Lindeners on Saturday staged a second “March against Sodomy”, led by Linden-based Pastor Apostle Nigel London of Come As You Are Ministries.
This time, the march was held at Wismar in the Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) community, commencing from the Bayroc Community Centre Ground and culminating at the Christianburg Community Centre Ground. It was organised under the hashtags #TheMarch #TheMovement #LindenResistSodomy and #WeStandForWhatIsRight.
While it was not as well supported as the first march, which was held at Mackenzie last month, participants who took to the streets in condemnation of the works of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) and its Managing Director, Joel Earl Simpson, continued their calls for enforcement of the laws against buggery in Guyana.
“We stand for what is right, we won’t give up this fight!”; “Righteousness exalts a nation…Sodomy – Abomination, buggery – abomination, man with man – abomination”, and “Adam and Steve – abomination” were among some of the chants which participants shouted as they made their way through the streets. The marchers held placards bearing slogans such as “Protect our children from Sodomy” as they urged all to be a ‘D.O.C’ (Defender of Children).
Lindeners staged another “March against Sodomy” on Saturday at Wismar, Linden in Region 10
A sermon was presented by the Apostle at the Christianburg Community Centre Ground, where he said that “sodomy is abomination, whether private or public…and it is still illegal in Guyana”. Showing an illustration of “boys kissing” which he alleged has been promoted by SASOD, London argued that SASOD and its Managing Director were trying to seek approval not only for adults. He noted that “There’s a curse against sodomites, they can’t produce children and we shall defend our children…SASOD is about sodomy across the board; it’s about lesbianism across the board. It’s not about no age!” London maintained as he called for children to be protected against sodomy.
Following a similar march in the town last month, Simpson had noted that owing to the “intense homophobia promoted by the likes of the Apostle, Linden is a very difficult environment for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) persons to live and feel safe in”, while he explained that homophobic stigma and discrimination have a damaging effect on people’s psychosocial health.
The Apostle appears to have been at loggerheads with Simpson mainly on social media since last year when SASOD launched its LGBT Sexual Health Training project in collaboration with the Linden Care Foundation and others in the community. Since then, there has been some amount of back and forth between the two on social media, with the Apostle also speaking out against Simpson and his work in relation to SASOD, during his weekly locally aired televised live programme. In this regard, Simpson had noted that legal avenues would be explored.
