Sexualities in Conversation
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Sexualities In Conversation No. 1 Caribbean Sexualities, Part I MARCH 2008 Welcome to the first edition of Sexualities In Conversation. Rights & Regulation This bulletin kicks off a series of in the Anglo-Caribbean reports to be published about conference meetings and workshops Cave Hill, Barbados on emerging and on-going February 15-16, 2008 discussions about the construction and regulation of sexual rights and Legal challenges to sexual autonomy, the impacts identities in the global South, of sexual health work and of the HIV/AIDS including through multiple industry on sexual cultures, and transnational transnational social, economic, efforts to secure sexual rights were some of the political and cultural entanglements issues considered by nineteen participants and relationships. An important attending an inaugural workshop in Barbados. objective of this project is the Researcher-activists based in Jamaica, Trinidad engagement of conversations about and Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia, Guyana, sexualities across academic Canada and Switzerland met in Cave Hill to disciplines—in particular, between share their experiences of working toward sexual those scholars working in the areas of rights in the region. Four objectives were set for Law and Human Rights, Culture, the event: and International Development— and between researchers, activists 1. Identify and engage key questions about how and policy-makers. sexuality rights are being framed, negotiated and Andil Gosine pursued in the Anglo-Caribbean Assistant Professor, York University [email protected] 2. Share and reflect upon advocacy strategies toward 'sexual citizenship' •INSIDE• 3. Develop collaboration between researchers and advocates working in this area Workshop Program…………….……..2 4. Discuss and develop future modes of engagement Participants list……………………....…2 around issues of sexual citizenship including conference panels, publications, and other venues Highlights: A Workshop Journal for intervention by Joel Simpson................…………..4 “What we said”……………………….….5 For many, the workshop provided a first opportunity for colleagues working on similar The Vagaries of Justice: issues in different Caribbean countries to meet The Law Relating to Sex Crimes in each other, and identify and evaluate strategies the Caribbean for advancing their efforts. by Tracy Robinson ……………….…..6 Funding for the event was provided by UNIFEM, the Faculty of Law at UWI-Cave Reading list/Selected Works….…..8 Hill, York University and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. EGALE Canada also funded the travel of one participant. Sexual rights and regulation in the Anglo-Caribbean WORKSHOP PROGRAM February 15 9:30-11:00 Welcome from Workshop Convenors Tracy Robinson, Andil Gosine, Robert Carr Naming and Framing the Issues and Contexts/ What’s happening on the ground Facilitated by Andil Gosine & Michelle Rowley 11:00-12:30 Session 1: Legal Challenges Presentations by Tracy Robinson, David Murray, Philip Dayle Moderator: Michelle Rowley 1:30-3 Session 2: The Promise and Pitfalls of organizing through HIV/AIDS Presentations by R. Anthony Lewis, Sharon Mottley, Rinaldo Walcott, Andil Gosine Moderator: Robert Carr 3:30-5 Session 3: Local, Regional and Transnational Advocacy Presentations by Robert Carr, Akim Ade Larcher, Joel Simpson, Karlene Williams-Clarke, Kenita Placide Moderator: Andil Gosine February 16 9:30-12 Closing Session: Next Steps Facilitated by Robert Carr & Michelle Rowley 12 Lunch with guests from United Gays and Lesbians Against AIDS Barbados PARTICIPANTS Christine Barrow (UWI-Cave Hill) • Robert Carr (UWI-Mona) Philip Dayle (ICJ) • Stacey Gomes (SASOD) Andil Gosine (York) • Gabrielle Hosein (UWI-CDGS St. Augustine) Kamala Kempadoo (York) • Akim Ade Larcher (EGALE Canada) R. Anthony Lewis (UTech) • Sharon Mottley (CCNAPC) David Murray (York) • Kenita Placide (United & Strong) Nastassia Rambarran (SASOD) • Tracy Robinson (UWI-Cave Hill) Michelle Rowley (Maryland) • Joel Simpson (SASOD) Monique Springer (UNIFEM) Karlene Williams-Clarke (J-FLAG) • Rinaldo Walcott (Toronto) ♦ Highlights – A Workshop Journal ♦ By Joel Simpson I think it’s safe to say that most of us agreed local progress on the ground. I talked mostly about to participate in this forum not knowing the organization I co-founded, Students Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD). I exactly what to expect. We knew that a small identified our organizational challenges, and proposed group of academics and activists from a few strategies for moving forward: engaging the around the region and the diaspora would religious community; mainstreaming LGBT issues; be meeting for a day and a half, armed with and building alliances and partnerships with other an agenda to consider debates about the human-rights causes and civil-society movements for mutual support. Karlene Williams-Clarke and regulation of sexual practices and the Kenita Placide closed the day with presentations realization of sexual rights. Here are some about J-FLAG and United & Strong St. Lucia. of the highlights from the panel discussions: The presentations were very rich, but the Session 1: Legal Challenges meat of “Conversations” was in the Philip Dayle started us off talking about the work of moderated discussions that took place after the International Commission for Jurists (ICJ), including its support for Brazil’s resolution on sexual each panel session. We benefited from the orientation and gender identity to help focus the diversity of perspectives among us. Many discussion on human rights (as opposed to a times our discussions were not only cultural/domestic-level debate). David Murray passionate but emotional, especially as we asked “how do we translate advocacy for sexual rights discussed the implications of racism, sexism to movements on the ground?” He concluded that we need to give more attention to local vernaculars of and class to sexual rights organizing. rights. Rights-based advocacy needs to be put in local, For the closing session the next morning, cultural contexts to be more effective. Tracy we discussed next steps and decided a few Robinson (pg. 5) provided a detailed analysis of the key things. The group decided to stay criminalization of sexuality in the region. connected to work both as a collective and Session 2: Organizing through HIV-AIDS as sub-groups to work together on small R. Anthony Lewis explained how Jamaica AIDS projects that made synergistic sense based Support’s Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Community on where persons were strategically located. (GLABCOM) and Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All- We decided to start a listserv for workshop sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) developed. Sharon Mottley offered a background to the AIDS epidemic participants, and thought it would be useful in the region and examined where we were addressing to make the in-person forum an annual rights issues for homosexuals. Andil Gosine meeting. considered the use of the terminology ‘Men who have It was great meeting folks I have been Sex with Men’ (MSM) by international development agencies. He questioned whether its use was an reading about and emailing! The workshop impediment to claiming sexual rights in local contexts, provided invaluable insight into some of the and highlighted the gender-biased implications of latest research and organising efforts in organizing under the MSM framework. Rinaldo the Caribbean region and the diaspora. Walcott discussed some implications of HIV/AIDS Indeed, the workshop has spurred ideas work in black communities in North America. about hosting a similar meeting in Guyana Session 3: Advocacy on July 23, 2008—exactly five years after Robert Carr discussed the “Stop Murder Music” parliament did not debate the amendment to campaign as “glocal” organizing. Akim Ade outlaw discrimination based on sexual Larcher followed up with a description of activities EGALE Canada is doing in this area. He raised many discrimination in the Guyana constitution. questions about how the Global North could more effectively support local-organizing efforts in the • Joel Simpson is Co-Chair of SASOD Caribbean without creating divisions and stymieing In the opening session, we were asked “what are the issues and questions that are important to you?” We said— “Sexual practice and sexual identity. What are the stakes involved in “Issues of sexual making different claims?” economic agency and rights. How do “Coalition building.” economic conditions inform sexual “Mobilizing the gay community, practices?” which is male-focused. There’s an idea that ‘we don’t have “Isses of racism and lesbians in the Caribbean, we class.” have feminists…’ Who will stand up and be counted?” “Abortion. “ “An ethics of citizenship.” “TRANSNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.” “Demonstration – creating spaces within the region for expressing sexual rights.” “Recognizing “The crisis facing men and boys, what’s right in “Wrapping especially anxieties about the Caribbean.” our minds masculinity and homophobia.” around the opposition “The politics of love.” [to sexual rights].” The Vagaries of Justice THE LAW RELATING TO SEX CRIMES IN THE CARIBBEAN By Tracy Robinson Since 1986, seven of the eleven independent This seemingly progressive lawmaking has Caribbean countries have overhauled laws in fact become the contemporary mechanism defining and governing sex crimes.1 Only of retrenching sexual freedom, refining Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana and St. Vincent sexual outlaws and legislating more of the have substantially unreformed laws. And five sex we choose as dangerous