Bridgetown, Barbados

In collaboration with the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE), United Belize Advocacy Movement (UniBAM), Eolas Consulting, and Caribbean Colours, and in partnership with the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Regional Office for Latin America and Caribbean, PGA invited five parliamentarians from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica and St. Lucia to attend a Caribbean Regional Dialogue on LGBTQI+ D.A.T.A. (Driving Analytical Transformative Action). The Regional Dialogue was held in Bridgetown, Barbados on September 15-16, 2022.

The objective of the Regional Dialogue was to provide a platform to bring human rights practitioners to showcase their data-driven research and findings about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) people in the Caribbean and propose policy recommendations to improve understanding about equality and inclusion of LGBTI+ people that can lead to effective formulation of strategies to transform the livelihoods of this community at the national and regional levels. Participants included political leaders, development agencies’ officials, human rights experts, civil society representatives, and the private sector.

On September 16, 2022, in coordination with UNDP, PGA co-organized a Parliamentary Roundtable facilitated by Victor Madrigal, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), and Roberta Clarke, Interamerican Human Rights Commissioner and Rapporteur on the Rights of LGBTI persons.

The discussion among parliamentarians focused on their role as activists and lawmakers in their Parliaments, strategies to enact protective legislation in conservative societies, including through strategic litigation as seen by the High Courts’ rulings in Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis, and the influence of the churches, which can be galvanized on specific topics such as healthcare.

Additionally, UNDP presented our revised and updated publication Advancing the Human Rights and Inclusion of LGBTI People: a Handbook for Parliamentarians (SOGI Handbook for Parliamentarians) that was very well-received by participants, Ms. Clarke and Mr. Madrigal.

Parliamentarians committed to the following action points:

• Share the SOGI Handbook for Parliamentarians with colleagues in their Parliaments.
• Increase collaboration and resources across the region to improve understanding about the issue.
• Schedule a meeting with local LGBTI+ activists to learn more about priorities and collaborate.
• Review bills through a gender lens that includes their potential impact on the LGBTI+ community.

The SOGI Campaign will continue collaborating with parliamentarians, civil society representatives and human rights experts in the Caribbean, and around the world, to follow up on these commitments and provide technical assistance, as requested.