SASOD to host 5th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial on Sunday

Georgetown - The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) will be hosting its 5th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial on Sunday, May 25, 2014, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm on the steps of the St. George’s Cathedral on North Road.

The event is much more than just a memorial, as it serves as a community mobilization campaign to raise social consciousness about HIV. The Candlelight Memorial brings together affected communities, policy makers, health professionals, religious leaders and members of the public to show solidarity and support for persons infected and affected by HIV; to encourage people to continue to act together, and to call on the public to end stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, and key affected populations. Individuals are invited to show their support through dance, song and/or poetry.

Ms. Desiree Edghill, Vice-Chair of Guyana’s Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund to fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria and Executive Director of Artistes in Direct Support, will deliver the feature address at this year’s Candlelight Memorial under the theme “Let’s Keep the Light on HIV.”

This year’s theme aims to be positive and forward-looking, whilst also recognizing that this remains a memorial event for many. In addition, with the post-2015 development agenda looming, and the imminent replenishment of the Global Fund, the theme speaks to the urgent need to ensure that HIV remains a priority for international policy makers and development agencies worldwide.

The International Candlelight Memorial is committed to ending HIV by raising awareness and advocating for the advancement of effective policies at all levels. Much has been done to improve and advance the HIV response in Guyana, however much more still needed. SASOD is calling for equal access to treatment, prevention and care services for all Guyanese regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. Stigma and discrimination - especially homophobia and transphobia – are barriers to accessing services for the communities we serve. There is an urgent need to end stigma, discrimination and human rights violations, affecting people living with HIV and key populations such as men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, sex workers and young people.

Coordinated by the Global Network of People living with HIV, the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, which is in its 31st year, is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness every year.

Speech on the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Dereck Springer, Director of PANCAP Coordinating Unit

Speech on the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

I am pleased to have been invited by SASOD to deliver remarks at this event to commemorate International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia which is being held under the theme “Free Expression”. My own interpretation of this theme is “I am, Let me be”. This event is being supported by PANCAP/CVC-COIN through the PANCAP Global Fund Round 9 grant.

I particularly note that this day was set aside to draw the attention of policy makers, opinion leaders, social movements, the media, and the public in general to the issues of violence and discrimination affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and to promote a world of tolerance, respect and freedom regardless of people’s sexual orientations or gender identities.

According to UNAIDS 2013 Global Report the Caribbean has made significant progress in combatting HIV, including a decline in prevalence from 1.3% in 2001 to 1% in 2012 with a 49% reduction in new infections between 2001 and 2012, over 90% coverage of services to prevent mother to child transmission, and a 70% coverage rate for ARVs.

Despite these achievements, the HIV epidemic continues to significantly impact some key populations including MSM, sex workers, youth and people who use drugs. A 2012 Lancet study estimates MSM prevalence in the Caribbean to be the highest in the world at 25.4%. 

The region is at a critical point where further progress towards an AIDS-free Caribbean is premised on mobilizing a strong and coordinated multi-sectoral effort to remove the legal, social and cultural barriers that prevent universal access to a wide range of comprehensive and high quality health services.  Eleven CARICOM states have laws which criminalize consensual sex between same sex adults. Recent studies conducted by the Health Policy Project in selected countries have found stigma and discriminatory practices present across all levels of staff in health systems. The Global Commission on HIV and the Law has found that countries that criminalize same-sex sexual activity have higher HIV prevalence rates among MSM than countries that do not.  Specific to the Caribbean, stigma is cited as the main reason for the lack of attention to marginalised groups in the prevention efforts, and their general lack of access to HIV-related services, and stigmatising and discriminatory legal and policy measures are common in the regional legal systems. In recognition of these challenges, the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework (CRSF) 2014-2018 is grounded on the understanding that ending HIV is not possible until the human rights of all people, and particularly those most vulnerable to HIV, are fully realized.

The Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) is collaborating with UNAIDS to implement a programme of activities under the theme, Justice for All. The aim of the programme is to promote activities consistent with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which all countries are committed. More specifically, it is intended to achieve one of the goals of the United Nations High Level Meeting Political Declaration (2011) to eliminate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV by 2015 and to uphold the human rights and dignity of all. It is consistent with UNAIDS’ seven key programmes to reduce stigma and discrimination and increase access to justice and build on the findings and recommendations of the Caribbean Regional Dialogue of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law. In this regard national consultations have been held in Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname, and St. Kitts & Nevis, and a Caribbean Consultation on Justice for All and Human Rights agenda was held in April in Jamaica. Other countries are scheduled to convene national consultations in 2014.  A Justice for All Roadmap has been developed as an outcome of a literature review and national and the regional consultations with four priority areas geared towards; i) increasing access to treatment including affordable medicines; ii) reducing gender inequality including violence against women; iii) promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights; and iv) achieving legislative reform by modifying and repealing discriminatory laws. A PANCAP Declaration - GETTING TO ZERO DISCRIMINATION THROUGH JUSTICE FOR ALL has also been developed and will be presented to Heads of Government at their Conference in July 2014 for endorsement.

There are encouraging signs in relation to law reform and shifting attitudes towards LGBT. The Caribbean Court of Justice recently granted Maurice Tomlinson, a Jamaican, Special Leave for the case to go forward to allow further examination of the free movement issue and what constitutes undesirable etc. The statement by the Court that both Belize and T&T “agree that being a homosexual cannot, as such, qualify a CARICOM national as an “undesirable person” within the meaning of the 2007 Conference Decision.” The results of UNAIDS Regional Support Team online poll conducted in selected Caribbean countries provide evidence that there is a positive change occurring in the Caribbean society as more people report accepting attitudes toward gay men. The PANCAP Model Anti-discrimination Legislation which was approved by the CARICOM Legal Affairs Committee in July 2012 is being used as the basis for national dialogue on Justice for All.

I hasten to point out however that this progress, though nascent, is due primarily to bold advocacy at the community, national, regional and global level. SASOD’s resolute efforts in this area of calling attention to and working towards the achievements of rights for LGBT persons must be commended and must be seen in the context of a bottom up approach which serves as a catalyst for change among policy makers and gatekeepers including faith, youth, CSOs and private sector leaders and the media.  

SASOD must also be commended for the work it has started in helping our society to ‘take the time to understand’ - to understand our diversity and to respect persons whose sexual identity is different from theirs.

We must also take the time to help people to acknowledge that everyone has values irrespective of how those values are different from theirs. At a personal level we must do our own introspection to ensure that our work is geared towards valuing the diversity of all people and seeing everyone as a valid part of that diversity. In so doing we would be demonstrating that we are willing to address the prejudice in ourselves and others.

I believe that SASOD has helped open a new era in history and stormed the gates of the status quo with the confidence that collectively you would prevail.

Our dreams for change must be big. Our strategies must be big too. I remain confident that those of us who stand on the side of justice for all will continue to also influence change from the bottom up by remaining steadfast in our quest for social inclusion, through the removal of legal, social and cultural barriers in the Caribbean that deny people their rights and enjoyment of the freedom to be.  PANCAP will continue to advocate at the policy level and mobilise resources to support efforts aimed achieving justice for all.

I salute SASOD on convening this commemorative event and launching its SASOD Cine Campaign.

Access to Justice a Sore Issue in Sex Crimes – People tell Public Forum

Speakers at Sunday’s Public Forum on the Use of Sexual Violence in Gross Human Rights Violations, all reiterated the need for our justice system to be strengthened when it comes to enforcing the laws against sexual offences.
Speakers included Danuta Radzik of Help and Shelter, Wintress White of Red Thread, and Zenita Nicholson of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), who also moderated the event. This forum was organized in commemoration of International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, observed annually on March 24. The aims were done to raise awareness to the scourge of sexual violence affecting our society, to acknowledge that victims of this type of crime rarely receive justice and to develop a plan of action on how this issue can be addressed collectively within our communities.  Participants were placed into small working groups and given an opportunity to discuss key issues in addressing sexual violence in our communities, in institutional settings and the justice system.
In her presentation, Radzik spoke extensively on the rape culture in Guyana which she reiterated is fuelled and sustained by rape myths, stereotypical, traditional and fixed beliefs of gender and gender roles, homophobia and false notions of masculinity and sexism. She also gave a very comprehensive overview of the Sexual Offences Act 2010 which is known to be one to the most progressive laws on sexual offences in the Caribbean. Her presentation also pointed out, however, that the implementation of this law proves to be a challenge. Additionally, Guyanese are not fully aware of this law and as a result, prosecution under this Act remains very low. Particularly challenging as well is recognizing that men are also  raped. While the laws clearly recognizes this, as a society, male victims of sexual violence are too often dehumanized, and further victimized if they report being raped. Rape is also used as a form of torture against men, as is the case in the Colwyn Harding incident.

Danuta Radzik presenting at the forum

Presenters Wintress White and Zenita Nicholson both reiterated that survivors of rape often suffer a systemic violation of their rights as often times the authorities fail to act or are slow to act when rape is reported by specific vulnerable groups in our population. White exemplified her point  by sharing the experience of a sex worker who attempted to report that she was raped to the police and they in turn chased her away chastising that ‘sex workers do not get raped.’ These rape myths, White noted, need to be debunked; anyone can be raped regardless of their profession. She further pointed out that police officers need to be properly trained on the Sexual Offences Act and that it is their duty to respond to every report of sexual abuse made to them.

Wintress White (standing) facilitating a working group discussion

In addressing the manner in which reports of rapes of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons are handled by the police, Zenita Nicholson remarked that “this is where we see the most overt violations of human rights occurring.” She stated that oftentimes LGBT persons do not report sexual abuse to the authorities because they are further victimized by the police and healthcare providers. She pointed out that a vast majority of sexual abuse incidents go unreported by LGBT persons as the victims feel they have no real form of redress for the everyday acts of discrimination they endure in society.
After the presentations, participants were placed into three discussion groups: one group dealt with sexual violence in institutional settings, another dealt with sexual violence and the community and the third group dealt with sexual violence and the justice system. Some key issues arising from these discussions included the need to address the development of rape culture in Guyana where victims are blamed and the incident trivalised.  Participants noted that citizens are not educated on the laws and as a result they do not know how to seek justice. They also pointed out that service providers and police officers need to be educated on the laws regarding sexual offences and that they need sensitivity training on how to respond to survivors of sex crimes. Of concern too was the fact that the Sexual Offences Act does not adequately cover sexual harassment in the workplace and that this leaves many victims of sexual assault in the workplace or in institutional settings without recourse if they fall prey to sexual predators. Other issues arising are the normalizing of violent sexual acts by promoting sexually explicit musical lyrics and videos. The recommendations made to address these issues were documented by the host groups.

Participants discussing recommendations in a working group

After the forum, a donation was collected to support the efforts of the Colwyn Harding Support Group to seek justice and proper medical care for Harding.
This forum was organized by the Colwyn Harding Support Group, Help and Shelter, Red Thread and SASOD.
View photos from this event here

International Women of Courage Award: Acceptance Speech

International Women of Courage Award

Acceptance Speech

Zenita Nicholson

March 2014

Honourable Ministers and Members of Parliament; Ambassador of the United States to Guyana, Mr. Brent Hartl Charge d’ Affaires, Mr. Bryan Hunt;  Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Special Invitees; Colleagues; Family and Friends, good evening to you all.

I am indeed humbled and greatly honoured to receive this award. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to the Embassy of the United States of America, Georgetown, for this honour.

 “Nicholson receives the award from Chargé d’ Affaires Bryan Hunt” (Stabroek News)

I did not make the journey here alone. Numerous people have supported me along the way. Early in my life, I learned the importance of courage. I thank first my mother for instilling values of respect, honour and honesty in me. I grew up in a “traditional family” where I often encountered inequality. And I always demanded equal treatment with my younger brother.

I am blessed with an amazing and supportive family; Daria, my daughter, and Dimitri, my son, who have endured my long work days without complaining; Aunty B, who helps to care for my children during these hours. Needless to say, I have had and continue to have a lot of support from various friends, or in my definition, the family I have chosen for myself: my mentor, Mr. Dereck Springer, who I met during a very difficult period in my life and whose counsel reverberated so distinctly it gave me new life - to this day his words echo within me, “Never let anyone tell you, you can’t do something, ever!” - he said, and I believed him. SASOD Founder and Co-Chair, Mr. Joel Simpson, who has been and continues to be a rock of support to me as a friend and comrade in our work for equality; SASOD Co-Chair, Ms. Ulelli Verbeke for being my activist sounding board and finest friend; and Mr. Adrianus Vlugman for his guidance.

 “SASOD’s Zenita Nicholson with her family, friends and colleagues after receiving the 2014 Secretary of State’s International Woman of Courage Award” (Guyana Times)

I've also had wonderful support and encouragement from the contractors, members and volunteers of SASOD – Arlene, Schemel, Tiffany, Carl, Quincy, Collis, Allan, Ewan, Alana, Pere, Leon, John, Keimo, Khemraj, Shane, Natasha, Sherlina, Navina, David, Anton, Randy, Deborah, Subraj, Alex, Nastassia, Priscila; and others - as well as my employers, the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC). I could not stand here with you today without all of the support from Dr. Ingrid Cox, Dr. John Waters, Dr. Carolyn Gomes, Mr. Ian McKnight and the rest of CVC family. 

“Posing with her prestigious accolade” (Kaieteur News)

Today, I am being honored for my courage. But the truth is, I have no courage; not compared to those who inspire me to advocate for equality, human rights and dignity.

 I am inspired by: the courage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people living in Guyana - a country where adult same-sex intimacy and cross-dressing is criminalised and highly stigmatised.

I am inspired by ordinary Guyanese who dare to express their sexual orientation and gender identity: by those whose daily lives are filled with violence, rejection, abuse and discrimination, those who are being denied their rights to work, health, education and freedom of expression, and other basic rights that many of us take for granted.

I know their struggles, and I am very proud to be part of the human rights movement in Guyana, calling for the repeal of discriminatory laws and enactment of laws which protect people from discrimination, based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. I am proud to be a leader of SASOD - the national organization and movement that is striving to make equality and justice a reality for every Guyanese citizen, especially our LGBT brothers and sisters.

Once again, thanks for this acknowledgement of our work - especially knowing that I work every day with people who are equally deserving. However, I am even more grateful for the opportunity to be a human rights advocate and activist. I dedicate this award to the LGBT Guyanese who fight daily struggles for their very existence, without recognition, reward or recompense. To the girls of the Guyana Trans United – Pearl, Peaches, Falatama, Isabella, Priyanka, Angel, Twinkle, Tyra, Lazana and the others – you are really the women of courage! You are all beautifully fierce and fearless trans-women and I salute you with this award! To the late Charcoe, Tiffany, Darshanie, and others, whose lives were snuffed out due to hate and stigma, I humbly accept this award in your memories.   

Again, I thank you.

 International Women of Courage Award