title taken from “I Won’t Stop” by Timeka Marshall

SASOD Guyana and the Fight for Civil Rights

June is Pride Month! As the world takes to the streets to stand up for Black Lives, we cannot forget about the people within our communities who face additional struggles. Homo- and Transphobic sentiments are still rampant in the Black community. In 2018, there were 26 reported murders of trans people in the United States, the majority being Black transgender women. In the Caribbean, anti-homosexual laws from the time of colonialism are still on the books and as a result, gay and trans citizens are victims of harassment, discrimination, and even violence. I spoke with Joel Simpson, Founder and Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), about the progress his organization has made over the last 17 years in Guyana and how quarantine may be helping the gay and trans community.

The fight for gay rights was sparked on June 28, 1969 when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village. At the time, homosexual acts were illegal and bars could get shut down for having gay employees or serving gay patrons.  The raid sparked six days of protests and served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement around the world. Since then anti-homosexual laws were struck down in most places, but Guyana is the only country in South America where homosexual acts (including anal and oral sex) are still illegal.

SASOD has been fighting to get these laws changed or removed since the group’s inception in 2003 when it consisted mostly of students from the Department of Law at the University of Guyana whose primary mission was to have an amendment bill passed to make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation illegal. When Parliament did not vote on the bill, they launched a forum on June 7th where three members of Parliament attended (despite being advised not to) to workshop the bill. This marked the beginning of the organization.

17 years later, SASOD Guyana has had many successes including decriminalizing cross-dressing, forming Guyana Trans United (GTU), holding the first pride parade in the anglophone Caribbean, and training the Guyana Police Force in LGBTQ+ Human Rights.

Yet changing the hearts and minds of Guyanese citizens about homosexuality has proven more difficult. At a press conference on February 4th, transgender rights spokesperson Jasmine Bacchus noted that she was forced to drop out of school due to bullying.  In 2018, cross-dresser Donneikel Campbell, called “Mogo,” allegedly died as a result of a car crash, yet his family and witnesses were convinced there was foul play. The police refused to investigate these claims. Simpson himself was attacked by a group of men in 2019 at Bourda Market after partying at Palm Court night club. LGBTQ people also face rejection and ostracism from their own families. "What we end up with here is a culture in which any deviation from normalcy is punished. We have queer men and women afraid to be themselves because they want to remain a part of a traditional family.” ~ Akola Thompson

SASOD is spending the COVID-19 quarantine discovering new ways to provide support for their members and those dealing with these harsh realities. “Our reading of the community mood right now is that people need as much stress relief, mental health, psychosocial support, and self care support as they can get.”  Since in-person counseling and group meetings are not possible, the group has gone digital.

Individuals are able to anonymously join meetings and get vital information or help without having to walk into a physical location, which has been a deterrent in the past. With the click of a mouse, they can join a virtual yoga session, queer cafe, or even join a dance party. These sessions are helpful to those in the LGBTQ community who often feel alone and forgotten. The group also hosted a virtual pride parade to remind those who live outside of gender norms and societal conventions to still be proud and enjoy life!

Joel Simpson holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Guyana and a Master of Laws Degree in Human Rights Law from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. He has worked as the UNESCO Human Rights Researcher at the HIV Education Unit at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine campus in Trinidad. SADOD is committed to ending fear-based violence and challenging discrimination to ensure all Guyanese have equal access to healthcare, housing, and fair treatment under the law their home country.

SASOD will be hosting events through July 7th. Head to their Facebook or Instagram pages for updates.