ERIN GREENE AN OUT QUEER WOMAN DEFENDS MITCHELL

“‘As an out queer Bahamian woman I was outraged when i saw the exchange of words between Fred Mitchell and a social media user.
The Bahamas is located in a region where men are killed on the mere suggestion that they are homosexuals, and where the suggestion that a homosexual advance occurred has been used as a defence to murder… I am not attempting to chastise Mr. Mitchell, he has suffered and withstood countless attacks on his character and sexuality, for longer than I have been a human rights advocate. He is a far stronger person than I am. The only thing I am shocked about is the restraint that Mr. Mitchell has exercised throughout his career in Bahamian politics… If we were to assess this exchange using the tenets of Bahamian political and legal culture, the individual that called Mr. Mitchell a ‘faggot’ should appreciate and be thankful that Mr. Mitchell responded in kind, with a ‘good ol’ Bahamian comeback”—Erin Greene
( The writer is the head of a local LGBTQ advocacy group in The Bahamas—Editor)