Caribbean IRN Blog

From Havana Times blog Cuba celebrated their 9th IDAHOT , keeping the theme of ending discrimination in the work place. Blogger Warhol P writes about the parade on Saturday 14 May , and his concerns about the politics mixed with the event. Bermuda will be holding a referendum on Same Sex Marriage on 23 June. Huffington Post publishes an article " The Struggle for Transgender Rights in the Caribbean" In Barbados, there was outrage against an article in the Nation which called rape 'male medicine'. The Nation apologised. The new Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality calls on the political parties i n the St Lucia elections to talk about issues relating to the LGBT community. They question the inclusion of candidates who have pursued homophobic agendas. Jessica St Rose from St Lucia  shares her story . In the Bahamas, activist Erin Greene, and Alex Marco head of Bahamas Transgender Intersex United condemned the homophobic comments of...

From left, Director of the D'Marco Foundation Alexus D'Marco, Alicia Seymour, Felicity Smith and Tori Culmer address the media yesterday about concerns related to the transgender and intersex community in The Bahamas. (Photo: Torrell Glinton) from Bahamas Local  From Trinidad & Tobago and Peepal Tree Press "Colin Robinson’s long-awaited debut collection, You Have You Father Hard Head, represents a nuanced but unswerving engagement with desire and intimacy as he explores what it means to be a Caribbean son negotiating the complexities of relationships between men." and in Guyana, Clinton Duncan stands in a skirt and top to perform  and he wins the National Poetry Slam Competition for Guyana's 50 Years of Independence . Same sex relationships and cross dressing for 'improper' purpose are still illegal 50 years after independence, and it looks like it will continue to be so for awhile ) In Jamaica, a study reports in an 'increase in...

Image from Guyana Chronicle Guyana's Minister of Social Protection , Ms Volda Lawrence called for Inclusion of LGBT  while addressing participants at a cocktail reception. She has subsequently come under fire for not dealing with allegations of child abuse made against a colleague , and for making disparaging remarks about the persons who made the accusations. Magistrate Dylon Bess though, did not heed Minister Lawrences' call and  refused to allow Twinkle access to his courtroom, in defiance of the court judgement on the cross dressing laws. The Guyana Trans United protested the discrimination. The A ppeal on the decision is to be heard. In Bermuda, t he Rainbow Alliance has opposed the announcement by the Government to have a referendum on Marriage Equalit y. They noted that the campaigns for the referendum will intensify the homophobia in the society. In Barbados,  the Minister of Labour t, Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo  was firm that the Bajan Government wa...

L-R Hon David Granger, President of Guyana; Hon Ronald Jones, Minister of Education, Barbados; Hon Ronald Thwaites, Minister of Education, Jamaica The President of Guyana, David Granger  made statements in support of LGBT rights, the Minister of Education in Jamaica , Rev Ronald Thwaites said that there is on place for bullying or discrimination in Jamaica's schools,   Minister of Education in Barbados , Ronald Jones in Parliament said 'Let's accept gays" even as others stay silent or call for preservation of the family. And if the University of the West Indies will be the place where future leaders will come from , then at least let them be from this year 's Council of the Student Guild  where they called on CARICOM Governments to review the buggery laws. In 1998, the Gay Cruises were not welcome in Belize, in 2 016  .."Over 3,000 gay couples and singles arrived on the Royal Caribbean Navigator Of the Seas today and they freely roamed the city str...

Participants of the Police LGBTI Sensitization Training in Antigua conducted by Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network  November 24–27, 2015.Image from http://76crimes.com/2015/12/05/progress-for-lgbti-people-and-rights-in-the-caribbean/ In probably the first case in the English speaking/Anglo Caribbean , a notice of marriage was filed for  a gay couple in Bermuda . In February 2016 ,   same sex partners of Bermudans will get the same rights to live and work as different sex partners. In Guyana, the Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency Ann Greene has confirmed that "Homosexuals can adopt and foster children"  . In Guyana, the story of same-sex love is told unfortunately through violence in this  report that "Gay lover remanded on attempted murder charge ". There are no reports of any other charges, even though the police seemed to be "aware of the intimate relationship"   Guyana born Edgar Mittelholzer in 1965 did fictionalise same sex ...

Will Dominica be the first to repeal their homophobic laws? Baroness Scotland who was born in Dominica and is Commonwealth Secretary General d esignate has vowed to talk about decriminalisation of homosexuality in Commonwealth states. It seems she will talk everywhere except at the heads of government meetings which 'need consensus' for the agendas. In Bermuda, the Supreme Court ruled that those in same-sex partnerships with Bermudans had the same residence rights  as spouses of Bermudans even as the opponents of same-sex marriage target the island.  This ruling seems to have the potential of equality,  more than the one in Guyana where the ruling on the 'cross dressing laws' did not prevent police from charging Nicholas Kissoon for cross dressing.  Trinidad & Tobago Parliamentarians were caught up in a bacchanal about homophobic insults. The Jamaica Observer  editorialised about the homophobic comments  of the Minister of Justice. Caribbe...

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...