Organization of American States(OAS) in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the LGBTI coalition of Latin American and the Caribbean went to the OAS meeting on Soverignty, Food and Security as a collective sharing the space and presenting one statement on LGBTI issues to the ambassadors for Latin America and the Caribbean. Especially important was the effort of the Caribbean LGBTI delegates Teneke Sunpter
-Suriname, Caleb Orozco-Belize, Maurice Tomlinson-Jamaica,
Kareem Griffith -Trinidad & Tobago and Namela Rowe -Guyana to increase visibility of the Caribbean in the
informal dialogue the OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and The presentation of statement of concerns to the ambassadors.
of the English speaking Caribbean and pointed out that for the past five years
we have been participating in the OAS General Assembly that many resolutions
have been passed, yet LGBTI people in the English speaking Caribbean continue
to be discriminated against and marginalized. He gave the examples of Trinadad
&Tobago and Belize which have laws that refuse homosexuals entry into the
country, while in Guyana one can be imprisoned for life for same sex adult intimacy
and in Jamaica violence and murder continue unabated against LGBT people. Tomlinson
urged the Secretary General to convene an urgent meeting with Caribbean leaders
and civil society in an effort to get the Caribbean countries to comply with
the OAS resolutions, but his response was devoid of any meaningful feedback.
Teneke Sunpter, LGBTI activists
from Suriname, contributed and reminded the Secretary General that there were
11 states in the Caribbean which criminalises same sex intimacy to which the
Secretary General replied that he did not know the issue was “ so bad.” He then
said that he would seek to address the issue in an action plan. The Suriname representative in her coat.
In the afternoon, social actors
came together to negotiate who would speak. An attempt was made by Caribbean LGBTI to try
and negotiate a space for the Caribbean, after previous discussions that the Sexual
and Reproductive Rights group had expressed a willingness to resign their space
to the Caribbean at the Hotel Plaza
Ceaser on May 30th, 2012. Base on this discussion, lead by Jamaica,
an effort was made that tried to create a
space for the Caribbean. However, at the informal dialogue with Secretary
General Insulza, groups began to realize that social actors were few and as
such, the position was rescinded about the resignation of spaces. Still, a table was created for the Caribbean
and an effort was done, laying the argument that the Caribbean 15 voting block
would continue to be a barrier to progressive human rights efforts and the reason
we were trying to build visibility. This centered around Caribbean regional leaders value about the OAS
and links to the absence of Caribbean Civil Society. The message, it seem was
lost in translation. The effort, led to an understanding that the Caribbean
region could not call for a space when it was very visible in the LGBTI
movement for the pass 5 years at the OAS. We discover as well that because the
effort did not have a clear strategy that it was creating the perception that
we were splitting off from the Latin American Coalition, which was never the
intent. In the end, we gave up the idea for a Caribbean space, but continued to
strategies on increasing our visibility. During the negotiations, we were able
to submit two paragraphs to the LAC LGBTI coalition and I worked on clarifying the language that we
had submitted the previous night to strengthen our presence in the statement. We worked as well on bulleted points for the
Caribbean called, “ Caribbean Prejudice Violates LGBTI Rights,” during the
negotiations as well. The points called for Caribbean leaders to condemn all forms
of rights violations against LGBTI persons and immediate action to be taken to
end all forms of LGBTI discrimination.
negotiations that five civil society actors would address Sexual and Reproductive
Rights, Indigenous, LGBTI, Food and Security, and Gender to the foreign
ambassadors for June 3rd, 2012. The whole process had the Caribbean
reflecting about the intersectionality of issues and reevaluating strategies
for the next Assembly to strengthen the work. As it was recognize that
Caribbean countries are a potential barrier to progressive Human Rights action
around LGBTI as well as Sexual and Reproductive Rights; recognizing the
Inter-American Court and in signing various instruments. This concern was extended in a conversation
with Jorge Sanin of the OAS.
activists from the Caribbean stepped up their advocacy and stood while an LGBTI
Coalition statement was read aloud that said,
“Indifference, omission and complicity
by many states in cases of discrimination and violence against LGBTI community…limit
the enjoyment of the basic needs of our communities. This situation is even
more serious in the case of the legislation of 11 Anglophone Caribbean countries.
We are here with our colleagues from Belize, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica,
countries that criminalize same sex conducts between consenting adults. In
fact, the lack of political will of the Anglophone Caribbean member states
denies human rights and, as a consequence, represents a limit to job opportunities
and for decision-making on public policies related to HIV, as well as increase
the number of homeless youth.”
The LGBTTI coalition from the Caribbean was on a roll as
members, specifically, our Suriname partner who proceeded to hold up a copy of the
Draft Convention on Sexual and Reproductive Rights for the Foreign Ambassadors
to see. The Caribbean activists, however, were the only one to have stood up
silently to bring visibility to the issues of LGBTTI human rights in the Caribbean.
The action, we believe also, highlighted that LGBTI persons are willing to
expose their experience of discrimination and violence with the OAS system.
disappointed not to see the ambassador, Nestor Vasquez. I will admit that he
was more accessible in San Salvador General Assembly in 2011 and very helpful
in providing insight into the OAS process. Beyond this, what could not be over
looked was the absence of St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica
and Antigua and Barbuda. What could not be overlooked as well, is the
ambassador and Permanent Representative to the OAS Jacinth L. Henry-Martin use
of the word” culpable” and the Trinidad and Tobago response.
resolution on Human Rights Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. The present
resolution called for the following:
To encourage member states to consider, within the parameters of the
legal institutions of their domestic systems, adopting public policies against
discrimination by reason of sexual orientation and gender identity.
To condemn acts of violence and human rights violations committed against
persons by reason of their sexual orientation and gender identity; and to urge
states to strengthen their national institutions with a view to preventing and
investigating these acts and violations and ensuring due judicial protection
for victims on an equal footing and that the perpetrators are brought to
justice.
To request the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to pay
particular attention to its work plan titled “Rights of LGBTI People” and, in
keeping with its established practice, to prepare a hemispheric study on the
subject; and to urge member states to support the efforts of the Commission in
this area.
To request the IACHR to prepare a study on legislation and provisions in
force in the OAS member states restricting the human rights of individuals by
reason of their sexual orientation or gender identity and to prepare, based on
that study, guidelines aimed at promoting the decriminalization of
homosexuality.
To urge the member states that have not yet done so to consider signing,
ratifying, or acceding to, as the case may be, the inter-American human rights
instruments.
Gone are the bad days, of the Caribbean resisting the
resolutions, but aware of the Caribbean potential to kill any additional
progressive rights instrument like the Draft Convention on Racism and the protocol
on intolerance. Originally, this was one document, until Antigua and Barbuda
took an interest in the process.What has been more interesting is th absents of the four States from Caribbean,