Dear Editor,

I have noticed that each week there is a letter that demands that homosexual behaviour be santioned by the laws of Guyana. A recent letter written by an executive of the International Human Rights Watch claims that "Guyana has been flagged with a high incident report of concerns, especially in the area of Gay issues". I live here and I am not aware of this. I know we have a lot of deaths by murder, suicide and AIDS. I know a lot of homosexuals who have died of AIDS, a few of them were prominent in theatre. I have not seen how the present laws have prevented homosexuals from making a meaningful contribution to Guyanese society.

I believe this call for homosexuals to be able to carry on their deviant practices under the cover of the law is simply another way to turn our country into a more lawless, decadent place. Gays are a minority. Most of us Guyanese have no desire for our children to grow up in a society where our sons and daughters can be targeted by homosexual men and women, and can find no protection under the laws of Guyana. We want to be able to say to our children "homosexual behaviour is unnatural, deviant, and sinful" and not find ourselves on the wrong side of the law for saying that. We want to say to our children "homosexuality is not an alternative lifestyle, it is an obnoxious lifestyle that displeases God".

Guyanese must have the right to say this in no uncertain terms. Saying a clear no to homosexuality cannot be equated with brutality against homosexuals; in the same way saying no to drugs cannot be equated with brutality against the drug addict.

Guyana, if we "straight" people who believe that woman was made for man and vice versa don't begin to make a noise about this issue, we may wake up with a tragedy as big as the holocaust where we helplessly watch our children oriented into the homosexual way from a tender age. We will send them to the day care centres and schools only to discover to our horror that they are being introduced to a homosexual lifestyle which we can do nothing about since homosexuality would be a choice as legal and acceptable as heterosexuality. The one who introduces them to this lifestyle will be covered by the law.

I assure you, Guyana, that homosexuals will not stop at simply getting their lifestyle legalised, they will crusade for our sons and our daughters to join them in their deviance. Let's stand up and say a resounding "no" to gay rights.