International Human Rights Day 2007 is the start of
the year to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). SASOD,
Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination,
advocates that discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity is the violation of
human rights.
The right to equal protection of the law without any
discrimination (Article 7 of the UDHR) is denied by
omitting sexual orientation from Article 149 of our
constitution and anti-discrimination laws. The right
to privacy (Article 10 of the UDHR) is denied by the
existence of s. 351 of the Criminal Law (Offences)
Act Cap. 8: 01 which seeks to criminalize sexual
activity between consenting male adults. The right to
work (Article 23 of the UDHR) is the most affected
among the economic rights as many lesbians, gays and
bisexuals in Guyana are being fired or discriminated
against in employment policies and practices because
of their perceived sexual orientation and are too
scared to raise these issues in the public domain for
fear of further victimisation The right to a standard
of living adequate for health and well-being including
medical care and necessary social services (Article 25
of the UDHR) is at conflict with discriminatory
policies and practices within the healthcare system.
Internationally, progress has been made to recognise
that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons
are part of the humanity which is assured of dignity
and justice. The Yogyakarta Principles were
unanimously adopted in November 2006 and presented to
the United Nations in November 2007. The Yogyakarta
Principles are a set of principles on the application
of international human rights law in relation to
sexual orientation and gender identity. Many countries
are repealing their discriminatory laws and some
Caribbean leaders – most recently Grenada's Minister
of Tourism - have started to recognise that the
homophobia in the Caribbean has to change.
We believe that full human rights will also be
achieved in Guyana when the state does not allow
teachers to beat children in schools; when HIV
positive persons are not rejected for employment; when
disabled persons are assured of decent work and
livelihoods, when there are economic and fiscal
policies which ensure a decent quality of life for all
citizens; and when our democracy becomes fully
inclusive and participatory at all levels.
SASOD also recognises that as human beings, we are not
only bundles of rights, but also we have an d
obligation towards each other to ensure that our
humanity is nurtured. While we are beneficiaries of
rights, we also have duties towards those who for one
reason or another cannot achieve their full potential
in our society. SASOD salutes those individuals and
organisations in Guyana who have worked to eliminate
prejudices and discrimination at all levels; and who
subscribe to the believe that "the inherent dignity
and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of
the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice
and peace in the world"
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
World AIDS Day Statement 2007
This December 1st, around the globe, we commemorate together the 20th World AIDS Day by focusing on ‘leadership’, which is required in strong and unyielding fashion if we are to reverse the spread of the epidemic. Guyanese civil society organizations have taken leadership in responding to the epidemic at the community level. Government leadership, especially in ensuring legal protection for people made vulnerable by HIV, is critically needed.
In Guyana, structural stigma and discrimination, especially homophobia, are a major area where such leadership is needed.
Guyana joined with other states last year to commit at the highest inter-governmental level at the UN General Assembly to the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS to:
". … eliminate all forms of discrimination against and to ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people living with HIV and members of vulnerable groups, in particular to ensure their access to… legal protection…”
It is not who they are that put gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) at risk for HIV. It is the political, legal, economic, social, cultural forms of marginalisation and exclusion that make MSM vulnerable. Stigma and discrimination continue to undermine our efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Criminalisation of sexual activity conducted between consenting, adult men in private reinforces the perpetuation of homophobia at all levels of society, and drives this vulnerable group away from the information and education that is necessary to save their lives and the lives of their partners.
When asked what the government can do to address these structural issues, we at SASOD respond: decriminalize consensual, sexual activity between adult men in private. This will send a strong message across the country that we are serious when we say we respect
people’s human rights to privacy, non-discrimination and health. AIDS rhetoric from politicians and public officials on MSM issues is not enough. It is time for the government to take leadership actions now.
This year, SASOD, with support from the Government of Guyana/World Bank Guyana AIDS Prevention and Control Project is implementing Spectrum Health Net, an Internet based-project to provide comprehensive and holistic education across the spectrum of human
sexuality, with a special focus on MSM. While specific interventions are necessary and indicate some recognition of the vulnerability of the groups, SASOD has recognised that these types of interventions are more costly and difficult when there is an atmosphere of
discrimination.
We therefore call on the Government to fulfill their committment made in 2006 so as to increase the effectiveness of all interventions to reduce the impact of the HIV epidemic.
In Guyana, structural stigma and discrimination, especially homophobia, are a major area where such leadership is needed.
Guyana joined with other states last year to commit at the highest inter-governmental level at the UN General Assembly to the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS to:
". … eliminate all forms of discrimination against and to ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people living with HIV and members of vulnerable groups, in particular to ensure their access to… legal protection…”
It is not who they are that put gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) at risk for HIV. It is the political, legal, economic, social, cultural forms of marginalisation and exclusion that make MSM vulnerable. Stigma and discrimination continue to undermine our efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Criminalisation of sexual activity conducted between consenting, adult men in private reinforces the perpetuation of homophobia at all levels of society, and drives this vulnerable group away from the information and education that is necessary to save their lives and the lives of their partners.
When asked what the government can do to address these structural issues, we at SASOD respond: decriminalize consensual, sexual activity between adult men in private. This will send a strong message across the country that we are serious when we say we respect
people’s human rights to privacy, non-discrimination and health. AIDS rhetoric from politicians and public officials on MSM issues is not enough. It is time for the government to take leadership actions now.
This year, SASOD, with support from the Government of Guyana/World Bank Guyana AIDS Prevention and Control Project is implementing Spectrum Health Net, an Internet based-project to provide comprehensive and holistic education across the spectrum of human
sexuality, with a special focus on MSM. While specific interventions are necessary and indicate some recognition of the vulnerability of the groups, SASOD has recognised that these types of interventions are more costly and difficult when there is an atmosphere of
discrimination.
We therefore call on the Government to fulfill their committment made in 2006 so as to increase the effectiveness of all interventions to reduce the impact of the HIV epidemic.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
SASOD Statement & Event: International Day of Tolerance - Fri Nov 16
Friday, November 16, 2007, is designated International Day of Tolerance by the United Nations.
This year’s commemoration of International Day of Tolerance follows on the heels of a panel discussion to promote the release of the Yogyakarta Principles at UN Headquarters on November 7, 2007. These principles collate and clarify current state obligations under international law to address human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Each Principle is accompanied by
detailed recommendations to States, as well as other actors, including the UN human rights system, national human rights institutions, the media, NGOs and funders. (See: http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/) Several permanent missions were represented at the event, including Guyana’s, along with NGOs and others working to promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
This year’s commemoration of International Day of Tolerance follows on the heels of a panel discussion to promote the release of the Yogyakarta Principles at UN Headquarters on November 7, 2007. These principles collate and clarify current state obligations under international law to address human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Each Principle is accompanied by
detailed recommendations to States, as well as other actors, including the UN human rights system, national human rights institutions, the media, NGOs and funders. (See: http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/) Several permanent missions were represented at the event, including Guyana’s, along with NGOs and others working to promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
Given recent manifestations of homophobia in Guyana, two key points are of particular interest from the panel discussion. Federico Villegas Beltrán, Director of Human Rights at Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Worship, concluded with a call to stop using the words 'tolerance' and 'intolerance' in relation to the rights of LGBT people. The dictionary definition suggests that 'tolerance ' of these rights would mean we are 'suffering with patience' – which we are not. As an alternative, he encouraged the use of the phrase 'respect for diversity' wherever possible. In addition, a statement was read from Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights. In her view, respect for cultural diversity is insufficient to justify the existence of laws that violate the fundamental right to life, security and privacy by criminalizing harmless private relations between consenting adults.
A press report in the Stabroek News of October 29, 2007, under the caption “Buju sings controversial tune at music festival” has confirmed that Kiprich (real name: Marlon Plunkett) and Buju Banton (real name: Mark Myre) uttered and sung homophobic lyrics even after the GT Entertainment group, local promoters, and the Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, gave public assurances that there will be no discriminatory lyrics at the recently-held Guyana Music Festival. The fact that there was police presence and there was no intervention to curb the offensive lyrics of these murder musicians also illustrates the nonchalance with which homophobic abuse is treated in Guyana. It is now also clear that a response by Tracii McGregor, President of Gargamel Music, Buju’s record label, painting a glowing picture of Buju as a 're-invented artist' was nothing but a public relations maneuver. Publicity moves, like giving pocket change to an orphanage, do not make up for the damage done daily to gay and lesbian persons in Jamaica and Caribbean, for which Buju’s song is a rallying call to violence. Interestingly enough, Gargamel Music has gone silent after the fact as even the international press has failed to receive a response from McGregor (See: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=12309).
The homophobic rantings of Kiprich and Buju at the Guyana Music Festival have shown that lip service is clearly not enough to stem calls to hate, violence and murder at public performances in Guyana. SASOD has long recommended that preventative measures and sanctions be put in place to achieve this end. In a request dated December 2, 2005, to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), SASOD recommended that any licenses granted for the use of state-owned venues include clearly-written provisions prohibiting lyrics which promote hatred, violence and murder against any section of the population, including LGBT citizens and that stringent sanctions, which may include fines and custodial sentences, are meted out to performers and promoters who breach the terms of the agreement. The ERC has failed to address these concerns.
We call on Wildlife Promotions to ensure that Baby Cham’s performance is free of lyrics that incite hate, murder and violence against any segment of the Guyanese population, including LGBT citizens.
SASOD would like to take the opportunity to invite all members of the public to a panel discussion titled "Batty boy fi dead: Muder Music, Culture and Freedom of Expression" which will be held on Friday, November 16, 2007 from 5pm at Oasis Too on South Road. Panelists will be
Dr Christopher Carrico - anthropologist;
Ruel Johnson - writer and journalist;
Akim Ade Larcher - human rights activist and founder of Stop Murder Music campaign - Canada (via teleconference).
Saturday, October 13, 2007
SASOD Statement: Buju Banton must publicly renounce his homophobia
“Boom bye bye [gun shot sounds]
Inna batty bwoy [gay boy] head
Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man
Dem haffi dead”
These are some of the infamous lyrics of Jamaican dancehall singer, Buju Banton, who is slated to perform in Guyana under the auspices of the GT Entertainment Group. Banton's lyrics go on to gleefully promote pouring acid over gay men and setting them on fire. Buju Banton is one of the most notorious of a gang of Jamaican dancehall singers whose lyrics call for the killing and maiming of gay and lesbian people, in no uncertain terms. It is precisely for this reason that major sponsors have pulled out of concerts featuring Buju Banton in Europe and North America. Banton has never apologized for his murderously homophobic lyrics and has been documented in video by Jasmyne Cannick as still performing and leading an audience sing-a-long of his infamous song “Boom Bye Bye” as recently as May 29, 2006 (see
The Guyana National AIDS Committee, in a December 2005 press release condemning the murder of gay Jamaican AIDS activist Steve Harvey, called for Caribbean Community to reject the violence perpetuated by the likes of Banton. The Caribbean has suffered from serious problems with growing violence in recent years. This development is mirrored in the growth of dancehall music that promotes extreme violence – known as ‘murder music.’ Dancehall murder music singers like Banton have been at the forefront of the homophobic campaign in Jamaica which has lead to the murder and maiming of men and women presumed to be gay or lesbian.
There are many other dancehall/reggae artistes whose lyrics are tolerant, respectful and non-discriminatory who can provide the entertainment for the Guyanese public which the GT Entertainment group seems to want to provide. Leading Jamaican female international recording dancehall/reggae artist, Tanya Stephens in her 2006 “Rebelution” album offers these lyrics in a song titled “Do You Still” Care”:
“... He was rescued by a car with plates that said 'Gay Pride,’
It would have been fatal, a shot in your head,
They saved your life, though you always said "chi-chi [gay] Fi Dead!
…Do you still Care, Do you still find it hard to love your neighbour as you love yourself now,
Tell me why can’t you accept me as I am, just as I am now.”
Unsurprisingly, the two most successful dancehall performers, Shaggy and Sean Paul, are artists that have publicly distanced themselves from homophobic content. As recently as May of this year, Sean Paul reiterated that young fans are influenced by lyrics in songs:
“I believe that youths are influenced by what they learn. Songs teach you about life… so you can understand that somebody could be taught violence by a song or even an indication of what is violence.”
(see:
http://www.hardbeatnews.com/editor/RTE/my_documents/my_files/arc_details.asp?newsid=12707%20&title )
While the GT Entertainment group asserts that Guyana will see a “completely changed” and “different” Buju, the fact remains that Banton is an unrepentant homophobe who has never publicly renounced homophobia, even going so far as to claiming that his signature was forged on a Reggae Compassionate Act. The Reggae Compassionate Act is an agreement renouncing homophobia and condemning ant-gay violence, brokered by the international Stop Murder Music campaign. The Stop Murder Music campaign consists of more than 60 organisations in over a dozen countries in Europe, North America and the Caribbean which have campaigned against the performers who have called for the murder of gay and lesbian people. With the recent onslaught of murder music singers performing in Guyana, SASOD has joined this monumental coalition of human rights organisations to ensure that Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean do not become the wastelands for venting hatred given the zero-tolerance boycott in other parts of the world.
Recently, the Senior Management of the St Augustine Campus of the University of West Indies recently canceled a concert for performer “Dr Evil” which was carded for Saturday, September 29, 2007. The performance was canceled after a number of complaints were issued by members of the University community who protested that Dr Evil's music threatened the human rights to life, liberty, safety and security of person for university students and staff who may be perceived to be gay or lesbian.
SASOD applauds the UWI St. Augustine Campus Senior Management for taking a principled and ethical stand against murder and violence and the ignorance and prejudice which breeds bias violence. This stand challenges the prevailing idea that homophobia is an acceptable cultural norm in the Caribbean.
Also published in Stabroek News
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Information for Refugee Advocates
SASOD has been asked to provide information in various formats to support claims for asylum for Gay and Lesbian Guyanese who have sought refugee status on the grounds of persecution because of their sexual orientation.
Information has been provided to :-
SASOD does not have the resources to provide data based research evidence. SASOD does not intend to undertake any report writing for payment either. The purpose of this page is to provide information which could be used by advocates of those who are seeking asylum.
This link from Asylum Law provides more current resources.
About Guyana
1. Guyana is an independent country located on the North Coast of South America. The population of 750,000 people lives mostly on the coastland of the country. The population is made of descendants of the indigenous Amerindians, slaves from Africa, indentured immigrants from India, China and Portugal, and other settlers. The country is a former British colony. The cultural influences are from these diverse backgrounds, and the religious influences are Christianity in various denominations, Islam, Hindu, Bahai and others.
Laws
2. The legal structures of Guyana are inherited from the British Legal system, Guyana is signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the other Rights Conventions established by the United Nations.
3. Section 351, 352 and 353 of the Criminal Law Offences Act (8:01) state that
Homophobia in Guyana is grounded on these laws.
Furthermore, the evidence of state sanctioned homophobia exists in :-
a) the President's refusal to assent to a Constitutional Amendment Bill in 2001 which would have removed discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. This refusal was done under pressure from sections of the Christian and Muslim communities.
b) tolerance of music with homophobic lyrics which call for the killing and maiming of homosexuals despite an appeal by SASOD to the Ethnic Relations Commission and other entities which are responsible for maintaining respect for diversity, and for prevention of hate speech. The music reinforces that killing of homosexuals is seen as a righteous thing, and the comments which are reportedly used by attackers of gay men come from these songs.
c) The reluctance of the Government to amend the legislation to prevent stigma and discrimination of men who have sex with men, even though medical services are provided for those men who are affected by HIV/AIDS.
The first attempt to address the legal basis of homophobia is in 2000 during the Constitutional Reform process. The Constitutional Reform committee used the South African model as the basis for a new inclusive society in which human rights are guaranteed for all persons.
6. In January 2001, the Parliament of Guyana voted for a constitutional amendment that would amongst other things, include 'sexual orientation' as one of the characteristics for non-discrimination. The issue was raised again in May 2003, when the Constitutional Amendment bills were passed to establish the various rights commissions.
The public debate was led largely by the Christian and Muslim community which lobbied at all levels to remove that discrimination. The Amendment Bill floundered in Parliament, with no vote being taken. This was because the Government introduced a bill which it had no intention of supporting, creating unprecedented history in the Parliament.
Health/HIV
7. In November of 2004, the Minister of Health acknowledged that the sodomy laws in the Caribbean would have to be repealed to effectively deal with HIV/AIDS . His views were opposed by members of the Evangelical Christian Community, who also protested against the idea that the Ministry of Health would offer condoms to male prisoners. The Cabinet Secretary subsequently indicated that the Government had no intention of changing their position on the Sexual Orientation;
Rights violations
9. SASOD has asserted the following :-
* The right to equal protection of the law without any discrimination (Article 7) is denied by omitting sexual orientation from our constitution and anti-discrimination laws.
* The right to privacy (Article 10) is denied by the existence of ‘sodomy laws’ under s. 352 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Cap. 8: 01 which seek to criminalize sexual activity between consenting male adults.
* The right to work (Article 23) is the most affected among the economic rights as many lesbians, gays and bisexuals in Guyana are being fired or discriminated against in employment policies and practices because of their perceived sexual orientation and are too scared to raise these issues in the public domain for fear of further victimisation
* The right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being including medical care and necessary social services (Article 25) is at conflict with discriminatory policies and practices, some physicians’ homophobia, the lack of adequate training for health care personnel regarding sexual orientation issues or the general assumption that patients are heterosexual.
* Some lesbian, gay and bisexual students in Guyana do not enjoy the right to education (Article 26) because of an unsafe climate created by peers and educators in schools.
10. SASOD has engaged in several public activities to promote awareness around the issues on gay and lesbian rights, while participating in different actions. SASOD has been successful in hosting several events such as a film festival, a leaflet distribution campaign, and some other forums. However, persons have been concerned about the publicity of these events since it is felt that people would be targeted for attending them.
Many gay and lesbian Guyanese hide their sexual orientation since the sodomy laws could be invoked. As a result, some people have accused for example SASOD members of making up stories since there is no evidence to back the stories. The environment of secrecy discourages full evidence led actions in some instances.
Combating homophobia in popular Culture.
11. In December, 2005, SASOD members wrote to the Ethnic Relations Commission, a public body mandated to,amongst other things ““encourage and create respect for religious, cultural and other forms of diversity in a plural society” (Article 212d(f), Constitution of Guyana) requesting sanctions against the musicians and their promoters who attacked gay and lesbian people in their lyrics. The Ethnic Relations Commission responded one year later to say that this appeal did not fall in their mandate.
In 2008, the Minister of Home Affairs noted that two singers were banned from Guyana because of their violent lyrics. He did not mention the nature of those lyrics. Other homophobic singers have visited Guyana and have made statements at their concerts without any sanctions.
12. Police protection of openly gay persons
There are different stories depending on where the person lives, how the person chooses to live and the community in which they live.
“Openly gay” in Guyana usually refers to someone who is usually engaged in sex work and might dress in women's clothes. There is always a risk of violence or verbal abuse. Other gay men who do not wish to live this way would find it difficult to assert themselves since the homophobia in the society could result in persecution in different ways. There is always the threat of violence , and many gay persons have to live dual lives to avoid that violence.
While there are communities of support, the communities of support cannot offer protection.
Gay and lesbian people have different experiences and have found ways to survive in Guyana. The experiences of gay men vary with economic background and political affiliations. Young gay men who live in rural areas are at greater risk if they live openly unless they have affiliations and connections with police or other prominent persons in the community. Communities of support can offer some solace, but no protection and gay men have to find their own ways to survive, and this usually means by not living openly – sometimes living dual lives.
There are serious concerns in Guyana about the inability of the Guyana Police Force to offer protection to citizens in all parts of the country. The number of unsolved crimes is higher than solved crimes (leading to court cases), the most high profile being the murder of Government Minister in office in April 2006.
Critics of the police have included political parties (in Government and in opposition) and civil society organisations. The GPF have indicated that they are short staffed and under resourced and that they have a commitment to professional responses to all reports of crime.The response of the police is inconsistent. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some police are professional, while others respond to reports of homophobic attacks with ridicule and victim-blaming.
Police have been accused of harassing and even beating openly gay men. “Petronella', an openly gay man openly testified on radio on 17 May, 2006 that some police further participate in the harassment of gay men on the streets, and that there are no recourse to complaints since the laws are structured to encourage homophobia. The police did not respond to those claims. Gay male sex workers note that many police also rape and brutalise them, or ask for sexual favours in return for protection.Other gay men have noted that some police would laugh and mock them when they try to make reports of attacks and do not take the reports seriously.
13. Gender Identity and ExpressionThere are some men who are effeminate in their expressions and some who 'cross-dress'
Some cross dressers are attacked in different places. Many of them do not report to the police because they do not have the confidence that police will respond to the attacks.
Challenges
14. SASOD recognises that in Guyana and the English speaking Caribbean, the sodomy laws can be enforced selectively depending on the judicial system. SASOD recognises that other countries, including the United Kingdom have repealed the sodomy laws, and have also enforced stronger legislation to combat sexual assault perpetrated on male victims. The English Speaking Caribbean territories must also overcome the historical injustices which were imposed on people who are not heterosexual.
15. SASOD believes that the homophobic rhetoric emanating from fundamentalist religious bodies in North America and elsewhere will impact on the ability of local activists in the Caribbean to combat discriminatory practices.
16. SASOD notes that different Caribbean Governments, and Government officials have taken different stances on the rights of gay and lesbian peoples. SASOD believes that the Caribbean Governments which are signatory to International Conventions must rise above the pressure exerted in the name of religion to ensure that all citizens can be assured of their right to sexual orientation and gender identity.
April 2009
Information has been provided to :-
- Wilson & Co, Solicitors, UK
- The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
- Gay Men's Health Crisis, New York, USA
- Immigration Equality, New York, USA
- Legal Aid Society, New York, USA
- Glazer del Mar Solicitors, UK
- Masliah & Soloway, PC, USA
SASOD does not have the resources to provide data based research evidence. SASOD does not intend to undertake any report writing for payment either. The purpose of this page is to provide information which could be used by advocates of those who are seeking asylum.
This link from Asylum Law provides more current resources.
About Guyana
1. Guyana is an independent country located on the North Coast of South America. The population of 750,000 people lives mostly on the coastland of the country. The population is made of descendants of the indigenous Amerindians, slaves from Africa, indentured immigrants from India, China and Portugal, and other settlers. The country is a former British colony. The cultural influences are from these diverse backgrounds, and the religious influences are Christianity in various denominations, Islam, Hindu, Bahai and others.
Laws
2. The legal structures of Guyana are inherited from the British Legal system, Guyana is signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the other Rights Conventions established by the United Nations.
3. Section 351, 352 and 353 of the Criminal Law Offences Act (8:01) state that
351. "Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or is a party to the commission, by any male person, of any act of gross indecency with any other male person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour's and liable to imprisonment for two years.4. These laws have not been used to incriminate consensual acts recently, but only used when there is a form of sexual assault, especially against minors.
352. Everyone who: (a) attempts to commit buggery:; or
(b) assaults any person with intent to commit buggery; or (c) being a male, indecently assaults any other male person, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for ten years.
353. Everyone who commits buggery, with a human being or with any other living creature, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for life".
“If any laws were broken, the police would charge ...”In one recent incident, it was reported that the charges might be laid for sexual acts between a 15 year old boy and an adult male. There is no age of consent for boys in Guyana at the moment, though proposals exist in the reform of the sexual offences legislation.
“Commissioner of Police, press conference, 2004 responding to reporters' questions after a police officer and a civil servant were 'found' in a hotel room.
Homophobia in Guyana is grounded on these laws.
Furthermore, the evidence of state sanctioned homophobia exists in :-
a) the President's refusal to assent to a Constitutional Amendment Bill in 2001 which would have removed discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. This refusal was done under pressure from sections of the Christian and Muslim communities.
b) tolerance of music with homophobic lyrics which call for the killing and maiming of homosexuals despite an appeal by SASOD to the Ethnic Relations Commission and other entities which are responsible for maintaining respect for diversity, and for prevention of hate speech. The music reinforces that killing of homosexuals is seen as a righteous thing, and the comments which are reportedly used by attackers of gay men come from these songs.
c) The reluctance of the Government to amend the legislation to prevent stigma and discrimination of men who have sex with men, even though medical services are provided for those men who are affected by HIV/AIDS.
The first attempt to address the legal basis of homophobia is in 2000 during the Constitutional Reform process. The Constitutional Reform committee used the South African model as the basis for a new inclusive society in which human rights are guaranteed for all persons.
6. In January 2001, the Parliament of Guyana voted for a constitutional amendment that would amongst other things, include 'sexual orientation' as one of the characteristics for non-discrimination. The issue was raised again in May 2003, when the Constitutional Amendment bills were passed to establish the various rights commissions.
The public debate was led largely by the Christian and Muslim community which lobbied at all levels to remove that discrimination. The Amendment Bill floundered in Parliament, with no vote being taken. This was because the Government introduced a bill which it had no intention of supporting, creating unprecedented history in the Parliament.
Health/HIV
7. In November of 2004, the Minister of Health acknowledged that the sodomy laws in the Caribbean would have to be repealed to effectively deal with HIV/AIDS . His views were opposed by members of the Evangelical Christian Community, who also protested against the idea that the Ministry of Health would offer condoms to male prisoners. The Cabinet Secretary subsequently indicated that the Government had no intention of changing their position on the Sexual Orientation;
Dr Ramsammy said existing laws that make prostitution and homosexuality offences are not being enforced and if they are enforced, commercial sex workers and gays will go underground because of fear of discrimination.Dr. Luncheon refutes speculations that Government’s position conflicts with that of the Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy..
"We know them, and we have stopped criminalising them. We aren't going to take them to court. But our legal books say it’s wrong," he said.
"It's better that you take the thing (laws) off the books than to have them and be hypocritical about it and do nothing about it (HIV). For me it's not a moral issue, the fact is that these things stigmatise people."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2004/11/041116_ramsammy-hiv.shtml
“This may seem to be so, but there is no conflict…there might have been arguments made in the public, maybe even suggestions about courses of interventions from the health perspective; but when it comes to the Government’s positions on sexual orientation, I can assure you that the Government’s position is the Government’s position,” he said.8. The Ministry of Health has embarked on various interventions to prevent HIV/AIDS and to ensure fair treatment of HIV/AIDS infected men who have sex with men. These efforts are driven underground by fear of backlash from the homophobic sections of the religious community and there has been criticism of sections of the health care sector.
(http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b041208.html)
Rights violations
9. SASOD has asserted the following :-
* The right to equal protection of the law without any discrimination (Article 7) is denied by omitting sexual orientation from our constitution and anti-discrimination laws.
* The right to privacy (Article 10) is denied by the existence of ‘sodomy laws’ under s. 352 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Cap. 8: 01 which seek to criminalize sexual activity between consenting male adults.
* The right to work (Article 23) is the most affected among the economic rights as many lesbians, gays and bisexuals in Guyana are being fired or discriminated against in employment policies and practices because of their perceived sexual orientation and are too scared to raise these issues in the public domain for fear of further victimisation
"A SASOD affiliate was asked by a human resource officer to change his CV to delete affiliation from SASOD. The officer indicated to him that it would be easier for him since the organisation did not want to get into 'sexual orientation' issues.
"A woman believes she was fired from a financial institution when her employers became aware that she was living with a woman and her child. She did not want to bring this charge because she felt that she had no case and did not want to face further discrimination.
* The right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being including medical care and necessary social services (Article 25) is at conflict with discriminatory policies and practices, some physicians’ homophobia, the lack of adequate training for health care personnel regarding sexual orientation issues or the general assumption that patients are heterosexual.
* Some lesbian, gay and bisexual students in Guyana do not enjoy the right to education (Article 26) because of an unsafe climate created by peers and educators in schools.
10. SASOD has engaged in several public activities to promote awareness around the issues on gay and lesbian rights, while participating in different actions. SASOD has been successful in hosting several events such as a film festival, a leaflet distribution campaign, and some other forums. However, persons have been concerned about the publicity of these events since it is felt that people would be targeted for attending them.
Many gay and lesbian Guyanese hide their sexual orientation since the sodomy laws could be invoked. As a result, some people have accused for example SASOD members of making up stories since there is no evidence to back the stories. The environment of secrecy discourages full evidence led actions in some instances.
Combating homophobia in popular Culture.
11. In December, 2005, SASOD members wrote to the Ethnic Relations Commission, a public body mandated to,amongst other things ““encourage and create respect for religious, cultural and other forms of diversity in a plural society” (Article 212d(f), Constitution of Guyana) requesting sanctions against the musicians and their promoters who attacked gay and lesbian people in their lyrics. The Ethnic Relations Commission responded one year later to say that this appeal did not fall in their mandate.
In 2008, the Minister of Home Affairs noted that two singers were banned from Guyana because of their violent lyrics. He did not mention the nature of those lyrics. Other homophobic singers have visited Guyana and have made statements at their concerts without any sanctions.
12. Police protection of openly gay persons
There are different stories depending on where the person lives, how the person chooses to live and the community in which they live.
“Openly gay” in Guyana usually refers to someone who is usually engaged in sex work and might dress in women's clothes. There is always a risk of violence or verbal abuse. Other gay men who do not wish to live this way would find it difficult to assert themselves since the homophobia in the society could result in persecution in different ways. There is always the threat of violence , and many gay persons have to live dual lives to avoid that violence.
While there are communities of support, the communities of support cannot offer protection.
Gay and lesbian people have different experiences and have found ways to survive in Guyana. The experiences of gay men vary with economic background and political affiliations. Young gay men who live in rural areas are at greater risk if they live openly unless they have affiliations and connections with police or other prominent persons in the community. Communities of support can offer some solace, but no protection and gay men have to find their own ways to survive, and this usually means by not living openly – sometimes living dual lives.
There are serious concerns in Guyana about the inability of the Guyana Police Force to offer protection to citizens in all parts of the country. The number of unsolved crimes is higher than solved crimes (leading to court cases), the most high profile being the murder of Government Minister in office in April 2006.
Critics of the police have included political parties (in Government and in opposition) and civil society organisations. The GPF have indicated that they are short staffed and under resourced and that they have a commitment to professional responses to all reports of crime.The response of the police is inconsistent. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some police are professional, while others respond to reports of homophobic attacks with ridicule and victim-blaming.
Police have been accused of harassing and even beating openly gay men. “Petronella', an openly gay man openly testified on radio on 17 May, 2006 that some police further participate in the harassment of gay men on the streets, and that there are no recourse to complaints since the laws are structured to encourage homophobia. The police did not respond to those claims. Gay male sex workers note that many police also rape and brutalise them, or ask for sexual favours in return for protection.Other gay men have noted that some police would laugh and mock them when they try to make reports of attacks and do not take the reports seriously.
13. Gender Identity and ExpressionThere are some men who are effeminate in their expressions and some who 'cross-dress'
"Section 153 (1) (xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act Chapter 8:02 which makes an offence of “being a man, in any public way or public place, for any improper purpose, appears in female attire, or being a woman, in any public way or public place, for any improper purpose, appears in male attire… ”There was a recent case in which several cross-dressers were arrested and charges were laid. SASOD has issued a statement protesting this action.
Some cross dressers are attacked in different places. Many of them do not report to the police because they do not have the confidence that police will respond to the attacks.
Challenges
14. SASOD recognises that in Guyana and the English speaking Caribbean, the sodomy laws can be enforced selectively depending on the judicial system. SASOD recognises that other countries, including the United Kingdom have repealed the sodomy laws, and have also enforced stronger legislation to combat sexual assault perpetrated on male victims. The English Speaking Caribbean territories must also overcome the historical injustices which were imposed on people who are not heterosexual.
15. SASOD believes that the homophobic rhetoric emanating from fundamentalist religious bodies in North America and elsewhere will impact on the ability of local activists in the Caribbean to combat discriminatory practices.
16. SASOD notes that different Caribbean Governments, and Government officials have taken different stances on the rights of gay and lesbian peoples. SASOD believes that the Caribbean Governments which are signatory to International Conventions must rise above the pressure exerted in the name of religion to ensure that all citizens can be assured of their right to sexual orientation and gender identity.
April 2009
Saturday, August 11, 2007
SASOD Press Statement: Reject homophobia of dancehall artiste Dr Evil
" i bought dis A.K to spray on all gays. including outrage whose fightin all are dj's, gun shots for all u fagits, i really hate u magits."These are some of the infamous words of Jamaican dancehall singer, Dr Evil, who is tipped to perform at the much publicised Jamzone Beach Pageant. "Dr Evil" is one of the most notorious Jamaican dancehall singers whose lyrics call for the killing and maiming of gay and lesbian people, in no uncertain terms.
The Guyana National AIDS Committee, in a December 2005 press release condemning the murder of gay Jamaican AIDS activist Steve Harvey, called for the Caribbean Community to reject the violence perpetuated by the likes of Dr Evil. The Caribbean has suffered from serious problems with growing violence in recent years. This development is mirrored in the growth of dancehall music that promotes extreme violence - known as 'murder music.' Dancehall 'murder music' singers like Dr Evil have been at the forefront of the homophobic campaign in Jamaica which has led to the murder and maiming of men and women presumed as being gay. Homophobic violence and discrimination is a flagrant violation of human rights, including the rights to privacy, non-discrimination and protection from violence of HIV/AIDS.
SASOD calls on the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce; the private sector sponsors and the promoters of the Jamzone 2007 event to reject the homophobia of Dr Evil and to distance themselves from calls to murder any section of the Guy-anese society. SASOD further calls on the Government and the Guyanese public to reject calls to kill homosexuals since violence in any form is detrimental to our society. In the words of Tanya Stephens
Article Published in Stabroek News"That's the reason why the world is in pain, We say we want peace fi reign, but a bullets again,"
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_affairs?id=56526550
Dr Evil or plain hate?
Saturday, August 11th 2007
"My name is Dr. Evil¦" Austin Powers aside, the intro is as notorious now as the musical assault that typically follows: a rapid-fire burst of raucous rhymes layered over frenetic up-tempo dancehall riddims. The headliner of the Jamzone Summer Break billed for the Splashmin's resort this weekend, Dr. Evil is arguably one of the most controversial acts among the current dancehall artists - not an easy feat with the likes of Elephant Man, Mavado and Vybz Kartel as contemporaries.
And while the Trini gospel reggae singer Isaac Blackman and Bajan soca star Peter Ram also share top billing for the Hits and Jams event, all eyes will be on the Jamaican sensation. At a time when established names like Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton have renounced homophobia and added their voices to condemnation of violence against gays and lesbians, Dr. Evil remains an unapologetic exception to the rule, deliberately courting controversy with a small but wildly popular catalogue of anti-gay hate songs that advocate the murder of gay men:
I bought this AK/
To spray on all gays/
Including OutRage!/
Who's fighting all our deejays/
Gunshots for all you faggots/
I really hate you maggots/
(From "JA Don't Like Gays" by Dr. Evil, 2006)
It's that kind of defiant bigotry that has made Dr. Evil a cult figure on the dancehall scene, where inciting violence against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community remains in vogue under tenuous cultural and theological guises. There are no illusions about dancehall-it's all about getting behinds shaking on the dance floor and there's no denying that Dr. Evil's signature sound is what the masses are stepping to, which is how they ended up the unlikely headliner for an event that has been heavily promoted as being for the entire family.
DJ Kerwin Bollers admits that Hits and Jams is aware of concerns about the musical content, but he has assured that Dr. Evil will not be performing any songs that advocate homophobia. He tells me that the performers will not be allowed to use explicit or obscene lyrics, or material that would discriminate against anyone, given the event's family-oriented nature. "They know the nature of the event," he says, "They alter performances to suit the venues."
Asked if Hits and Jams is worried about being seen as endorsing the artist's homophobia, Bollers says there is obvious concern but he is adamant that they would not encourage it: "We are promoting a family event, it's just clean fun… we don't indulge in certain things. Fortunately or unfortunately [Dr. Evil] is one of the artists in demand at this time, but we do not seek to offend the gay community or to offend the general public at large." Additionally, he points out that for Hits and Jams, the 'Summer Break' is not a one-off event and as promoters, they don't plan to jeopardise their reputation by offending anyone. Indeed, the promoters do have a lot at stake, including a bevy of huge corporate sponsors, including GT&T, DDL, Ansa McAl and a few others. Added to that, is the Ministry of Tourism, which has been sponsoring the Miss Jamzone Beach Pageant for the last few years.
Esther Sookraj, the spokesperson for Tourism Minister Manniram Prashad, maintains that the ministry's sponsorship is limited to the pageant, which has a focus on sport tourism. (Each contestant is expected to be campaigning on a selected area of sport as her platform.) "When it comes to entertainment we have no say, but as to the music and the content, we do not support violence of any kind against anyone, based on age, gender or anything else," she says, adding, "We believe that women should be treated with respect and I also want to add that the ministry does not propagate hate of any kind."
As fans know by now, Dr. Evil is a side-project of Jamaican dancehall duo Leftside and Esco of "Belly Nuh Bang (Tuk Een Yuh Belly)" and "Wine Up Pon Her" fame. During the last year and a half, Dr. Evil tracks steadily appeared on riddim compilations, often upstaging more established acts with its often raunchy and more often acerbic plaints. (In fact, with the success of "More Punany", "JA Don't Gays", and "Marijuana", it seems that the creation has outshone the creators, who have yet to produce anything near as interesting.) The songs are playful, clever and subversive, but they are also equally sexist, homophobic and hateful-hell, some might even ignore the wisdom of avoiding bad punning and simply call it evil.
During our chat, Bollers made a point of mentioning that Dr. Evil does have positive songs. He was referring to condom promo "No STDs" and the social commentary track "Jamaica", where the standards "batty bwoy" "chi-chi" "sodomite" and "child molester" are missing. The same can't be said for the caustic "Stay Far From We (Batty Bwoy)" and "Osama". While the former speaks for itself, the latter is a dis track targeting rap producer Dr. Dre (referred to as "Dr. Gay" and a "homof#@*" during a two-and-a half-minute tirade) in which Dr. Evil, with faux Arab accent, raps as bin Laden over the beat of Dre's "The Watcher". It is an ironic scenario when you consider the uncanny similarity between Dr. Evil and Dr. Dre's protégé, Eminem, who rode on the back of controversy on the way to mainstream success.
But for all their dazzling inventiveness, Dr. Evil is the stereotypical dancehall homophobe, and those superbly crafted rhymes are laden with the bigotry gay rights activists have been campaigning against since "Boom bye bye" created such a storm more than a decade ago.
According to the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), dancehall 'murder music' singers like Dr. Evil have been at the forefront of a homophobic campaign in Jamaica, leading to the murder and the maiming of men and women presumed as being gay.
In a statement that was issued on Thursday, the gays rights group urged the Ministry of Tourism as well as the private sector sponsors and promoters of the show to reject the homophobia of Dr. Evil and to distance themselves from incitement to murder any section of the Guyanese society. "Homophobic violence and discrimination is a flagrant violation of human rights, including the rights to privacy, non-discrimination and protection from violence of HIV/AIDS," the group says.
SASOD has also called on the government and the Guyanese public to reject calls to kill homosexuals, noting that violence in any form is detrimental to the society on the whole.
The group reminded that in the past the Guyana National AIDS Committee condemned the murder of gay Jamaican AIDS activist Steve Harvey, while calling for the Caribbean community to reject the violence perpetuated by the likes of artistes like Dr. Evil. "The Caribbean has suffered from serious problems with growing violence in recent years. This development is mirrored in the growth of dancehall music that promotes extreme violence," it adds.
During the last few years, gay rights activists on both sides of the Atlantic have waged successful campaigns against reggae and dancehall acts that perpetuate homophobia. The Stop Murder Music campaign organised by UK LGBT group OutRage! is perhaps the most well known: it convinced sponsors to drop artists; forced the cancellation of concerts in the UK, Europe and the US; and successfully lobbied for an entry ban on musicians who advocated violence against gays. The huge financial losses coupled with the pressure from record companies and promoters resulted in many performers eventually signing a Reggae Compassionate Act, agreeing to renounce homophobia and the incitement of violence against homosexuals in their music.
It's unfortunate that homophobia is so ingrained in dancehall listening as to be a guilty pleasure. (You might feel similar pangs of guilt about R Kelly or any of those American gangster rappers who perpetuate stereotypes of the African American experience in rap and hip-hop.)
Debates over the merits of form versus content will persist in all arenas of social discourse, but whether there is any question of limits on freedom of speech is by now a moot point. There is no denying the considerable influence of the dancehall culture on our society, which behoves us to acknowledge bigotry, as it relates to race, gender or sexuality, for what it is.
Who's fighting all our deejays/
Gunshots for all you faggots/
I really hate you maggots/
(From "JA Don't Like Gays" by Dr. Evil, 2006)
It's that kind of defiant bigotry that has made Dr. Evil a cult figure on the dancehall scene, where inciting violence against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community remains in vogue under tenuous cultural and theological guises. There are no illusions about dancehall-it's all about getting behinds shaking on the dance floor and there's no denying that Dr. Evil's signature sound is what the masses are stepping to, which is how they ended up the unlikely headliner for an event that has been heavily promoted as being for the entire family.
DJ Kerwin Bollers admits that Hits and Jams is aware of concerns about the musical content, but he has assured that Dr. Evil will not be performing any songs that advocate homophobia. He tells me that the performers will not be allowed to use explicit or obscene lyrics, or material that would discriminate against anyone, given the event's family-oriented nature. "They know the nature of the event," he says, "They alter performances to suit the venues."
Asked if Hits and Jams is worried about being seen as endorsing the artist's homophobia, Bollers says there is obvious concern but he is adamant that they would not encourage it: "We are promoting a family event, it's just clean fun… we don't indulge in certain things. Fortunately or unfortunately [Dr. Evil] is one of the artists in demand at this time, but we do not seek to offend the gay community or to offend the general public at large." Additionally, he points out that for Hits and Jams, the 'Summer Break' is not a one-off event and as promoters, they don't plan to jeopardise their reputation by offending anyone. Indeed, the promoters do have a lot at stake, including a bevy of huge corporate sponsors, including GT&T, DDL, Ansa McAl and a few others. Added to that, is the Ministry of Tourism, which has been sponsoring the Miss Jamzone Beach Pageant for the last few years.
Esther Sookraj, the spokesperson for Tourism Minister Manniram Prashad, maintains that the ministry's sponsorship is limited to the pageant, which has a focus on sport tourism. (Each contestant is expected to be campaigning on a selected area of sport as her platform.) "When it comes to entertainment we have no say, but as to the music and the content, we do not support violence of any kind against anyone, based on age, gender or anything else," she says, adding, "We believe that women should be treated with respect and I also want to add that the ministry does not propagate hate of any kind."
As fans know by now, Dr. Evil is a side-project of Jamaican dancehall duo Leftside and Esco of "Belly Nuh Bang (Tuk Een Yuh Belly)" and "Wine Up Pon Her" fame. During the last year and a half, Dr. Evil tracks steadily appeared on riddim compilations, often upstaging more established acts with its often raunchy and more often acerbic plaints. (In fact, with the success of "More Punany", "JA Don't Gays", and "Marijuana", it seems that the creation has outshone the creators, who have yet to produce anything near as interesting.) The songs are playful, clever and subversive, but they are also equally sexist, homophobic and hateful-hell, some might even ignore the wisdom of avoiding bad punning and simply call it evil.
During our chat, Bollers made a point of mentioning that Dr. Evil does have positive songs. He was referring to condom promo "No STDs" and the social commentary track "Jamaica", where the standards "batty bwoy" "chi-chi" "sodomite" and "child molester" are missing. The same can't be said for the caustic "Stay Far From We (Batty Bwoy)" and "Osama". While the former speaks for itself, the latter is a dis track targeting rap producer Dr. Dre (referred to as "Dr. Gay" and a "homof#@*" during a two-and-a half-minute tirade) in which Dr. Evil, with faux Arab accent, raps as bin Laden over the beat of Dre's "The Watcher". It is an ironic scenario when you consider the uncanny similarity between Dr. Evil and Dr. Dre's protégé, Eminem, who rode on the back of controversy on the way to mainstream success.
But for all their dazzling inventiveness, Dr. Evil is the stereotypical dancehall homophobe, and those superbly crafted rhymes are laden with the bigotry gay rights activists have been campaigning against since "Boom bye bye" created such a storm more than a decade ago.
According to the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), dancehall 'murder music' singers like Dr. Evil have been at the forefront of a homophobic campaign in Jamaica, leading to the murder and the maiming of men and women presumed as being gay.
In a statement that was issued on Thursday, the gays rights group urged the Ministry of Tourism as well as the private sector sponsors and promoters of the show to reject the homophobia of Dr. Evil and to distance themselves from incitement to murder any section of the Guyanese society. "Homophobic violence and discrimination is a flagrant violation of human rights, including the rights to privacy, non-discrimination and protection from violence of HIV/AIDS," the group says.
SASOD has also called on the government and the Guyanese public to reject calls to kill homosexuals, noting that violence in any form is detrimental to the society on the whole.
The group reminded that in the past the Guyana National AIDS Committee condemned the murder of gay Jamaican AIDS activist Steve Harvey, while calling for the Caribbean community to reject the violence perpetuated by the likes of artistes like Dr. Evil. "The Caribbean has suffered from serious problems with growing violence in recent years. This development is mirrored in the growth of dancehall music that promotes extreme violence," it adds.
During the last few years, gay rights activists on both sides of the Atlantic have waged successful campaigns against reggae and dancehall acts that perpetuate homophobia. The Stop Murder Music campaign organised by UK LGBT group OutRage! is perhaps the most well known: it convinced sponsors to drop artists; forced the cancellation of concerts in the UK, Europe and the US; and successfully lobbied for an entry ban on musicians who advocated violence against gays. The huge financial losses coupled with the pressure from record companies and promoters resulted in many performers eventually signing a Reggae Compassionate Act, agreeing to renounce homophobia and the incitement of violence against homosexuals in their music.
It's unfortunate that homophobia is so ingrained in dancehall listening as to be a guilty pleasure. (You might feel similar pangs of guilt about R Kelly or any of those American gangster rappers who perpetuate stereotypes of the African American experience in rap and hip-hop.)
Debates over the merits of form versus content will persist in all arenas of social discourse, but whether there is any question of limits on freedom of speech is by now a moot point. There is no denying the considerable influence of the dancehall culture on our society, which behoves us to acknowledge bigotry, as it relates to race, gender or sexuality, for what it is.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Stigma & Discrimination Lecture Event
Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD)
Stigma & Discrimination Lecture Event
Activity Outline & Report
Context
Overcoming stigma and discrimination is the gravest difficulty towards achieving universal access to HIV-AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support services. This is highlighted under Section 2.3 Determinants and Dynamics of the Epidemic of the National Strategic Plan on HIV-AIDS 2007-2011 [NSP] (page 34) which reads “stigma and discrimination is the major barrier to achieving universal access to prevention, treatment and care services.” What the NSP fails to recognise is that homophobia is at the root of HIV-related stigma and discrimination, most severely affecting vulnerable populations.
Activity
SASOD believes that public awareness and education is a key part of any strategy to challenge stigma and discrimination against infected and affected communities in Guyana. In this regard, SASOD will take the invaluable opportunity to capitalize on the presence of the Commonwealth/UNESCO Regional Chair in HIV-AIDS Education, Professor David Plummer, in Guyana to give a free, public lecture with an interactive discussion under the theme “Stop Stigma & Discrimination! Stop AIDS!” This will provide a great opportunity for interested persons and those working on HIV and AIDS issues to enhance their knowledge on stigma and discrimination and thereby build capacity to engage in dialogue on these issues for social awareness and change. The event will target 70 persons through public advertisement and publicity in other networks in which SASOD is resourceful.
The activity was held on Thursday, June 28, 2007 at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Conference Room (Red House) on 65-7 High Street, Georgetown at 17:00 hrs. Financial support from UNAIDS for the event was expended according to lines in the final budget above. Approximately 55 persons, including public health officials, staffers of AIDS agencies and members of civil society, attended a very interactive and spirited lecture by Professor Plummer. The event served an added value for persons to share their experiences tackling stigma and discrimination and further commit to challenging these hurdles to universal access through dialogue and advocacy at all levels. Also, the forum allowed persons working on different aspects of stigma and discrimination to learn from each other and network through continued peer support within the HIV sector. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, in the form of posters, on stigma and discrimination and HIV prevention targeting Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) were also distributed after the discussion. SASOD is of the view that the activity was worthwhile as a public education event as the lecture was recorded by the national radio station for later broadcast so that radio listeners may also benefit. There was also television coverage of the lecture by “First Look” of HBTV Channel 9.
Financial support for the logistics of this lecture was provided by UNAIDS.
Feedback
SASOD has received the following comments as feedback via email:
"It was a very informative and insightful lecture from David. I'm glad I was there.”
"The presentation was interesting & presented fairly well. I am not accustomed to lecture like episodes. I thought there would have been more meaningful inputs from members of the gathering...only a smattering few, which can or might indicate that we don’t have a "big problem." I was telling Ruben, that we need to be more sessions like these, and efforts should be made for more, just as how you guys do your movie month."
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Painting the Spectrum 3 - SASOD's Lesbian and Gay Film Festival- June 2007
SASOD held Painting the Spectrum 3 - Celebrating Love in all of its Diversity
June 2007, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Sidewalk Cafe, Georgetown Guyana
The report of the festival can be downloaded here
The Celebration on Wednesday 27th featured Andrew "Kei' Miller, who was in Guyana compliments of Earl Fowlkes, President/CEO of the International Federation of Black Prides, Inc.
Kei Miller was born in Jamaica in 1978. He studied at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK . His first collection of short fiction, The Fear of Stones, was short-listed in 2007 for a Commonwealth Writers First Book Prize. He is also the author of a poetry collection, Kingdom of Empty Bellies , and editor of the anthology New Caribbean Poetry (Carcanet, 2007). The Journal of Commonwealth Literature has hailed him as "one of the finest poetic talents to have emerged from the Caribbean in recent decades." As of September Kei will join the faculty of University of Glasgow as an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. He has also recently been selected as an International Writing Fellow at the University of Iowa. His forthcoming publications include a new collection of poetry 'There is An Anger That Moves' coming out this October, and a novel, 'The Same Earth' to be published in 2008.
Friday June 1
Fresa y Chocolate (Cuba/Spain/Mexico) Comedy/Drama
Diego, a cultivated, homosexual and skeptical young man, falls in love with a young heterosexual communist full of prejudices and doctrinary ideas. First come rejection and suspicion, but also fascination. Fresa y chocolate is the story of a great friendship, that is, a great love between two men, which overcomes incomprehension and intolerance. This film was produced in Cuba and is recognised as one which had criticisms of the Government. Winner of an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and other awards(104 minutes) Ratings : 16+
Monday June 4
Hsi Yen - Wedding Banquet (Taiwan/USA) Comedy/Drama
Ang Lee's funny film is about Simon and Wei-Tung who are a gay couple living together in Manhattan. To defer the suspicions of Wei-Tung's parents, Simon suggests a marriage of convenience between Wei-Tung and Wei-Wei, an immigrant in need of a green card. When Wei-Tung's parents come to America for the wedding, they insist upon an elaborate banquet, resulting in several complications (106 minutes) Ratings 16+
Wednesday June 6 Fingersmith (UK) Drama
Susan Trinder (Sally Hawkins) has been brought up in a house of thieves in London. She gets sucked into a plot by a family friend. She becomes Maud Lilly's (Elain Cassidy) maid so as to get her to marry Mr Richard Rivers. They plan to put Maud in a mental asylum once she marries so they can claim access to her $40,000. The plan becomes a nuisance when Susan mistakenly falls in love with Maud. (181 minutes)
Friday June 8
Sea in The Blood (Canada) DocumentarySea In The Blood is a personal documentary from Trinidad born, Richard Fung, about living with illness, tracing the relationship of the artist to thalassemia in his sister Nan, and AIDS in his partner Tim. At the core of the piece are two trips. The first is in 1962, when Richard went from Trinidad to England with Nan to see a famous hematologist interested in her unusual case. The second is in 1977 when Richard and Tim made the counterculture pilgrimage from Europe to Asia. The relationship with Tim blossomed, but Nan died before their return. The narrative of love and loss is set against a background of colonialism in the Caribbean and the reverberations of migration and political change. (30 mins)
We are Dad (US) – donated by Director Michel Horvat
Heartfelt documentary about two gay men in Florida who are foster parents to children with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses (68 mins)
Monday June 11
Gulabi Aina - The Pink Mirror (India)
Screening rights donated by Director Sridhar RangayanA unique film coming from India where homosexuality is still taboo, The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aaina), is a colorful funny look into the Indian homosexual closet.
It pits two Indian drag queens against a westernized gay teenager in a battle to woo a handsome hunk. It's a clash of the east and west. Who will win? The drag queens who are expert in the art of seduction with their wit, innuendo and cunning or the young teenager who is saucy, slutty and sly? (40 minutes)
Wednesday June 13
Boys Dont Cry (USA) Drama/True Story
The story of the life of Brandon Teena, a transgendered teen who preferred life in a male identity until it was discovered he was born biologically female.
Hilary Swank Oscar's winning performance of a girl who wanted to be a boy is a moving tribute to the people who feel trapped in bodies different from their minds (118 minutes)
Friday June 15
Some prefer cake (USA) Drama/ComedyFilmmakers Jeannie Kahaney and Heidi Arnesen created this comedy-drama starring Tara Howley and Kathleen Fontaine as a pair of San Francisco friends struggling with relationships and professional challenges. Kira is a would-be stand-up comedienne embittered over the fact that her sister, also a comic, has a flourishing career in comedy, while she is reduced to writing jokes for her sibling -- her own unfunny act failing to generate much success. A lesbian, Kira grapples with her frustrations by engaging in a series of one-night stands with other women, but her combative, acerbic nature keeps any long-term affairs at bay. Her best friend is Sydney, who's dealing with her own stunted aspirations to be a food and restaurant critic, and who deals with her lack of any heterosexual romance by choosing to eat rather than date, asserting that in any choice between chocolate cake and sex, a woman will always choose cake. (118 minutes)
Monday June 18
Mambo Italiano (Canada) Comedy
Angelo Barberini is the oddball son of Italian immigrants Gino and Maria, who inadvertently ended up in Canada rather than the States. Angelo shocks his parents by moving out on his own without getting married, and shocks them further still when he reveals that he's gay. But his boyfriend, policeman Nino Paventi isn't as ready to come out of the closet -- especially not to his busybody mother, Lina. (88 Minutes)
Wednesday June 20
Juste une question d'amour (France) Romance
Just a Question of Love follows the whirlwind romance of two young men in different stages of coming out. The film paints a heartbreaking portrait of the difficulties that befall a relationship when one man lives proudly out of the closet, while the other has created a double life to please his parents (88 minutes)
Friday June 22
Heavenly Creatures (UK/ New Zealand) Romance
Based on the true story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, two close friends who share a love of fantasy and literature, who conspire to kill Pauline's mother when she tries to end the girls' intense and obsessive relationship. (99 mins)
Monday June 25Better than Chocolate (Canada)
Two attractive young lesbians, Maggie and Kim, meet in Vancouver, develop a passionate romance, and move in together. Maggie's well-meaning but naive mother Lila gets divorced and decides to move to Vancouver and join the household. Complications ensue as the conservative Lila learns the truth about Maggie, Judy, and their diverse group of friends.(101 minutes)
Wednesday June 27 "Celebration"
A special evening of film, music, dance, poetry and reading.. we celebrate acceptance of diversity.
An Intimate Evening with Nhojj (USA)
Donated by Nhojj
Nhojj started singing as a child in Guyana - the home of his parents, he sang in churches, on radio programs and eventually performed for the President. His father, a minister moved his family to Trinidad where Nhojj joined a quartet, eventually touring the country and again performing before the President. At the age of 18, he moved to New York City and would eventually graduate with honors from NYU with a BA in Economics. With education out of the way Nhojj could settle down to what he really wanted to do - music. This DVD features a musical performance by Nhojj. His second CD -someday peace love & freedom will be available for sale.. donated to SASOD.
Donated by Director Sean DrakesThe Devil's Day (Trinidad)
The dancefloor is a sacred sanctuary where we release, reaffirm and renew with dance-- and a little hot paint. Shot at J'ouvert in Trinidad (8 minutes)
Vale of Cashmere (USA)
Public space.. increasingly an oxymoron, public parks taken for granted by straight folks are secret outlets for black same-gender-loving men, where , sometimes, life is the price of the ticket (12 minutes)
Friday June 29
Kinky Boots (USA/UK) Comedy
Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots is a comedy which challenges prejudice and intolerance. After the death of his father, Charlie Price must find a way to save his family's failing shoe factory , or his entire town would be left out in the cold. Charlie finds help in an unlikely ally - female impersonator "Lola", and together they would hatch a plot to save the factory. (107 minutes)
Admission is FREE.
Check the reports for the 2005 and 2006 film festival.
email sasod_guyana (at) yahoo.com for any other details
Other films for Spectrum 31/2 - dates to be announced
Donated by Director Aykut Atasay
Travesti Teror - The Transvestite Terror (Turkey)
The documentary discusses the way transvestites and transsexuals are presented in the Turkish media. (19 minutes)
YÜRÜYORUZ (YÖNETMEN KURGUSU) (Turkey) - We are Marching
Gay and lesbian activists who want to make a demonstration against governorship’s will to close down their foundation were going to march and then release a press statement in Bursa; but..(50 minutes)
Rag Tag (Nigeria/UK )
Donated by Director Adaora Nwandu
Raymond (aka Ray) and Tagbo (aka Tag) have a friendship forged in childhood. Ray is from a single-parent West Indian home and Tag is the pride of middle-class Nigerian parents. The two are inseparable until Social Services discovers Rag's mother isn't around and he's taken far from his London home to Birmingham. A decade passes. Tag is finishing law school and, despite incredible grades, can't find a firm willing to hire him. Meanwhile, Rag returns to London and finds his old friend. Their lives and circumstances have changed, but their rekindled friendship is more intense than ever. Once based on bonds of an innocent camaraderie, now their feelings have grown into something far more complex and confusing. As tensions build, the two realize they both must decide how far they're willing to go to satisfy the newfound urges they can't explain. (1 hour, 50 minutes)
June 2007, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Sidewalk Cafe, Georgetown Guyana
The report of the festival can be downloaded here
The Celebration on Wednesday 27th featured Andrew "Kei' Miller, who was in Guyana compliments of Earl Fowlkes, President/CEO of the International Federation of Black Prides, Inc.
Kei Miller was born in Jamaica in 1978. He studied at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK . His first collection of short fiction, The Fear of Stones, was short-listed in 2007 for a Commonwealth Writers First Book Prize. He is also the author of a poetry collection, Kingdom of Empty Bellies , and editor of the anthology New Caribbean Poetry (Carcanet, 2007). The Journal of Commonwealth Literature has hailed him as "one of the finest poetic talents to have emerged from the Caribbean in recent decades." As of September Kei will join the faculty of University of Glasgow as an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. He has also recently been selected as an International Writing Fellow at the University of Iowa. His forthcoming publications include a new collection of poetry 'There is An Anger That Moves' coming out this October, and a novel, 'The Same Earth' to be published in 2008.
Friday June 1
Fresa y Chocolate (Cuba/Spain/Mexico) Comedy/Drama
Diego, a cultivated, homosexual and skeptical young man, falls in love with a young heterosexual communist full of prejudices and doctrinary ideas. First come rejection and suspicion, but also fascination. Fresa y chocolate is the story of a great friendship, that is, a great love between two men, which overcomes incomprehension and intolerance. This film was produced in Cuba and is recognised as one which had criticisms of the Government. Winner of an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and other awards(104 minutes) Ratings : 16+
Monday June 4
Hsi Yen - Wedding Banquet (Taiwan/USA) Comedy/Drama
Ang Lee's funny film is about Simon and Wei-Tung who are a gay couple living together in Manhattan. To defer the suspicions of Wei-Tung's parents, Simon suggests a marriage of convenience between Wei-Tung and Wei-Wei, an immigrant in need of a green card. When Wei-Tung's parents come to America for the wedding, they insist upon an elaborate banquet, resulting in several complications (106 minutes) Ratings 16+
Wednesday June 6 Fingersmith (UK) Drama
Susan Trinder (Sally Hawkins) has been brought up in a house of thieves in London. She gets sucked into a plot by a family friend. She becomes Maud Lilly's (Elain Cassidy) maid so as to get her to marry Mr Richard Rivers. They plan to put Maud in a mental asylum once she marries so they can claim access to her $40,000. The plan becomes a nuisance when Susan mistakenly falls in love with Maud. (181 minutes)
Friday June 8
Sea in The Blood (Canada) DocumentarySea In The Blood is a personal documentary from Trinidad born, Richard Fung, about living with illness, tracing the relationship of the artist to thalassemia in his sister Nan, and AIDS in his partner Tim. At the core of the piece are two trips. The first is in 1962, when Richard went from Trinidad to England with Nan to see a famous hematologist interested in her unusual case. The second is in 1977 when Richard and Tim made the counterculture pilgrimage from Europe to Asia. The relationship with Tim blossomed, but Nan died before their return. The narrative of love and loss is set against a background of colonialism in the Caribbean and the reverberations of migration and political change. (30 mins)
We are Dad (US) – donated by Director Michel Horvat
Heartfelt documentary about two gay men in Florida who are foster parents to children with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses (68 mins)
Monday June 11
Gulabi Aina - The Pink Mirror (India)
Screening rights donated by Director Sridhar RangayanA unique film coming from India where homosexuality is still taboo, The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aaina), is a colorful funny look into the Indian homosexual closet.
It pits two Indian drag queens against a westernized gay teenager in a battle to woo a handsome hunk. It's a clash of the east and west. Who will win? The drag queens who are expert in the art of seduction with their wit, innuendo and cunning or the young teenager who is saucy, slutty and sly? (40 minutes)
Wednesday June 13
Boys Dont Cry (USA) Drama/True Story
The story of the life of Brandon Teena, a transgendered teen who preferred life in a male identity until it was discovered he was born biologically female.Hilary Swank Oscar's winning performance of a girl who wanted to be a boy is a moving tribute to the people who feel trapped in bodies different from their minds (118 minutes)
Friday June 15
Some prefer cake (USA) Drama/ComedyFilmmakers Jeannie Kahaney and Heidi Arnesen created this comedy-drama starring Tara Howley and Kathleen Fontaine as a pair of San Francisco friends struggling with relationships and professional challenges. Kira is a would-be stand-up comedienne embittered over the fact that her sister, also a comic, has a flourishing career in comedy, while she is reduced to writing jokes for her sibling -- her own unfunny act failing to generate much success. A lesbian, Kira grapples with her frustrations by engaging in a series of one-night stands with other women, but her combative, acerbic nature keeps any long-term affairs at bay. Her best friend is Sydney, who's dealing with her own stunted aspirations to be a food and restaurant critic, and who deals with her lack of any heterosexual romance by choosing to eat rather than date, asserting that in any choice between chocolate cake and sex, a woman will always choose cake. (118 minutes)
Monday June 18
Mambo Italiano (Canada) Comedy
Angelo Barberini is the oddball son of Italian immigrants Gino and Maria, who inadvertently ended up in Canada rather than the States. Angelo shocks his parents by moving out on his own without getting married, and shocks them further still when he reveals that he's gay. But his boyfriend, policeman Nino Paventi isn't as ready to come out of the closet -- especially not to his busybody mother, Lina. (88 Minutes)
Wednesday June 20
Juste une question d'amour (France) Romance
Just a Question of Love follows the whirlwind romance of two young men in different stages of coming out. The film paints a heartbreaking portrait of the difficulties that befall a relationship when one man lives proudly out of the closet, while the other has created a double life to please his parents (88 minutes)
Friday June 22
Heavenly Creatures (UK/ New Zealand) Romance
Based on the true story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, two close friends who share a love of fantasy and literature, who conspire to kill Pauline's mother when she tries to end the girls' intense and obsessive relationship. (99 mins)
Monday June 25Better than Chocolate (Canada)
Two attractive young lesbians, Maggie and Kim, meet in Vancouver, develop a passionate romance, and move in together. Maggie's well-meaning but naive mother Lila gets divorced and decides to move to Vancouver and join the household. Complications ensue as the conservative Lila learns the truth about Maggie, Judy, and their diverse group of friends.(101 minutes)
Wednesday June 27 "Celebration"
A special evening of film, music, dance, poetry and reading.. we celebrate acceptance of diversity.
An Intimate Evening with Nhojj (USA)Donated by Nhojj
Nhojj started singing as a child in Guyana - the home of his parents, he sang in churches, on radio programs and eventually performed for the President. His father, a minister moved his family to Trinidad where Nhojj joined a quartet, eventually touring the country and again performing before the President. At the age of 18, he moved to New York City and would eventually graduate with honors from NYU with a BA in Economics. With education out of the way Nhojj could settle down to what he really wanted to do - music. This DVD features a musical performance by Nhojj. His second CD -someday peace love & freedom will be available for sale.. donated to SASOD.
Donated by Director Sean DrakesThe Devil's Day (Trinidad)
The dancefloor is a sacred sanctuary where we release, reaffirm and renew with dance-- and a little hot paint. Shot at J'ouvert in Trinidad (8 minutes)
Vale of Cashmere (USA)
Public space.. increasingly an oxymoron, public parks taken for granted by straight folks are secret outlets for black same-gender-loving men, where , sometimes, life is the price of the ticket (12 minutes) From a Guyanese visitor to Prospect Park "With Prospect Park..people go because it's different, not because there's a lack of gay spaces...but I know the park, nature can have a telling effect when mixed with the possibility of adventure and sex...the only thing is that it's usually cheap and empty, but I like to observe all the same."
Friday June 29
Kinky Boots (USA/UK) Comedy
Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots is a comedy which challenges prejudice and intolerance. After the death of his father, Charlie Price must find a way to save his family's failing shoe factory , or his entire town would be left out in the cold. Charlie finds help in an unlikely ally - female impersonator "Lola", and together they would hatch a plot to save the factory. (107 minutes)
Admission is FREE.
Check the reports for the 2005 and 2006 film festival.
email sasod_guyana (at) yahoo.com for any other details
Other films for Spectrum 31/2 - dates to be announced
Donated by Director Aykut Atasay
Travesti Teror - The Transvestite Terror (Turkey)
The documentary discusses the way transvestites and transsexuals are presented in the Turkish media. (19 minutes)
YÜRÜYORUZ (YÖNETMEN KURGUSU) (Turkey) - We are Marching
Gay and lesbian activists who want to make a demonstration against governorship’s will to close down their foundation were going to march and then release a press statement in Bursa; but..(50 minutes)
Rag Tag (Nigeria/UK )
Donated by Director Adaora Nwandu
Raymond (aka Ray) and Tagbo (aka Tag) have a friendship forged in childhood. Ray is from a single-parent West Indian home and Tag is the pride of middle-class Nigerian parents. The two are inseparable until Social Services discovers Rag's mother isn't around and he's taken far from his London home to Birmingham. A decade passes. Tag is finishing law school and, despite incredible grades, can't find a firm willing to hire him. Meanwhile, Rag returns to London and finds his old friend. Their lives and circumstances have changed, but their rekindled friendship is more intense than ever. Once based on bonds of an innocent camaraderie, now their feelings have grown into something far more complex and confusing. As tensions build, the two realize they both must decide how far they're willing to go to satisfy the newfound urges they can't explain. (1 hour, 50 minutes)
We welcome some dancehall singers renouncing homophobia
We welcome some dancehall singers renouncing homophobia
Saturday, June 16th 2007
|
Dear Editor,
SASOD welcomes the move by three Jamaican dancehall singers to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act renouncing homophobia and condemning violence against lesbians and gay men. Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton had previously released anti-gay hate songs, including incitements to murder lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. They have now signed up to the Reggae Compassionate Act, in a deal brokered with top reggae promoters and Stop Murder Music activists. The agreement follows the three-year-long Stop Murder Music campaign, which resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of the singers' concerts and sponsorship deals, causing them income losses estimated in excess of five million US dollars. In a letter dated December 2, 2005, SASOD has requested that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) intervene as part of its mandate to "encourage and create respect for religious, cultural and other forms of diversity in a plural society" under Article 212D paragraph (f) of the Constitution of Guyana after Beenie Man's July 29, 2005 concert at the National Park, a state-owned premises, where he urged his audience to kill and maim all gay and lesbian people. SASOD has received one inadequate response with no hearing or any form of redress. "The singers' rejection of homophobia and sexism is an important milestone. We rejoice at their new commitment to music without prejudice," said Peter Tatchell of UK-based queer human rights group, OutRage! This view is mirrored by fellow Stop Murder Music campaigner, Dennis L Carney, Vice-Chair of the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group (BGMAG) in London. Mr Carney is of Jamaican descent, and played a leading role in negotiating the Reggae Compassionate Act.
In the Reggae Compas-sionate Act the three singers pledge to:
"respect and uphold the rights of all individuals to live without fear of hatred and violence due to their religion, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or gender." "there's no space in the music community for hatred and prejudice, including no place for racism, violence, sexism or homophobia." "we agree to not make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community" In this declaration the artists promise to not sing lyrics or make public statements, in Jamaica or anywhere else in the world, that incite prejudice, hatred or violence against lesbian and gay people. The Reggae Compassion-ate Act applies worldwide. If any of the three singers break this agreement anywhere in the world, the Stop Murder Music campaign will resume against them. At least five of the murder music artists - Elephant Man, TOK, Bounty Killa, Vybz Kartel and Buju Banton - have not signed the Reggae Compassionate Act. The campaign against them continues. These singers have incited the murder of lesbians and gays. They should not be rewarded with concerts or sponsorship deals. SASOD has also condemned the violent, homophobic and sexist lyrics of TOK at the February 14, 2007, Valentine's Day launch event for Digicel in Guyana, also held at the National Park. "These unrepentant homophobic performers are the moral equivalent of neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan," said Tatchell. His views are echoed by Gareth Williams, Co-Chair of the Jamaican gay human rights group, J-Flag. "This statement against homophobia and violence is a move in the right direction," he said. The Stop Murder Music campaign consists of more than 60 organisations in over a dozen countries in Europe, North America and the Caribbean. It is led by a triumvirate consisting of the Jamaican gay human rights group, J-Flag and, in the UK, the Black Gay Mens Advisory Group and queer human rights group, OutRage! The Stop Murder Music campaign won the Best Advocacy Award at the recent Black Lesbian and Gay Community Awards 2007 ceremony in London. Yours faithfully, Members of SASOD. |
Monday, May 21, 2007
“I’m coming out”… The global tragedy of Homophobia
May 20, 2007 Danielle Campbelll, Kaieteur News
The sweeping tentacles of homophobia have long plagued the world as a global arena dating back as far as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Since then many men and women have admittedly “climbed out of the closet” to accept the harsh, cold insensitivities society throws their way.
This is due to the stigma attached to people choosing to deviate from what is known to be the norms of society and its rigid value system.
At the last airing of its movie night held on alternate Tuesdays, the Sidewalk Café presented a documentary film entitled, “Songs of Freedom”.
The film depicts the tragedy resulting from harbouring feelings of hatred towards persons of diverse sexual orientation.
It talks of homophobia in Jamaica which is described as an extremely homophobic island.
The Sidewalk Café teamed up with the Society against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) to air the film.
One self-proclaimed homosexual Jamaican, who graduated from a foreign university, said that the church is ambivalent on the issue of homosexuality.
He noted that there are homosexuals in the church at every level and not only in the fundamental churches, but grass-root churches as well.
“They sing in the choir, sit on the church board, they officiate as deacons, ministers…at every level,” he commented.
He added that Jamaica is exaggeratedly known as the most homophobic society that ever existed and has posited his own theory as to the reason.
“And rightly so…why do they react in such an immediate and violent way to gays?”
The homosexual man explained that this hatred springs from the role of the black man in society as dictated by slavery.
“That they thought their primary function as a man was to breed…as they recognise procreation and reproduction to be the prime indication of manhood,” he said.
According to him, the hate is understandable since homosexuality draws into question the very existence of man’s right to procreate.
The Jamaican graduate has since established a news- letter on homosexuals called the “Gaily News” which he described as the ‘voice of gays’.
Another man, who admitted to coming out of the closet, underlined that there’s hardly a dancehall song without gender bashing.
However, the graduate revealed that a sociology study on the impact of homophobic lyrics on gay people is astounding.
He related that this “gay publicity” is actually contributing to men of gay persuasions accepting their identity.
One Jamaican gay said he was pressured into judging himself based on biblical scriptures quoted ever so often by people.
“I now attend church and I thank God for my gay life. I am comfortable with who I am and realise that he has created me this way,” the gay man said.
A transvestite disclosed that he came out the closet at age 12 after meeting a homosexual at a fashion show.
The man introduced him to the vast world of homosexual entertainment and soon he began performing.
“When I started doing “drags” it helped me to love and understand myself better and to appreciate others for who they are,” the transvestite said.
He stressed that it was not about getting dressed in women’s clothing but about having the exposure and performing at best to the satisfaction of others.
“If heterosexuals can do it, why can’t we?” he questioned.
The transvestite said his most pressing fear is for his life since he has seen gay people beaten and killed.
Another young man revealed that he has kissed more than 300 men and considers it a very pleasurable experience.
One homosexual relating his experience in jail said that the treatment meted out to gays in prison is vastly different from other men.
“They give you piss (urine) to drink, drop your pants to see if you have been penetrated, melt plastic on your skin…its horrible,” he said.
The homosexual said he has discovered that people, who are the most vocal against homosexuality, often have a hidden tendency to be gay.
“I’ve met prison wardens, policemen who promote “fire bun…battie man must dead” and when you check, they turn out to be gays.”
The homosexuals said they are aggrieved that gay people are killed everyday by hate, violence, discrimination, neglect and HIV/AIDS.
Because of the prevalence of violence against gays, one Jamaican said many people often pretend to be “straight” in public.
A young man in his chronicle tells how he was “turned out” by two close friends during a sleep over after a church crusade.
According to him, he fell asleep, but later felt the “warm lips of his friend” kissing him.
He revealed that because they were so close he allowed the friend to continue and that was the turning point for him.
One confessed lesbian revealed how she has derived more pleasure from her explorations with female partners than her sexual experience with men.
At age 16, she tells how she converted her lifestyle to that of a full-fledged Jamaican lesbian.
She talks about meeting and developing a lasting relationship with a young girl who was perceivably “straight” at first.
The woman said the girl was with her parents in a public place when she walked over and asked to speak with her.
The lesbian explained to the girl that she wanted her contact number since she had an important revelation but the stranger was dumbfounded.
She said the girl asked for her number instead and promised to call.
At work, she was surprised to receive the call and as she puts it literally “dropped the bomb” that she was attracted to her.
She noted that the girl rebuffed her advances but offered to be a friend instead.
They later met and while on the phone with another friend, the lesbian said her new love became jealous.
She divulged that it was the beginning of a lasting friendship between them.
“As a Jamaican lesbian I would like to say to the public in general to stop the hatred. Give us a break, its nothing so wrong. Concentrate your energy on other issues like homeless children, people killing people. How can you hate someone who loves someone else? They don’t hate the people who hate each other like they hate us. What we have is love and we are sharing it,” she said.
Homosexuals in Guyana have faced similar fates but luckily many have not tasted a share of such violence.
During an interactive session, a participant said she is comfortable with friends who may have a sexual preference contrary to hers.
However, she noted that they are entitled to their lifestyle choices and are answerable only to God.
There are ongoing debates about the morality of the issue and anti-homosexual advocates have labelled the phenomenon “utter lawlessness”.
They argue that God had destroyed an entire city because of homosexuality.
Some countries have even legalized gay marriages and are sanctioning on whether the couple should be allowed to raise children.
There are even gay cathedral and churches opening up across the world.
SASOD has revealed that there are people who were granted refugee status on the grounds of homophobic stigmatization.
However, the burning question is, are gays really trapped in a man’s body or can they help themselves?
The sweeping tentacles of homophobia have long plagued the world as a global arena dating back as far as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Since then many men and women have admittedly “climbed out of the closet” to accept the harsh, cold insensitivities society throws their way.
This is due to the stigma attached to people choosing to deviate from what is known to be the norms of society and its rigid value system.
At the last airing of its movie night held on alternate Tuesdays, the Sidewalk Café presented a documentary film entitled, “Songs of Freedom”.
The film depicts the tragedy resulting from harbouring feelings of hatred towards persons of diverse sexual orientation.
It talks of homophobia in Jamaica which is described as an extremely homophobic island.
The Sidewalk Café teamed up with the Society against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) to air the film.
One self-proclaimed homosexual Jamaican, who graduated from a foreign university, said that the church is ambivalent on the issue of homosexuality.
He noted that there are homosexuals in the church at every level and not only in the fundamental churches, but grass-root churches as well.
“They sing in the choir, sit on the church board, they officiate as deacons, ministers…at every level,” he commented.
He added that Jamaica is exaggeratedly known as the most homophobic society that ever existed and has posited his own theory as to the reason.
“And rightly so…why do they react in such an immediate and violent way to gays?”
The homosexual man explained that this hatred springs from the role of the black man in society as dictated by slavery.
“That they thought their primary function as a man was to breed…as they recognise procreation and reproduction to be the prime indication of manhood,” he said.
According to him, the hate is understandable since homosexuality draws into question the very existence of man’s right to procreate.
The Jamaican graduate has since established a news- letter on homosexuals called the “Gaily News” which he described as the ‘voice of gays’.
Another man, who admitted to coming out of the closet, underlined that there’s hardly a dancehall song without gender bashing.
However, the graduate revealed that a sociology study on the impact of homophobic lyrics on gay people is astounding.
He related that this “gay publicity” is actually contributing to men of gay persuasions accepting their identity.
One Jamaican gay said he was pressured into judging himself based on biblical scriptures quoted ever so often by people.
“I now attend church and I thank God for my gay life. I am comfortable with who I am and realise that he has created me this way,” the gay man said.
A transvestite disclosed that he came out the closet at age 12 after meeting a homosexual at a fashion show.
The man introduced him to the vast world of homosexual entertainment and soon he began performing.
“When I started doing “drags” it helped me to love and understand myself better and to appreciate others for who they are,” the transvestite said.
He stressed that it was not about getting dressed in women’s clothing but about having the exposure and performing at best to the satisfaction of others.
“If heterosexuals can do it, why can’t we?” he questioned.
The transvestite said his most pressing fear is for his life since he has seen gay people beaten and killed.
Another young man revealed that he has kissed more than 300 men and considers it a very pleasurable experience.
One homosexual relating his experience in jail said that the treatment meted out to gays in prison is vastly different from other men.
“They give you piss (urine) to drink, drop your pants to see if you have been penetrated, melt plastic on your skin…its horrible,” he said.
The homosexual said he has discovered that people, who are the most vocal against homosexuality, often have a hidden tendency to be gay.
“I’ve met prison wardens, policemen who promote “fire bun…battie man must dead” and when you check, they turn out to be gays.”
The homosexuals said they are aggrieved that gay people are killed everyday by hate, violence, discrimination, neglect and HIV/AIDS.
Because of the prevalence of violence against gays, one Jamaican said many people often pretend to be “straight” in public.
A young man in his chronicle tells how he was “turned out” by two close friends during a sleep over after a church crusade.
According to him, he fell asleep, but later felt the “warm lips of his friend” kissing him.
He revealed that because they were so close he allowed the friend to continue and that was the turning point for him.
One confessed lesbian revealed how she has derived more pleasure from her explorations with female partners than her sexual experience with men.
At age 16, she tells how she converted her lifestyle to that of a full-fledged Jamaican lesbian.
She talks about meeting and developing a lasting relationship with a young girl who was perceivably “straight” at first.
The woman said the girl was with her parents in a public place when she walked over and asked to speak with her.
The lesbian explained to the girl that she wanted her contact number since she had an important revelation but the stranger was dumbfounded.
She said the girl asked for her number instead and promised to call.
At work, she was surprised to receive the call and as she puts it literally “dropped the bomb” that she was attracted to her.
She noted that the girl rebuffed her advances but offered to be a friend instead.
They later met and while on the phone with another friend, the lesbian said her new love became jealous.
She divulged that it was the beginning of a lasting friendship between them.
“As a Jamaican lesbian I would like to say to the public in general to stop the hatred. Give us a break, its nothing so wrong. Concentrate your energy on other issues like homeless children, people killing people. How can you hate someone who loves someone else? They don’t hate the people who hate each other like they hate us. What we have is love and we are sharing it,” she said.
Homosexuals in Guyana have faced similar fates but luckily many have not tasted a share of such violence.
During an interactive session, a participant said she is comfortable with friends who may have a sexual preference contrary to hers.
However, she noted that they are entitled to their lifestyle choices and are answerable only to God.
There are ongoing debates about the morality of the issue and anti-homosexual advocates have labelled the phenomenon “utter lawlessness”.
They argue that God had destroyed an entire city because of homosexuality.
Some countries have even legalized gay marriages and are sanctioning on whether the couple should be allowed to raise children.
There are even gay cathedral and churches opening up across the world.
SASOD has revealed that there are people who were granted refugee status on the grounds of homophobic stigmatization.
However, the burning question is, are gays really trapped in a man’s body or can they help themselves?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
SASOD Statement for International Day against Homophobia 2007
May 17, is the anniversary of the decision when the World Health Organisation removed ’homosexuality’ as a mental disorder marking a formal end to medical homophobia. Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) joins with organisations around the world in commemorating this day as International Day Against Homophobia.
The recent incidents of mob violence in our sister Caribbean territory, Jamaica, against people perceived to be homosexual have placed emphasis on the need of Caribbean societies to battle homophobia as one of the prejudices which retard the development of society. Police were forced to use teargas to dispel a mob threatening three men at a pharmacy in Half-Way-Three on Valentine’s Day. On Palm Sunday at Montego Bay’s Carnival Nite Out, performers and merchants along fashionable Gloucester Avenue had to scamper for their lives as a group of men were chased by an angry mob with one beaten into critical condition with a manhole cover and cutlass. Church windows were smashed with bottles and stones when mourners presumed to be gay attended an Easter Sunday funeral in Mandeville. On April 27, mobs of citizens viciously attacked a cross-dresser who was apparently waiting for transportation in downtown Falmouth.
The prevalence of homophobic lyrics in Caribbean music continues to highlight a kind of cultural and political acceptance of homophobia - singers who have no problem calling for the killing of homosexuals are encouraged rather than condemned by private sector and Caribbean Governments. While at the same time, many Caribbean citizens have protested homophobic music. For instance, Gary Steckles, cultural critic of Jamaican roots, calls on Caribbean citizens to say “No to Hate” in the November/December 2006 edition of the Caribbean Beat magazine.
Homophobic violence in the Caribbean is rarely reported. In this light, SASOD has partnered with the Caribbean Anti Violence Project (CAVP) – a regional, web-based initiative at HIV-AIDS Education Unit, University of the West Indies (UWI) - to document incidents of prejudice-fueled violence on the basis of homophobia, gender and HIV-related stigma (see www.CaribbeanAVP.org). Many times male and transgender sex workers are targets for violence by the army and police while in other places, the justice system does not seem to want to deal with people who have no problem openly attacking people perceived to be homosexual. As part of our collaboration with the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), SASOD has endorsed the call of civil society groups and activists, human rights lawyers, national AIDS programme coordinators and researchers in the field of sexual and reproductive health rights across the Caribbean region to decriminalize all aspects of sex work. Particularly, more acute difficulties are posed for male and transgender sex workers who are especially vulnerable to human rights abuses and HIV-AIDS due to homophobia, and more specifically, trans-phobia.
Caribbean-born Professor Linden Lewis states in his paper “Man Talk, Masculinity and a Changing Social Environment” available from the Caribbean Review of Gender Studies (http://sta.uwi.edu/crgs/journals/Linden_Lewis_pm_07.pdf) that: "Moreover, violence directed at homosexual men is not even considered really problematic. Both men and women, on religious grounds, by appeals to nature, or in accordance with social convention, often rationalize or excuse violence against homosexuals in the Caribbean. The region cannot afford to condone violence against people who may not share the heterosexual norm while condemning acts of violence when directed against women. People need to be more vocal in their condemnation of the physical and verbal abuse of all, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation. Failure to criticize all forms of violence is to be less than sincere..."
Globally, homophobia is being recognised as a neglected violation of human rights. Guyana and the Caribbean cannot ignore the global progress towards just societies. Earlier this year on March 26, SASOD joined human rights organizations across the globe in launching the Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in Relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (http://yogyakartaprinciples.org/). The Yogyakarta Principles affirm binding legal standards which put new pressure on governments: end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, end criminalisation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people’s lives, make the promise of equality real.
This statement was published in Guyana Chronicle and Stabroek News
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