By teleSUR
April 17, 2018 – telesurtv.net
British Prime Minister Theresa May said, “nobody should face persecution or discrimination because of who they are or who they love.”
Only days after Trinidad and Tobago’s High Court repealed the country’s sodomy laws, arguing that they were unconsitituional, Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May said she “deeply regrets” Britain’s historical legacy of colonialism which imposed anti-gay laws throughout the Commonwealth.
Speaking at an NGO sideline event as part of the annual summit of Commonwealth leaders, May urged Commonwealth leaders to “overhaul” colonial-era legislation, saying that “nobody should face persecution or discrimination because of who they are or who they love…I am all too aware that these laws were often put in place by my own country. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now. As the UK’s prime minister, I deeply regret both the fact that such laws were introduced, and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today.”
Her comments were met with some cheers from the audience despite the fact that those colonial-era laws continue to treat same-sex relations as a punishable offense.
Peter Tatchell, a human rights activist, referred to May’s comments as being “positive and welcome,” according to The Guardian. However, he emphasized that such words should have been pronounced before those Commonwealth leaders who enforce such oppresive laws.
What about regretting all of it and agreeing to reparations. I do not believe any of this is sincere. She is trying to distract from the fact that her “hostile environment polices” and destruction of records from before she was PM has culminated in the Windrush deportation. This has gotten a lot of media attention along with the fact that she undemocratically joined in the Syria strikes and her husband profited from the bombing of Syria. This all just seems like her trying to save face.
Additionally, she stated “I deeply regret both the fact that such laws were introduced, and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today.” This applies to much more than anti-gay legislation. We have several legacies of colonialism in the commonwealth; including a colonial justice system and colonial education system. If you are not white you are negatively affected by these legacies, worse if you are not male/Christian/heterosexual or embrace global capitalism.
President warns against inciting victimisation, bigotry, violence
President Paula-Mae Weekes yesterday said while citizens are entitled to hold their points of view, they must be careful not to “damage the national psyche by inadvertently inciting victimisation, bigotry and violence.”