Working against discrimination - Caribbean IRN Update May 2016

Cuba celebrated their 9th IDAHOT , keeping the theme of ending discrimination in the work place. Blogger Warhol P writes about the parade on Saturday 14 May, and his concerns about the politics mixed with the event.
Bermuda will be holding a referendum on Same Sex Marriage on 23 June.

Huffington Post publishes an article "The Struggle for Transgender Rights in the Caribbean"

In Barbados, there was outrage against an article in the Nation which called rape 'male medicine'. The Nation apologised.

The new Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality calls on the political parties in the St Lucia elections to talk about issues relating to the LGBT community. They question the inclusion of candidates who have pursued homophobic agendas.

Jessica St Rose from St Lucia shares her story.

In the Bahamas, activist Erin Greene, and Alex Marco head of Bahamas Transgender Intersex United condemned the homophobic comments of Deputy Prime Minister Phillip Davis. Activists also had to condemn the comments of Bahamian MP Leslie Miller. May did not only see homophobic comments from politicians. In Antigua & Barbuda, Minister of Social Transformation Samantha Marshall says she would recommend decriminalization of buggery. In Trinidad & Tobago, former Senator Nicole Dyer Griffith also called for repeal of discriminatory laws.

May 2016 was the 50th Anniversary month of Guyana's Independence and the European Union and the British High Commission called on Guyana to decriminalise consensual same-sex relations and cross dressing. The Country Co-ordinator of the US PEPFAR also did the same thing.
Meanwhile , the Ministry of Public Health reports that the number of HIV cases is rising.

In Jamaica, the Jamaica Gleaner reports about an incident in which men armed with guns shot a house, killing two men. After the shooting , there were disparaging comments 'fish get fry'. There were no follow up stories about arrests.
J-FLAG shares the report on the "Awareness, Attitude & Perception Survey About Issues Related to Same Sex Relationships" Jamaican authors Nicole Dennis-Benn and Marlon James talk about being 'queer and Jamaican' . Suzanne Persaud writes Stop Calling Jamaica the Most Homophobic Place on Earth.

You can hear Colin Robinson read from his book of poems - "You have Your Father Hard Head", at the 2016 Bocas Lit Fest.

If you are in Guyana during June 2016, check out Painting the Spectrum 12 - SASOD's LGBT Film Festival.

Comments

JFLAG at 15, Mandela, Sizzla and Usain Bolt in a dress - Caribbean IRN Update December 2013

Happy 2014 to everyone - this update covers December 2013 and the New Year's period which had some interesting activity in the work to advance LGBT equality. In December, J-FLAG celebrated its 15th Anniversary, and produced a timeline of the years of LGBT advocacy in Jamaica. ( Click on image to see full size ) Nelson Mandela's role in advancing LGBT equality was recorded in an article in the Stabroek News from Joel Simpson in Guyana In Barbados, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart responds to Barbados GLAD to say that Barbados remains committed to lending its voice in calls for an end to discrimination against "persons of differing sexual orientation. " Jamaican pastor Sean Major-Campbell continues to speak out against discrimination, a counter to the religiously fuelled homophobia experienced in many parts of the Caribbean. SASOD has published four episodes of its Interacts series on the film festival. Episode 1 is at http://youtu.be/b_Od3Vu_

Pride in the Caribbean and changing times - Caribbean IRN Update April, May, June 2019

L - Image from BBC News , R - Image from Nation News Barbados Pride in the Caribbean Police arrested LGBT Cubans who decided to march against homophobia , after the Cuban government cancelled the IDAHOBIT March. The organising committee though said the other activities in academic spaces would continue. NOW Grenada features GrenChap on the 17 May. In Guyana, the pride events and the Pride parade went ahead without any challenges. While t he Trump administration might be seen to answering the prayers of some Caribbean Christian leaders to save them from gay marriage , the US Embassy in Belmopan, Belize held a Pride Month celebration . In Guyana, the US Ambassador spoke at a IDAHOBIT cocktail. Guyana's Pride celebrations are part of an article about Global Pride events . Vogue features Zeleca Julien from Trinidad&Tobago as one of the "LGBTQ voices around the world which would not be silenced." Jamaica born Stacey Ann Chin is featured in a call

Antigua and Barbuda now - Caribbean IRN Update May, June, July 2022

Antigua and Barbuda Orden David and Women against Rape challenged the constitutionality of the laws which criminalised homosexuality in Antigua and Barbuda. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the High Court of Justice ruled the laws unconstitutional. SASOD in Guyana claimed this a s a victory for all Caribbean people. CariFLAGS also welcomed the ruling, as did ECADE . The Caribbean Observatory on Sexual and Reproductive Health a nd Rights also praised the judgement. Citizenship In Cuba, a September Referendum on the new Family Code would be done to get the 'people's decision' on same-sex marriage and adoption by LGBTIQ+ families among other things. In the BVI , the BVI Christian Council lost their appeal in dealing with a same-sex marriage case. The Montserrat Christian Council said they oppose same sex marriage as the UK tries to make it legal in the overseas territories. A gender neutral person Natino Thompson questions Bahamas' Prime Minister Davis ab

Caribbean IRN Blog

Search This Blog