Executive Director of the Coalition Advocating for the Inclusion of Sexual Orientation Colin Robinson fears that Thursday’s ruling by the High Court of a case filed LGBTQI rights activist Jason Jones challenging this country’s buggery laws could lead to a backlash or embolden people to discriminate against LGBTQI rights advocacy groups.
Robinson made the statement yesterday, as a coalition of LGBTQI and feminists NGOs, under the umbrella body Alliance for Justice and Diversity, converged outside Parliament to protest, as he called on the nation to “share the nation and show love and inclusion to one another” and that we should turn our attention from people’s bedroom and deal with more pressing matters affecting the country.
Among those who attended the small protest was Fixin T&T head Kirk Waithe, communications officer at the Office of the President Cheryl Ann Lala and columnist Shiela Rampersad.
Wearing jerseys with the words emblazoned “We take Pride in our Liberty” Robinson said it was time that we do away with the hate, rhetoric and fear-mongering, as he called on Parliamentarians to protect them.
The small gathering follows last Friday’s protest outside Parliament by T&T Cause—a coalition of evangelical churches of the possibility that the High Court may rule against the constitutionality of buggery law.
Justice Devindra Rampersad is set to give a ruling on Thursday on Jones’ challenge that TT’s buggery laws are discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional.
Jones who lives in the United Kingdom, but frequents T&T, said he did not enjoy the same rights as heterosexual people because of Section 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act.
Robinson said they were fearful that any kind of judgment may make their lives challenging in the short-term “because there may be a backlash” or embolden people to discriminate against them.
T&T Cause stated that no matter what the court’s decision, the population wants the buggery laws kept.
He said if should Jones won the matter it would send a message to politicians that “they can’t hide behind criminalisation anymore and they actually have to create policies and programmes that will address a segment of the population that is vulnerable.”
Robinson called on the Evangelical Association to release full details of a national poll on “same-sex attraction” conducted by pollster Nigel Henry.
Diana Mahabir-Wyatt president of the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights who also joined the gathering said there was a need for diversity in T&T and the acceptance that we are all different.
