STATEMENT FROM THE LGBT COMMUNITY IN THE BAHAMAS
23rd October 2019
The Bahamas LGBTI community is made up of various types of people, it is made up of persons from all sectors in our society. The reality that LGBTI persons have existed in all parts of society is an obscured truth: 1. Because they have money 2. Because they are educated and have access to employment in high places. 3. Because they hide behind church and or a title. 4. Because they are from socially respected families. However, there are many socially visible LGBTI people here in The Bahamas who don’t have access to education and have been denied access to employment based on their perceived or known sexual orientation or gender identity. Moreover, many members of the LGBTI community who have suffered violence in the past are still experiencing both physical and verbal violence. These inhumane acts are perpetrated by family, co-workers, members of state agencies, and everyday citizens in this country. This is the reason we are hosting Pride Bahamas2020, to inform the Bahamian community, decision makers, and gate keepers of our issues as LGBTI persons in The Bahamas. We are calling for an end to the injustices faced by our community, fair investigations into the unsolved murders, we are demanding legal protections that defend our rights from the discrimination. We want the eradication of LGBTI based violence, for the outlawing of hate speech, for the reversal of the long standing lack of inclusion. These are our reasons and focus for Pride week 2020.