LGBT people among most vulnerable, susceptible to suicide and depression

The fifth instalment of ‘Lunch Talk’ was held on Thursday, January 14 at the APC Office. Lunch Talk is facilitated by the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in partnership with Advancing Partners and Communities (APC). This month's Lunch Talk focused on Mental Health Challenges affecting LGBT Guyanese. 
 

The panel included: Lisa Punch, President of the Prevention of Teenage Suicide (POTS) Organisation and Miss Guyana World; Caitlin Vieira, Psychologist and Addiction Specialist,Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and Abdel Fudadin, Mental Health Researcher, CUSO International. Moderator: John Quelch, Project Coordinator, SASOD.

 Persons who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and/or Transgender (LGBT) are two to three times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual persons, global research shows – this was pointed out by Cuso International’s Mental Health Researcher, Abdel Fudadin on Thursday last,  at a forum on Mental Health Challenges facing LGBT Guyanese.

The discussion forum, facilitated by the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in partnership with USAID’s Advancing Partners and Communities (APC) Project, sought to evaluate with various civil society organisations (CSOs) ways and means the Guyanese society can aid vulnerable communities such as LGBT persons from falling into mental despair and how support can be offered to them.

LGBT persons are often marginalised from society, discriminated against and shunned from accessing health, social and security services; this adding to some already possessing underlying issues such as social anxiety, battling with conservative and religious views and even stemming from impoverished neighbourhoods only weaken their mental health. Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxiety can develop along with post-traumatic stress which only makes the person more susceptible to substance abuse, risky behaviour, and suicide.

SASOD, APC Push Dialogue, Law Reform, on Intimate Partner Violence in LGBT Relationships

Panel and Moderator  (Photo credit: Nekete Forde, GYNC)

On Monday, November 30, 2015, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) and the USAID – Advancing Partners and Communities (APC) Guyana Project hosted the third in its series of monthly Lunch Talks at the APC office in Oleander Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. The session was held as part of SASOD’s observances of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which kicked off on November 25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – and runs until December 10 – Human Rights Day. SASOD is holding daily activities, both on its social media sites and in-person events.

The “Lunch Talk” had a special focus on “Barriers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) People Face in Accessing Services for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)”. The event featured a panel which consisted of Attorney-at-Law Ayana McCalman, who is Assistant Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), Vanda Radzik, renowned human rights activist and Commissioner on the Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC), and Joel Simpson, SASOD’s Managing Director. The discussion was moderated by SASOD’s Social Change Coordinator, Chelauna Providence.

UN Committee Urges Guyana to Repeal Discriminatory Laws

On Wednesday, October 21, 2015, the USAID – Advancing Partners and Communities (APC) Guyana Project and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) hosted the second in its series of "Lunch Talks" at the APC office in Oleander Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. This “Lunch Talk” sought to examine the Concluding Observations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on Guyana’s recent review on September 28 - 29, 2015.

The Concluding Observations after Guyana’s recent review on September 28 and 29 were released on October 9, 2015.  The Concluding Observations contain the collective assessment of the state's record and recommendations for enhanced implementation of the rights under the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

At the “Lunch Talk”, a team from SASOD including of Managing Director, Joel Simpson; Advocacy and Communications Officer, Schemel Patrick and SASOD Volunteers, Monica Brinn and Chase Gorishek, shared a summary of the SASOD’s Stakeholder Report accentuating pertinent topics that were highlighted by the Committee in its Comcluding Observations to the Government of Guyana. The discussion around the table interrogated the Concluding Observations and outlined a clear roadmap of how the Government of Guyana can meet its treaty obligations to fulfil the economic, social and cultural rights of all Guyanese.

GEF, SASOD Host Sunday Fun Day to Mark International Day of Peace

On Sunday, September 20, the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF) and partners hosted “Sunday Fun Day: Peace Day Novelty Sports and Health Fair” at the Eve Leary Sports Ground, on the eve of the International Day of Peace, celebrated globally on September 21.

The GEF has recognized the importance of partnering with other key stakeholders as a means of collectively promoting the rights of marginalized groups in Guyana. “Sunday Fun Day: Peace Day Novelty Sports and Health Fair” capitalized on a HIV prevention activity under SASOD’s sexual health  project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – Advancing Partners and Communities (APC) project. Deliberately held on September 20, 2015, the eve of the International Day for Peace (IDP) - the United Nations observance dedicated to strengthening the ideas of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples - the event was held to promote peace, human rights, general health and well-being for all Guyanese.. This year’s IDP theme is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All” which fits squarely with the GEF's mandate of human rights and equality for all Guyanese. The Sunday Fun Day also aimed to promote positive health and well-being, foster youth participation and civic engagement and uphold human rights and equality for all Guyanese.

(l - r) Managing Director of SASOD, Joel Simpson, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Khadija Musa; Minister within the Ministry of Education, Department of Youth, Culture and Sport, Nicolette Henry and USAID - Advancing Partners and Communities

As Suicides Rise, Documentary and Discussion Highlight Gaps in Guyana's Mental Health Approach

 Attendees engrossed in the film

(Georgetown) – The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in partnership with Depressed Black Gay Men (DBGM), Inc., with support from the United States Agency for International Development – Advancing Partnerships and Communities Project hosted a screening and discussion on the widely-acclaimed documentary “You Are Not Alone” on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at the Dutch Bottle Café in Georgetown.
The documentary, breaking a taboo in the Black and Black gay communities, was screened at a time when the numbers of suicides in Guyana continue to rise. As a film looking at depression, often an immediate precursor to suicide, it explored and provided a backdrop for many who attended the screening to learn about the underlying factors, such as culture, that contribute to the high rate of suicide in Guyana. Although the film, produced by US-based Guyanese Antoine Craigwell, looks at the factors leading to Black gay men experiencing and descending into depression and thoughts of suicide, attempts and completion, many of the issues expressed found ready applicability to the Guyanese socio-cultural context.