Five of the six political parties contesting the upcoming elections have signaled their willingness to support the repealing of archaic laws in Guyana that criminalizes same sex intimacy.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the Alliance for Change (AFC), We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), and Forward Guyana Movement on Tuesday committed to championing the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA) people in Guyana. The commitment was made as rights organisaiton, SASOD Guyana, hosted its Town Hall meeting.

Guyana is the last remaining country in South America that still retains its colonial era laws criminalizing same sex intimacy.

At the meeting, AFC Executive, Beverly Alert said the AFC supports the review of the legislation that criminalizes same-sex intimacy.

“As a party, we support engagement, we support review, we support examining where we are and very importantly, what it is that society wants because laws are not created in a vacuum or in a silo for any specific group but laws are created and periodically amended to suit a society that evolves,” Alert said.

Noting that Guyana is not only evolving economically, but also socially, Alert said the AFC will be guided by society.

Sections 351 to 353 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act criminalize same-sex intimacy between consenting adult men.

APNU Candidate Ubraj Narine and Forward Guyana Movement Chairman, Dorwain Bess said their parties support the repealing of the legislation.

Bess said the legislation must be “corrected.”

“When you look around Guyana today you find some of the people who look just like us being marginalized, that shouldn’t be. If you are going to criminalize someone, an adult for their personal act, in their personal room, that they decided to do or how they decide to live, then you should start arresting people, a husband for adultery. This has to be corrected. The act of an adult should not be anything that is considered criminal act,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, and PPP Candidate, Susan Rodrigues said public policies are driven by society, and the Government over the last five years have taken steps to repeal and amend 200 pieces of legislation to safeguard the rights of Guyanese including LGBTQ people.

“We have started in the last five years, to modernize all of the legislation, many of which, we have inherited from the British colonial system, it is about two hundred pieces of legislation that have been updated in the last five years, and there is still a lot of work to do in terms of law reform, and updating the different pieces of legislation, including our Constitution. We plan to make it very clear, explicitly clear that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic does not support discrimination based on sexual orientation and we are going to make that very clear,” Minister Rodrigues said.

She said no one should be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation.

WIN General Secretary, Odessa Primus, acknowledged the need for the legislation to be repealed, but also emphasized the need for revision and repeal of laws to be done in consultation with stakeholders and not imposed on society by the Government.

A study conducted by SASOD revealed that 72% of Guyanese support the passing of legislation that protect the rights of LGBTQ to be meaningfully employed.

On this issue, Primus said Guyanese regardless of their sexual orientation have the right to work, and that right must be protected.

“As a Guyanese, you should enjoy the rights like any other Guyanese, and so as it relates to the workplace, regardless of sexual orientation disability or any other thing that puts you in a minority group, you should be able to access jobs and live and take care of your affairs like any other Guyanese,” Primus said.

She also stressed the importance of raising awareness on the issues, and educating employers, particular, on their responsibilities.

The Town Hall meeting followed the launch of SASOD’s Manifesto 2025.

The rights organisation is pushing for the issues raised in its manifesto to be adopted by the political parties contesting the elections, and addressed once elected to Government and Parliament.

In addition to the call for Sections 351-353 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act to be repealed, SASOD wants comprehensive legislation to be in place by the end of 2028 to eradicate all forms of discrimination, whether direct or indirect, in every sector, including discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.

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