LGBTQ RIGHTS AND THE CHURCH: Intimate Conviction 2 Volume Launches in Jamaica
Laws Criminalizing Consensual Same-Sex Intimacy Still Exist in More Than 60 Countries Worldwide
For immediate release
March 7, 2022 — Kingston, Jamaica — On Wednesday, March 9, 2022, the launch of the Intimate Conviction 2: Continuing the Decriminalization Dialogue volume will be held in Jamaica at the Alhambra Inn, 1 Tucker Ave, Kingston, from 12-1 p.m. Eastern Time.
Esteemed speakers include the Rt. Rev. Dr. Robert Thompson, retired Bishop of Kingston, the Very Rev. Fr. Sean Major-Campbell, Dean of Kingston and rector of Christ Church Vineyard Town, and Maurice Tomlinson, Intimate Conviction conference organizer and LGBTQ Rights Consultant for the HIV Legal Network.
Laws that criminalize consensual same-sex intimacy still exist in more than sixty countries across the globe — and in most instances, these laws are sustained by Church doctrine. The Intimate Conviction conferences, presented by the HIV Legal Network, a human rights organization located in Canada, work towards the elimination of homophobic laws, discuss the role of the Church in maintaining them and how the Church can help break them down. The first conference was held in 2017 and the volume from that conference was released in 2018. Support to end to these laws is growing, in Jamaica and around the world.
In November 2020, the HIV Legal Network, Anglicans for Decriminalization, and Caribbean partners hosted the second Intimate Conviction conference under the theme “Continuing the Decriminalization Dialogue.” This event was meant to be held in Barbados but was forced online due to COVID-19 restrictions. There were more than 30 expert speakers from around the world who imparted their knowledge and experience with laws criminalizing same-sex intimacy.
We are now very pleased to share the edited volume of presentations from this second conference. Here you will find personal stories of how these laws have affected LGBTQ+ people around the world, analysis of biblical texts that have been used to uphold these laws, and thoughts on how these laws can and must be changed to uphold the human rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
Quotes:
“While it remains a controversial subject, those who know the value and importance of promoting human rights and justice for all must of necessity speak up for the well-being of all people, inclusive of our LGBTI Citizens. We live in a world where bullies often get their way at the expense of the oppressed, vulnerable, and minority in society. Gender and sexual diversity are justice issues. May we seek only to promote laws that protect, and remove those that do harm.” – Very Rev. Fr. Sean Major-Campbell, Dean of Kingston.
“The Intimate Conviction conferences are a critical tool to helping understand the colonial nature of these homophobic laws, particularly in the Global South. The presentations contained in this volume allow the knowledge and expertise that was shared at the conference to live on and be spread to those who weren’t able to join us. It is our sincere hope that by holding these conferences and publishing these books, we can help eliminate such laws and allow LGBTQ+ people everywhere to live freely and enjoy their human rights.” – Maurice Tomlinson, conference organizer and LGBTQ Rights Consultant for the HIV Legal Network
– 30 –
Read Intimate Conviction 2: Continuing the Decriminalization Dialogue here. Hard copies will also be available free of charge at the launch.
To register for the March 9th in-person event in Jamaica, from 12-1p.m. Eastern Time, please click here. All public health protocols, including the wearing of masks, will be observed.
The event will also be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/4geEnzobESs.
About the HIV Legal Network
The HIV Legal Network (www.hivlegalnetwork.ca), formerly the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, promotes the human rights of people living with, at risk of or affected by HIV or AIDS, through research and analysis, litigation and other advocacy, public education, and community mobilization.
For more Information, or to arrange a media interview, please contact:
Maurice Tomlinson, LGBTQ Rights Consultant
HIV Legal Network
Email: Maurice_tomlinson@yahoo.ca