The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) said it has received a commitment from the United Nations Developmental Programme (UNDP) to fund the drafting of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Bill and the process has begun.
SASOD Managing Director Joel Simpson said the UNDP was in the process of advertising for a consultant with the expertise in legislation drafting to commence the process of drafting the bill to address sexual orientation and gender identity.
He added that the LGBTQ advocacy body agreed to draft the bill in order to fast track the process of decriminalising same-sex intimacy and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
A team from SASOD met with Attorney General Basil Williams to discuss the repealing of the anti-buggery law and the task was given to them to draft a bill to incorporate all they are asking for. The advocacy body then took up the challenge and sought the support of its international partners.
The UNDP agreed to fund the drafting and once the consultant was hired, the bill would be ready in a few months.
SASOD, in collaboration with the American University Washington College of Law, chronicled Guyana’s voting records and responses on LGBT human rights issues at international fora and presented the report recently. The report highlighted the country’s failure to comprehensively address LGBT human rights issues such as discrimination and marginalisation.
The Government had responded to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), in April, saying that the issue of decriminalising same-sex intimacy would be taken to a referendum. Several Government Ministers supported this position. However, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said the issue of a referendum was never brought to Cabinet and as such, that was not the position of the Government.
