Judging Difference - Caribbean IRN Update - September, October, November, December 2018

Second Photo (Guyana Trans United) - Protest in 2016 against the actions of Magistrate Dylon Bess

Difference 
In November, 2018 the Caribbean Court of Justice ruled that the cross-dressing laws in Guyana were unconstitutional. After the appeal filed by Gulliver (Quincy) McEwan, Isabella (Seyon) Persaud, Angel (Seon) Clarke and Pheches (Joseph) Fraser and SASOD,

Quincy McEwan explained the ruling in a TV interview




Tracy Robinson and Arif Bulkan from the University of the West Indies reflected on the case during the seminar Modern Vagrancies, LGBTQI lives, Discrimination and Strategic Litigation in the Caribbean . Caribbean Solidarity Network shared the video.




Prime Minister Nagamootoo said that Guyana 'respects the ruling'.
The ruling generated some regional responses. The Jamaica Gleaner editorialised "Judicial Courage and the Buggery Law" . In Trinidad & Tobago, Colin Robinson wrote about the CCJ being a 'small man court", and Gabrielle Hosein looked at the justice implications.

In Guyana,  Alissa Trotz described the judgement and Stabroek News had a cartoon on 14 Dec, 2018

Anniversaries

In Guyana, SASOD makes front page news as it joins with representatives of the Government and the Opposition to celebrate its 15th Anniversary. In St Lucia, though,  United and Strong hoped that they could meet with the Government there, as they celebrate 18  years. J-FLAG celebrated 20 years.


Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines reportedly condemned a mob attack on homosexual men.

The Churches won in Cuba and there will be no gay marriage in Cuba,. The Government of Bermuda continues to fight not to have gay marriage.  Even though Barbados has said no no no to gay marriage, the Nation still celebrates the marriage of Fabien Barker and Shontonia Hall.


Caleb Orozco of Belize writes about the shift in Belize's approach to LGBT rights.

A new gender equality protocol for the judiciary of Trinidad & Tobago will benefit LGBTQ, reports the TT Guardian


The UK Guardian says that Jamaica is no longer the most homophobic place on earth, A Jamaican politician Kari Douglas seems to think the same though for different reasons.

A Parliamentary Committee recommends that matters like changing the buggery law and abortion should be 'taken to the people", Jamaican Attorney-at-Law Tenesha Myrie condemned the recommendations.
The Jamaican Minister of Justice says it was difficult to  middle ground on abortion and buggery laws.

Pride
Montego Bay Pride was held in Jamaica in October 2018, and included a public march., which was protected by the police. One politician thought that the pride means that Jamaica is not as homophobic.

Curaçao Pride was also deemed a success , with additional events and corporate involvement. In August , Belize also held a gay pride celebration.  Suriname had Pride Month during October. This is a news item from Starneiws of Pride Walk 2018.




Church
Some of the proceedings from the 2017 conference "Intimate Conviction: Examining the Church and Anti-Sodomy Laws across the Commonwealth" are available in a book which can be downloaded from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network website. The participants from the conference joined in calling for repeal of Caribbean anti-LGBT laws.

Caribbean citizens
Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the OAS and the US , Sir Ron Sanders, opined that 'Gays are citizens too" .  The president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights , Jamaican Margarette May Macaulay , reiterated her support for same-sex marriage.
VOA News suggests that there are improvements for LGBT in Haiti, as they share the story of Yaisah Val who has the Transgender Haiti Youtube Channel.

Caribbean IRN work
The project A Sexual Culture of Justice is launched in Trinidad & Tobago. The Caribbean IRN initiated a knowledge e-portal at http://portal.caribbeansexualities.org/  . The portal includes a Timeline of Caribbean sexuality studies and events, and a map of Caribbean LGBT organisations.
Send information to caribbeanirn@gmail.com to add items to the portal!

Angelique V Nixon presented on the Caribbean IRN at the Caribbean Digital V conference

Don't forget to check our collection at Caribbean Sexualities – Love | Hope | Community – Sexualities & Social Justice in the Caribbean and share it with others.

The collection includes selected pieces from the Sargasso Print Edition, as well as special online features, including "Write It In Fire - Tributes to Michelle Cliff" (prose, poetry, visual and performance art).