Georgetown — Well-known LGBTQ+ activist Otis Pearson, better known by the name “Otisha,” found himself in the dock on Friday after a bitter personal dispute spilled over into the courtroom. The 47-year-old Kitty resident was arraigned before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts on charges of abusive language and threatening language — the latest twist in a tangled love triangle involving a shared romantic partner and allegations connected to a minor.
Pearson, who lives at Lot 17 Station Street, appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty and admitted to the abusive language charge but pleaded not guilty to threatening language. The charges stem from a confrontation on July 24 in Kitty with former friend Anita Ramdeo, who became the virtual complainant in the case.
The drama deepened when it emerged that Ramdeo herself is facing an abusive language charge over the same incident. Her absence from court on Friday prompted Magistrate McGusty to issue a warrant for her arrest, noting she had been properly summoned but failed to appear.
Pearson did not shy away from giving his side of the story. In open court, he recounted that he and Ramdeo had once been close friends, but tensions exploded after he began a romantic relationship with her partner. The situation, he suggested, deteriorated into verbal exchanges that have now landed both in legal trouble.
Pearson is no stranger to the public eye. Over the years, he has been a visible — and at times controversial — figure in Guyana’s LGBTQ+ advocacy movement, often challenging social norms in a country where debates over sexuality remain charged. This latest brush with the law has once again put him at the centre of public attention, but this time under far less flattering circumstances.
The case has been adjourned as the court awaits Ramdeo’s appearance. Meanwhile, the dispute that started as a personal falling-out now stands as a very public cautionary tale about how relationships — and rivalries — can quickly spiral into criminal proceedings.
