Guyana's multi-religious community strongly condemned a gay and lesbian film festival

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AFP) -- Guyana's multi-religious community strongly condemned on Monday a gay and lesbian film festival, branding promoting homosexuality as a new form of Western colonization.

"We cannot allow the Western world to come and foist their lifestyles and thinking on to us; this will simply mean that we are just allowing a newer form of colonialism," said Inter-Religious Organization (IRO) spokesman Juan Edghill, a bishop.

Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Baha'is make up the IRO.

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), which is organizing the week-long festival, would not immediately comment on the IRO's criticism.

The disagreement comes as the mostly former British colonies in the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have made repeated calls to scrap laws against buggery as part of efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination against groups vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.

Edghill said the religious community wants gays and lesbians to have rights to health care, education and housing, but that the IRO worried youths were being exposed to unnatural sexual activities with the dissemination of material about homosexuals.

The IRO insisted its position would not aggravate homophobic sentiment in Guyana, where gays and lesbians usually do not face routine assaults but are generally frowned upon and taunted in public.

Several months ago, SASOD made a court filing challenging the constitutionality of colonial laws against cross-dressing after several gays were arrested by police and prosecuted for the offense.

Comment

You need to be a member of CaribbeanFever / FeverEyes / CaribFever to add comments!

Join CaribbeanFever / FeverEyes / CaribFever

Comment by GGGIAN1 on July 8, 2010 at 2:41pm: ZER0 T0LERANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LAVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by angela T on July 4, 2010 at 10:39pm: Its not right but who am i to judge

Comment by Eliza p on July 3, 2010 at 11:19am: It is a film festival. No harm in that. They can not turn straight people gay.

Comment by Shaundel Darrell on July 3, 2010 at 7:11am: This is total bs

Comment by Laticia H on July 3, 2010 at 6:32am: Nonsense.

Comment by June Wilson on July 3, 2010 at 1:12am: batty business should not be allowed in GT, let them keep their duty business in foreign.

Comment by Michael on July 2, 2010 at 12:41pm: We don't play that S***...... Why in the world did they permit them to have a Film Festival in the first place.
I Commend the IRO. Look we all have to exist in this world but will there be a world for human existance when there is no multiplication of the sexes.... two men can't make a baby, two women cannot make a baby. HOMOSEXUALITY is wrong, plain & simple, they can try as much to push tolerance on us but we cannot tolerate this. You give them an Inch now they want a yard.

Comment by GGGIAN1 on July 1, 2010 at 10:27pm: BLESS UP GT MASSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WITH ALL MY HEART,

I HOPE THAT ALL WHO ARE AFFILIATED WITH THIS, ALL WHO PROMOTE THIS, ALL WHO ARE TOLERANT TO THIS, ALL WHO DO NOT CARE ABOUT THIS AND ALL THE CONTESTANTS AND AUDIENCE MEMBERS

WOULD ALL DIE RIGHT NOW.

THE 16 STATES,

FIYAH BURN GAYS!!!!!!

THIS IS

ZER0 T0LERANCE!

LET US RAISE THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHILDREN TO RAISE THEIR KIDS TO RAISE THEIR KIDS TO BUN

DIS NONSENSE!!!

LAVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

Comment by Narrow 1 on July 1, 2010 at 9:59pm: WTF.........

Comment by Shannon frank on July 1, 2010 at 8:47pm: What is this world coming to. The bible said it. In the end " men shal be lovers of themselves" . May god have mercy on them.