Dr Norton, SASOD to lead anti-discrimination law reform
Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton has committed to working with the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), in reforming the Prevention of Discrimination Act 1997, to protect members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
A SASOD delegation met with the new Social Cohesion Minister at his Ministry of the Presidency Office to discuss their partnership in working to foster
From left: SASOD Social Change Coordinator Jairo Rodrigues; Technical Officer in the Department of Social Cohesion Pamela Nauth; Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton; SASOD Managing Director Joel Simpson and SASOD Advocacy and Communication Officer Schemel Patrick
cohesiveness in society.
SASOD’s Managing Director Joel Simpson, Social Change Coordinator Jairo Rodrigues and Advocacy and Communications Officer Schemel Patrick, attended the meeting to discuss the Ministry’s public education work, which is pivotal in the prevention of violence and discrimination and is at the heart of SASOD’s work with sexual and gender minorities.
In outlining SASOD’s approach to social cohesion, Simpson discussed a combination approach which gives a “sandwich effect” to achieve social cohesion.
Simpson described the top-down approach, which includes law and policy reform, especially constitutional reform to protect minority groups from discrimination.
He stated that constitutional reform is paramount to sanction discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
He then described the bottom-up approach, which engages communities and educates citizens to curtail their prejudices. “SASOD believes that both approaches need to be taken together to achieve social cohesion in Guyana,” Simpson stated.
Patrick elaborated on the need for constitutional and law reform, noting that sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) are not expressed grounds for discrimination in the Guyana Constitution. She also noted that with the absence of specific prohibitions against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and health status within the Prevention of Discrimination Act 1997, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, as well as people living with HIV and other stigmatised illnesses, are subject to discrimination with impunity in the labour sector.
Simpson also raised the issue of Guyana’s voting record at the recent 71st Plenary Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in an attempt to rescind the creation of the UN mandate of Independent Expert on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Social Cohesion Ministry is currently engaged in delivering “Diversity and Inclusion” training education programmes to various communities across the country as part of their public education mandate.
Minister Norton expressed his delight to meet with the delegation and commitment to working with SASOD in achieving mutual objectives. He requested that SASOD prepare a Draft Amendment Bill to the Prevention of Discrimination Act 1997 for his Ministry to consider.
