Equality forum report pushes for hate crime legislation
The Guyana Equality Forum (GEF) has released its research report which gives a situational analysis of hate crimes in Guyana.
The report, titled ‘Hate Reform in Guyana’, was launched at the Herdmanston Lodge in Georgetown on Friday. The report is intended to inform and start a debate about the introduction of hate crime legislation in Guyana.
Managing Director of GEF Joel Simpson told attendees that hate crime is a very real and serious issue in Guyana especially against several group minorities. “It’s an everyday reality,” he said.
“That’s why we are advocating for new legislation that is broad-based, simple [and] effective.” Simpson noted that there is no need to add special sentences for hate crimes, only for new legislation that protects all groups.
The analysis, which includes hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community, women and against people based on their race, noted that they are all prevalent across the country but not given much attention.
According to the report, given the amount of hate towards the LGBTQ+ community in Guyana many persons feel the need to conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result, statistical data on LGBTQ+ people in Guyana and how many experience homophobic and transphobic violence do not exist, underscoring the urgent need to address hate crime. It was stated that gay men regularly face discrimination in every aspect of their lives and this can be exacerbated for men who appear effeminate. As it relates to lesbians and transgender people information was limited but persons interviewed said that many are victims of harassment, abuses and threats.
“What evidence there is suggests that trans people and trans women in particular, face elevated risks of discrimination and violence,” said the report.
“Domestic violence is and should be considered a hate crime when it results from gender prejudice. The fact that women are disproportionately identified as victims highlighted that the systematic cause of the problem is tied to an ideology of patriarchy.”
The report said Guyana has a history of race-based hate crimes which persist to this day. “These racial divisions in Guyana constitute a reason to investigate the
extent to which crimes or unlawful acts are motivated by race-based prejudice. It was recommended that all organisations working on issues of gender equality, sexuality and gender-based violence should have collective conversations to understand the common underlying causes of the violence people experience because of their gender, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, and the different ways that these causes manifest in the treatment of these groups. In addition, it was recommended that government and civil society organisations should lead widespread educational initiatives to sensitise Guyanese on the connection between prejudice and violence, human rights, regardless of race, gender or sexuality.
The report said that hate crime legislation should be enacted in order to protect the human rights of Guyanese and make clear the state’s condemnation of these forms of discriminatory violations, and its determination to provide protection and justice for victims of hate crimes.
It was stated that legislation will enable the collection of comprehensive data about the prevalence of hate crimes and will help people to better understand these issues.