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| The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Travesti and Intersex (LGBTTTI) Coalition of Latin America and the Caribbean of which SASOD is a member organization. SASOD's Terianna Bisnauth is seen in the front row at the extreme right. |
-offers partnership to
government to help fulfill international commitments
The Society Against Sexual Orientation
Discrimination (SASOD) recently participated in the 47th General
Assembly of the Organisation of the American States (OAS) in Cancun, Mexico from
June 19 to 21. Representing SASOD was member and volunteer Terianna Bisnauth
who met with several local and international representatives of government and
civil society organisations while there. Since her return, Bisnauth was also
recently elected as the Chairwoman of SASOD Women’s Arm Guyana (SWAG).
Leading up to the official events, Bisnauth engaged
in several meetings with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual,
Travesti and Intersex (LGBTTTI) Coalition of Latin America and the Caribbean of
which SASOD is a member organization. The Coalition met a few days before the
General Assembly meetings to discuss the issues in their respective countries and
agree on proposals that were tabled at the official General Assembly meetings.
SASOD joins with the LGBTTTI Coalition of Latin
American and the Caribbean to celebrate the adoption of the Resolution on Human
Rights, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression by OAS during its
47th General Assembly.
According to a statement prepared by the LGBTTTI Coalition,
“in that Resolution, the OAS condemns all forms of discrimination and acts of
violence based on sexual orientation or on gender identity or expression, and
urges Member States to take effective measures for the protection of the rights
of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex (LGBTI) people. In particular,
the Resolution calls on Member States to generate data, prevent and investigate
acts of homophobic, lesbophobic, biphobic, and transphobic violence. Further,
it calls States to guarantee proper protection to human rights defenders
working on the rights of LGBTI people through the implementation of policies
and procedures ensuring the protection of these rights. The Resolution, as in
previous years, urges States to afford appropriate protection to intersex
people, regarding medical practices”.
SASOD commends the Government of Guyana for joining
the Resolution on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and
Expression in consensus for the past two respective General Assemblies in 2016
and 2017 without footnoting any reservations, as was done by Guyana at the
previous four General Assemblies from 2012 to 2015. SASOD calls for the full
implementation of the Resolution and extends its willingness to partner and assist
the Government in fulfilling its international commitments and meeting its
human rights obligations to the LGBT population of Guyana.
The OAS Resolution comes on the heels of SASOD’s 14th
anniversary where the organisation released its latest report titled “Guyana’s
Voting Records and Responses on LGBT Human Rights Issues at International Fora”.
The report was commissioned by SASOD and written by two Law graduates, Bryce Celestan
and Samy Dorgham, under the tutelage of Professor Andrea Parra at the American
University Washington College of Law.
The foreword to the report was written by
Guyanese-British Barrister Ulele Burnham who specialises in mental health,
mental capacity, human rights and equality law. Burnham wrote, “whilst we wait
to see whether the current administration will act less as neutral arbiter and
more as custodian of citizens’ rights, this report is a startling reminder of
just how little leadership, and how much inertia, successive governments have
demonstrated in relation to this issue.” She pointed out that the graduates
collected invaluable data on Guyana’s voting record on sexual orientation and
gender identity (SOGI) issues before international bodies. “Their analysis
indicates that many of the international conventions which now require Guyana
to take steps to repeal discriminatory laws and confer positive statuary rights
to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons were ratified between 20
to 50 years ago.” Adding that, “it is also difficult to see how it is possible
to reduce discrimination against LGBT persons where same-sex sexual acts remain
criminal offences.”
In its Declaration which was read at the Dialogue
with Heads of Delegations at the General Assembly, the Coalition demanded that
member states “review legislative frameworks and repeal laws that criminalize
same-sex sexual relationships, the use of clothing traditionally associated
with another gender, and any other legislation that criminalizes and directly
or indirectly discriminates against LGBTTTI persons.” Guyana’s delegation was
led by Second Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Carl
Greenidge, M.P.
The report concluded that “before the Government of
Guyana can adequately protect persons suffering violence and discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, Guyana must turn its
pro-LGBT rhetoric into action that is viable and meaningful …” Bisnauth
presented a copy of the report to the First Vice-President and Rapporteur for
Guyana of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Margarette May
Macaulay, at the 47th OAS General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico.
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| First Vice-President and Rapporteur for Guyana of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Margarette May Macaulay (right) receives a copy of SASOD's recent LGBT Human Rights Report from SASOD member and volunteer Terianna Bisnauth. |
