THE Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, all Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) is urging Parliament to make provisions to protect the human rights of all Jamaicans, and provide a framework to reduce discrimination against all persons, including lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.

The group, in a news release today, said they also wanted provisions made for persons with disabilities and persons affected by health conditions like HIV in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.

Parliamentarians are expected to cast their vote on the Charter of Rights Bill this week, Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced. Golding, who had piloted the Bill in the Lower House of Parliament and closed the debate last December, said the vote will be taken in the Lower House tomorrow, and then the provision will be sent to the Senate for further debate.

“J-FLAG wishes to advise that this Charter should serve as the basis of human rights recognition for all in a society, where its basic laws are based on the concepts of inclusivity and dignity, and on an appreciation of contemporary science on human sexuality, not on prejudice, fear, habit and misinformation,” said J-Flag.

The group maintained that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons continue to be victimised by members of the public and the state and therefore wants them covered under the non-discrimination clause.

“Passing the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms without clear recognition that disability, health status and sexual orientation are the grounds for non-discrimination in Section 13 (3)(i) would be to undermine the strides that have been made globally to guarantee human rights for all persons in a society,” J-FLAG said.

At a minimum, the group wants Section 13 (3)(i) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms to read “the right to freedom from discrimination”.

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