SASOD urges action to stop homophobic bullying in school

Guyana Times article 

October 1, 2012 

By Danielle Campbell

The Society against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) has expressed dissatisfaction at a growing trend of bullying in both the public and private education system perpetrated on students perceived to be overweight, of a different race, or a certain sexual orientation.
As such, the organisation is again urging a comprehensive review of a broad range of policy statements and is calling for the development of clear guidelines with specific reference to the education sector.
During an interview with Guyana Times, SASOD co-chair Joel Simpson revealed that the organisation has received complaints from at least two young students, who have faced homophobic bullying – one at a senior secondary school in the city.

Joel Simpson

The society is attempting to have the information provided by the students, documented for research purposes.
"One of the challenges is that when these students are being harassed by classmates, they don't want to complain for fear of reprisal and further victimisation. So our strategy becomes to work with them just after school to see how we can address the issue in a systematic way," Simpson said.
He added that in such cases, school becomes a challenging environment to work in as there are no formal counselling mechanisms in place for support, guidance, and even solidarity when students face discrimination, harassment or any form of bullying.
The organisation was quick to point out that bullying does not have to be homophobic, but can range from racist remarks to jokes about size, stature, physical features, and deformities.
"We have seen in one particular instance where the school administration has sanctioned this type of bullying by sending a strong message that the confused student should change his orientation," Simpson remarked.
He described this dilemma as problematic and said this situation needs to be addressed at the policy level in terms of educating and training school administrations and to provide a mechanism for students to seek redress.
SASOD Secretary Zenita Nicholson emphasised that there is also no systems in place to deal with holding teachers accountable for allowing any form of bullying and even sanctioning and contributing to it.
Nicholson said when it comes to education and children, once a child is different, they are exposed to the worst forms of schoolyard bullyism and discrimination.
"If that child is too fidgety, let's label him as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or ADHT, and more or less if that child has a suspicion of a sexual orientation, they are called names and taunted and this is encouraged by some teachers."
She noted that when such incidences occur, it is very unfortunate since the child is not encouraged to study and may eventually drop out of school or even commit suicide.
Nicholson believes that this creates unequal rights to education, as well as an imbalance in the way bullied youths have access to schooling without interference.  "They deserve the equal opportunity to an unhindered education just like every child, regardless of their abilities or orientation," Nicholson said.

Cross-dressing and men in the closet
Speaking on the laws against cross-dressing, Nicholson said SASOD has received numerous complaints about police perpetuating crimes against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transvestites (LGBT) who are found in default.
"Some policemen break into their homes, steal their wigs, and carry away their clothes and shoes. They harass them, demand sexual favours, and would even strip them naked on the seawalls and have them walk into the spotlight of their cars," she alleged.
Nicholson said these are reports that she has personally documented, and she is extremely saddened by this state of affairs.

Zenita Nicholson

She explained that during recent consultations, some officers in the disciplined services, who prefer to keep their orientations secret, have expressed embarrassment that their homosexual partners would point them out in public.
"One of the things they told me is that they didn't want to be identified on the street and they didn't want these men to be calling out to them when they are with their workmates.
"They believe that gay men needed to stay in the closet. They claim they needed to be homophobic when they meet their partners on the road, because if they admit to knowing them, their colleagues would subject them to the taunts of being gay."
Nicholson stated that so-called macho men would throw slurs at homosexuals during the day and seek them out for sex at night.

Homophobia
Commenting on the issue of homophobia, Simpson stated that psychological research has proven that one of the factors which drive violent homophobia is a fear within a person that they may have homosexual inclinations.
"Many times when we see people act out violently against gays, it is sometimes because they have struggles within themselves and may themselves be battling with homosexuality," Simpson stressed.
He believes that most of the responsibilities for addressing homophobia reside with state actors, since many of the difficulties surround "legislatory red tape", as homosexual behaviour is still considered criminal.
"So that cross-dressers who are stripped naked by police and placed to walk home in the headlamps of their cars would not want to make a report to police because the law says it's illegal to cross-dress.
"So how do we even start to address issues of justice, if the law already rules out certain lifestyles as criminal?" Simpson questioned.
He remarked that some gay men experience extortion at the hands of police, since they would opt to pay a bribe rather than face arrest or imprisonment.
"For them, the law accentuates the shame and stigma attached to certain behaviours.
This is what we need to change if we want to address the extortion, the harassment, the bribery, and discrimination that come with these issues," Simpson stressed.
He detailed that SASOD has been engaging the Guyana Police Force in an ongoing conversation and is working through all available avenues to continue its mandate of preventing discrimination.
The organisation has printed and distributed brochures on the police powers of arrest, search and questioning so that members who may have committed a crime would not face further violation of their rights due to ignorance.

Homosexuals can be cured
Simpson said the religious community and conservative elements are of the view that sexual orientation is a choice and can be corrected and cured. Referring to remarks by Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, Simpson indicated that research from all parts of the globe has discounted this notion and has proven that attempts to fix homosexuals can cause severe damage to their psyche.
"There are people who struggle every day with homosexuality and trying to change who they are. Some eventually commit suicide and many of them live unhappy lives entering into heterosexual relationships which eventually lead to divorce.
"They don't last; they don't work out and years after when they have children, then they decide they need to face their true orientation. We see all these stories across the world and on Oprah," Simpson related.
He questioned which person in their right mind would choose to live a lesbian, gay, transvestite or bisexual lifestyle knowing the stigma and discrimination that comes with it.
"It doesn't make any sense to me who would choose the most difficult path when it's easier to just live a heterosexual life. So I think it's important that such messages be discounted and be called out for what they are – a psycho-social attempt to reform LGBT people which can be met with very, dire consequences."

Lobbying for law reform
Government recently tabled a motion which was passed in Parliament to hold countrywide consultations with the Guyanese people on three outstanding recommendations outlined by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), on the 2010 Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
The motion asked that a special select committee be established to hold consultations on the death penalty, corporal punishment, and homosexuality and present a report on the findings to the National Assembly.
"I think the parliamentary process will help to strengthen the consultations and how they are viewed. It's important, because it allows for participation from all the parliamentary political parties.
This is important if we are aiming for law reform to address many of the issues which relate to removing the discriminatory laws and policies," Simpson reiterated.
SASOD said it looks forward to when Parliament reopens on October 10.
"We are expecting that the communities directly affected by these laws, that there will be mechanisms for hearing these views and to have them play centre stage in these consultation process," Simpson pointed out.
The Constitution in Article 30 requires that people have a stake in the decisions that directly affect their lives.
"And because we are dealing with issues surrounding marginalised people, we are already starting from the perspective where these groups have less access to mainstream mechanisms… Many of these decisions are dominated by voices which do not have a stake in these issues," Simpson said.

Article can be found on the Guyana Times website at http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/sasod-urges-action-to-stop-homophobic-bullying-in-schools/

Regards,

Richard Pitman

Advocacy and Communication Officer: SASOD - Guyana

Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD)

169 Charlotte Street, 

Lacytown, Georgetown

Email: sasod.officer@gmail.com 

Website: http://www.sasod.org.gy

Phone: (592) 225-7283 (O); 600-5124 (C).

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  - Martin Luther King Jr. 

SASOD Welcomes New Secretary, Zenita Nicholson

Effective September 3, 2012, the SASOD board of trustees changed leadership in the role of Secretary. The organization bid farewell to one of our founding members, trustee and Secretary, Vidyaratha Kissoon, subsequent to earlier notice of his resignation. Trustees paid glowing tributes to Vidya, as he is affectionately known, for the 9 years of service he gave to the organization. Vidya has left an indelible impression on SASOD and the trustees and members wish him resounding success in his future endeavours. His selfless contributions to the tireless work for human rights and social justice continue to reverberate across Guyana and the region.

Filling this key role as Secretary, SASOD warmly welcomes the energetic and passionate, Zenita Nicholson. Zenita joined SASOD as a Project Coordinator and member in April 2011, and quickly began to make vibrant contributions to the work for equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Guyanese, which could not go unnoticed. Zenita graciously assented to this demanding role, ready and willing to make an even greater contribution to the advocacy for LGBT rights in Guyana. She joins Co-Chairpersons, Namela Baynes-Rowe and Joel Simpson, Treasurer, Jermaine Grant, and Ulelli Verbeke to complete the five-person board of trustees who will lead SASOD in its forward quest for full citizenship of all Guyanese, without exception.  

Request for Tenders: External Evaluator

Project Title:         Empowering civil society to challenge homophobic laws and discrimination against LGBTI persons

The project was aimed at enabling civil society organisations to combat and strengthen their role in documenting patterns and incidences of discrimination against LGBTI persons, developing their skills to challenge discrimination as violations of the constitutional right to equality and to advocate for legal reform.

The External Evaluator will be required to evaluate the achievements, effectiveness, relevance, and efficiency of the project.

Duration of Appointment:                18 days

Deadline for Letters of Interest:     14^th September

Expected Start Date:                          19^th September 2012

 

Education

A university degree at the post-graduate level in the social sciences, law or other relevant field of study.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation;
• Solid understanding of and experience working in the Guyanese context;
• Knowledge and experience of human rights;
• Competence in sample survey techniques;
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
• Proven work experience in use of best practice evaluation methods;
• Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations in order to succinctly and clearly distil critical issues;
• Must be a self-starter and be able to work independently with excellent demonstrated teamwork, coordination and facilitation skills;
• Fluency in Microsoft Office

E-mail sasod.coordinator@gmail.com for Terms of Reference.

Letters of Interest must be submitted by email only to:

Programme Coordinator, Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD).

Email sasod.coordinator@gmail.com and copy to sasod_guyana@yahoo.com.  

‘The word transsexual is just a label’

Posted By Oluatoyin Alleyne On August 12, 2012 @ 5:08 am In Local | No Comments

As a child Sade Richardson always knew there was something different about her and it took her years before she realized that she was a female in a male body.
“I knew I was different but I didn’t know why… until I reached to about fifteen, sixteen; then is when I realized who I really was,” she told the Sunday Stabroek in a recent interview.

Sade Richardson

Now 28, Sade is a ‘pre-op transsexual,’ meaning she has started taking hormonal treatment but the process has not been completed to make her a ‘post-op transsexual.’ The road to this point, begun ten years ago, has been a long and arduous long one, and today she continues to fight her battles – most times silently – although it pains her that society is so unaccepting of people like herself.
While she does not allow society to define who she is, it was more than a culture shock when she was required to return to Guyana from the US where she began the road to becoming a transsexual and was forced to deal with a homophobic society. Sade does not want to discuss why she returned to Guyana, nor does she reveal the name she was once known by, but during a difficult interview with the Sunday Stabroek her only appeal was for people like her to be allowed to live their lives.
For her the word ‘transsexual‘ is just a label, which she said is not right, since at the end of the day she is a human being.
“Labels should be abolished; they’re only, in my view, another form of discrimination. Everybody is different, yet everybody is created equal; we’re all human beings. That’s what we all have in common. It’s hard to find myself sometimes (or a lot of the time)… I’m not proud of being transsexual, but I should be proud to be me,” she told the Sunday Stabroek.
Sade said that when she announced she was gay her mother, now deceased, took her to the doctor, and it was discovered that she had more female hormones than male.
“That made her a little more understanding to my sexuality, but she always use to say she don’t want me to be this way because society is going to be bad to me… I always told her not to care about people so much, but a day like today I do understand what she was saying as because of my sexuality a lot of doors are closed to me.”
The youngest of three children Sade said her older sisters have no problem with her sexuality, but some other relatives were not too accepting at first but now they see “I am just trying to live a good decent life and they now show me some respect.”
‘Knowing my sexuality’
Sade said she has no problem with
people knowing her sexuality, and is open about it if asked, but if she is not to be accepted then for herself, the person is not worth knowing.
“The ones that stay and accept your past are the ones that really count,” she commented.
“I love my life, I am comfortable with who I am, but I must admit that there is a big difference in societies from New Jersey to Guyana, but I am already into this lifestyle and I am not going to change for anyone,” she said.
For her some Guyanese just have “too much free time” and they just use it to “up in other people’s business.”
She said some persons can tell she is transsexual, and as such on her return to Guyana she has been through a lot attempting to get a job. She recalled that she applied to manage a new hotel in Essequibo which she described as a “fabulous job.” The operator came to Georgetown to interview her and Sade said the interview went well until he requested identification and at that time her Guyanese ID card described her as a male (she has since changed that).
“Of course it was awkward; he looked at me, looked at the ID again and then he was like curious, and I was like okay [and explained to him] and he was like, I am going to give you call. I am still waiting on that call.”
Sade said there is “a lot of discrimination” in Guyana noting that when people hear about a transsexual they “always think about somebody who is loud, obnoxious or pick fare [prostitute] on the streets.”
“There are a few transsexuals in Guyana who try to make a good living, but because society blocks them from having a good job, a good education, they are forced to go on the street and society is to be blamed to an extent,” Sade said.
She applied for many other jobs, but was never successful and in the end she had to settle for a job as a gardener which she said was very difficult. “That was the only job I could have gotten… and that was hard work, working in the sun, lifting plants and other heavy stuff and it was really difficult.”
Eventually she got a job as the Executive Assistant to designer Sonia Noel. Sade said she has found her home, since she has always been into fashion-designing, and working for the fashion diva is a plus. And Noel does not care about her personal life and allows her to be herself; Sade describes her as job the “greatest ever.” It might be a long way from the one she had at one of Macy’s chain of stores, but it is one she plans to hold on to for a very long time.
“With Miss Noel it has nothing to do with my sexuality, it is whether I can do with my sexuality, it is whether I can do the job or not,” she said.
Speaking about personal relationships, Sade said she has had a few and noted that there are so many people in Guyana who act homophobic but who are bisexual. She is “proud” of her sexuality and whenever she is approached and she is interested she informs the man about it. Now single, Sade said she recently ended a long relationship and that society played a part in its demise.
And while she has had it difficult, Sade said she feels it more for the many cross dressers who have had people throwing bottles at them and some being thrown out of buses because of their sexuality.
“I wish people would stop judging and if they don’t understand something they should just not feel threatened by it and leave it alone,” Sade said.
Sade feels that once she lives a “decent, respectful life” she would eventually get what she wants in life.
“But it is hard with society and trust me I have [gone] through a lot with society,” she said, revealing that she does not take a bus home because she is afraid she might be attacked by someone who recognizes her for who she is. She does not go to certain places either because she is afraid of being attacked, as she has a friend who was attacked for cross dressing.
She has had those occasions where persons insulted her because of sexuality but those are experiences she wishes to forget about and move on. And while she is not sure what consequences she might suffer for publicly declaring who she is, Sade said she felt the urge to speak out because Guyanese need to become more understanding.
“It is hard and sometimes you feel really trapped because you can’t do certain things and you just can’t enjoy your life… and the hurtful thing about it is that the same guy who would to say fire bun and all those kinds of stuff those are the ones who are really into it [having relations with other men],” she said
For her part she hopes that one day Guyanese society would become more understanding towards people like her because everyone is human.

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URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/news/stories/08/12/the-word-transsexual-is-just-a-label/

CARICOM heads of government urged to strengthen sexual rights

CARICOM heads of government urged to strengthen sexual rights

Posted By Stabroek staff On July 5, 2012 @ 5:10 am In Local | No Comments

Regional civil society organizations have called on the Caribbean Community heads of government at their July 4-6 summit in St Lucia to implement an Organization of  American States (OAS) General Assembly resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) that every state supported last month.

They were also urged to fully join the Inter-American human rights system, according to a press release from the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) yesterday.

CAFRA (Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action), CariFLAGS (Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities) and the CVC  were joined by NGOs, Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in Guyana, and United and Strong in St. Lucia, where the meeting is being held.

The annual OAS SOGI resolution has been supported by every Caribbean state for the past five years, the release stated.

Among several other actions, this year’s text calls on 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” and to “consider signing, ratifying, or acceding to, as the case may be, the inter-American human rights instruments”. “Other citizens in the Americas have all these human  rights protections guaranteed  by  Inter-American regional instruments and mechanisms that millions of CARICOM citizens simply do not enjoy,” SASOD’s Joel Simpson noted.

The release said further that SASOD helped to pressure the Guyana government through the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review process to undertake a national consultation on whether the state should continue to criminalize cross-dressing, and same-sex intimacy between consulting adult men in private.

“One has to wonder how committed our leaders are when the region is so underdeveloped in terms of human rights. Human rights protections are part of citizen security. We live in countries in the hemisphere where the state’s local protective mechanisms are the weakest and indicators of inequality, like access to justice and HIV rates, are the worst. And our citizens don’t enjoy recourse to regional bodies when our local protections fail,” Simpson stated.

Meanwhile, the advocates also protested CARICOM’s marginalization of civil society participation in regional governance and demanded a greater voice in contributing to the future of the Caribbean.

“CARICOM doesn’t yet have the simplest  structures for routine civil society participation, unlike most other regional  institutions,”  said  Trinidad-based  Colin  Robinson,  who  is  leading  the  private-public partnership to develop a region-wide human rights advocacy network CariFLAGS.

CariFLAGS leaders include NGOs in Antigua, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The advocates noted, however, that PANCAP (the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS), is one  of  the  few  regional  mechanisms  that  has  genuinely  sought  to  include  civil  society  in  its governance.

CARICOM’s Head for  Human Resources, Health and HIV/AIDS, St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas just last week “endorsed a new complementarity in mission between the new Caribbean Public Health Agency and PANCAP, with the latter  sharpening its focus on human rights, vulnerability and social justice, the release added.

“If we’re serious about PANCAP’s commitment to human rights, what we are asking are these two concrete steps by Heads of Government to express that,” said St. Flavia Cherry of the St. Lucia-based CAFRA, which is also campaigning to strengthen protection of sexual and reproductive rights regionally.

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Article printed from Stabroek News: http://www.stabroeknews.com

URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/news/stories/07/05/caricom-heads-of-government-urged-to-strengthen-sexual-rights/

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.