Caribbean IRN Blog

Michelle Cliff (1946-2016) was a remarkable writer who claimed many identities she was taught to despise: Lesbian, Black, Woman, Jamaican. She wrote powerful novels, essays, stories, and poems that make us rethink what it means to love, to hope, and to have community. She also carved space for same-sex loving and diverse sexualities in the Caribbean by representing our desires fiercely and by being deeply rooted in place. She continues to inspire us to write our stories, our sense of self, in fire. “ A theory in the flesh means one where the physical realities of our lives – our skin color, the land or concrete we grew up on, our sexual longings ― all fuse to create a politic born out of necessity. ― Michelle Cliff, “Claiming An Identity They Taught Me To Despise” “ Who can say how many lives have been saved by books?” ― Michelle Cliff, Everything Is Now: New and Collected Stories “ It was Zoe, and Zoe alone, I thought of. She snapped into my mind, and I remem...

Image from Jamaica Gleaner "Love, Hope, Community: Sexualities & Social Justice" is the title of the latest issue of  Sargasso: Journal of Caribbean Literature , Language and Culture This volume is  co-edited by Rosamond S. King, Lawrence La Fountain Stokes, Katherine Miranda and Angelique V. Nixon. The volume is available for purchase ($10 for individuals, $25 for institutions) For more information write to: sargassojournal (at) gmail.com The Table of Contents is shown here (courtesy of Lawrence La Fountain Stokes) JFLAG  host  Pride Ja  'The Pride of People: Celebrating a community of love'  with a week of activities. The Jamaica Gleaner which once refused ads from Larry Chang's Gay Freedom Movement also reports on the Face of Pride  . The mix of Intolerance & Love i s reported by Bryan Washington on his visit home to Jamaica. UWI Mona has issued a conference  Call For Papers :  Beyond Homophobia: Centering LBG...

Picture from the Royal Gazette  "    Pro same sex marriage supporters and preserve marriage demonstrators both make their options know on the grounds of Cabinet building ( Photograph David Skinner)" Laws.. Bermuda held a referendum on marriage equality , with the majority of people who voted saying no to same-sex marriage. Among the people voting yes though was Sir John Swan , former premier and Bermuda's 2016 National Hero. His support seems to be shared by the President of the Bahamian Court of Appeal, Dame Nita Allen . Bahamas had a referendum on gender equality, with "No" votes being cast by those fearing same-sex marriage among other things. LGBT Activist Erin Greene explains the exclusion o f intersex Bahamians from the proposed amendments. The Caribbean Court of Justice delivers its judgement in the challenge of the homophobic immigration laws  brought by Maurice T omlinson against Belize and Trinidad & Tobago. Maurice Tomlinson refl...

In March 2015, the Caribbean IRN Collection on the Digital Library of the Caribbean  was discussed in the webinar series .   This contribution has been acknowledged by the team which organised the series. CHICAGO—The Latin American and Cultural Heritage Archives Roundtable webinar series, “ Desmantelando Fronteras /Breaking Down Borders,” is the 2016 recipient of the Diversity Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award will be presented at a ceremony during the Joint Annual Meeting of SAA and the Council of State Archivists in Atlanta,  July 31–August 6 . The award recognizes an individual, group, or institution for outstanding contributions in advancing diversity within the archives profession, SAA, or the archival record. “ Desmantelando Fronteras /Breaking Down Borders” was co-founded by George Apodaca, affiliate assistant librarian and Pauline A. Young resident at the University of Delaware Library; Natalie Baur, most rece...

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...