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LGBTQ+ Community to celebrate wins during Barbados Pride

by Barbados Today
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The month of June is expected to be a busy and exciting one for those in the LGBTQ+ Community, as they join the rest of the world for Pride month. Several activities are planned to mark Pride month in Barbados.

During the launch of Pride Barbados at the United Nations House, Marine Gardens, Christ Church, on Friday, Chair of Equals Barbados and Pride Barbados Committee Member Michael Raptly vowed that his organization will continue to tread on despite pushback from some residents.

“During this Pride’s activities, I want us to celebrate these wins but also remember there is so much to be done. Negative attitudes towards the LGBT community from the general population still exist and the comment section from any media house on any LGBT issue can confirm this and no amount of legislation reform will fix it alone. The anti-LGBT movement is not resting and is even in progressive countries such as the US and the UK where trans rights are at risk and some African countries,” he said making reference to the anti-LGBT Law signed recently in Uganda.

“We must continue to be visible to agitate and fight for our rights. Inclusion and diversity are the underlying values for this year’s Pride and are the underlying values that drive the work that we do at Equals.”

Raptly, reminded of the role of Equals in Barbados.

“Equals has and continues to support a coalition of LGBTQ+ advocates who have been fighting tirelessly for an inclusive constitution of Barbados now is in the review stage due to the country attaining republican status,” he said.

Pride Barbados Committee Member Ro-Ann Mohammed.

While quoting Article 1 of the new charter of Barbados which reads that, “All Barbadians are born free and are equal in human dignity and rights regardless of age, race, ethnicity, faith, class, cultural and education background, ability, sex, gender, or sexual orientation,” he said that he hopes such inclusive language continues into the new constitution as the coalition continues to engage with the constitutional reform committee.

Regional Team Leader, HIV and Health Group of the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Latin America and The Caribbean Karin Santi, while delivering remarks, called for more advocacy efforts for people to be themselves.

Meanwhile, Pride Barbados Committee Member Ro-Ann Mohammed said that there is often confusion about what the agenda is for the LGBTQ + community.

“I think there is so much fear-mongering in a public space and in a general space, [some] conflate what the priorities of our movement are so that it comes across as something that is very threatening and demonizing and in a way that the movement is trying to take away rights from other people when that is erroneous and it’s actually the opposite of what we’re trying to do.

It was a packed room at UN House for the launch of Pride Barbados.

Mohammed called for LGBT allies to play their part as well: “People on the far right don’t want to listen to us anyway, there is a blockage, so I think that allies – it is important for them to step in and to openly hold a conversation even if they aren’t comfortable because, for LGBT people, our lives are uncomfortable so I think taking on that discomfort so we can have discomfort equity and you holding these conversations [is] important,” she added.

In explaining why Pride is Important, community member Didi Winston had this to say: “Pride is accepting the fact that you are worthy, your value is priceless – it’s about equality, unity, and acceptance… Pride for me is giving love, Pride is being the mama of the house, the sister of the house, the aunty of the house, and being a diva that anyone can talk to. Pride for me is being authentic,” she said.

Also delivering remarks was UN Resident Coordinator Didier Trebucq, and Member of the LGBTQ+ Constitutional Reform Coalition Nia Brathwaite.

Performing a powerful spoken word piece was Jae Seriux. (MR)

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