While steering clear of declaring the government’s position on the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) persons, Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday stressed the administration’s responsibility to ensure that the rights of all citizens are protected in keeping with the constitution.
“I cannot say right now what is the specific issue, [or what] the specific policy [is]. What I can say to you is that there are certain rights of Guyanese. Guyanese have rights guaranteed under the constitution. Article 147(1) in particular guarantees a right to association, the right to demonstrate and as a government it is our duty to protect these rights…you have a right to associate with persons of similar interest. It is all guaranteed under Article 147 of the constitution so I would not want to venture to say or to declare what is the policy,” he said during a post-Cabinet press briefing.
In its manifesto for the 2015 general elections, the APNU+AFC coalition had committed to “putting in place measures which will ensure that all vulnerable groups in our society, including women, children, persons with disabilities, rural and indigenous women, youth, the elderly, and the sick and the pregnant and those marginalised because of sexual orientation are protected and not discriminated against.”
