Belizean LGBT Rights Violations

Reposted July 22nd, 2014 Written by: Sean Macleish        I was astonished to read recently that the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves is warning against mixing the fight against HIV and gay rights. He was quoted as saying, "I don't accept the thesis that to make further advances for HIV and AIDS, that we need to do the decriminalization of homosexual activity among men in private..".        A report in the Lancet, one of the world's leading medical journals concluded from available data that "most global cases of HIV are not due to homosexual transmission" but harassment, silence, intimidation and homophobic laws are a major hindrance on the efficacy of HIV outreach and prevention. It compromises the fight against HIV and AIDS.The Prime Minister is misinformed and bigotry is the virus' best friend. Meanwhile in St. Vincent and the Grenadines this is the data we have from the ...

Reposted 17th, July, 2014 Washington, DC, 3 October 2013 (PAHO/WHO) — Health authorities from throughout the Americas pledged to promote equitable access to health care for lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT), during the 52nd Directing Council meeting of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which is being held this week in Washington, D.C. Ministers of health and other delegates from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean approved a resolution in which they committed to promote equal access to health care in their countries’ policies, plans and legislation. PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne expressed support for the resolution, saying everyone has the right to health care and adding that PAHO would work with its member countries to address these issues. The resolution, presented by the United States and supported by delegates from other PAHO member countries, calls for efforts to overcome stigm...

July 14th, 2014 On May22nd, Belize action and its crew protested, "Freedom under Fire." Presumably christian freedom. In a story written by Adele Ramos of the Amandala, called "Belize protestors call for fund to fight Professor Bain Case," dated May 30, 2014, Pastor Eugene Crawford, president of the Evangelical Association of Belize, called the termination of Bain “very, very unjust." Let's speak about unjust Pastor Crawford,  who takes their baby out into the night to a bigoted event, knowing that child belongs in bed. Its one thing to have a bigoted parent, but must the child physically suffer in the spirit of religious-base bigotry which has the stamp of approval of the Evangelical leadership. As opponents, the message has always been don't misuse children, but apparently, its alright in the spirit of bigotry like the mother in the right-side picture.  In addition when Belize Action, The Belize Association of Evangelical Churches and Uni...

Posted: 20th June, 2014 Author: Nuri Muhammad   We find ourselves in a dilemma in Belize today; are we a nation of God or a nation of laws? The answer is not as easy as some would believe. Belize is in a transitional time warp that can be better understood if we saw our collective consciousness in two parts: pre-independence and post-independence. If the same question was posed fifty years ago the answer would be resound: we are a nation of God! While we were never a theocracy by any means, the Christian religious values which underpinned our collective value system made it no question that the majority of us acknowledge the supremacy of God in our personal and collective lives and thus it is not surprising that that God consciousness forms a part of the first principle in the preamble of our constitution. During those days none would have dared challenge the constitutionality of that fundamental principle, out of reverence, or out of fear of being ostraci...

June 18th, 2014 Yesterday, on facebook, for the first time, we saw Scott Stirm admitting to Dominonists Theology in a thread started by Nefretery Nancy Marin. In the thread, Stirm said,"I am grateful for the truths we were taught at Youth With a Mission, and the" 7 influencing areas in society", once called the ”Mind Moulders” that shape our society, now called,”The 7 mountains Areas of Society”. Church, Education, Family, Gov’t, Business & Commerce, Media, Art & Entertainment. Loren Cuningham taught us that when the Church pulls back from any of these areas, then darkness takes over. It’s always important to discern the grace from our lives, for which of the areas He calling into- AREAS plural, because they do overlap. We need that “Issachar anointing” 1 Chr. 12, the “sons of Issachar who really had understanding/discern of the times to know what Israel ought to do...” We have our work cut out for us! Roll up our sleeves! Pray, hear, then GO GET EM! ...

Posted June 13th, 2014 For the first time ever, Belize and Jamaica has almost simultaneous protest regarding professor Bain termination. The debate pitted the issue of religious-base bigotry which has a moral stamp of approval against a collective who is concern about the intersecting issues of rights enforcement and protection as part of an overall health policy concern. Historically, CARICOM member states, have not constructively and responsibly addressed the rights concerns of its L.G.B.T citizens in any substantive way. The Bain case, offers the region an opportunity to teach us all about the limits of free expression and thought and the obligations of individuals in a fiduciary relationships that involves vulnerable groups. The broader concern for the region, is does religious-base bigotry gets a moral stamp of approval to undermine the rights of L.G.B.T citizens in the region and what happens in the struggle for rights acknowledgment which are already in many stat...

Reposted June 12th, 2014 So today, after my work shift I decided I would go out and grow my little direct selling business. For most of you that did not know before, I started selling Avon back in 2010 and had to slow down in 2012. Recently last week, I picked up from where I left off and back to that good old Avon guy that everyone knew me as. Maybe back then, while running here and there, waiving down taxis, jumping in and out of buses, picking up payments, dropping off deliveries, I really never had to stop and think of my safety. I have always been an OUT PROUD GAY MAN! If anyone would ask me, there would be nothing to hide and ALL and I MEAN ALL my customers that I used to serve back then in 2010 to 2012 knew exactly who I was and that was never a problem, and hopefully it remains that way. On this journey of re-joining the Avon family, I’ve decided to take on two young gay men, one 19, young and excited about life and the other, my partner’s little cousin...