Gay rights in the Caribbean : response to questions from a UK based journalist
(These questions were posed by a journalist who wanted to know more about gay rights in the Caribbean after reading the report : Dangerous Liaisons - The American Religious Right & Criminalisation of Homosexuality in Belize )
1) What is your age, current job title and responsibilities?
I am 42 years old. I work as an independent contractor . I have been involved in the work against gender based violence and child abuse, since 2002 in LGBT activism I am involved in different activities, including the co-ordination of the Caribbean International Resources Network . One of the recent projects is the Theorizing Homophobia in the Caribbean collection which contains several activist reports and other items.
2) How did you get involved in LGBT activism? What’s your personal goal?
In 2001, Guyana was going through a constitutional reform process. There was an amendment which would include 'sexual orientation' as one of the grounds for non-discrimination. The parliament voted for the amendment, but President Jagdeo wilted under the rhetoric of sections of the Christian and Muslim communities and did not assent to the amendment. The issue came up in 2003 again. I was one of the organisers of a public forum on 'Sexual Orientation as a Fundamental Right for Guyanese' Later on, some students formed SASOD and I was a trustee and member of SASOD until my resignation in June 2012.
My personal goals are 1) to ensure that all Guyanese enjoy the equality which they are entitled to under the Constitution and 2) to reject the dominant oppressive religious views which seem to direct public policy. I am Hindu and I could not believe that the human rights of Guyanese would be determined by persons whose religious views encouraged discrimination.
3) What is it like growing up gay in Guyana? What’s the culture like surrounding the LGBT community?
Different persons have different experiences depending on where they live, their economic status, their family support, their ability to 'disguise' their sexual orientation. This essay by Greg Sanjay eloquently expresses experiences which many persons would probably identify with. The report Collateral Damage : The social impact of laws affecting LGBT in Guyana has some more of the experiences.
The culture varies from tolerant and accepting, to one in which violence and hostility are expressed. Many LGBT are discriminated against in work settings and it is difficult to find redress. The recently launched survey report 'Attitudes Towards Homosexuals in Guyana" shows some of the beliefs including some of the contradictions.
4) Can you describe the role of religion in Guyana/Caribbean as a whole? Do people go to church? Which kind of doctrine is preached regarding homosexuality? What does the average church-going person believe about gays?
Religion is important in the Caribbean and most citizens would claim some faith, though how they practice or align themselves to the faith is different. There are different denominations of Christianity, and then in Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname and some other countries, Hinduism and Islam are present. There are other faith practices. The doctrine varies - and ranges from recognition of the rights of homosexuals (even though homosexuality might be considered a sin) made by the RC Bishop of Roseau in Dominica, , Swami Aksharanada in Guyana, Rev Chisolm in Jamaica - to the calls for preservation of discriminatory laws made by Belize Action and the Evangelical Churches in Guyana/Guyana Council of Churches.
5) What is the law as it stands now in Guyana in terms of the “legality” surrounding homosexuality? Is the law enforced?
There are the cross dressing laws which are being challenged in Guyana's court; and the sodomy laws. The report Collateral Damage : The social impact of laws affecting LGBT in Guyana has some details about how these are enforced and not enforced. The cross dressing laws have been used to target trans persons. The presence of the sodomy laws has given license to many to discriminate.
6. Does Guyana have a history of hate crimes against the gay community? What percentage of the population is homophobic?
There is a violence and discrimination towards the LGBT community as documented in the reports above. The survey mentioned above suggests that 25% of Guyanese are 'homophobic'
7) Do you agree with the statement that the Caribbean is in the same position as the US was 40 years ago in terms of gay rights? How does it differ? Do you think the Caribbean will ever achieve the same level of equality as the US? Did the recent Supreme Court decision (DOMA and Prop 8) here create any sense of optimism in Caribbean countries?
I do not know enough of the history of LGBT rights in the USA. I would imagine that in 1973 work was being done and I know that many critics have said that the LGBT movement in the USA was much more leftist and progressive, focussed not only on LGBT issues but on all issues of inequality, while now Marriage Equality dominated the discussion. I am aware that there are views about the intersectionality of oppression experienced by LGBT persons of colour, for whom marriage is not a primary concern. Equality in the US as evidenced in the recent Zimmerman/Travon Martin case is not what we want for the Caribbean.
I would hope that the Caribbean learns for its own history of violence oppression and transforms itself into a place where every citizen can achieve their full potential.
Many of us are charmed by President Obama and so his views on LGBT issues would have been heard by 'silent' admirers.
8) Do you think Guyana would be in the same position as it is now had it remained a British colony? I understand there are remaining colonies in the Caribbean that have decriminalized homosexuality at the urging of their mother countries. Are their cultures more tolerant of the LGBT community because of this?
Would we be in the position now if the British had sought not to colonise and enslave in the first place? The independence movements in the colonies were motivated by a desire to remove the inequalities and injustices which were prevalent, and the work has to continue to do that.. not only in the colonies but I assume from the different social justice movements, in the UK as well. In 2011, the British High Commissioner acknowledged the historic role. The change in laws in many of the territories have been recent so I cannot assess the tolerance in those countries. Martinique for example had its first gay marriage.. while Haiti, one of the countries which did not have sodomy laws.. had the most bizarre campaigns against a non-existent 'same sex marriage bill' which resulted in violence. The Government of Haiti condemned the violence and the homophobia of the marches.
David Cameron's recent desire to 'export gay marriage' is troubling given that citizens face many issues and marriage is not a priority.
9) What are your thoughts surrounding Belize’s new gender policy?The gender policy which the government adopted indicated the willingness of the government to deal with issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The opposition which has resulted.. the constitutional marches, etc organised by the religious groups are also telling. Trinidad & Tobago also has been discussing a gender policy, which did not include sexual orientation.
10) If there’s anything I didn’t mention that you would like to add, feel free to do so.
We cannot ignore the rhetoric imported from North America which is used against the efforts to mobilise LGBT equality. There is massive funding and I have noticed how bizarre some of the claims are. It is one thing when people feel the need to express a view, it is another when there is aggressive mobilisation based on surveys and research which make no sense. I hope that the United States government does something about this export of hatred.
The Caribbean is a complex place. The experiences of violence and discrimination are real ,and there is no justice for many of the LGBT persons face discrimination. The resistance to the homophobia is also a part of Caribbean life too.
1) What is your age, current job title and responsibilities?
I am 42 years old. I work as an independent contractor . I have been involved in the work against gender based violence and child abuse, since 2002 in LGBT activism I am involved in different activities, including the co-ordination of the Caribbean International Resources Network . One of the recent projects is the Theorizing Homophobia in the Caribbean collection which contains several activist reports and other items.
2) How did you get involved in LGBT activism? What’s your personal goal?
In 2001, Guyana was going through a constitutional reform process. There was an amendment which would include 'sexual orientation' as one of the grounds for non-discrimination. The parliament voted for the amendment, but President Jagdeo wilted under the rhetoric of sections of the Christian and Muslim communities and did not assent to the amendment. The issue came up in 2003 again. I was one of the organisers of a public forum on 'Sexual Orientation as a Fundamental Right for Guyanese' Later on, some students formed SASOD and I was a trustee and member of SASOD until my resignation in June 2012.
My personal goals are 1) to ensure that all Guyanese enjoy the equality which they are entitled to under the Constitution and 2) to reject the dominant oppressive religious views which seem to direct public policy. I am Hindu and I could not believe that the human rights of Guyanese would be determined by persons whose religious views encouraged discrimination.
3) What is it like growing up gay in Guyana? What’s the culture like surrounding the LGBT community?
Different persons have different experiences depending on where they live, their economic status, their family support, their ability to 'disguise' their sexual orientation. This essay by Greg Sanjay eloquently expresses experiences which many persons would probably identify with. The report Collateral Damage : The social impact of laws affecting LGBT in Guyana has some more of the experiences.
The culture varies from tolerant and accepting, to one in which violence and hostility are expressed. Many LGBT are discriminated against in work settings and it is difficult to find redress. The recently launched survey report 'Attitudes Towards Homosexuals in Guyana" shows some of the beliefs including some of the contradictions.
4) Can you describe the role of religion in Guyana/Caribbean as a whole? Do people go to church? Which kind of doctrine is preached regarding homosexuality? What does the average church-going person believe about gays?
Religion is important in the Caribbean and most citizens would claim some faith, though how they practice or align themselves to the faith is different. There are different denominations of Christianity, and then in Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname and some other countries, Hinduism and Islam are present. There are other faith practices. The doctrine varies - and ranges from recognition of the rights of homosexuals (even though homosexuality might be considered a sin) made by the RC Bishop of Roseau in Dominica, , Swami Aksharanada in Guyana, Rev Chisolm in Jamaica - to the calls for preservation of discriminatory laws made by Belize Action and the Evangelical Churches in Guyana/Guyana Council of Churches.
5) What is the law as it stands now in Guyana in terms of the “legality” surrounding homosexuality? Is the law enforced?
There are the cross dressing laws which are being challenged in Guyana's court; and the sodomy laws. The report Collateral Damage : The social impact of laws affecting LGBT in Guyana has some details about how these are enforced and not enforced. The cross dressing laws have been used to target trans persons. The presence of the sodomy laws has given license to many to discriminate.
6. Does Guyana have a history of hate crimes against the gay community? What percentage of the population is homophobic?
There is a violence and discrimination towards the LGBT community as documented in the reports above. The survey mentioned above suggests that 25% of Guyanese are 'homophobic'
7) Do you agree with the statement that the Caribbean is in the same position as the US was 40 years ago in terms of gay rights? How does it differ? Do you think the Caribbean will ever achieve the same level of equality as the US? Did the recent Supreme Court decision (DOMA and Prop 8) here create any sense of optimism in Caribbean countries?
I do not know enough of the history of LGBT rights in the USA. I would imagine that in 1973 work was being done and I know that many critics have said that the LGBT movement in the USA was much more leftist and progressive, focussed not only on LGBT issues but on all issues of inequality, while now Marriage Equality dominated the discussion. I am aware that there are views about the intersectionality of oppression experienced by LGBT persons of colour, for whom marriage is not a primary concern. Equality in the US as evidenced in the recent Zimmerman/Travon Martin case is not what we want for the Caribbean.
I would hope that the Caribbean learns for its own history of violence oppression and transforms itself into a place where every citizen can achieve their full potential.
Many of us are charmed by President Obama and so his views on LGBT issues would have been heard by 'silent' admirers.
8) Do you think Guyana would be in the same position as it is now had it remained a British colony? I understand there are remaining colonies in the Caribbean that have decriminalized homosexuality at the urging of their mother countries. Are their cultures more tolerant of the LGBT community because of this?
Would we be in the position now if the British had sought not to colonise and enslave in the first place? The independence movements in the colonies were motivated by a desire to remove the inequalities and injustices which were prevalent, and the work has to continue to do that.. not only in the colonies but I assume from the different social justice movements, in the UK as well. In 2011, the British High Commissioner acknowledged the historic role. The change in laws in many of the territories have been recent so I cannot assess the tolerance in those countries. Martinique for example had its first gay marriage.. while Haiti, one of the countries which did not have sodomy laws.. had the most bizarre campaigns against a non-existent 'same sex marriage bill' which resulted in violence. The Government of Haiti condemned the violence and the homophobia of the marches.
David Cameron's recent desire to 'export gay marriage' is troubling given that citizens face many issues and marriage is not a priority.
9) What are your thoughts surrounding Belize’s new gender policy?The gender policy which the government adopted indicated the willingness of the government to deal with issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The opposition which has resulted.. the constitutional marches, etc organised by the religious groups are also telling. Trinidad & Tobago also has been discussing a gender policy, which did not include sexual orientation.
10) If there’s anything I didn’t mention that you would like to add, feel free to do so.
We cannot ignore the rhetoric imported from North America which is used against the efforts to mobilise LGBT equality. There is massive funding and I have noticed how bizarre some of the claims are. It is one thing when people feel the need to express a view, it is another when there is aggressive mobilisation based on surveys and research which make no sense. I hope that the United States government does something about this export of hatred.
The Caribbean is a complex place. The experiences of violence and discrimination are real ,and there is no justice for many of the LGBT persons face discrimination. The resistance to the homophobia is also a part of Caribbean life too.
LOL Here are two of mine:
ReplyDeleteDo you think Trinidad would be in the same position as it is now had it remained a British colony?
Why would anyone want to ask such a question? Would the US be in the same position? LGBTI Iraqis are worse off under US occupation that they were under Sadaam. We'd not have control over our energy resources or our destiny. That would be different.
I understand there are remaining colonies in the Caribbean that have decriminalized homosexuality at the urging of their mother countries. Are their cultures more tolerant of the LGBT community because of this?
In many regards their cultures on these issues are influenced by the cultures of the respective European nations or the US. However, in the case of the US, this culture is far from uniform, even in the 50 states. Some, like the French DOM and some Dutch territories, do not have distinct legal systems. In all instances, however, they remain "more" homophobic than metropolitan areas of the mother country, much like rural areas in those countries might. In the case of the British overseas territories that may be the focus of your question, the imposition (not urging) of decriminalization has produced conflicts and the assertion by religious groups and others of "culture".
I don't see the point of pressing the question whether remaining colonized and dependent would have given LGBT people freedom. The Bahamas decriminalized adult same-sex relations in 1991; Puerto Rico had a sodomy law until 2002.