As nearly 200 people gathered at One Café Alcazar on Maraval Road on Sunday to celebrate Sunday’s PrideTT parade with the LGBTQIA community, organizers highlighted the urgent need for legislation to protect members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA) community from discrimination.
PRIDETT co-founder Kennedy Everett Maraj explained that this year’s theme, “The Right to…” was intentionally left open-ended to highlight the various issues affecting the community.
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Maraj said, “Given that we are such a diverse community and we are not a monolith, not every single issue is going to impact each and every one of us the same way. Different issues impact all of us differently. So it’s really to give the community a platform to come out and say what is affecting them the most and put a spotlight on that.”
While in recent years, several Caribbean nations have struck down laws criminalizing same-sex relations, as courts in Belize in 2016 and Trinidad and Tobago in 2018 found such laws unconstitutional, and a top Caribbean court ruled some provisions of Antigua and Barbuda’s “Sexual Offences Act” unconstitutional, there is more to be done.
Maraj stressed the importance of PrideTT and the parade in challenging societal misconceptions about LGBTQIA people.
He emphasized that the community faces unique challenges that prevent them from enjoying equal rights, stressing the importance of creating safe spaces where people can feel free and safe.
Maraj mentioned that LGBTQIA representatives have previously engaged in discussions with legislators about the necessary legal changes to ensure equality.
He identified discrimination as one of the most pressing issues facing the community.
“Something that our community has been advocating for well over a decade is changes to the Equal Opportunity Act. We do not have any protections for LGBTQIA persons that prevent them from being discriminated against. We have been trying to get legislators to put sexual orientation and gender identity into that act to protect us from discrimination, especially within the workplace,” Maraj stated.
Attendees included high commissioners and foreign delegates who spoke to Newsday.
European Union Ambassador to TT Peter Cavendish was present and said he was pleased to be a part of the celebrations.
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands Cor Hersbach said the parade mirrored his personal beliefs and those of his country.
Argentine ambassador to TT Gustavo Pandiani said he was there in his personal capacity and not a representative of his government, adding the LGBTQIA community could count on his support.
British High Commissioner Harriet Cross said she was there to celebrate the contribution LGBTQIA people make to the economy, the culture, and other aspects of life.
