{"id":1259,"date":"2023-01-31T12:36:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T17:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/international-law-journal\/?page_id=1259"},"modified":"2025-12-19T13:13:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T18:13:51","slug":"trapped-cycles-of-violence-and-discrimination-against-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-persons-in-guyana","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/international-law-journal\/in-print\/volume-50\/volume-50-number-1-fall-2018\/trapped-cycles-of-violence-and-discrimination-against-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-persons-in-guyana\/","title":{"rendered":"Trapped: Cycles of Violence and Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons in Guyana"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Human rights fact-finding aims to uncover and describe human rights concerns to expose both the abuses themselves and the factors that enable their perpetuation. Giving voice to survivors and victims is central to the fact-finding methodology: After all, \u201c&#8230;if one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country &#8230;[o]ne goes to the unprotected \u2013 those, precisely, who need the law\u2019s protection most \u2013 and listens to their testimony.\u201d\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_1' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_1'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>1<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_1' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #1<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_1259_1' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_1' tabindex='-1'>1<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #1 content: <\/span>JAMES BALDWIN, NO NAME IN THE STREET (1972).\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<p>Through Georgetown Law\u2019s Fact-Finding Practicum, the Human Rights Institute works with a small group of students on a cutting-edge human rights research project each year. Student researchers develop the focus of the project and design their research methodology, con-duct extensive interviews with stakeholders on the ground, draft a com-prehensive report on their findings, and engage in related advocacy. The report you are about to read, \u201cTrapped: Cycles of Violence and Discrimination Against LGBT Persons in Guyana,\u201d is a product of these efforts.<br \/>\nGlobally, forty-five states criminalize relationships between females, and seventy-two states criminalize relationships between males.\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_2' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_2'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>2<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_2' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #2<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_1259_2' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_2' tabindex='-1'>2<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #2 content: <\/span>Sexual Orientation Laws in the World \u2013 Criminalisation, THE INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS AND INTERSEX ASSOCIATION, (May 2017), https:\/\/ilga.org\/downloads\/2017\/ILGA_WorldMap_ENGLISH_Criminalisation_2017.pdf.\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t Guyana, a small Caribbean country located in South America, is the only country on the South American continent that still criminalizes same-sex intimacy. Recently, a few Caribbean countries have repealed or overturned laws criminalizing same-sex intimacy \u2014 including Belize in 2016\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_3' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_3'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>3<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_3' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #3<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_1259_3' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_3' tabindex='-1'>3<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #3 content: <\/span>Brooke Sopelsa, Belize Supreme Court Overturns Anti-Gay Law, NBC NEWS, (Aug. 10, 2016), https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/feature\/nbc-out\/belize-supreme-court-overturns-anti-gay-law-n627511.\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t and Trinidad and Tobago in April 2018\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_4' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_4'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>4<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_4' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #4<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_1259_4' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_4' tabindex='-1'>4<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #4 content: <\/span>Trinidad and Tobego: Court Overturns Same-Sex Intimacy Ban, Human Rights Watch, (Apr. 13, 2018), https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2018\/04\/13\/trinidad-and-tobago-court-overturns-same-sex- intimacy-ban.\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t. While Guyana still criminalizes buggery, there has been at least one positive development since the publica-tion of this report: The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that Guyana\u2019s law criminalizing \u201ccross-dressing\u201d for an \u201cimproper purpose\u201d is unconstitutional on November 12, 2018.\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_5' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_5'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>5<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_5' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #5<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_1259_5' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_5' tabindex='-1'>5<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #5 content: <\/span>CCJ Declares Guyana\u2019s Cross-Dressing Law Unconstitutional, CCJ Press Release No. 44:2018 (Nov. 12, 2018).\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t Guyana\u2019s Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo affirmed that Guyana will respect the CCJ deci-sion.\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_6' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_6'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>6<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_1259_6' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #6<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_1259_6' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_1259_6' tabindex='-1'>6<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #6 content: <\/span>Guyana Respects CCJ Decision on Cross-Dressing \u2013 PM Nagamootoo, (Nov. 20, 2018), http:\/\/ guyanachronicle.com\/2018\/11\/20\/guyana-respects-ccj-decision-on-cross-dressing-pm-nagamootoo.\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t Eliminating laws that perpetuate and legitimize violence and dis-crimination against LGBT individuals is a step in the right direction. However, there is still a great deal of change needed to disrupt\u2014as detailed in this report\u2014the pervasive cycle of violence, discrimination, and abuse that permeates all aspects of life for LGBT individuals in Guyana.<\/p>\n<p>Continue reading\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/international-law-journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2019\/06\/GT-GJIL190019.pdf\">Trapped: Cycles of Violence and Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons in Guyana<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Human rights fact-finding aims to uncover and describe human rights concerns to expose both the abuses themselves and the factors that enable their perpetuation. 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