Fighting Against Gender-Based Violence Against LGBTIQ People in the Caribbean
by Neish McLean, Caribbean Program Officer, OutRight Action International
Gender-based violence, a phenomenon most often associated with men being violent against women, is a reality across the world. But if we recognize that what leads to gender-based violence is archaic perceptions of gender roles and appearances, toxic masculinity and perceptions of how things “should be”, it becomes apparent that anyone who somehow does not fit, or, worse still, challenges what is perceived as the norm, can be a target and victim of it.
Violence against LGBTIQ people is a primary example of this. As LGBTIQ people we challenge traditional gender roles and norms in every way possible. Our gender identities, how we express them, who we love and how we show it – all challenge the assigned norms and expectations. We challenge binary gender norms and established family models by our very being and through the creation of family structures that affirm our relationships.
And we pay for it dearly. Through harassment, violent hate crime, beatings, so-called “corrective” rape, all designed to make us conform, or disappear.
In the Caribbean, where a culture of toxic masculinity is pervasive, violence against LGBTIQ people is rampant. This violence is exacerbated, and legitimized, by the existence and legacy of colonial-era “buggery” laws, which to this day criminalize same-sex relations across the majority of the region. Such laws not only deem LGBTIQ people as criminals, they also perpetuate negative societal attitudes and give the green light for discrimination, harassment, and violence.
The existence of these laws and their implications more often than not mean that LGBTIQ people who are victims of gender-based violence do not report it, or seek help, for fear of outing, stigmatization, or even imprisonment.
The one exception is human rights defenders, or activists. Activists challenge the laws, report abuse, and fight for change. Activists stand on the frontline and often put their stories in the public domain, and thus their lives on the line in the fight for equality for all LGBTIQ people.
The work of activists for the human rights of LGBTIQ people is incredibly important. By our very existence and visibility we show that LGBTIQ people exist everywhere, that we are not a “western invention” or a phenomenon which only occurs away from our Caribbean sea. As activists we put our lives on display, and open ourselves up for daily threats, from being targets of hateful comments online, in the media, and to being targets of violence on the streets and in our homes.
Moreover, we are seen to be the cause of the challenge against traditional gender norms, we are seen as trouble-makers, as instigators of turmoil. Our activism places our work in the spotlight and also places us at risk.
Last year my colleague Charlot Jeudy, a fierce activist, died under suspicious circumstances in Haiti. In February 2017 trans activist Alexa Hoffman was attacked with a meat cleaver in her home. Activist Caleb Orozco received daily death threats and was smashed in the face with a glass bottle for daring to challenge the so-called “buggery” law in Belize (which was struck down in 2016 as a result of his court case). Countless activists have had to flee for their safety.
In our fight against gender-based violence, in our fight for a society in which we can live free to be who we are, we face that very violence at a heightened level. I suppose it is the price we pay for a brighter, fairer, more diverse and accepting future.
Change takes time. In the meantime, OutRight together with local partners from across the Caribbean region has been working together with service providers who respond to cases of gender-based violence – such as doctors, nurses, law enforcement, mental health practitioners, shelters – to ensure that such services are inclusive of LGBTIQ people, even in the countries which still criminalize same-sex relations.
Archaic laws and outdated perceptions of gender roles should be no justification for not being able to receive support after being the victim of violence. Our communities deserve better and demand access to justice. As activists, we continue to advocate for better policies and better protection because every LGBTIQ person should feel safe in their bodies, their homes and countries.
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