Caribbean IRN Blog

Header of CAISO Campaign in the Trinidad media Guyana Trans United calls for "inclusivity in National development" as they commemorate I nternational  Transgender Day of Visibilit y.  Visibility is complex.  Professor Carolyn Cooper writes about Coming out in Jamaica : Dead or Alive Jamaican born Author Marlon James writes his story in the New York times , Kenita Placide fro m St Lucia tells her story at Quorum : Global LGBT Voices . Angelique Jackson from Quality Citizen Jamaica tells her story in church in Miami , USA and Joel Simpson talks about his story on TV in Guyana .  Colin Robinson in Trinidad & Tobago writes in the Trinidad Guardian about his   Grief, Love , Hope and Activism . In Suriname, the LGBT Platform walks against Discrimination and Racism against Discrimination during anti-Discrimination week Maurice Tomlinson's case against the Governments of Belize and Trinidad & Tobago i s heard in the Caribbean Court of Justic...

Public debate  In the Bahamas, the Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell makes statements about aid a nd LGBT equality even as the Nassau Guardian reports that  Gays recall fears of living in the Bahamas In Belize, UNIBAM writes about How Self censorship, threats and negotiations undermine rights. In Trinidad & Tobago, the discussions on Constitutional Reform included the debate about gay rights in the constitution.  Colin Robinson from CAISO was able to explain in a TV programme.   Colin Robinson - CAISO - on Constitutional Reform from globewriter on Vimeo . Colin Robinson also wrote in the Guardian about Rights, Child Molesters and the Constitution . In Trinidad as well, the Vatican Representative urged Catholics to shun the gay debate even as a Catholic priest Father Stephen Geofroy urges that T&T must enshrine BASIC dignity of all human beings   .  Trinidadian artist Leroy Clarke makes some comments about how Homosexuality Fuels C...

The mob murder of 17 year old Dwayne Jacobs in Jamaica is a brutal reminder of the danger which many LGBT people face in their communities. July also saw in Haiti, the mobilising of 'anti-gay' marches which resulted in violence towards Haitian LGBT persons. The Government of Haiti issued a response to the violence (document shared by CARIFLAGS) and the Jamaican Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding also condemned the murder of Dwayne Jacobs. No one has been arrested. The Southern Poverty Law Centre launched  a report Dangerous Liaisons: The American Religious Right & the Criminalization of Homosexuality in Belize    which questions the role of the United States  religious groups in fueling the anti-gay rights initiatives in Belize.  There have been marches and other kinds of public interactions over Belize's Gender Policy as reported in this News 5 collection. However, other alternative religious views are being articulated such as those of R...

There was celebration in Martinique as Rosemonde Zébo and Myriam Jourdan became the first same-sex couple to be married there. There was celebration in Guyana as SASOD commemorated its 10th Annversary  with a range of events including the launch of their documentary video. In Guyana as well, the arguments on the Constitutional challenge to the cross-dressing laws conclude . In the midst of the celebrations though, the violence against Sandy Jackman who was a target of an acid attack is reminder of the hatred which exists. The Guyana Rainbow Foundation also issued a statement to condemn the sections of reporting on the media which intimated. Caribbean media though, showed its diversity.  The US Supreme Court ruling on DOMA resulted in editorials in the Jamaica Gleaner and Stabroek News which spoke to the reforms necessary in Jamaica and Guyana respectively. The Atlantic Magazine carries an interesting article about the "culture wars" as they rel...

The work and activism for (and against) LGBT equality in the Caribbean continues to be varied and interesting. In March, the Jamaican Love March produced their own Harlem Shake (which was later removed) . The group later offered an interesting apology . In Jamaica as well, JFLAG continued its advocacy work with the sharing of the memes created by their advocacy team. These are Dadland Maye http://bit.ly/ZTtyfm Diana King http://on.fb.me/11fu1Lw   Dwayne Brown http://on.fb.me/1007wsO Javed Jaghai http://bit.ly/Zw92UF Larry Chang http://bit.ly/13bNbXP Staceyann Chin http://on.fb.me/16JrMEf   Thomas Glave http://on.fb.me/YX7ymo    International Women's Day 2013 also had this meme from Tanya Stephens and commentary published from Zenita Nicholson/SASOD in Guyana. JFLAG also launched their comprehensive video with Javed Jaghai on Human Rights in Jamaica. The 'We are Jamaican' project added powerful new video messages from LGBT people who ass...