COALITION OF LGBTTTI ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN THE OAS CELEBRATE THE APPROVAL OF THE FIFTH RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY

The Coalition of LGBTTTI Latin American and Caribbean organizations, formed by groups belonging to more than 23 countries expresses in this communiqué its assessment of the activities of the 42nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States, which took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia on June 3^rd-5^th, 2012.

The  Caribbean delegation L-R Standing Caleb Orozco-Belize,Kareem Griffith -Trinidad & Tobago,Maurice Tomlinson-Jamaica &Teneke Sumpter-Suriname; Seated Namela Baynes Rowe-Guyana and Razia Torriani Bolivian Trans Activist

The LGBTTI Coalition

This Assembly adopted the fifth resolution AG/RES. 2721 (XLII-O/12) “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.” Such resolution, which is the result of the long term advocacy of the group, includes all the issues contained in the previous resolutions, calling on member states to introduce measures against discrimination and human rights violations and to implement public policies. Furthermore it requests the IACHR to prepare a study on legislation and provisions in force in the OAS member states restricting the human rights of individuals by reason of their sexual orientation or gender identity and to prepare, based on that study, guidelines aimed at promoting the decriminalization of homosexuality”.

About the Coalition’s activities

Beyond the resolution that has been formally adopted, the Coalition celebrates the consolidation of its space as civil society component after five years of advocacy work within the OAS and in the region, before, during and after the General Assemblies.

In the days preceding the 42^nd General Assembly, the Coalition organized a parallel event in preparation for the advocacy and participation within the OAS. The main discussion topics were: (a) implementation of the resolution “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”; (b) Interaction with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (with specific focus on thematic hearings); (c) Interaction with the Commission on Juridical and Political Affairs; (d) Advocacy in the negotiation process of the draft Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance; (e) Advocacy with member states.

During the two days, invited participants included Jorge Sanin, director of the Department of International Relations of the OAS, who highlighted the importance of the commitment of the LGBTTTI civil society in all processes of the OAS and the increasing visibility of the issue within the OAS, particularly with reference to the Hemispheric Forum.

The Coalition met MP Gladys Prieto Moreyra, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of the Bolivian Parliament, and MP Saul Limbert Garabito, member of the same Human Rights Commission. They both welcomed the Coalition, expressed their commitment on the rights of LGBTTTI people and, in particular, their support to the La won Gender Identity, that has been recently endorsed by the Vice-Minister of Justice and will be sent for discussion to the Bolivian parliament in the next days.

The Coalition also had a meeting with Mr. Darío Paya, ambassador of the Republic of Chile at the OAS, who spoke about the need that society move forward in the inclusion and respect for diversity, and congratulated the Coalition for his presence at the OAS.

During the informal dialogue with the Secretary General of the OAS and the civil society in San Salvador, six delegates of the LGBTTTI coalition addressed to Secretary General José Miguel Insulza their concerns regarding the undue influence of religion on states and the weakening of the principle of secularity; violence and discrimination that LBTTTI women suffer within their own families and communities; hate crimes and discrimination, discriminatory archaic buggery and cross dressing laws, particularly in the English-speaking Caribbean; the need of recognition of gender identity for travesti, transgender, transsexual and intersex people; the need of completing the negotiation process of the Convention against Racism and all Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance; and the importance to consider the proposal for a Convention on Sexual and Reproductive Rights advanced by civil society.

Mr. Insulza confirmed the OAS’s commitment to fight for recognition of the rights of LGBTTTI individuals and the need to move forward in the negotiation of the Inter American Convention against Racism and all Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance. He also committed to facilitate a meeting between member states, civil society and the Inter-American Commission on the issue.

The dialogue between Civil Society and the Heads of Delegation of the OAS Member States took place on June 3^rd. Raiza Torriani, Bolivian trans activist, was the spokesperson for the LGBTTTI Coalition. The full text of the speech is published below. In her intervention, Raiza made reference, with particular emphasis, on the situation of LGBTTTI people in the English-speaking Caribbean, mentioning each member of the Coalition in attendance from that region, who stood up calling the attention of the Heads of Delegation and the audience. As result of this action, the state representatives of St. Kitts & Nevis, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago expressed their concerns on the issues and committed to raise the question to their respective governments. The representatives of Brazil and Argentina also expressed their commitment of their countries on the rights of LGBTTTI people.

We welcome the increasing interest for the work of the coalition that represents an acknowledgment of the work carried out in these years.

We thank COC Netherlands, UNAIDS, UNDP, MamaCash and the Campaign for an Inter-American Convention on Sexual and Reproductive Rights, and Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights for their support to make our participation to this General Assembly possible.

The participants of the Coalition of LGBTTTI Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean within the OAS were:

1. AIREANA - Camila Zabala – Paraguay,
2. ASOCIACIÓN LIDERES EN ACCION -Germán Rincón Perfetti - Colombia,
3. COALITION ADVOCATING FOR INCLUSION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION – Kareem Griffith – Trinidad and Tobago,
4. COLECTIVA MUJER y SALUD, Claudia Saleta – Dominican Republic,
5. COLECTIVO UNIDAD COLOR ROSA – Claudia Spellmant – Honduras,
6. TALLER COMUNICACIÓN MUJER, Tatiana Cordero - Ecuador,
7. AIDS FREE WORLD - Maurice Tomlinson – Jamaica,
8. MULABI-COSTA RICA – Natasha Jiménez – Costa Rica,
9. ORGANIZACIÓN DE TRANSEXUALES POR LA DIGNIDAD DE LA DIVERSIDAD – Andrés Rivera Duarte – Chile,
10. ORGANIZACIÓN TRANS REINAS DE LA NOCHE – Johana Ramírez – Guatemala,
11. GRUPO IDENTIDADE RED AFRO LGBTI – Marcos Cesar Gomez – Brazil,
12. RED LATINOAMERICANA Y DEL CARIBE DE PERSONAS TRANS - Marcela Romero- Argentina,
13. RED NICARAGUENSE DE ACTIVISTAS TRANS – Silvia Martínez – Nicaragua,
14. SOCIETY AGAINST SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION- Namela Rowe - Guyana,
15. UNIBAM – Caleb Orozco – Belize,
16. WOMEN’S WAY – Tieneke Sumter – Suriname
17. TRANSREDBOLIVIA TREBOL - Raiza Torriani - Bolivia

As partners of the Coalition: Stefano Fabeni and Marcelo Ernesto Ferreyra – Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights

Cochabamba, June 5th, 2012

DECLARATION OF THE COALICION OF LESBIANS, GAYS, BISEXUALS, TRAVESTI, TRANSEXUALS, TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX OF THE AMERICAS BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE OAS.

DECLARATION OF THE COALICION OF LESBIANS, GAYS, BISEXUALS, TRAVESTI, TRANSEXUALS, TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX OF THE AMERICAS BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE OAS.

COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA, JUNE 3rd, 2011

Mister Secretary General, Ministers, Members of the Official Delegations, Civil Society Representatives,

We, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Travesti, Transsexual, Transgender and Intersex organizations, convened in Cochabamba, Bolivia, from May 30^th to June 1^st, 2012, in accordance with the directives established by the General Assembly of the OAS in its resolutions AG/RES.2092(XXXV-O/05); CP/RES.759(1217/99); AG/RES.840(1361/03); AG/RES.1707(XXX-O/00) and AG/RES.1915(XXXIII-O/03), which determine a regulatory framework to enhance and strengthen civil society participation in OAS activities and in the Summit of the Americas process, express our concern that food security is limited to the right to food, while we consider that it is also related to the rights to work, health, housing, education, equality and non-discrimination, a dignified life, respect for nature and the collective rights of indigenous peoples.

We show our concern for the situation of exclusion and vulnerability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, travesti and intersex people, as well as afro-descendant people, migrants, refugees, women, youth, differently abled people, the elderly, indigenous peoples, ethnic groups, people living with HIV, religious minorities, and those who live in situations of armed conflict or natural disasters. In these circumstances, they are exposed to the most severe discrimination, which prevents them from accessing to a good quality of life.

As intersex and trans persons, whose identity is not recognized, we are not primary subjects in the development of public policies; we are expelled from schools and from our homes, while the society and governments deny the recognition of our condition of human beings, forcing us since childhood to live on the streets, exposed to sexual exploitation. This affects the development of our personality and the exercise of our basic rights.

Several countries do not secure our rights and do not protect our lives; in others we are criminalized by the law, and private and public healthcare services consider our conditions as pathologies.

Indifference, omission and complicity by many states in cases of discrimination and violence against the LGBTI community make those more severe and limit the enjoyment of the basic needs of our communities. This situation is even more serious in the case of the legislation of 11 Anglophone Caribbean countries. We are here with our colleagues from Belize, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, countries that criminalize same-sex conducts between consenting adults. In fact, the lack of political will of the Anglophone Caribbean member states denies human rights and, as a consequence, represents a limit for job opportunities and for decision-making on public policies related to HIV, as well as increase the number of homeless among youth.

As lesbian women we demand that the states recognize the different types of families, as well as their inclusion in national census; the contribution we offer to food security for our families and our children must be recognized. The lack of recognition of the way we contribute as LBTI women to the wellbeing of our families and to state economy though our productive and reproductive work does not make it visible our contribution to life.

Similarly, we recall the attention on the impact that domestic violence has on food security, as it is impossible in circumstances whereby the right to food for our children is denied and when our economic autonomy is limited or denied.

Finally, we urge member states to respect the principle of secularism, as the lack of separation between church and state increase oppression, discrimination, social exclusion.

Therefore we demand:

To the Member States:

- To adopt laws and public policies in accordance with the commitments taken in virtue of the resolutions "Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" approved in the previous General Assemblies.

- To adopt laws that recognize the right to identity of trans persons taking as an example the good practice represented by the law recently approved by Argentina.

- To repeal laws that criminalizes same sex intimacy.

- To realize all efforts required in the shortest period of time to finalize the adoption of the Draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Form of Discrimination and Intolerance.

- To consider the proposal for an Inter-American Convention on Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights.

- To sign, ratify and implement all Inter-American instruments for the protection of human rights.

- To effectively strengthen their commitment with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, with the Support of the Secretary General of the OAS, and abstain from initiatives that might weaken the Inter-American system of protection of human rights.

To the General Assembly:

- To approve the draft resolution “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” presented by the Brazilian delegation, whose initiative we fully endorse.

We are not born vulnerable; lack of recognition makes us vulnerable.

AG/RES. 2721 (XLII-O/12)

HUMAN RIGHTS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND GENDER IDENTITY

(Adopted at the second plenary session, held on June 4, 2012)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT resolutions AG/RES. 2435 (XXXVIII-O/08), AG/RES. 2504 (XXXIX-O/09), AG/RES. 2600 (XL-O/10), and AG/RES. 2653 (XLI-O/11), “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity”;

REITERATING:

That the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in that instrument, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status; and

That the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man establishes that every human being has the right to life, liberty, and security of his person without distinction as to race, sex, language, creed, or any other factor;

CONSIDERING that the Charter of the Organization of American States proclaims that the historic mission of the Americas is to offer to man a land of liberty and a favorable environment for the development of his personality and the realization of his just aspirations;

REAFFIRMING the principles of universality, indivisibility, and interdependence of human rights;

TAKING NOTE:

Of the creation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Unit for the Rights of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexual, Transsexual, and Intersex Persons (LGBTI), and of its work plan, which includes the preparation of a hemispheric report on this issue;

Of the Second Report of the IACHR on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in the Americas, according to which organizations that promote and defend the human rights of LGBTI persons play a fundamental role in the region in terms of public oversight to ensure compliance with the states’ obligations vis-à-vis the rights to privacy, equality, and nondiscrimination, and are faced with obstacles, among them, murder, threats, criminalization of their activities, the failure to take a focused approach to the investigation of crimes committed by both state and non-state actors against them, and discourse calculated to discredit the defenders of the rights of LGBTI persons; and

Of the Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, presented to the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2008; and

NOTING WITH CONCERN the acts of violence and related human rights violations as well as discrimination practiced against persons because of their sexual orientation and gender identity,

RESOLVES:

1. To condemn discrimination against persons by reason of their sexual orientation and gender identity; and to urge the states within the parameters of the legal institutions of their domestic systems to eliminate, where they exist, barriers faced by lesbians, gays, and bisexual, transsexual, and intersex (LGBTI) persons in access to political participation and in other areas of public life.

2. To encourage member states to consider, within the parameters of the legal institutions of their domestic systems, adopting public policies against discrimination by reason of sexual orientation and gender identity.

3. To condemn acts of violence and human rights violations committed against persons by reason of their sexual orientation and gender identity; and to urge states to strengthen their national institutions with a view to preventing and investigating these acts and violations and ensuring due judicial protection for victims on an equal footing and that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

4. To urge states to ensure adequate protection for human rights defenders who work on the issue of acts of violence, discrimination, and human rights violations committed against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

5. To request the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to pay particular attention to its work plan titled “Rights of LGBTI People” and, in keeping with its established practice, to prepare a hemispheric study on the subject; and to urge member states to support the efforts of the Commission in this area.

6. To request the IACHR to prepare a study on legislation and provisions in force in the OAS member states restricting the human rights of individuals by reason of their sexual orientation or gender identity and to prepare, based on that study, guidelines aimed at promoting the decriminalization of homosexuality.

7. To urge the member states that has not yet done so to consider signing, ratifying, or acceding to, as the case may be, the inter-American human rights instruments.

8. To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly on the implementation of this resolution. Execution of the activities envisaged in this resolution will be subject to the availability of financial resources in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.

Ramkarran’s call for repeal of anti-gay laws should be cue for other politicians -SASOD

From http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/news/stories/06/26/ramkarrans-call-for-repeal-of-anti-gay-laws-should-be-cue-for-other-politicians/

The Society against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) is applauding former Speaker of the National Assembly and member of the PPP/C Ralph Ramkarran for his recent statements in support of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Guyana and said that other political leaders should take their cue from him.

Writing in April in an edition of the Weekend Mirror, Ramkarran noted that the current laws against gay sex are a colonial artefact, archaic and should be expunged from the statute books.
“What Mr. Ramkarran has done is open up this issue in Guyana,” said Vidyaratha Kissoon, one of the founding members of SASOD. He noted that some persons in the Caribbean, such as Portia Simpson Miller in Jamaica, have already been speaking on the issue.
Further he pointed out that anytime former president Bharrat Jagdeo—who remains one of the leaders of the ruling party—was asked about these issues, he always tried to maintain the position that he was not interested in discriminating against anyone. Kissoon said that Jagdeo took this stance when other leaders in the Caribbean at the time were taking a different approach to the whole question of LGBT rights.
“While we welcome Mr. Ramkarran’s statements we hope that other politicians make similar statements on their own behalf,” he said, recognising the challenges that party politics create in this regard. “We were surprised by that position but we welcome it,” he said.
“What we would expect though is that Mr. Ramkarran could be further engaged on this and we don’t know if he would be amenable and accessible to being involved in further discussion, more than just writing in the papers. This is how Guyana is…these messages have to be enforced,” he said.
“It is also clear that he is not representing the PPP which we think is unfortunate,” Kissoon added. “One of the things we have been learning from our history is that the PPP as a party held very progressive views on certain social issues, such as not supporting corporal punishment of children.”
“SASOD’s experience has been that many of the MPs know that these issues have to be dealt with but they are afraid of the backlash,” he said. Nevertheless, he noted that SASOD hopes Ramkarran’s open support of the LGBT community would inspire others to do the same. “Their silence means that they are consenting to the discrimination out there,” he pointed out.
SASOD’s executive and founding member Joel Simpson also applauded Ramkarran for finding the courage to publicly support equality and human rights for LGBT Guyanese and the repeal of laws which discriminate and justify abuses against that community.
“We have long recognised that rational, right-thinking Guyanese who support human rights and democratic freedoms for all citizens could come to no other reasonable conclusion, but to call for the repeal of these insidious laws,” Simpson said in a comment to this newspaper. “We hope that other Guyanese politicians, religious figures and opinion leaders will be as brave to publicly articulate similar positions soon,” he said.
Simpson noted that the Government of Guyana has announced its intention to honour its international commitments made through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process to hold consultations with a view to repealing the laws which run contrary to Guyana’s human rights obligations.
“Given the response by sections of the Evangelical Christian community to government’s announcement, SASOD is also pleased that Mr. Ramkarran recognises that homosexuality is completely normal, and not a ‘condition’ that ought to ‘cured’ by counselling, therapy or other means,” Simpson said.
“In fact, science supports Mr. Ramkarran’s position. No less a world-renown body than the American Psychological Association (APA) has indicated that there is no adequate research that therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation is safe and effective, and that these attempts can rather be harmful, by reinforcing stereotypes and contributing to a negative climate for LGBT people, especially in conservative religious settings,” he said.
“SASOD is proud that Mr. Ramkarran took this public stance, knowing that he will be on the right side of history,” said Simpson.
In his column, Ramkarran said that the Guyanese society should be liberal in outlook and socially progressive in character. “We must lead the way in the Caribbean region and lead the way in dispensing with the outdated notion that heterosexuality is the basic premise of masculinity for the male and femininity for the woman. Negative social attitudes should be combated even if they are popular. And where conditions exist making it is possible to do so, as in Guyana, it ought to be done,” Ramkarran wrote.
“Discrimination has no place in Guyana. The LGBT community is crying out for recognition and an end to ridicule, violence and discrimination,” he wrote.
He said that the continuation of discriminatory practices “harms our society and criminalises people in our midst who chose to live differently from the majority but nevertheless make as good a contribution to society as anyone else.” “Unfortunately Guyana and the rest of our Caribbean societies are deeply conservative on social issues. But I am not going as far on this occasion as asking for approval of same sex marriage. While I support it, I hardly believe that either our people or our Government, and indeed even our Opposition, will want to accommodate that issue at this time,” Ramkarran wrote.

Associated link :

DECRIMINALISING ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES Ralph Ramkarran

Gays, lesbians face greater inequality here because of criminalising of same sex relations

Gays, lesbians face greater inequality here because of criminalising of same sex relations

Posted By Stabroek staff On June 22, 2012 @ 5:15 am In Local | No Comments

A human rights expert says that by virtue of Guyana keeping on its books laws that criminalise homosexual behaviour, persons from the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered (LGBT) community face inequality on a higher scale than other marginalised groups.
Speaking at a public forum on equality and LGBT rights at Moray House Trust on Wednesday evening, Dr. Dimitrina Petrova, Executive Director of Equal Rights Trust says Guyana’s laws criminalising homosexuality and cross-dressing are not in consonance with Government’s responsibility of ensuring that there is equality for all.

Dr. Dimitrina Petrova

The expert, who hails from Bulgaria, said that the mission of her organisation is equality and it is regarded as a basic principle of human justice and a fundamental human right.
She said that equality is one of many human rights and it is the business of Equal Rights Trust to put serious human rights issues into context so that they can be seen as being based on equality.
In explaining why it was that the organisation chose to work in Guyana, Dr. Petrova said that while there are many problems in Guyana for many groups – indigenous peoples, women, race – it is the LGBT group that seems to be the most affected since the discrimination against them is enshrined in law.
“There are gaps in the protection.
The levels of protection are different for different people [in Guyana]. Looking from outside, the LGBT seems to be the most unequal group,” Dr. Petrova said. She pointed out too that there can be no equality if one group is left out.
Dr. Petrova shared SASOD’s view that the Government should not be taking its cue from the religious community in order to make decisions regarding the rights of LGBT people. SASOD reported that representatives of the Government stated they would have been seeking moral guidance from the three main religious groups in Guyana without considering any discussions with the groups which are affected by the discriminatory laws and policies. “The dialogue should be [among] the faith-based groups, cultural promoters, the Ministry of Health, the Guyana Police Force and should include citizens and groups who support the view that LGBT Guyanese are deserving of the same rights as any other Guyanese citizen,” SASOD said in a statement.
Speaking at the event, Vidyaratha Kissoon, one of the founding members of SASOD said that the body believes that a Guyana which offers equality for LGBT Guyanese will be characterised by the inclusion of LGBT issues in all human and social development discussions that occur at national and community levels and will be incorporated as a cross cutting issue in development plans.
“SASOD has called on the Government and national decision makers to amend   the Constitution to include gender identity and sexual orientation as grounds (prohibiting) discrimination so as to protect LGBT citizens and allow for legal recourse,” Kissoon said.
He said too that SASOD is calling for the repeal of Section 153 (1) (xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act Chapter 8:02, which sanctions the wearing of clothes considered to be those of the opposite sex. Kissoon said this law stigmatises transgendered people and facilitates arbitrary arrest and police abuse.
The group also wants Section 351 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01 which reads, “any male person who, in public or private, commits, or is party to the commission, by any male person, of an act of gross indecency with any other male person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for two years.”
SASOD is also campaigning and making representation to educate members of the uniformed forces – police, prison and army – and to evaluate their performance based on their obligations in terms of non-discriminatory treatment towards sex workers, LGBT persons and people living with HIV/AIDS. “Discriminatory and abusive behaviour on the part of police officers should be investigated and punished where necessary,” Kissoon said.
He said that SASOD hopes to embark on the critical implementation of actions which ensure that the needs of LGBT citizens are addressed within the health care system and social services provision. “The health and well being of LGBT citizens should not be left to the selective judgements of the health care workers and social workers,” Kissoon said.
SASOD wants to also open a broader dialogue on culture and human rights so as to guarantee that no human rights violations will be perpetrated under the name of culture, religion or tradition. Further, Kissoon said that many LGBT persons need low income housing and are not allowed to apply for a house lot since they are single and often have no children of their own.
SASOD wants Government to ensure that the Ministry of Labour is equipped to deal with cases of discrimination against LGBT persons which prevents access to employment. It wants Government to ensure that the Ministry of Education implements a policy which ensures that LGBT youth are not discriminated against in the school system and that health and family life educators speak to the diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity.

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Article printed from Stabroek News: http://www.stabroeknews.com
URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/news/stories/06/22/gays-lesbians-face-greater-inequality-here-because-of-criminalising-of-same-sex-relations/

SASOD Statement on inappropriate Kaiteur News Front Page picture

On Saturday, June 2, Kaieteur News published a picture on its front page which showed a man beating a woman. This picture was published at a time when the intensity of male violence against women has increased.
Kaieteur News in its editorial of  June 6 said that their intention “was to bring home the seriousness of the disorder: it was not something that we should read about and then mutter “Tsk!Tsk!” Something has to be done.”
Kaieteur News seems not to understand that the objection to the photograph is not because people want to hide from the violence; the violence exists around us. The objection to the photograph is that the newspaper has, probably unintentionally, removed power from the woman to deal with her situation as she chooses. What is worse is that Kaieteur News itself might be guilty of what it accuses others of doing – just observing. Was a report made to the police? What did the police do? Was the man charged? If not, why not?  Guyana’s National Domestic Violence Policy states: “The safety and well being of those who are victims of domestic violence must be the first priority for any response.” Again, has the man been charged? Are the woman and any other vulnerable family member safe?
SASOD’s work with survivors of violence includes a reality that many survivors want to be healed and get over the trauma. Some might not want to go through an unfriendly police and justice system. The organisations in Guyana which have been working on gender-based violence can work with Kaieteur News and other media to show how to help to deal with this problem without causing stigma to any person who might not want their story told.
SASOD agrees with the KN editorial that “Females and males are all equal and must be given the autonomy to make their own decisions.”  If KN does not understand that the survivor of the violence must give permission for her story to be told and be able to decide what next steps to take then its editorial standpoint will only seek to reverse what it seems to want to set out to do. The rights of the survivors are paramount when dealing with gender-based violence or any other kind of violence.

Painting the Spectrum 2012 : SASOD's 8th LGBT Film Festival

Painting the Spectrum 8 : Schedule of Films

Monday 4 June, 2012 to Tuesday 3 July, 2012

Venue : Sidewalk Cafe, Middle Street, Georgetown Guyana
Programme starts at 7pm each Night
Admission Free 
All films intended for mature audiences

A collection will be made throughout the film festival to support Zanele Muholi's Equipment Replacement Campaign . Zanele lost her equipment and work recently  
We are grateful to Zanele Muholi for the donation of her film Difficult Love to the film festival 

Monday 4 June, 2012
Children of God

Kareem Mortimer/ Bahamas/ 2010/ 104 mins/ Romantic Drama/ English/ colour

Set against the backdrop of a nation grappling with violent homophobic crime and offering a scathing examination of the underlying hatred for gays rampant in Caribbean societies, Kareem Mortimer’s debut narrative feature tells the stories of three very different individuals: Lena, the conservative, deeply religious wife of a secretly gay firebrand pastor; Romeo, a handsome young black man hiding his sexuality from his close-knit and loving family; and Jonny, the conflicted and creatively-blocked white artist in search of himself. All three head for the spectacularly beautiful and tranquil island of Eleuthera, each with a different reason for escaping current circumstances. Soon, their disparate worlds collide in unexpected and affecting ways.

More information..  

Tuesday 5 June, 2012
The Secret Diaries of Annie Lister

James Kent/ England/ 2010/ 90 mins/ Biography/ English/ colour

Anne Lister is a young unmarried woman living in 19th century Yorkshire, with her aunt and uncle. The one thing she wants from life is to have someone to love and to share her life with. The person she has in mind is Mariana Belcombe with whom she has been conducting a secret romantic and sexual relationship. The relationship breaks apart when Mariana marries a rich widower named Charles Lawton. Depressed, Anne devotes her time to studying. A year after Mariana's wedding, Anne begins to think about finding another lover. She meets a young woman in church named Miss Browne, and they become close friends.

Sunday 10 June, 2012
Pariah

Dee Rees/ USA/ 2011/ 86 mins/ Drama/ English/ colour

Alike (pronounced ah-lee-kay), is a 17-year-old African-American woman who lives with her parents Audrey and Arthur and younger sister Sharonda in Brooklyn. Alike is quietly but firmly embracing her identity as a lesbian. With the sometimes boisterous support of her best friend, out lesbian Laura, Alike is especially eager to find a girlfriend. At home, her parents' marriage is strained and there is further tension in the household whenever Alike's development becomes a topic of discussion. Pressed by her mother into making the acquaintance of a colleague's daughter, Bina, Alike finds Bina to be unexpectedly refreshing to socialize with. Wondering how much she can confide in her family, Alike strives to get through adolescence with grace, humor, and tenacity - sometimes succeeding, sometimes not, but always moving forward.

Watch the trailer

Monday 11 June, 2012

Difficult Love

Zanele Muholi, Peter Goldsmid/ South Africa/ 2011/ 44mins/ Documentary/ English (subtitled)/ colour

A highly personal take on the challenges facing Black lesbians in South Africa today emerges through the life, work, friends and associates of 'visual activist' and internationally celebrated photographer, Zanele Muholi. The documentary looks at the experiences of South Africa’s black lesbian community, and how they have had to live under the threat of violence and corrective rape.

SASOD THANKS Zanele Muholi FOR THE CONTRIBUTION OF THIS FILM and the anonymous donor who brought it to Guyana. A collection will be made for a donation to Zanele Muholi who suffered a massive theft of her equipment recently.






i am 
Sonali Gulati/USA/India /2011/ 74 mins/ Documentary/ English and Hindi (with subtitles)/ colour

 I Am chronicles the journey of an Indian lesbian filmmaker who returns to Delhi, eleven years later, to re-open what was once home, and finally confronts the loss of her mother whom she never came out to. As she meets and speaks to parents of other gay and lesbian Indians, she pieces together the fabric of what family truly means, in a landscape where being gay was until recently a criminal and punishable offense.

SASOD THANKS Sonali Gulati FOR THE CONTRIBUTION OF THIS FILM and the anonymous donor who brought it to Guyana.

 
Tuesday 12 June, 2012

Tomboy

Céline Sciamma/ France/ 2011/ 84mins/ Drama/ French, English subtitles/ color

 A family moves into a new neighborhood, and a 10-year-old named Laure deliberately presents herself as a boy named Mikhael to the neighborhood children. It is heavily implied that Mikhael is a closeted transgender boy. This film follows his experiences with his newfound friends, his potential love interest, Lisa, his younger sister and his parents. It focuses in on the significance of gender identity in social interaction from an early age, the difficulties of being transgender and young, and how Mikhael navigates these in the background of childhood play and love.

 

Sunday 17 June, 2012 - Happy Father's Day
Beginners

Mike Mills/ USA/ 2010/ 104mins/ Romantic Comedy/ English, French (subtitles)/ colour

The film is structured as a series of interconnected flashbacks. Shortly after the death of his son’s mother, Hal came out as gay to his son, Oliver, and began exploring that aspect of his life. Hal finds a boyfriend, Andy, and surrounds himself with a circle of gay friends. Hal is then diagnosed with terminal cancer. The film stars Christopher Plummer who won an Academy Award for his role.

 





Monday 18 June, 2012

Someone Like You (Chutney Edit)

Andil Gosine/ Canada/ 2005/ 6 mins/ Short / English/ colour

In Andil Gosine's first short - completed in 2005 but held back from circulation until now - a kitchen worker finds escape from broken immigrant dreams in the magic of a flower seller

Dash Boyz Episode 1

Jermaine Spencer/Grata Foundation/ Jamaica/2012/ 6 mins/ Short animation/ English / colour

Finding me

Roger Omeus/ USA/ 2009/ 115 mins/ Romantic Comedy/ English/ color

Faybien Allan has it all going on; he's young, stylish, and knows the importance of being seen with hip friends at NYC's trendiest spots. But beneath the sparkle of his nightlife and his stunning good-looks, is a man buckling under his father's homophobia. Filled with self-loathing and desperate for direction, he meanders through life until meeting Lonnie, a confident activist with a flirtatious smile. However, despite their obvious chemistry and fireworks in bed, Faybien's insecurities have him looking for the door. Can a budding romance and a few good friends keep him from making the biggest mistake of his life?

Tuesday 19 June, 2012
 Circumstances

Maryam Keshavarz/ USA, France, Iran/ 2011/ 103 mins/ Drama/ Persian, English, French (subtitled)/ colour

A wealthy Iranian family struggles to contain a teenager's growing sexual rebellion and her brother's dangerous obsession. Atafeh and her brother, Mehran, have grown up privileged, in a home filled with music, art, and intellectual curiosity. Atafeh dreams of fame and adventure, and she and her best friend, Shireen, explore Tehran's underground scene with youthful exuberance and determination to be themselves. Meanwhile, her brother returns home from drug rehab, renounces his former decadent life, and replaces his once obsessive practice of classical music with more destructive pursuits.

 


Sunday 24 June, 2012

I Am

Onir/ India/ 110mins/ Anthology/ Hindi, Kannada,Marathi, Bengali, Kashmiri, English subtitles/ colour

I AM consists of four short films- ‘Omar’, ‘Afia’, ‘Abhimanyu’, and ‘Megha’ with interwoven characters. Based on real life stories, the films explore such themes as child abuse and same-sex relationships. I AM AFIA is the story of a single woman who feels her identity will be made whole through the singular feminine experience of motherhood. I AM MEGHA is a story of two friends – a Kashmiri Pandit woman and a Muslim woman – separated by conflict. I AM ABHIMANYU is the story of a broken man, Abhimanyu, who is trapped by the demons of his past of sexual abuse. To move forward he must first go back, into a world where his childhood was stolen from him. I AM OMAR is a horrific tale of sexual discrimination, blackmail and prejudice. It reveals how the police use Article 377 (law under Indian Penal code which criminalizes homosexuality) to harass and blackmail gay men.  The cast includes Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koraila, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Arjun Mathur and Abhimanyu Singh. The film received the Best Hindi Film at India's 59th National Film Awards ceremony.

 


Monday 25 June, 2012
 
Beautiful Boxer 
 

Ekachai Uekrongtham/ Thailand/ 2003/ 118mins/ Biography/ Thai, English subtitles/ colour

This movie is based on the real life story of Parinya Charoenphol, a Muaythai boxer who underwent a sex change operation to become a woman. It chronicles her life from a young boy who likes to wear lipstick and wear flowers to her sensational career as kickboxer whose specialty is ancient Muaythai boxing moves, and finally her confrontation with her own sexuality which led to her sex change operation

 


Tuesday  26 June, 2012
 
Albert Nobbs

Rodrigo García/ UK, Ireland/ 2011/ 114 mins/ Drama/ English/ colour

Albert Nobbs is a woman living as a man in order to find work in the harsh environment of late 19th-century working class Ireland, where women aren't encouraged to be independent. After living as a male for thirty years, Albert's steadfast life is shaken by the sudden arrival of Hubert Page, a house painter. Albert is shocked that Hubert is to room with him while he works at the hotel. On their first night, Hubert discovers Albert's secret, but promises never to reveal it, much to Albert's relief. The next day, Hubert confesses he is also a woman. Hubert leaves soon after, but not before telling Albert that 'he' has a wife

 



Sunday 01 July, 2012 

Weekend

Andrew Haigh/ UK/ 2011/ 97mins/ Drama, Romance/ English/ colour

After a drunken house party with his straight mates, Russell heads out to a gay club. Just before closing time he picks up Glen but what's expected to be just a one-night stand becomes something else, something special. That weekend, in bars and in bedrooms, getting drunk and taking drugs, telling stories and having sex, the two men get to know each other. It is a brief encounter that will resonate throughout their lives


 

Monday 02 July, 2012

SPECTRUM CELEBRATION!!!!

Poetry, singing, talking, dancing


 



Tuesday 03 July, 2012 

Two films...

The Kids are all right

Lisa Cholodenko/ USA/ 2010/ 106 mins/ Comedy, Drama/ English/ colour

Nic and Jules are a married lesbian couple living in California. They have each given birth to a child using the same sperm donor. Nic, an obstetrician, is the primary breadwinner and the stricter parent, while Jules, a housewife who is starting up a landscape design business, is more laid back. The younger child Laser wants to find his sperm donor but has to be 18 to do so. He begs his 18-year-old sister Joni to contact the sperm bank and determines that Paul is the donor. The three meet and much drama ensues.



Kickoff
Rikki Beadle-Blair/UK/2010/90 minutes/ Comedy/ English/ colour

What happens when the hardest team in the Sunday Soccer league comes up against a gay team (pun intended) and finds they've finally met their match?  Watch and wince as fledging referee Elton Glixton struggles to control this testosterone tsunami as rude-boy meets bum-boy in this outrageous new comedy set in the crazy gung-ho world of 5-a-side footie


More details...







Thanks

Ulele Burnham
Korey Chisholm
Sherlina Nageer
Subraj Singh
Ulelli Verbecke
Joel Simpson
Greg Jagroo
Gregory Kanhai

Sonali Gulati
Zanele Muholi
Andil Gosine
Jermaine Spencer/Grata Foundation
Two anonymous donors

and financial sponsorship from

DECRIMINALISING ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES Ralph Ramkarran

Text of article published in the Weekend Mirror of 27 May, 2012
More than fifty years ago the United Kingdom gave recognition to a reality that had existed for
centuries or even millennia. It decriminalized homosexual acts by repealing legislation which
made these acts illegal by providing that consenting adults are not guilty for such acts done in
private. Such legislation, inherited from our colonial masters, who repealed them fifty years ago,
is still on our books.

President Obama has now announced support for marriage between persons of the same sex.
It was big news in the United States. The idea was not new because several states in the US,
including New York, had already changed their laws to allow same sex marriage. But it is the
first time a President has endorsed same sex marriage. It is likely to be a controversial campaign
issue in the US elections in November because social conservatism is strong in the US. But
President Obama must have felt politically safe in coming out in support of same sex marriage
because, despite conservative opposition, the issue has attracted the support of a majority of
Americans.

In Guyana a march was held recently, sponsored by SASOD, to activate support for the abolition
of discriminatory laws against homosexuals. These laws are archaic and should no longer be on
our statute books. Homosexuality and lesbianism are now recognized as alternative lifestyles
and people should be free to conduct themselves as they see fit providing they do not harm
others. This is what they have been doing in developed countries. While the fact that
discriminatory laws have been repealed fifty and more years ago and rights for the LGBT
(lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders) community have been given increased recognition
and protection in developed countries ought to be no inspiration for us, nevertheless the time
has come for us to consider at least the repeal of archaic and discriminatory laws.

Homosexuality and lesbianism are as normal to the adherents of this lifestyle as heterosexuality
is normal for the majority of people who are practicing heterosexuals. They do not see
themselves as ‘ill’ or as having a ‘condition’ that ought to be ‘cured’ by counseling or some
other similar means. There are homosexuals and lesbians of every age, every race, every
religion and every political opinion. They are normal, regular people who would, like all of us,
like to live their lives in peace and harmony with themselves and the rest of the world. Our
society does not permit them to ‘come out’ and say so. I therefore say these things on their
behalf, assuming even if arrogantly, that I have their permission to do so.

The continuation of discriminatory practices harms our society and criminalises people in our
midst who chose to live differently from the majority but nevertheless make as good a
contribution to society as anyone else. It is time to bring this matter from out of the shadows.

Unfortunately Guyana and the rest of our Caribbean societies are deeply conservative on social
issues. But I am not going as far on this occasion as asking for approval of same sex marriage.
While I support it, I hardly believe that either our people or our Government, and indeed even

our Opposition, will want to accommodate that issue at this time. Not that I believe that there
is anything close to majority support for it. Also, it is hardly likely that much support would be
forthcoming any time soon from the public for the repeal of legislation which is discriminatory
and archaic. The march attracted only six people.

Our recent experience during the constitutional reform process demonstrates the depth of
conservative opinion on these matters. A proposal to include an article in the constitution
against discrimination based on sexual orientation was proposed, accepted and unanimously
passed in the National Assembly. Only after it was passed that some churches picked up on it. A
crescendo of opposition then developed. The President, no doubt influenced by this opposition,
did not sign it into law. It was returned to the National Assembly for debate.

Both Government and Opposition, in weak kneed genuflection to so called popular opinion,
changed their positions and voted against the measure. These groups merely reflected the
prevailing mood of hostility to any kind of liberal view of these matters even though whether or
not the measure was in place would have mattered little. In Canada the Supreme Court upheld
the right of two men to get married on the basis of provisions in its Bill of Rights which are very
much similar to our fundamental rights provisions. If our courts were to follow the Canadian
Supreme Court then it would hold that two persons of the same sex have the right to get
married.

Having regard to this situation it is incumbent on the Government and Opposition to boldly lead
public opinion in this matter. Our society should be liberal in outlook and socially progressive in
character. We must lead the way in the Caribbean region and lead the way in dispensing with
the outdated notion that heterosexuality is the basic premise of masculinity for the male and
femininity for the woman Negative social attitudes should be combated even if they are
popular. And where conditions exist making it is possible to do so, as in Guyana, it ought to be
done.

Discrimination has no place in Guyana. The LGBT community is crying out for recognition and
an end to ridicule, violence and discrimination.

The American actor, Sean Penn, once told a story of his visit with Fidel Castro. He had his young
children with him. His young daughter was particularly peeved at the homophobia that existed
in Cuba. Fidel had figured that something was troubling her. When it was her turn to speak he
turned to her and asked perceptively: “Now what is troubling you young lady.” She explained
her concern. He pointed out that the Cuban Administration was not homophobic, nor did it
encourage homophobia, but that homophobia existed long before the Revolution. He admitted
that the Administration erred in not doing anything about it earlier but that they intended to
correct their position. So should Guyana.

IDAHO 2012 Activities