Caribbean IRN Blog

(Snapshot of results of Jan 2026 Google Image search of Caribbean LGBTIQ)   Hurricane Melissa Recovery  Equality for all Foundation Jamaica and other  Caribbean LGBTIQ+groups mobilised to respond to the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa.    Living and laws Equality for all Foundation launches its 'Queer Agenda' which does not include anything about making all Jamaicans gay. Jason Jones writes about the "dreaded “savings law clause” which preserves colonial homophobia in parts of the Caribbean  Guyanese businessman Harold Hopkinson talked about the personal impact of homophobic discrimination on his family as he called for change in legislation, and another businessman Omkaar Sharma also called for repeal of the anti-gay laws.   The Protected Areas Trust is responsible for oversight of Protected Areas in Guyana. The Gender Policy was adopted in 2025. The Policy recognises gender diversity beyond the binary, and that sexual orie...

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 S upreme 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 O...

  Queer Archives TT The Queer Archives of Trinidad and Tobago is a project to develop a repository of Trinidad and Tobago's queer history.  The archives feature two collections  - The Cyrus Sylvester Digital Collection ; and the Timeline of LGBTQI+ Westory .  The lead organisation is  CAISO: Sex & Gender Justice and there is an interdisciplinary project team The archives were launched in October 2024 and will continue to grow. Caribbean LGBTQI+ Citizenship and rights  Dr Nastassia Rambarran's PhD Thesis "A comparative analysis of Barbados and Guyana with respect to colonial legacies, transnational processes and decolonizing activities involved in queer activism " is available   In Haiti, Erasing 76 Crimes reports that evangelical Christians block protections of the rights of LGBTQ+ Haitians La Joven Cuba has a story " Travestismo-transformismo en Cuba: una historia intermitente " about the history of travestismo and transformismo in Cuba....

 Spiritual Work  "Spiritual work, 100% guaranteed .gay lovers togetherness.. lesbians together .." is advertised in the Sunday Chronicle in Guyana in the Spirituality section.   The healer though probably needs to help the Government of Guyana as the United Nations Human Rights Committee recommends among other things that : "Adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that explicitly addresses all spheres of life and prohibits direct, indirect, and intersectional discrimination on all grounds including race, ethnicity, age, nationality, religion, migration status, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and ensure access to effective and appropriate remedies for victims of discrimination; Combat violence and discrimination against persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity and ensure that offences motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation, or real or perceived gender identity are investigated promptly and establish specifi...

Extract from "Copies or Extracts of Despatches relating to Chinese Immigrants recently introduced into the colonies of British Guiana and Trinidad - c1853 "   Lashes.. There are references to "unnatural intercourse" and 'unnatural crime" on board the ship Samuel Boddington coming from China to Demerara in 1853. The crime was punished by lashes and "pitching" . Punishments were meted out to Nabi Baksh and Mohangoo in 1898 as part of the colonial justice. The Caribbean is referenced in a report by the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Victor Madrigal Borloz who " explores the impact of colonialism and decolonization on the continued formation and perpetuation of harmful social mores associated with sexual orientation and gender identity, and how these relate to the enjoyment of human rights." Jamaican activist Maurice Tomlinson  writes his resignat...

Composite Image derived from Left - Cuba Conga 2023 Yamil Lage/AFP , Right - Barbados Pride from Barbados Today   Pride A conga against homophobia and transphobia was held in Cuba in May 2023 , returning for the first time since 2018.     Pride Month in June was commemorated by Pride Barbados , concluding in a march.  The Guyana Pride Festival was held in June and included the Pride Parade .   In July,  Pride Parade was held in Cayman Islands and in Martinique Pride Trinidad and Tobago was celebrated in July. St Lucia Pride Week was held in August for the fifth time. Pride Week in Belize was held in August., around the anniversary of the Court ruling which struck down the sodomy laws in Belize. The theme for Bermuda Pride was 'Homecoming'. Pride Ja was celebrated in August in Jamaica.  The Pride March in Guadelope had six persons.  The US Embassy in Bahamas raised the Pride Flag, and US Vice-President Kamala Harris reportedly e...

Unity and disunity   'Unite the people' seems to have b een the message of T.O.K as they bun their Chi-Chi-Man song even as fans and others insist they should stand their ground as many Caribbean governments continue to stand their ground.  In Guyana , the British High Commissioner invokes  LGBTIQ+ equality and press freedom and other human rights as represents of the Government enjoy cake after Coronation of King Charles. In Guyana as well, the Government uses an image of a Pride parade to show  they endorse  'Freedom from Discrimination' as they continue to sustain the discriminatory legislation and other practices and policies. The Jamaica Observer reports on the delays in the Constitutional case brought by Maurice Tomlinson, while an Editorial in the Jamaica Gleaner recognises that the Jamaican Constitutional Reform Committee might be screening people who are in favour of LGBTIQ+ equality. "Different Boats, Same Sea: Gender & Climate Advocacy in t...

By Shivsharan Trasi - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,       Laws and rights The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) and the Saint Kitts Nevis Alliance for Equality (SKNAFE) welcomed the ruling of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on 29 August, 2022 which said that the buggery laws were unconstitutional.     In December 2022, the S upreme Court of the Republic of Barbados ruled that similar legal provisions were unconstitutional. The Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba ruled in favour of  same-sex marriage in Aruba and Curaçao,   Colours Caribbean in Cayman Islands says the UK Privy Council ' continues to enable the oppression of LGBTQIA+ people in the Caribbean by reversing progressive lower court decisions and upholding the enforceability and constitutionality of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in those states (most of which were themselves introduced by the UK)." But legislators in ...

  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 Mini...

   Visibility  The world seems to be easing out of the pandemic and Caribbean LGBTIQ+ continue their work for equal citizenship.  Does oil and gas mean anything for LGBTIQ+ Guyanese? Check P age 12 of the Stabroek News of 26 April, 2022 and offer an answer!  UNAIDS reports that Guyana's transgender community continues to call for an end to discrimination. Cuba continues the 'consultations' on the new family code which might open the door to gay marriage. Cuba's LGBTQ hotel opens up gay tourism in Cuba,  while a 'white gay cisgender' traveller lists Belize, Curaçao, Puerto Rico, Cartagena and St Barts as places where he felt safe. The Times UK puts Aruba on the list as well. Romanian activist Luca Istodor writes about an " Unlikely queer journey from Bucharest to Georgetown (Guyana) Our Circle in Belize spoke out against comments by the Minister of Religious Affair s in which he affirmed Christian Fundamental principles in public service. The Minister s...

Screen shot of  Map of Caribbean LGBTIQ+ organisations Dying, Living Colin Robinson writes about Learning to Die about the pain of cancer and dying from it.  Newsday in Trinidad shares Colin 'In his own words ' and Doing the work of memory. The  Being LGBTI in the Caribbean  project shares voices of LGBTI citizens from the Caribbean. Queer Caribbean students in the USA share their perspective Dominica goes to the UN to defend its anti-buggery laws . In Belize , L GBT advocates call for an investigation into the death of Ulysease Roca   , claiming that police brutality resulted in the death. A gay celebrity praises Belize as a tourist destination. Angelique V. Nixon connects the B lack Lives Matter movement to the Caribbean movements for justice and equality. Caleb Orozco notes that Giving up i s not an Option! In Barbados, Alexa Hoffman talks about a regional approach to decriminalising homosexuality. In Cuba, Mariela Castro rep...

Image from article "Men in Dresses - and a village is divided," The Sunday Chronicle, Sept 5 1971. Charlot Jeudy, Haiti Charlot Jeudy, leader of Kouraj was found dead on November 25, 2019. "Men in dresses" "Men in dresses - and a village is divided" is an article in a 1971 article in the Sunday Chronicle in Guyana. The story tells of Anita the Iceberg, Miss Diamond, Shakira, Penny and Miss Viking Queen who lived in Grove village, East Coast Demerara. This article was reported on by Akola Thompson in her  column The Minority Report in Stabroek News. The title of the column is" Trans history and remembrance: Beyond the stereotypes "  Almost five decades later, in Jamaica, Renaè Green and Donique Givans from Transwave Jamaica tell their stories of dealing with discrimination .  Neish Maclean shares his story in the Jamaica Gleaner, and makes the front page of the Sunday Magazine. In Guyana,  the CCJ ruling struck down the cross-dre...