The National Assembly and all parties represented therein have to show courage in standing up for the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities and move to revamp antiquated laws, says US Ambassador to Guyana, D Brendt Hardt.
He was speaking at a media sensitization workshop on LGBT issues jointly sponsored by the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimi-nation (SASOD) and the US Embassy at Moray Hosue Trust on Saturday.
Prefacing his remarks with an assessment of the changing of attitudes towards the LGBT community, Hardt noted that the government here was preparing to embark on consultations on LGBT-related issues and cautioned that action must follow.
He said: “I firmly believe we can work together here in Guyana and in every region of the world to galvanize more support for the human rights of LGBT communities and individuals. The Government has been conducting a National Consultation on LGBT issues, and that conversation is a positive step. But as I noted earlier, conversation and dialogue must lead to action, and specifically to legislation that replaces antiquated colonial laws with modern, national laws that advance the rights of all Guyanese people. Leader-ship, by definition, means being out in front of the people one leads. It requires courage in standing up for the dignity of all fellow citizens and persuading others to do the same. And that is what is now required in the National Assembly and among all parties.”
During the Universal Periodic Review three years ago of the human rights situation in Guyana, the government here had given a commitment to embark on national consultations on corporal punishment, the decriminalization of gay sex and the death penalty. Consultations have not yet started on the decriminalization of gay sex.
The Ambassador also focused on the problem of the stigmatizing of the LGBT community.
“Beyond legislative pro-gress, it is vital to recognize that the lives of our gay brothers and sisters are shaped not only by laws, but also by the way they are treated and accepted every day by families, friends, business colleagues, and neighbors”, he said.
He quoted Martin Luther King as saying “Laws can restrain the heartless …but they cannot restrain the heart.”
Hardt added “That is why respect for rights must also begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. The actions people take in these daily interactions, the words they express, and the ideals they embody, will determine whether Guyana will ensure that human rights for all Guyanese, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation, will flourish.”
Earlier in his remarks he had said he believed that a profound change was being witnessed globally in relation to LGBT issues. In the United States he said that public opinion had been transformed dramatically.
“A decade ago, for example, the public opposed gay marriage by a solid majority, with nearly 60 percent opposing and only 34 percent in support. Today, by contrast, around 52 percent support gay marriage, while only 42 percent remain opposed. In the 1990’s, the only way gay people were accepted within the military was on the basis that they keep their sexuality to themselves — that they “don’t tell.” That barrier toppled two years ago, and today gay service members serve without hindrance and with full respect”, he told the gathering.
Addressing the universality of human rights, Hardt pointed out that some have argued that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct. He argued that they are the same.
“It is a violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave. It is a violation of human rights when governments declare it illegal to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished. It is a violation of human rights when lesbian or transgender women are subjected to so-called corrective rape, or forcibly subjected to hormone treatments, or when people are murdered after public calls for violence toward gays, or when they are forced to flee their countries and seek asylum in other lands to save their lives. And, it is a violation of human rights when life-saving care is withheld from people because they are gay, or equal access to justice is denied to people because they are gay, or public spaces are out of bounds to people because they are gay. No matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we are, we are all equally entitled to our human rights and dignity”, Hardt declared.
He said that achieving legislation that balances rights and often pointed differences of opinion must start with a preparedness to debate openly in public forums and in the National Assembly. “While there may be differences of opinion, that difference is a reason to begin a conversation, not avoid it. And that conversation and debate must lead to legislation that protects rights for all”, he contended.
Framing his argument in a global perspective, Hardt said “When any of our brothers and sisters cannot enjoy their full and equal human rights, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines. Every time a barrier to progress has fallen, it has taken a common and united effort from people on all sides of a racial, gender, cultural or religious barrier. In the fight for women’s rights, the support of men remains crucial. The fight for racial equality has relied on contributions from people of all races. Combating Islamaphobia or anti-Semitism is a task for people of all faiths. And the same is true with this struggle for equality. People of all sexual orientations must come to see this for what it is — a fight for our common humanity.”
He detailed the steps taken by the US embassy here in support of LGBT issues and said the embassy in Guyana will continue to support LGBT human rights defenders and civil society groups. He noted that last year, Embassy representatives participated in SASOD’s UPR meetings to learn more about their efforts to lead change in Guyana. An LGBT Roundtable was also hosted at the Embassy to discuss issues of major concern directly with stakeholders. He said the embassy is also seeking to reach the broader public through social media, exchange programmes, and speaker programmes.
