Country Overview
Guyana
At a glance
Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?
Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?
Legal Gender Recognition Possible?
LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?
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The colonial era Criminal Law Act of Guyana outlaws “gross indecency” between men and same-sex relations between men as well as between people of different genders (colloquially known as “buggery laws.”) Engaging in anal or oral sex can carry a punishment up to life in prison. The law is rarely enforced but contributes to ongoing negative perceptions of LGBTIQ people. The Caribbean Court of Justice struck down a law banning cross-dressing in 2018. Evangelical Christian organizations have vocally opposed the human rights of LGBTIQ people. Guyana was the first country in the English-speaking Caribbean to host a Pride march in 2018, inspiring others to follow suit.
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