Human Rights Activist Sir Clare Roberts has told government it should have taken the lead in the local fight to reduce stigma and discrimination against persons of a different sexual orientation by signing a recent United Nations statement on Gay Rights.
“Government has to set the trend. It can’t just follow the sentiments of the populace; you have to do the right thing and lead people in the right direction. I suspect Antigua did not sign because it would not make for good domestic coverage,” he surmised.
The former president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was referring to the agreement which 85 states signed last month, committing them to taking steps to end violence, criminal sanctions and related human rights violations linked to sexual orientation or gender identity.
He is disappointed that Antigua & Barbuda is not a signatory, noting that increasingly the human rights record of countries are being put on the front burner and are guiding bilateral relations.
“It’s being looked at more and more in terms of trade, loans from the World Bank but I’m not sure that in this particular instance not signing the statement will have that great an impact on Antigua’s relationship with other countries,” Sir Clare said.
He lamented the fact that the Antigua & Barbuda public is growing more intolerant of the rights of gays, lesbians and trans-sexuals but dismissed as “melodramatic” suggestions that they are unsafe here.
“I am not aware of violent incidents against gays here. I think it is to be a little melodramatic in Antigua to say gays are in fear of their lives. The intolerance has not reached the level of, say, Jamaica where people have been killed just for their sexual orientation,” the human rights activist said.
Over the weekend, the US State Department’s 2010 Human Rights Report on Antigua & Barbuda stated that some gays and lesbians said they feared being open about their lifestyle would result in possible violence.
Sir Clare added that the answer is “education, education, education, in whatever form, because the intolerance is growing. You just have to listen to the talk-shows. People have to be educated as to human rights and the rights of others.”
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we nar sign up -no wey…how many other place/counrty dnt sign up.. den u,s asay bout human rights,,who/what human rights wen dem commit d most violations gainst dem own ,neva mind d world at large….FIRE
YOU ARE ONE STUPID INDIVIDUAL, MAYBE YOU SHOULD LIGHT A MATCH AND CATCH YOURSELF WITH FIRE FOR THE MOST RIDICULOUS WAY YOU REPLY TO AN ARTICLE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE. REMEMBER ITS NOT EVERYONE DONT SPEAK AND READ DIALECT.
If I were you I wouldn’t be so proud about not signing up, because the countries that have refused to sign up are the countries that have a high level of political corruptions, socio-economic regression, a high level of human rights abuse, and a high level o fpoverty and illiteracy among the populace, such as Cameroon, Uganda, Sudan. Is this the company you are proud to be in? I would be more proud to be in the company of progressive nations, such as Sweden, Canada, Uruguay. Even Cuba is taking a stance in support of ALL its citizens.
I am in total agreement with the government’s stance on this issue. Most people in this beloved country may also agree. The moral law of God is deeply rooted in our hearts, and so we will not condone such acts that are contrary to the law of God, whose standards we ought to emulate, and not those of men. It may be politically correct to say being gay/lesbian is natural and their acts are not wrong; but deep down even gays and lesbians know that that lifestyle is wrong. For instance, with lesbian couples, there is usually one who is more feminine and the other who is more masculine. The same can be said about gay couples. They do know that it is not natural for two feminine or two masculine individuals to be intimate with each other. You see, the moral law of God is written in their hearts too. I would be quick to add, though, that I do not support any one who decides to abuse someone who is gay/lesbian. All of us have and do sin in one way or the other; including fornicating and committing adultery and bestiality. These are also sins of a sexual nature. So, I urge the government to continue working to uphold the biblical standards of this godly nation. Do not compromise, in spite of what the educated minds may think. They can have their say; and so can we.
@Sharon, as the article stresses, ”Education, education, education.” It is because of a lack of education why people continue to bask in their ignorance, hiding their intolerance behind biblical misinterpretations. It is scientifically supported that homosexuality is innate and not a choice by those identified as such. It is ridiculous to base your opinion on the idea that within same-sex relationships one is feminine while the other is masculine. This is not the reality of all gay relationships. In addition, there are heterosexual relationships where you find the woman is ‘masculine’ and the man is feminine. Are you saying that is unnatural too? Nature speaks to what is innately expressed without the influences of outside factors. So where is the evidence that homosexuality is a learnt behavior? So far the only thing that continues to keep persons in the dark on gay issues is [unfortunately] the Bible. It is full time the church revisit the bible and see how accurate their interpretations surrounding homosexuality are. I have read the bible and have dissected the four passages that the church claims opposes homosexuality and careful analysis and a practical approach to the bible prove that the popular impression of homosexuality is erroneous. The bible at no time condemns homosexuality. We have been told that because we are too lazy to see that homosexuality, like heterosexuality, is not restricted to sex and that there are men who have sex with other men for reasons other than love, such as abuse (rape), promotion, fame, money, and cultic. There are many gay affirming churches around the world, I suggest that those churches who continue to hold to the anti-gay traditions, of saints from time past who didn’t know how the brain function or whether the world was round, commence dialogs in order to examine the interpretations of the bible, because one side is wrong, and it would be foolish to think the anti-gay position isn’t when history has shown us that the church was wrong in its support of slavery and the marginalization of women; so why can’t the church be wrong about homosexuality? Contrary to popular belief, homosexuality is not a sex-issue, it’s about who people are, how they see the world and their creativity in contributing to the growth of society. Is this any different from the black experience?
God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality. Let God be true, and every man a liar! Scripture condemns it. I’m in support of Scripture. Amen!