I serve as the Eastern Caribbean Coordinator of the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities, the ILGA Women's Secretariat Representative and the Executive Director of United and Strong Inc, a human rights LGBT organisation dedicated to representing the voice of the voiceless, working to secure equality, access and justice for vulnerable communities.
Today I pay tribute to the late Dr. Robert Carr as one of those whose life he impacted. Dr. Carr had a clear vision for what was needed – a regional, civil society network of advocates and service providers from the most vulnerable populations, able to drive lobbying and advocacy for appropriate policy, legislative and service delivery changes; a vision for which he took the lead in actioning.
For over 23 years I have volunteered in various capacities and just over 5 years ago I took the lead in LGBTQI community building and mobilising. I am deeply invested in the capacity building and empowerment of people, particularly LGBTQI people, who are often denied access based on negative perceptions.
As a black non-conforming feminist, the last of my mother's 5 girls and last of my father's 2 girls, it took me many years to be able to ask for help and to seek answers for the deepest loss in my life – that of my father to suicide. To me, every day is a struggle to live and to continue finding the positive things in life to call worthwhile. I stand before you all as a survivor of depression, several suicide attempts and my dark imagination and thoughts. I stand before you despite facing threats to my community, my advocacy and my life. The struggle is not over. My passion and commitment to social justice has made me what some may call aggressive or combative but what others call determined and brave.
I have been very lucky in aligning myself with positive people who bring out the best in me. From family to lovers, friends, colleagues and working partners, I have been well supported, despite the negatives that sometimes come from similar sources. Today, being here has allowed me to open yet another circle and I am fortunate to be accepted into the family of Front Line Defenders.
My heart however remains with my baby, my adopted child, United and Strong Inc. Founded in 2000 and registered in November 2005, United and Strong Inc. is a human rights NGO that seeks to achieve recognition of the human rights of marginalised groups on Saint Lucia with a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people. In a country that still criminalises same sex intimacy and where discrimination against LGBTQI persons remains high, the organisation has struggled to thrive. From the fear of opening an office, to finally opening an office and then having it burnt flat. To rebuilding, then having your new space vandalised, then burglarised, to being colourfully decorated for our fifteenth anniversary while I stand safely before you here today.
We have challenged social norms and pushed through media advocacy, policy advocacy, documentation, capacity building, training and sensitisation nationally. We have also extended our work to regional partners. Among our flagship events are local and regional human rights sensitisation projects with police, sensitisation on LGBTQI issues and terminology with health workers and the Caribbean Women and Sexuality Diversity Conference (CWSDC).
I recognise as an embodied female, my passion for the work also challenges patriarchy and the dominance of male-led LGBTQI organisations in the Caribbean region, especially with a growing cohort of females empowered to lead. The vision remains however, a united and strong front line of LGBTQI human rights defenders, standing shoulder to shoulder to stem the tide that erodes our freedoms.
The late Dr Robert Carr championed the vision, reaching out to colleagues in Jamaica, Trinidad, Saint Lucia and beyond to start the regional conversation. I see myself as a champion of this era, carrying the touch, soon to be passed on.
Thank you for the opportunity to share this testimony, to listen to the experiences of others, to learn more during the clinics, to network, reunite and build new family, during this Eighth Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders. I promise to stand with you, as you have with me, in the promotion of education, acceptance and love for all human beings.
The vision remains however, a united and strong front line of LGBTQI human rights defenders, standing shoulder to shoulder to stem the tide that erodes our freedoms.
