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Marriage, adoption, lovers at war : Caribbean IRN Update December 2015



Participants of the Police LGBTI Sensitization Training in Antigua conducted by Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network  November 24–27, 2015.Image from http://76crimes.com/2015/12/05/progress-for-lgbti-people-and-rights-in-the-caribbean/
In probably the first case in the English speaking/Anglo Caribbean , a notice of marriage was filed for  a gay couple in Bermuda. In February 2016 ,  same sex partners of Bermudans will get the same rights to live and work as different sex partners.

In Guyana, the Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency Ann Greene has confirmed that "Homosexuals can adopt and foster children" .

In Guyana, the story of same-sex love is told unfortunately through violence in this  report that "Gay lover remanded on attempted murder charge". There are no reports of any other charges, even though the police seemed to be "aware of the intimate relationship"  

Guyana born Edgar Mittelholzer in 1965 did fictionalise same sex love Archie Cliffer and Finey in his novel The Aloneness of Mrs Chatham - story set in England though.

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Maurice Tomlinson  reports on the police training in Antigua & Barbuda conducted by Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and the launching of Barbados Pride. Maurice Tomlinson filed a constitutional case in Jamaica against the sodomy law. He gets editorial support from the Jamaica Gleaner.

In Barbados, the survey "Examining Stigma and Discrimination Experienced by Gay Men" reports on the experience of discrimination by gay Barbadians.

The American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad & Tobago  endorses equality for LGBTI citizens. In October 2015, the Vereniging van Surinaamse Bedrijfsleven (VSB) (Association of Suriname Businesses) joined in celebrating Coming out Week with LGBT Platform - Suriname.


In St Lucia, the Miss Gay Universe Pageant went ahead even though a pastor said he "received a direct command from God" that it should be cancelled

And in Cuba, American television company HBO launched the documentary Mariela Castro's March : Cuba's LGBT Revolution"



Happy New Year from the Caribbean IRN Team


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