Knocking down discriminatory policies and achieving more inclusivity is high on the to-do list of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.
However, indoctrinating children is not on their agenda, says Ro-Ann Mohammed, one of the organisers of the Pride Barbados parade, which returned yesterday after a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She told the Daily Nation of some of their progress, including the High Court’s decision to strike down two sections of the 1992 Sexual Offences Act that maintained a colonial-era criminalisation of consensual same-sex relations; the Employment Rights Act 2020 which protects various categories of individuals from workplace discrimination, including those of diverse sexual orientation; and the Blood Collection Centre’s removal of a question that prevented men who had same-sex relations from donating.
“We want to continue along that vein. We want to make sure there is more anti-discrimination legislation, especially when it comes to accessing social services, so that people can feel safe in their own country regardless of gender identity or sexual identity,” Mohammed said. (TG)