Despite calls last month in Geneva, Switzerland for Guyana to take action to end discriminatory practices against LGBT persons it appears that any such steps will have to await a new Parliament.
Guyana’s human rights record was reviewed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva under the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Numerous recommendations were made for Guyana to repeal all provisions that discriminate against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, particularly those which criminalise consensual adult same-sex relations as well as to combat all forms of discrimination and abuse against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-gender and Intersex (LGBTI) persons. Other recommendation on this topic urged Guyana to guarantee to LGBTI persons the full enjoyment under equal conditions of their human rights, through the abolishment of the norms that criminalize and stigmatize them and the investigation and sanction of cases of violence or discrimination motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity as well as to amend Article 149 of the Guyana Constitution to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Guyana was also urged to amend its national legislation in order to include sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds of non-discrimination as well as to investigate incidents or acts of violence motivated by homophobia or transphobia and bring to justice those responsible for such acts. Guyana will examine these recommendations and provide an