Prayers for the nation and Pride - Caribbean IRN Update June 2015

Pride Flag at Big Black Box formerly Bohemia, Woodbrook, Port of Spain, TT
Image from Shane McCutcheon

Kaieteur News in Guyana recognises gay citzenship in an editorial calling for Divine Intervention in Guyana saying that

"Let the familiar adage of “one hand washes the other” continue to ring true. Gay man, straight man, every man, every woman and child from every race or ethnicity; let us unite like we do in times of disaster and pray for our leaders to lead the country in the right path. "

Caribbean newspapers wrote editorials related to the Same Sex marriage ruling in the USA.  The Jamaica Gleaner wrote A Matter of Fundamental Rights, In Trinidad & Tobago, The TT Express talked about The Right to Be Gay and the TT Guardian was more measured.

Guyana Times seems to lament that "The debate in Guyana on LGBT rights has lagged." as activists and advocates and others called for Visibility and Inclusivity on LGBT issues.

Other Caribbean media talk to activists and others.  In Grenada, CC6 carries an interview Facebook only with Kimani Clarke (Facebook only) and with Nigel Maithlin.

Some Grenadians welcome US court ruling that legalizes same sex marriage
An issue that continues to divide families and friendships has once again taken the spotlight, following the recent decision by the US Supreme Court to legalize same sex marriage, and some Grenadians have welcomed the move.
Posted by CC6 on Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Dominica News Online talks to MIRIDOM while Newsday TT talks to CAISO and others about the problems which could be posed for Trinidad & Tobago.

The Belize Reporter does not seem to want 'pleasure groups of gays and lesbians' as tourist visitors.

Trinidad & Tobago LGBT citizens and allies had different activities for Pride which were reported in the Guardian

Picture from CAISO

Trinidadian soca star Destra Garcia participated in  Toronto Pride .

Image from TTOnline.Org 

Listen to this discussion on CBC about Destra at Blockorama and the significance of this participation to the work against homophobia in the Caribbean. Lucy is described as a coming out story...




The US Government/Caribbean/LGBT Pride month activities had some events. In Trinidad, "Trinidad born, US based" Judge Helen Whitener  visited the twin island with her wife and participated in a series of conversations. Colin Robinson of CAISO writes of this visit.

In Guyana, the US Embassy collaborates with Castellani House (a State institution which houses the National Art Collection) to screen the film Brother Outsider.

Castellani House had previously screened another LGBT film, Kinky Boots in August 2012 as a 'treat for Emancipation Month"

In June, security personnel from the St Kitts & Nevis participated in LGBT Sensitivity training - organised by United & Strong Inc, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation .  The Jamaican Constabulary Force also participated in Diversity Training resulting in this rap from a Police Officer (Facebook Only )

Constable Leron Mattison performing his dub piece at the Graduation ceremony for the recently completed JCF Diversity Training. Thoroughly entertaining and profound! Take a look.
Posted by Usaid-Comet II on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The story of Guyana's Transgender activism is told in this article  and Angeline Jackson talks about Jamaica in this Time article.  The 2014 Americas Barometer poll of Suriname indicates that most Surinamese are against same-sex marriage, even if they want people to live their lives.


Rosamond King's book : Island Bodies :Island Bodies: Transgressive Sexualities in the Caribbean - receives the 2015 Gordon K. and Sybil Lewis Award from the Caribbean Studies Association.