OPINION: Repeal colonial-era, anti-gay laws to reflect Guyanese values

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 March 2025, 21:26 by Writer

by Chandrawattie Persaud

Chandrawattie Persaud is an Attorney-at-Law who provides legal advice and representation in a wide range of civil and criminal matters. Persaud has served as a Director on the Boards of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. She is presently an External Evaluator of the National Accreditation Council of Guyana, Civil Society Representative on Guyana’s Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism, and a Commissioner of the National Suicide Prevention Commission. Persaud also served as the General Secretary of the Guyana Public Service Union for a number of years. She is a member of the Master of Public Health Alumni Association of Guyana, and a member of the Guyana Bar Association where she served as the Secretary and Vice-President.

March is Women’s History Month, and this month, on March 8, the world celebrated International Women’s Day. It was 30 years ago, in 1995, that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action urged the global community to guarantee equal rights and opportunities for women and girls everywhere. On March 8, 2013, United States President Brack Obama had declared, “we know that empowering all women and girls is not just the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do.” 

Since the Beijing platform, women and girls have shattered barriers, defied stereotypes, and demanded their rightful place in universities, board rooms, elected offices and many more important spaces. Progress has not been perfect. We know that millions of women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and the rate of progress worldwide must be sped up. Yet, the impact of our collective work cannot be denied. 

As I reflect on this progress, I feel a connection to the many intersectional movements working to create a more inclusive and equitable society. As a woman, I benefit from the efforts of those before me who fought for women’s educational opportunities and who valued women’s contributions without segregation. I recalled the late Honourable Madam Justice Desiree Bernard, former Chancellor of Guyana and Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice as a very vibrant personality touching the lives of many people in Guyana and the Caribbean in so many ways. 

Today, I stand as an ally for my lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) colleagues, neighbours and friends. Here in Guyana, I have read, heard personal stories and have had discussions with LGBT people, several of whom are clients, who continue to face high levels of exclusion, harassment and violence. Laws that stigmatise LGBT folk, including those criminalising same-sex intimacy, lead to further discrimination in education, employment, healthcare and social services. 

As the leaders of the women’s movement understood, challenging societal norms and identities is never easy. Many women and LGBT people have had the experience of being treated unfairly, judged by different standards or being denied an opportunity based on perceptions and gender stereotypes. Discrimination and harassment in any form is wrong, whether it is based on our own gender, or because of the gender of the person we love.

Personally, I grew up on the Essequibo coast and I come from a humble family where the values of hard work, persistence and drive are never overlooked. I was taught to believe that if you work hard, care for your family, and contribute to your community, you could earn the respect of others. These values guided me as I became involved in the local trade union movement, advocating for workers’ rights. This led to my legal career and made me a stronger advocate for justice.

As a child growing up, I was taught the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s a saying that truly applies to every aspect of life. Respecting others means treating our gay, bisexual and trans neighbours the way that we would want to be treated. Their human rights are on the same scale as any other, nothing less.

LGBT people are our neighbours, friends, family members and coworkers – they are a part of our communities and care for their families, just like we do. No member of anyone’s family should be treated differently because of who they are or whom they love. And it is beyond time that Guyana’s laws were changed to end the discriminatory policy of criminalising same-sex intimacy.

These outdated laws — originally imposed on Guyana in 1893 by the British — do not reflect the values of today’s Guyanese society. The British have moved on a long time ago. A 2022 poll shows that a strong majority of Guyanese support eliminating the law criminalizing same-sex intimacy. The people expressed their opinion freely in the poll. Support is even higher among younger people. It is clear that future generations will not accept colonial-era laws that marginalize and exclude LGBT people. As more countries closer to Guyana and around the world overturned their discriminatory laws, Guyana should not wait any longer to be on the right side of history.

As someone who has studied and worked in public health for over a decade, it goes without saying that health and human rights are intimately linked together. It has been established that criminalisation of same-sex intimacy, along with pervasive discrimination, obstructs LGBT people from accessing key health services, including testing and treatment for HIV, communicable diseases and other life-saving care. Expert bodies, like UNDP and UNAIDS, have made it clear that decriminalising same-sex intimacy will save lives and is a crucial step towards equality, dignity, and health for all.

Guyana is a country rich in diversity. We have come a long way in building a more inclusive society and I am grateful for our progress. Every individual contributes to our national fabric, and that includes our LGBT neighbours, coworkers, friends and family. We cannot wish anyone away. I encourage each of you to join me in supporting the “Guyana Together” campaign. Together we can help to make change in terms of unity for the Guyana we all love.