LGBT Community Says No to Louis Wade’s Appointment to Constitutional Commission
Louis Wade
On Friday, we announced the appointment of Pastor Louis Wade as the media’s representative on the People’s Constitutional Commission. Wade, the owner of Plus TV, was elected near-unanimously by his colleagues in the media, followed by Channel Seven’s Daniel Ortiz as his alternate. But tonight, Wade’s selection is being frowned upon the LGBT community which is represented on the commission by Caleb Orozco. He takes umbrage with our choice based on what is being described as Wade’s anti-rights stance, including his position on marijuana, the repeal of Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code, among other issues. Wade will sit on the commission for a period of eighteen months to relay the collective position of the media on matters related to constitutional reform. This afternoon, News Five spoke with Orozco, the executive director for the United Belize Advocacy Movement.
Caleb Orozco
Caleb Orozco, Executive Director, UNIBAM
“Louis Wade has a history of anti-rights actions that does not serve the citizenry of Belize. Whether it was influencing and shaping the gender policy opposition and its associated marches across the country or whether he had shaped or influenced the “Kill the Bill” campaign or whether he sought to undermine the rights of women, or whether he sought to undermine the sexual reproductive rights of people in this country, these are all examples of him having a long history of anti-rights action that does not reflect the values, the collective values of the media which I know seeks to be fair in its approach, which I know tries to share information with the public in a very responsible way and to use that information to hold the powers that be accountable. The majority of the media who voted for Louis Wade reflected a culture of complicity by indifference and omission. It feels predetermined that Wade was chosen without question, without consideration of his anti-right history that attacked not only LGBT individuals or, in this case, LGBT Belizeans, it attacked women through the gender policy and the anti-right marches that occurred in 2013.”
