Resisting Colonial hatred and Cancelling with a Grandmother's Love - Caribbean IRN Update Jan, Feb, Mar, April 2025

We hold space for the family and friends of Orden Passo David from Antigua and Barbuda who has been reported missing since January 25 2025. 

Resisting Colonial Hatred

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago succeeded in its appeal to save colonial hatred in preserving the "buggery laws'.  A 2018 High Court judgement had decriminalised sodomy but the Supreme Court invoked the "saving laws clauses"  

CAISO called on the Government to protect the rights of LGBTI citizens, and to amend the legislation.

The Guardian UK reports that Caribbean activists will keep fighting.  The Law Association of TT said it was time to reform the Constitution.

Guyanese Attorney-at-Law, Chandrawattie Persaud calls for a repeal of Guyana's sodomy laws (Guyana also has savings of the colonial hatred embedded in its psyche.. constitution)

Don't forget to check out the Queer Archives of Trinidad and Tobago !

In Cuba, in equality manifests as tourrism and reality clash  LGBT+ Chill Out is held by the all inclusive LGBT hotel .

During Bocas Lit Fest, Backchat 2025 continues the resistance to the hatred 

 

Resisting Cancelling

Is the image of 3 year old Andil Gosine wearing blue sparkly shoes near a fowl  too frightening for the  US Administration? 

The American Museum of the Arts cancelled Andil Gosine's Nature's Wild exhibition without explanation. ,   Deborah Root PhD writes about 'obedience in advance' .

Saving colonial hatred in the Caribbean as the hatred is manifested in new ways? Obedience in advance to new masters while others hold on to obedience to former masters?

The Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre hosted a discussion which reflected on support  for Dr Andil Gosine.

Works from the exhibition will be exhibited later in 2025 in Toronto, Canada.

Grandmother's love

And as the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the American Museum of Arts and others succumb to the hatred of the colonial powers and the US Administration , the Guyana Together campaign shares the story of 80 year old Romanie Viola Simpson's love for her transgender grandchild Hollister 

 

 

" Love is Equity" was one of the slogans of the Phagwah Social Justice Collective which marched in the 37th Phagwah Parade in New York , giving highlight during the Phagwah celebrations to the various injustices facing sections of the Indo-Caribbean and other communities in the USA.

 

 

New Book

Charmaine Crawford, PhD has published Gender, Sexual Citizenship and Epistemic Injustice in the Caribbean . The book " interrogates the relationship between gender, sexual citizenship and epistemic injustice as it relates to the experiences of LGBTQ persons in the Commonwealth Caribbean." Charmaine Crawford had contributed "It’s a Girl Thing’ Problematizing Female Sexuality, Gender and Lesbophobia in Caribbean Culture”" to our Theorizing Homophobias in the Caribbean collection, and there is an edited version in the book.

 

May 2025 will see IDAHOBIT activities in the Caribbean and June to August 2025 will see some Pride Activities. Check out the social media of Caribbean organisations to find out more.