Take A Little Trip To The Caribbean

Take a little trip, take a little trip
Take a little trip and see
Take a little trip, take a little trip
Take a little trip with me
                           "Low Rider" - Jerry Goldstein

People try to talk me in to taking Caribbean cruises with them, I back down for two reasons. First is I don’t like cruises and second… I want to live.

That might seem like a strange thing to say but many Caribbean island are very, very anti-LGBT. It might not be bad for lesbians, gays, or trans people who can integrate into society but for trans people who stand out in a crowd it could be deadly.

Most countries score an F on our LGBT human rights report card
The Conversation
By Susan Dicklitch-Nelson, Berwood Yost, and Scottie Thompson
June 8, 2017

June is Gay Pride Month, but the sobering reality is that most countries, including the U.S., do not protect sexual minorities.

Our research gives most countries in the world a failing grade in LGBTQ rights, reflecting widespread persecution of sexual minorities. Only one country in 10 actively protects the human rights of sexual minorities.

From persecution to protection
The Franklin & Marshall Global Barometer of Gay Rights (GBGR), started in 2011, ranks countries based on 29 factors that quantify how much a country protects human rights.

It looks not only at constitutional protections, but also societal indicators, political opinion, civil society and economic factors. For example, we look at whether the majority of citizens are accepting of sexual minorities and if gay rights organizations can peacefully and safely assemble.

Countries are then graded on a five-point scale, from F (“persecuting”) to A (“protecting”).

The extremes are stunning. In 2017, 23 countries have legalized same-sex marriage, yet 71 countries still criminalize same-sex acts.

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria and Yemen score lowest on our scale, with an overall GBGR score of 3 out of a possible score of 100, while Luxembourg, Malta and New Zealand score highest, with 100 percent. A score of 100 percent doesn’t mean a country is perfect in its treatment of LGBT individuals, but it does mean they protect LGBTQ rights.

How do the Caribbean Islands do in the survey?

Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago all get an “F” for Persecuting.

So no, I really don’t want to walk around on the streets of any of those islands.