Caribbean IRN Blog

Loss Brandy Rodriguez President of the Trinidad and Tobago Transgender Coalition died and activist groups remembered her work on HIV/AIDS and on dealing with other forms of discrimination .   Republics and homophobic laws Barbados became a Republic on 30 November2021 and activists expect that the colonial laws could be removed. Article 1 of the The Charter of Barbados which was debated in Parliamen t stated that "All Barbadians are born free and are equal in human dignity and rights regardless of age, race, ethnicity, faith, class, cultural and educational background, ability, sex, gender or sexual orientation." Barbados joins Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago as Caribbean Republics evolving from the British Empire. Guyana proudly maintained its anti-sodomy laws as part of its Republican status, Jason Jones was successful in his challenge to the Trinidad & Tobago Republican anti-sodomy laws. The Jamaican Minister of Health and Wellness called for an end to anti-LGBT di...

The message of loving the sinner from the persons who p rayed and worshiped against  homosexuality" at Half Way Tree, Kingston was different from the other citizens who tried to attack a gay man a few days earlier in the same spirit. However,  Sergeant Robert Cameron of the Jamaica Constabulary Force intervened and  "rescued" the gay man, Sky,  from the citizens who do not believe in loving the sinner.  The UK Prime Minister David Cameron also came in for some love from Christian citizens who believed he was on the island to push for gay marriage and repealing the buggery law. Cuba's LGBT citizens reportedly hoped for changes in the Catholic church on the visit of Papa Francisco to Cuba. Activist Alberto Guerra spoke about LGBT life at an event in Chicago. Prime Minister Keith Mitchell of Grenada also preaches about who should judge who in  Brooklyn New York, USA  (Kellon Bubb video) Colin Robinson has an interview on St Kitts & Nevis...

Image from  https://blackatlanticresource.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/noctambules-the-hidden-transcripts/ In Guyana, two men kill Noel Nephi Luthers . The police have the pictures of the killers but there have been no arrests. Thin Slice talks about her relationship with Samuel Bristol who went on a murderous rampage in July 2014. In Barbados, Darcy Dear from UGLAB talks about gay bashing. The Trinidad Guardian writes about being ' Transgender in T&T ', and Alessandra Hereman's story from Guyana is told in a  Voices of Youth   blog. In Belize, a man is charged for assaulti ng Caleb Orozco. July began with the CARICOM Heads of Government dealing with a petition to preserve Caribbean families  and to resist pressure from foreign governments and so on. CARIFLAGS also wrote to ask the Governments to ensure that Caribbean LGBT citizens are ensured of the protection of their rights , same as any other citizen. The UN Secretary General also talks ...

While Guyanese were dealing with the homophobia/homo-negativity of Junior Minister of Finance Juan Edghill, the murders of Jada (Justin John Samuels) and Tyra (Carlyle Sinclair) resulted in a series of protest actions and demands for respect and acceptance. The actions included calls for the dismissal of Minister Edghill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih5vYxyy-9U One interview from Otisha asserted that "Gays are here to stay" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLMDzTWR63E There were supportive newspaper columns such as the editorial Homophobia in the Society   , and the columns The Right to Equality and  "These things provide a welcome distraction " (which has some historical perspectives) Other Caribbean leaders were also dancing with the idea of LGBT equality. In Guyana, former Commissioner of Police and now Opposition Member of Parliament Winston Felix facilitated a workshop with LGBT  Guyanese and supporters.  However, while St Vincent Prime Min...