Caribbean IRN Blog

    1959. British Guiana. Ruimveldt Police Station. Sex around 1pm on a Sunday afternoon The news report in the Guiana Graphic of July 28th 1959 reports that Miss Broad Street and another man have a charge for committing 'unnatural act' in the Rumveldt Police Station one Sunday Afternoon around 1pm.   If the police reports are true, what does it say about the sheer audacity of Miss Broad Street and the other man just after having the very public 'all male wedding'?  Image donated by Dr Nastassia Rambarran of We Were Always Here: Queer Caribbean Histories  In 2026 Guyana,  Sherwood Clarke,  G eneral Secretary of the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) uses Labour Day  to speak out against discrimination against LGBT citizens saying that "CCWU and FITUG believe that Guyana is strongest when we include everyone in our workforce, including our LGBT citizens. LGBT people are our neighbours, family, friends, and co-workers. They are an int...

(Snapshot of results of Jan 2026 Google Image search of Caribbean LGBTIQ)   Hurricane Melissa Recovery  Equality for all Foundation Jamaica and other  Caribbean LGBTIQ+groups mobilised to respond to the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa.    Living and laws Equality for all Foundation launches its 'Queer Agenda' which does not include anything about making all Jamaicans gay. Jason Jones writes about the "dreaded “savings law clause” which preserves colonial homophobia in parts of the Caribbean  Guyanese businessman Harold Hopkinson talked about the personal impact of homophobic discrimination on his family as he called for change in legislation, and another businessman Omkaar Sharma also called for repeal of the anti-gay laws.   The Protected Areas Trust is responsible for oversight of Protected Areas in Guyana. The Gender Policy was adopted in 2025. The Policy recognises gender diversity beyond the binary, and that sexual orie...

St Lucia  The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) alongside United and Strong welcomed the ruling of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court which struck down St Lucia's 'buggery' laws . This is the latest ruling in a five country challenge brought by ECADE. St Lucia joins Barbados, Belize, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica in creating what ECADE's Kenita Placide described as a vision   " .. that our Caribbean can and must be a place where all people are free and equal under the law."  Exclusion, inclusion and gay sex without marriage In Trinidad and Tobago , Dr Terrence Farrell writes about the 'savings law' clause which the Court of Appeal used to preserve t he colonial homophobia despite the 2018 judgement w hich struck down the buggery laws.  The TT Pride Parade 2025 was described as lively . In StPride SVG was held for the third yea r , organised by Equal Rights and Opportunities SVG and others.  In Ba...

We hold space for the family and friends of Orden Passo David from Antigua and Barbuda who has been reported missing since January 25 2025.  Resisting Colonial Hatred The Government of Trinidad and Tobago succeeded in its appeal to save colonial hatred in preserving the "buggery laws' .  A 2018 High Court judgement had decriminalised sodomy but the S upreme Court invoked the "saving laws clauses"   CAISO called on the Government to protect the rights of LGBTI citizens , and to amend the legislation. The Guardian UK reports that Caribbean activists will keep fighting.  The Law Association of TT said it was time to reform the Constitution. Guyanese Attorney-at-Law, Chandrawattie Persaud calls for a repeal of Guyana's sodomy laws (Guyana also has savings of the colonial hatred embedded in its psyche.. constitution) Don't forget to check out the Queer Archives of Trinidad and Tobago ! In Cuba, in equality manifests as tourrism and reality clash  LGBT+ Chill O...

  Queer Archives TT The Queer Archives of Trinidad and Tobago is a project to develop a repository of Trinidad and Tobago's queer history.  The archives feature two collections  - The Cyrus Sylvester Digital Collection ; and the Timeline of LGBTQI+ Westory .  The lead organisation is  CAISO: Sex & Gender Justice and there is an interdisciplinary project team The archives were launched in October 2024 and will continue to grow. Caribbean LGBTQI+ Citizenship and rights  Dr Nastassia Rambarran's PhD Thesis "A comparative analysis of Barbados and Guyana with respect to colonial legacies, transnational processes and decolonizing activities involved in queer activism " is available   In Haiti, Erasing 76 Crimes reports that evangelical Christians block protections of the rights of LGBTQ+ Haitians La Joven Cuba has a story " Travestismo-transformismo en Cuba: una historia intermitente " about the history of travestismo and transformismo in Cuba....

CENESEX Cuba image from Struggle La Lucha blog     Our thoughts are with all citizens affected by Hurricane Beryl.     All gorgeous gender s  The Dominica High Court has decriminalized consensual same-sex relations as the Government says the ban on buggery has not been lifted if the act is without consent. Daryll Phillip shares about the rest of the fight for liberation. Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago are the former British colonies who have since decriminalised consensual same-sex relations. The Barbados LGBTQ+ Coalition writes about the concerns for legal protectio ns as Barbados engages in the constitutional reform process.    CAISO publishes its report Insights 2023 speaking about the experiences of discrimination and violence in Trinidad & Tobago.      Gabriele Hosein writes on Discrimination against Transgender citizens in her Newsday column and Newsda...