Belize: Laws stuck in the dark ages

LGBT-friendly organisation: United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM)

• The country’s sole lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organization, has 133 members.
• Working on constitutional challenge to ban same-sex activity.
• Advocate organisation working to reduce discrimination.
• Use community sessions and outreach to deliver health services.
• Advance the development of planning and resources.
• In September 2010, the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) and its executive director Caleb Orosco jointly filed a case in the Supreme Court of Judicature of Belize challenging the constitutionality of the anti-homosexual laws with the support of the International Commission of Jurists, the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association, and the Human Dignity Trust. UNIBAM was struck off as a claimant in early 2012, but ended up as an interested party in the second trial.
• The case was heard by the Supreme Court of Judicature in May 2013. The decision will take between two months and a year.

Right now I am the only challenger in this case [against the same-sex activity ban]

 

Our laws are in the dark ages.

 

I’m cautiously optimistic that the possibility is there that the justice may make a ruling that is favourable to what we are trying to do.

 

They’re looking at the idea that the court has no role in judging, only Parliament. That’s a false argument.

On American evangelicals interfering with human rights in Belize

What they’ve done is put out attack ads equating all human rights with all people wanting to walk the streets naked and making people feel like human rights is bad.

 

We’re not asking you not to believe in a G-d, all we are saying is that you do not have the right to undermine, suppress the fundamental rights and freedoms that are existing in our constitution.

 

The tenants of the church speaks about love, but what they’re doing goes against these tenants.

Published on: May 20, 2013 @ 21:32