IDAHOT celebrations, Church, Renegades and good men - Caribbean IRN Update May 2014

May started with the news that Jamaican "homosexual activist" Maurice Tomlinson was given leave from the Caribbean Court of Justice to challenge the Immigration Laws of Belize and Trinidad & Tobago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCGYkIGzQbM




May 17th was International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. There was a week of activities in Cuba for its Seventh Campaign Against Homophobia.

Photo taken from UNDP Latin America
In Guyana, SASOD lauched its Cine Campaign and facilitated the 'Selfie Expression'
campaign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxw0PbL-Ws0



In Trinidad, activists picketed the Parliament and the British High Commission lowered the Union Jack and raised the Rainbow Flag.
From the Trinidad Express




Amin Flood from United & Strong in St Lucia calls for an end to discrimination .
http://youtu.be/vrDil1uFVKw




While the laws might not be changing, there are some small things happening. In Trinidad, a young man talks about the captain of his Steel Band, Renegades ,
while in Guyana, residents of two municipalities , Linden and New Amsterdam continue their efforts to end discrimination against LGBT persons as part of HIV prevention efforts. In Jamaica, Rev Fowler asks gays not to give up on the Church.

In Dominica, MiriDom reports their satisfaction at bringing the issue of LGBT Dominicans to the UPR process.



Professor Brendan Bain is a good man, says Dr Carolyn Gomes as she talks about the issue of his firing/contract being terminated from UWI after his testimony against Caleb Orozco's case in Belize. CVC has co-ordinated some of the responses to promote the issue of sound leadership in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

However, some Caribbean citizens still believe that Freedom is Under Attack!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRz4goalEAs
The 'culture wars' engaged even former Prime Minister of Jamaica PJ Patterson who asked for some 'compromise' between the sides at a Rotary Dinner.  Jamaican writer Kei Miller writes about Uncle Brendan and the connections we have in the Caribbean across these beliefs and disbeliefs about homosexuality. Meanwhile, UK Channel 4 shares a documentary in their series Unreported Wars about Jamaica's Underground Gays.

In Jamaica, JFLAG launches an LGBT Media Guide for journalists.

Events
SASOD in Guyana has its 10th Painting the Spectrum Film Festival during June.



The LGBT Platform in Suriname has announced its October 2014 Pride festival.

The second Women and Diversity Conference will also be held in Suriname during this time.


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