Inclusion and fashion statements - Caribbean IRN Update for August and juicy part of September 2015

Photo by Maurice Tomlinson - Barbados Stand for Equality - 19 August, 2015 from http://stpaulsfdr.org/Media_Blog/index.html

Activist Colin Robinson asked What do LGBTI voters have to vote for?  in Trinidad & Tobago's recent elections. Blogger Brandon O'Brien wrote about the "The State of The Division: LGBT Rights in Trinidad and Tobago, As It Stands Today" which gives a history of the ambiguity and ambivalence (not the fascinating sexual kind) of LGBTI talk in Trinidad & Tobago.  The People's Partnership's 2015 Manifesto, like the ones of the APNU+AFC Coalition and the PPP/C in Guyana's May 2015 elections, included a key principle about not discriminating on the grounds of sexual orientation.  The Allies for Justice & Diversity put up a manifesto

 Jowelle De Souza, a transgender citizen ran for a seat in her constituency as an independent candidate.

New Prime Minister Keith Rowley had said , on LGBTI rights, that he was not prepared to make  "fashion statements on these issues"  preferring to  have consultations. This position of majority views on sexual orientation is a problematic one and Gabrielle Hosein wrote "Let the People Decide" not good enough"

However, in Guyana, Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally noted that "The government has to create a society where there is quality education and healthcare, decent housing, decent jobs, where all feel safe and secure and where there is an improved quality of life for all, regardless of their race, colour, gender, sexual-orientation or creed". Minister Ally is probably the first Minister in a Caribbean Government who spoke against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation while not dealing with HIV/AIDS.


J-FLAG in Jamaica organised first Gay Pride Celebrations at the beginning of August. The theme was "The Pride of a People: Breaking the Rules of Oppression."
The media reports are that it was liberating, and a signal of change. This interview with Latoya Nugent shares lessons learned.  There will be another pride in Montego Bay in October, 2015. There is a Pride organised for Barbados in November. A group of Activists held a stand in Bridgetown, Barbados on 19 August, 2015.

Barbados Pride 2015 poster

The Cayman Islands reaffirmed its ban on gay marriage. A law professor , Dr Leonardo Raznovich,is allowed to stay in the island as a visitor since his spouse could not name him as a dependent on an application for a work permit. This is going to be interesting for Caribbean countries who have to recognise the same-sex marriages of diplomats, etc.

“Homophobia And Transphobia In Caribbean Media” a baseline study, is now available online. The g research was conducted by United and Strong Inc and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) in collaboration with United Belize Advocacy Movement (UniBAM), PETAL, Groundation Grenada, Guyana Rainbow Foundation (GuyBow) and J-Flag.


Surinamese group HMG 'changed its position on bullets against batty boys" talking about peace, love , tolerance and concerns about gay prostitution.

Antigua-born Tasheka Lavann, who was a former Carnival Queen and who now lives in Toronto, Canada has launched a VLOG Islands Lez Talk. SASOD's LGBT Youth in Focus is on Youtube

The Centre for Indic Studies in Trinidad & Tobago held a conversation "Queerying Hinduism "
The panel featured Dr Arvind Singh, Sanskrit scholar and Lecturer in Engineering at the University of the West Indies; Krystal Ghisyawan, PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of the West Indies and Shalini Seereeram, Indo-Trinidadian artist who talked about her latest collection "Intimate Moments"

The video is here