• I stress that LGBTQ rights should be upheld although I don’t belong to this community
• Hails late Mangala Samaraweera’s position on it

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

Whilst stressing that former Foreign Minister the late Mangala Samaraweera is the first and only Sri Lankan MP who stood for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer(LGBTQ) rights, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Buddhika Pathirana yesterday said  Sri Lanka should uphold these rights.   

“I stress that LGBTQ rights should be upheld although I don’t belong to this community,” Mr. Pathirana said speaking during the condolence vote of late Mr. Samaraweera in Parliament.  

“Mr. Samaraweera fearlessly fought for LGBTQ rights during the time members of this community were harassed and ridiculed,” he said.  

“Once some MPs of Mr. Samaraweera were called  ‘Samanalaya’ and he responded saying ‘’Owu mama Samanalaya thami (Yes, I am a Samanalaya ,” he recalled.   

Samanayala is a derogatory reference to a person who is gay.