General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, stated today that while the party will not implement laws to legalize same-sex marriages, it will certainly strengthen the legal framework to protect the rights of the LGBTQIA community.
Jagdeo made the disclosure during his press conference on Thursday at Freedom House. When asked about the party’s full 2025 manifesto—as only a snippet has been shared during a recent consultation—he explained that more details are being included, and the complete document will be released soon.
He also noted that the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) recently made a presentation to the PPP.
“They came to our consultation and asked whether we would support strengthening legislation to prevent discrimination against people based on sexual orientation. The answer is yes.
“We will do that, and it will probably be reflected in our manifesto because we believe that people should not be denied opportunities in Guyana because of their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation—whether it’s access to healthcare, education, or other services,” the General Secretary said.
Jagdeo further clarified to SASOD that the PPP would not support same-sex marriage. “I told SASOD this: we’re not going to support that, but we will support any legislation to prevent discrimination,” he stated. “They said to me that they’re not even seeking support for that.”
He also noted that the party is strongly against discrimination and outlined that the promotion of human rights will be a key feature of the party’s manifesto.
Recently, the PPP/C, along with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the Alliance for Change (AFC), We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), and the Forward Guyana Movement, attended an event hosted by SASOD and committed to championing the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA) persons in Guyana.
SASOD has also engaged separately with representatives of these parties to share key aspects of their manifesto.
