By Pamela Nauth
(This week, Mosa Telford has a guest columnist)
Pamela Nauth is a professional social worker, trained counselor, and consultant. She is currently the Secretary on the Board of Directors at Help & Shelter – a leading Guyanese NGO working to end all forms of violence, especially domestic violence, and child abuse. She joined Help & Shelter since 1996 and has served as Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Board Director. In civil society, Nauth also served as President of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) for 6 years and is also a past President of the Mediation Institute of Guyana. Nauth has also worked with many state agencies, including as Vice-Chairperson and Secretary on the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Advisory Board, Commissioner on the National Commission of the Family and Commissioner and Head of the Investigative Arm of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child. She loves Guyana and wants to see her country develop to a place where everyone’s human dignity is recognised and we are all treated with respect.
Just over three weeks ago, I proudly attended the launch of a new, grassroots effort to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Guyana. The Guyana Together campaign aims to grow public support for LGBT Guyanese and to spark a national conversation about the importance of treating all Guyanese with respect and understanding.
During the campaign launch event at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, I joined faith leaders, parents, business leaders and other Guyanese who spoke out in support of our LGBT neighbours, coworkers, friends and family. Like me, these supporters are dedicated to individually and collectively working towards a society which is more inclusive and accepting of diversity. As a Guyanese woman, mother, and social worker, I strongly believe that everyone in our country should be treated with respect – and that must include gay and trans people as well.
I was shocked to learn that Guyana is now among a minority of CARICOM countries with a law still on the books that criminalises our gay neighbours – by outlawing consensual intimacy between adult men in private. But with the launch of the Guyana Together campaign – alongside polling showing that a strong majority of Guyanese believe it’s time to eliminate this outdated law – I am hopeful that we are on the cusp of change.
While this campaign will uplift the experiences of gay and trans people, it will focus equally on the growing number of allies across Guyana who are breaking the silence by speaking up and calling on our fellow Guyanese to respect our gay and trans friends and loved ones. While allies like me may not be directly affected by discriminatory laws in our country, we must not remain silent. Instead, it is important to stand up for what is right, stand up for justice, and treat each other fairly. As a Guyanese, I am inspired to hear the stories of LGBT Guyanese and buoyed by the support this campaign has received since the effort became public.
Guyana Together is a homegrown, grassroots campaign. It was developed through a partnership among Guyanese organizations, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Black Entrepreneurs Association, Guyana Press Association and the SASOD Guyana. Scores of Guyanese businesses, service organizations, academic institutions, and faith groups from across the country are coming forward to endorse the effort and stand behind its message of respect for all people.
In my career as a social worker, I have worked with many Guyanese who have suffered the impact of unjust laws. I am proud that things are beginning to change in Guyana, especially among the younger generations, but I also know that many gay and transgender Guyanese have been afraid to live their lives openly. Imagine how difficult it would be to wonder everyday as you leave home, whether today is a day that you will be exposed or harassed? I would not want to live in fear, and I imagine you would not want to, either.
My experience has shown me that for change to occur, we cannot remain silent. While many Guyanese personally know a friend, family member or neighbour who is gay, bisexual or transgender, conversations about their lives have mostly taken place behind closed doors – and are never spoken about publicly. Now, we must speak out and stand alongside our neighbours who are facing unfair treatment. The voices of gay and transgender Guyanese, and of their allies, need to be heard loud and clear.
This conversation may be new to some persons in our society who do not yet personally know a LGBT Guyanese. However, we do not have to understand everything about what it means to be gay, bisexual or transgender to agree that everyone in Guyana should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, live authentically in their communities, and be treated with respect.
We all want to see our children succeed. That is our greatest wish as parents. I feel blessed that my own daughter has now grown into a beautiful young woman. I raised her to uphold the principle of “do unto others” – to treat everyone with the same respect that she, herself, deserves. It’s a saying that truly applies to every aspect of life, regardless of where we come from. No matter the differences, I raised her to understand that we are all human and of equal value. In fact, it is our differences that can make us special. That is a special part of what it means to be Guyanese – to come together across racial and religious divides. It’s time to extend that same respect to include treating our gay, bisexual, and transgender neighbours the way that we would want to be treated.
Like my family, LGBT Guyanese have family members who love and support them and whom they cherish. The pain of discrimination or harassment against gay, bisexual, and transgender people is also felt by their close family and friends. No member of anyone’s family should be treated differently because of who they are or who they love. My heart goes out to the parents of LGBT Guyanese who must worry for their children’s future and fear they will face a lack of opportunities or even harm. I sympathize with the families of gay and trans loved ones who have chosen to live abroad because they feel a lack of acceptance or opportunity, simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, within their own country. I hope these families see Guyana Together as a source of hope and are proud of the progress our country is making towards becoming a more united and welcoming place for everyone to call home.
I am grateful for the conversation that Guyana Together will spark across the nation. Sharing my support has been a wonderful experience, and I am excited to learn how I can do more. Today, I call on my fellow Guyanese to do the same – to join this growing, diverse movement of Guyanese people who believe it is time for the laws of our country to match the values of its people, and who are called to treat our LGBT neighbours with respect and dignity. I encourage you to visit the Guyana Together website, watch the stories of love and acceptance from our fellow Guyanese, and take the pledge, adding your name to the growing community of supporters. For our families, our communities, and our nation to thrive, our gay and trans neighbours should be free to work, care for their families and prosper in their daily lives, like everyone else.
