Ahead of this week’s Commonwealth heads of governments conference in Sri Lanka, Purna Sen, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion is calling on Prime Minister, David Cameron to raise the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people across the Commonwealth at the conference.
Dr Sen, Chair of the Kaleidoscope Trust and a former head of human rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat was commenting on a new report from the Trust on the experiences of LGBT people throughout the Commonwealth.
She said: “The vast majority of countries in the Commonwealth, 80 per cent, criminalise homosexuality. That is why the Commonwealth has been called a homophobic association.” Adding that over half of the countries in the world that criminalise homosexuality are in the Commonwealth.
Dr Sen pointed out that Uganda’s recent steps to introduce the death sentence for homosexuals who are classed as so-called “serial offenders”, have “lifted the lid off the issue.”
However, the issue is how to deal with LGBT rights at the heads of government meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where homosexuality is criminalised, with sentences of up to 10 years in prison ?
Some Human Rights organisations are concerned that threats like that made by David Cameron before the last heads of government meeting in Perth, to cut aid to countries which criminalise homosexuality could make LGBT people targets for attack.
Purna added: “Britain is the largest financial contributor to the Commonwealth and with that comes some responsibility. What does it mean for Britain to give the Commonwealth money to enable it to function, if you then don’t try to influence what it does ?”
“It is essential for the Prime Minister to say that we recognise that many people in the Commonwealth suffer harm, suffer persecution, and worse because of their sexual orientation.
“We don’t feel this is in keeping with the values of the Commonwealth. We should call for a commitment to see this addressed in the next session. We want a moratorium in the next five years followed by decriminalisation.”
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