The Society against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) yesterday be-moaned the nearly two-year delay in holding national consultations on repealing anti-gay laws contrary to a commitment given to a United Nation Human Rights body.
“I think the length of delay into these consultations is inexcusable. The fact that government is waiting now less than nine months to the deadline date to act to us in itself is an act of bad faith. I would say unquestionably that Government has acted very cowardly on this issue and has failed the gay community.” The sharp words by SASOD’s co-chair Joel Simpson came in the wake of a renewed public commitment that Guyana will hold those consultations to determine whether the laws like those against sodomy and cross-dressing should be repealed.
Leaders of the 54-nation Commonwealth last year in Australia also sought to secure a commitment in that regard but in the end agreed that there should be consultations.
Simpson in an interview with Stabroek News stated that while his organization eagerly awaits the consultations, he is still upset that national consensus was needed to have the laws repealed.” I am troubled by Minister (Carolyn) Rodrigues saying that the outcome, that is if the laws will or will not be removed, is dependent on national consensus. We all know Guyana is a homophobic society and you cannot subject (the minority to unjust laws) because of the tyranny of the majority. If that was the case then there will be no minority groups…many minorities would not have their rights enshrined”, he said.
It was against this backdrop that Simpson quoted Article 13 from the Guyana constitution “The principal objective of the political system is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organizations in the management and decision – making processes of the State with particular emphasis on those areas of decision – making that directly affect their well-being“, vehemently emphasizing the words in bold.
Weighing in on the issue also were two Guyanese citizens, a lesbian and an openly gay businessman. The lesbian, who asked to be referred to as “Jay”, told this newspaper that she welcomed the quickening of the consultations. She said that for too long Guyana’s gay and lesbian society have taken what she termed as abuse “left, right and centre”. “I heard through a friend that there would be consultations to hear of decriminalizing of Guyana’s gay laws. For too long, I mean way too long we had to endure living our lives in silence for fear of being punished by law. Sometimes some of us are subjected to many abuses but we prefer to remain silent because when you go to the station is another problem…if the police ain’t telling you `is good for you’ they making laugh off of you then might even want to lock you up”.
The gay businessman said he will be present at the consultations to voice his concerns because he knows he will be doing a good speaking for persons who for fear of victimization endure “abuse of these dinosaur laws” in silence.
He said “I will be at the consultations of my own will and if they need me to speak… because I want Guyanese to know that the same old laws we hold on to today, inherited from the British they have thrown away. Why then should we be keeping them? …We gained independence many moons ago why hold on to if anything those outdated laws? It is for this reason when our people leave these shores they experience a culture shock. I will be there and I will speak my mind …I will be very vocal for myself and many others like me who wish to just live in peace; always having at the back of our minds that we can be charged and jailed just because of our sexual orientation preferences.”
Deadline
Meanwhile, rejecting claims that the consultations took too long to begin, Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira told Stabroek News “Guyana will have those consultations …I cannot give a timeline right now but I am sure Guyana will be keeping to our deadline and honouring our commitment to the (UN’s) UPR (Universal Periodic Review). ‘
Defending the reason why the consultations were not held earlier, Teixeira said “Guyana has just gone through an election and that takes precedence over everything. There are now new challenges that have to be looked at such as getting parliament ready and working with the new composition of Parliament … Eight months is a long time to hold effective consultations so I say this they will be held once important parliamentary matters are settled but before the deadline. “
Teixeira also noted that she is yet to receive formal correspondence from SASOD on bilateral dialogue deemed important to that organization. She said SASOD needed to be proactive and engage not only government but civil society and relevant stakeholders especially the religious community since the latter group is the most vocal and public critic of Gays and Lesbian choices. It is also to the religious society that Teixeira said SASOD first needs to “take the righteousness of their views and not just sit back and expect Government to do the job for them.”
The government advisor made mention of the almost non-existent communication, only two to date, received by telephone from SASOD in 2010 after which there was no other. She then urged representatives of SASOD to follow protocol as is required by anyone wanting to meet with her and she surely would find the time to arrange that meeting.
When the question was put to Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett on Thursday: if last year’s regional and general elections played a part in the stalling of the consultations because of the potential of “ruffling the feathers of the religious community” she replied “No that wasn’t my thought. It was just maybe because of the many major issues that had to be dealt with for example the 140 bills passed relating to women and children, groups also in the minority. That was not a quick fix because law making is not a quick fix…so I would say no.”
