A SECTION of the religious community on Saturday participated in a public discussion on the lifestyles of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and queer (LGBTQ) community.
The forum themed, “Loving thy LGBTQ Neighbour/ family member” and held at the National Library, saw a number of persons participating in the discourse, a statement from the Guyana Rainbow Foundation (GuyBow) said Monday.

The panel consisted of Bishop Francis Alleyne from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown, Brother Wazir Baksh of the Guyana Islamic Trust, and Swami Aksharananda, founder and head of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School.

Colleen McEwan, representative of GuyBow in her opening remarks, noted that members of the LGBTQ community often time feel left out of certain celebrations, including Valentine’s Day, as stigma and discrimination here remains high. McEwan opined that religion is used as a weapon of discrimination against members of the community. As a result of that view, she said the public forum was organised to have mature conversations among religious leaders and members of the LGBTQ community.

The GuyBow representative noted that the forum was geared at encouraging dialogue, reducing stigma and discrimination and building appreciation and respect for human rights, diversity and the LGBTQ community here. McEwan acknowledged too the important role religious leaders play in moulding society while calling on those leaders to extend welcoming arms to those who are part of the LGBTQ community.

Bishop Francis Alleyne apologised to the LGBT community for the Church’s lack of interaction with the community. He said too that while the church may hold its own view on the actions of the community, tradition also has a role to play in how their members are treated here. In fact, he told the gathering that he too has prejudices in this regard but pointed to Saturday’s dialogue as part of a process to share views, discuss positions and reduce barriers, stigma and discrimination.

Bishop Alleyne disclosed that research has shown that while attitudes in Guyana towards LGBTQ persons are indeed discriminatory, it is also a fact that a high level of compassion exists when people are asked about those close to them, such as co-workers and family members. The Roman Catholic bishop said the social teachings of the Church are based on the principle that every person is good, every person belongs and all persons are created in the image and likeness of God.

GuyBow said Bishop Alleyne described the principle of association–that we are in connection with and responsible for each other–as well as the Christian notion of solidarity with and concern for minority and marginalized persons as key tools for shaping a better society. “He lamented the degeneration of basic human respect in the Guyanese context and encouraged persons to embody the alternative–to be a presence of integrity, to each be a Valentine to Guyana. Instead of telling persons what to do or provide rules, Bishop Alleyne espoused instead the notion of helping others to develop their own understanding and awareness,” GuyBow said in a statement to the media.

Moreover, Bishop Alleyne said the notion of rights and responsibilities must be respected and urged all gathered to be involved with and contribute meaningfully to society.
Meanwhile, Wazir Baksh, representing the Muslim community said Islam frowns upon public displays of sexuality and the overt sexualization of the physical body though embodying the principle of a shared humanity of all persons. The Quran, he noted, commands Muslims to love and be generous to their neighbours, while stressing that the Holy Book says Muslims should not pry into their neighbours private bedroom affairs.

According to GuyBow, Baksh said if two persons of the same gender are ‘shacked up’ whatever transpires between closed doors is their business. “He advised Muslim parents who might be confused, concerned, or ashamed of their LGBTQ children to understand that that is their choice as adults, and as Muslim parents they should only advice and counsel their children to be true to their conscience,” the statement added.

Additionally, Baksh said it is wrong to act violently towards members of the LGBTQ community, even if their actions are considered sinful. While Muslims view homosexuality as wrong, Baksh said all persons have the right to choose how they intend to live. That right, he reminded, is enshrined in Guyana’s Constitution.

Similarly, Swami Aksharananda emphasized diversity and noted that there is no notion of God as a judge in Hinduism. In fact, he said in Hinduism, each person is an embodiment of God and as such, humans can do nothing to violate God. Moreover, Swami Aksharananda pointed to the Kama Sutra, an ancient Indian Hindu text on human sexual behaviour in Sanskrit literature and said that sexual orientation does not take anything away from an individual’s desire for freedom. Saturday’s discourse was attended by several within the LGBTQ community, human rights activists and representatives of Georgetown University’s Law School of Washington, DC.