GEF’s Dr. Dawn Stewart elected as Civil Society Representative to Guyana’s Global Fund CCM

On Friday last, Guyanese civil society representatives elected Dr. Dawn Stewart, who was the unopposed nominee of the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF), as the civil society representative to Guyana’s Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), replacing Ms. Renuka Anandjit, Programmes Director of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) who resigned after serving for five months.

The Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) was established as an oversight apparatus for the effective implementation of grants provided to Guyana by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  The mandate of the CCM is to coordinate the preparation and approve proposals for submission to the Global Fund and to monitor the implementation of all approved grants. The CCM focuses on performance by linking Global Fund resources to the achievement of clear, measurable and sustainable results based upon agreed monitoring indicators.

Cross-Dressing Appeal Put Down until October

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Guyana Trans United (GTU) and the University of the West Indies Faculties of Law Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP) welcome the setting down of the McEwan and Others appeal, related to the cross-dressing law in Guyana, for a full hearing on October 17, 2016.The appeal was fixed for hearing on Wednesday July 13 at 9 am before Guyana’s Court of Appeal. Gulliver McEwan, the first-named appellant, and representatives of SASOD and GTU were present in a completely full courtroom. 

The appellants filed their skeleton arguments in accordance with the rules of the Court. The arguments of the State are yet to be filed. The Court of Appeal noted that the arguments filed by counsel for the appellants were extensive and that it wished some time to fully review them and to receive the arguments from the State.

Cross-Dressing Suit Set for Appeal Hearing on July 13

Guyana’s Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case McEwan, Clarke, Fraser, Persaud and SASOD versus Attorney General of Guyana on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 9:00 AM at the Court of Appeal, 60 High Street, Kingston.  The Chancellor of the Judiciary, the Hon. Justice Carl Singh, is expected to preside over the hearing with a panel of appellate judges.

The case was filed in February 2010, following the widely reported arrests and convictions of seven transgender persons for the 1893 summary offence of ‘being a man’ and wearing ‘female’ attire in a public way or public place, for an improper purpose. Four of the convicted persons filed this action, along with SASOD who approached the Faculty of Law UWI Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP) for advice in relation to the arrests. U-RAP proposed a constitutional challenge to the cross-dressing law, working with counsel Gino Persaud, who had already been counsel retained in the criminal matter.The entire legal team includes Mr. Miles Fitzpatrick SC, Mr. Nigel Hughes, Dr. Arif Bulkan, U-RAP Coordinator and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, UWI, St Augustine, and Mr. Gino Persaud.

After the case was filed, the organisation Guyana Trans United (GTU) was established to ensure respect for the dignity of transgender persons in Guyana and the protection of their human rights. The first named applicant/appellant Quincy (Gulliver) McEwan is a founder and the Executive Director of GTU. That organisation and its members are closely following this case.

Cross-Dressing Suit Set for Appeal Hearing on July 13

Guyana’s Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case McEwan, Clarke, Fraser, Persaud and SASOD versus Attorney General of Guyana on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 9:00 AM at the Court of Appeal, 60 High Street, Kingston.  The Chancellor of the Judiciary, the Hon. Justice Carl Singh, is expected to preside over the hearing with a panel of appellate judges.

The case was filed in February 2010, following the widely reported arrests and convictions of seven transgender persons for the 1893 summary offence of ‘being a man’ and wearing ‘female’ attire in a public way or public place, for an improper purpose. Four of the convicted persons filed this action, along with SASOD who approached the Faculty of Law UWI Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP) for advice in relation to the arrests. U-RAP proposed a constitutional challenge to the cross-dressing law, working with counsel Gino Persaud, who had already been counsel retained in the criminal matter.The entire legal team includes Mr. Miles Fitzpatrick SC, Mr. Nigel Hughes, Dr. Arif Bulkan, U-RAP Coordinator and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, UWI, St Augustine, and Mr. Gino Persaud.

After the case was filed, the organisation Guyana Trans United (GTU) was established to ensure respect for the dignity of transgender persons in Guyana and the protection of their human rights. The first named applicant/appellant Quincy (Gulliver) McEwan is a founder and the Executive Director of GTU. That organisation and its members are closely following this case.