the society. One letter writer asserts that there are only two sexes, the Judaic religions believing in Adam and Eve. Whenever God is invoked in Guyana to maintain oppressions, the invokers forget that there are other beliefs. Those who are willing to liberate their minds and those who are Hindu should rest assured, that Lord Rama, in the Ramayana acknowledges that there are more than male and female. In the Tulsidas Ramayana, (Sri Ramcharitmanasa), one of the important parts is the dialogue between Lord Rama and Kakbhusundi, where Lord Rama explains about the compassion for devotees. In the Uttarkanda, Doha 87, Lord Rama continues..
“..be it man, woman or ‘one lacking the characteristics of both’ or for the matter of that, any living being whatsoever, of the animate or the inanimate world, he who adores Me with all his being, giving up all guile is supremely dear to Me..”(Gita Press translation available at http://www.gitapress.org/books/ramayan/ 1318/uttar1023_1101.pdf)
The tone of the arguments continue, that ‘it is not our culture’ and ‘it is a western import’. Invaders and destroyers of culture suppress stories. When the stories of same gender loving people are revealed, you are told that ‘those are bad aspects of the culture’.
Science is invoked to show that (male) homosexuals are going to be child molesters… as a way of minimising the sexual abuse of girls which is rampant in Guyana today. It is interesting how, despite the seeming concerns about child abuse, there is no outrage, no protest from the homophobic over the lack of progress in implementing Sexual Offences legislation which will go a long way to ensuring that perpetrators of child sexual abuse will be convicted.
Yours faithfully,
Vidyaratha Kissoon
