The inaugural Guyana Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride festival was launched on Thursday with religious leaders decrying discriminatory laws against these persons.
According to a media bulletin from the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) the launching ceremony took the form of an Inter-Faith service at the Catholic Life Centre on Brickdam attended by religious persons, leaders of the faith-based organisations and LGBT persons.
Head of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Guyana, Bishop Francis Alleyne who co-hosted the service with SASOD, expressed that while the issue of LGBT rights is a sensitive one, a referendum on same sex relations as proposed by government would not be the right path for repealing discriminatory laws. ”This topic is a volatile one. There is still a lot of fear and insufficient listening to expect an objective response from people,” Bishop Alleyne was quoted as saying in the SASOD release.
Bishop Alleyne in his presentation, according to the media release, made references to Acts 10 where St. Peter breaks through his own prejudices to new insight that “ God does not have favourites, but anyone who fears God and does what is pleasing to him is acceptable to him.” The co-host concluded his remarks by praying from Psalm 139 which recalls the dignity and uniqueness of each person and the charge to be honest and transparent with one’s self and others calling on God’s guidance to do always what is right and appropriate.
The Guyana Presbyterian Church’s representative Reverend Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth observed that Guyana is still a far way from achieving that oneness that we long for, where we respect each other and strive to uphold each other’s dignity. “We still have much to accomplish as the struggle continues in these times of violence, poverty and inequities; division across race, gender, age, class and sexual orientation, and others, “ Rev. Sheerattan-Bisnauth was quoted as saying, in the press release.
“I am happy to join in this call for an end to discrimination, particularly, the institutionalised dehumanisation of LGBTIQ persons. I urge us to be proactive in their protection, and to resist the hate perpetuated against our brothers and sisters who on a daily basis face tremendous threats, and are denied of their basic human rights. It is time to join in a resounding call for justice and rights,” Rev. Sheerattan-Bisnauth was further quoted in the SASOD release as saying.
Chairperson of the Human Rights and Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Diocese in Guyana, Schemel Patrick, according to the media bulletin, read a statement from the Head of the Anglican Communion in Guyana, Bishop Charles Davidson who was prior engaged. The Bishop in his remarks stated that from early church times voices were raised against discrimination in all its forms and the Anglican Church believes that we are all children of God and therefore everyone must experience the love of God in all its forms.
“Racial, gender, and sexual orientation discrimination must not be allowed to continue to be part of our life together,” Patrick was quoted, as reading from Bishop Davidson’s remarks.
Scheherazade Khan addressed the participants at the Inter-Faith service, in her individual capacity as a practising Muslim, and expressed that Muslims around the world are horrified by the violence that is being committed in the name of Islam. ”The radical wahabbism ideology promulgated by countries such as Saudi Arabia is creating an intellectual void in the religion; one that is readily filled with hateful intolerance. This shouldn’t be,” she was quoted in the media bulletin as saying.
Khan said that the Islamic community cannot be intolerant and disavow everyone, nor can they deny that God admonishes to compensate, as Muslims are constantly reminded that God is benevolent and merciful. “We cannot deny the human rights of others or nor can we continue to live lives filled with animosity for others,” Khan was quoted as saying, in the SASOD release.
Pandit Tillack of the Sri Samayapuran Mariamman Temple on the East Coast of Demerara, expressed that the Guyanese nation would be deceiving itself with wishful thinking to believe that after 51 years from colonial rule, if it continues to piggyback on the laws that were bequeathed by the colonials as an independent nation, that those laws would be in the best interest of all Guyanese.
“The Law ought to be amended to respect the fundamental human rights of all Guyanese,” Pandit Tillack was quoted in the press bulletin as saying.
The inaugural Pride festival was hosted from May 25 to 31 by the Guyana LGBT Coalition comprising of the three LGBT-led civil society groups In Guyana: Guyana Trans United (GTU), Guyana Rainbow Foundation (GuyBow) and SASOD.
