MEMBERS of the transgender community and human rights activists Monday staged a protest action in front of the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court after one of their own was put out of the court room for crossdressing. David Bissoon, who identifies as a woman and is known as “Twinkle” was charged with the offense of larceny and re-appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess but was instructed to leave the courtroom because she was wearing a dress.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that Twinkle was warned by the Magistrate during the first court visit to dress like a man, because as far as he was aware the laws of Guyana against crossdressing had not changed. On that occasion, Twinkle wore a long dress and jacket.

On the second occasion, Twinkle wore a jeans and a blouse. On that occasion, Joel Simpson of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) had brought to the Magistrate’s attention the decision of Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang in September, 2013, when he ruled that men could dress in women’s clothes – but not for any “improper purpose.” Chang did not say what constituted an “improper purpose,” leading to an appeal that is currently on the books.

On Monday, Twinkle turned up in court with a long dress and jacket, and was not allowed in the courtroom. This prompted the protest against the Magistrate’s decision. During an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Bissoon said, “This is the third occasion I came to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Dylon Bess dressed as a transgender because that’s the way I express myself and he refused to listen to my case because every time I come to court he puts me out…I feel this is total discrimination.”

Twinkle is asking that the matter to be heard before another Magistrate. Representative of the rights organisation Red Thread, Karen De Souza suggested that Magistrate Bess is “misguided” in his interpretation of the law. She also made reference to Chang’s decision on the issue.

“…the Magistrates feel that they have the freedom to use the law for their own phobia and biases to define improper purpose and he is using his transphobia to bar the defendant from court.”