Gay rights, Islamophobia and child protection in Guyana after Orlando..

Saturday morning. Baigan choka and roti at the roti shop on the East Coast.  Some mornings there is vicious cussing and so but it is a nice quiet morning .

A 'gay' walks in.. (male to female transgender). Normal occurrence in many parts of 'rural' Guyana where there is acknowledgement that people can be different. A man in shades and with tattoos hails up and there is banter between the two.. the 'gay' playfully brushing his hand on the young man's head before going to eat.  Free space.  

Saturday morning. Strange headline in the Chronicle "Can’t fight hate with hate — Simpson calls on Guyanese to reject Islamophobia. 

There was a private function hosted by Scheherazade and Kashir Khan who have rejected the violence committed in the name of Islam.  The event was co-hosted with SASOD.  I know the Khan family and I do not believe they have to accept responsibility for anything that any other person does in the name of Islam. I was a member of SASOD until I resigned in June 2012.

The Chronicle talks about comments from the Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence and other persons - calling for love, tolerance etc.


Child protection and gay rights in Guyana
Minister of Social Protection has aligned herself on the correct side of LGBT equality - managing to talk nicely which would have been welcome.

Minister Lawrence has also had no problems defending a party colleague who was accused more than once of child sexual abuse, and nominating him for the City Council.  Red Thread, and other NGOs and individuals who have advocated against homophobia have called for her removal as Minister of Social Protection, They have called for resolution of the allegations, and for investigation of her involvement in the Childcare and Protection Agency's handling of the most recent allegation.

SASOD though , has not made any public calls for the removal of Minister Lawrence in the public domain, nor made any comment. It could be that they no longer choose to be visible in the advocacy for child protection and see no harm in colluding with a Minister who is not interested in child protection when her party colleagues are concerned.

At the event in which Islamophobia is to be rejected  the Minister would be calling for love and tolerance for LGBT and declaring thats "“Violence in all forms is intolerable, and measures must be put in place to eliminate all aspects of radical and extreme behavior,” she declared

It is unfortunate that there are no reports, that no one protested that sexual abuse and disruption of the justice system which prevents resolution of allegations of child sexual abuse are also"radical and extreme behaviour"

There can be no justice for LGBT citizens without justice for children or any other oppressed group in Guyana or the world.

There can be no justice for children if there is polite acceptance of an LGBT friendly Minister who is more interested in her political party than in justice for children



Islamophobia and gay rights

The headline of the article talked about Rejecting Islamophobia. and the article refers to comments made about 'Islamophobia in the United States'

I have no intention in ending my own Islamophobia as it comes to human rights in Guyana.

Like the Khan family, I believe I reject and condemn the Islam , especially in Guyana, which continues to oppress and support the oppression of LGBT citizens and other people.

The Islamic homophobia in Guyana has been active and engaged and LGBT advocates have had to deal with the bizarre claims. The LGBT advocates as far as I know have been respectful of Islam though, and there has been no rainbow jihad for example in which Queenstown Masjid or any other Masjid has been painted overnight in rainbow colours.



The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana has made no excuses for its opposition  to legal changes which will eradicate discrimination against LGBT.

I don't know if love is involved in SASOD's  challenge of CIOG's protest about some postage stamps issued to support LGBT equality. 

While SASOD has indicated gay marriage is not on its agenda, (and it might be on the agenda, there are Muslims whose Islam it seems we must not hate  who will be upset at any agenda which includes gay marriage.

The religious homophobia in Guyana is not restricted to Islamic versions.


 
As the reporter wrote in 2006 in this Stabroek News article , "Religious bodies disagree, sometimes vehemently, on matters pertaining to their faiths, but, not surprisingly, they are united on many of the so-called taboo issues including homosexuality and the use of condoms."

Love though has come from other religious persons who have rejected homophobia in the name of God and who do not expect reciprocity.


Loving murderers, child abusers and homosexuals..
The words 'love' and 'hate' have different meanings to different people.  I know that the stereotypes are influenced in teh media. I remember a woman telling me she would not buy from a Muslim street vendor 'because she was a Muslim' - just after 9/11. I had to say.. look, yall is both Guyanese okay?

While it is good to talk about turning the other cheek and so, and not responding to murderers with hate,, surely though there must be justice?

I recognise that all Muslims are not responsible for Orlando. I recognise that there Muslims, Christians and others who supported the killer's actions.

I believe that in building  Guyana from that brief moment of time in the roti  space this morning, no Guyanese or other citizen should ever be called upon to accept injustice as part of 'love' and rejecting Islamophobia or any other religious phobia.



Love for me includes using every  opportunity to hold public officials , religious bodies and other citizens accountable for their perpetration of injustice against anyone.

Love for me  includes demands for accountability and justice and rejecting those who think that murderers, child abusers and homosexuals are to be loved the same way and be treated by the legal system as criminals.

Love for me is challenging Minister Lawrence's continued position as Minister of Social Protection despite her  acceptance of LGBT as she refuses to deal with the allegations of child abuse against her colleague.

Love for me is knowing that the only shootings this week did not happen in Orlando, but across the world and that the mourning and lamenting should not be selective.

Love for me is asking those who do not want Guyanese to challenge hate with hate to use their privilege to demand that Minister Lawrence is removed from her portfolio as there are independent investigations into the allegations of child abuse against her colleague.