As the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) celebrates six years of campaigning, we urge “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” sexual and gender-diverse individuals throughout the region.
In two eastern Caribbean nations in 2022, laws that criminalise consensual, private sexual actions between adults over the age of consent were ruled illegal.
The Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis courts struck down these laws as a result of ECADE’s litigation strategy.
The rulings recognise that these colonial laws impair the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals.
For the sake of justice, we must eliminate any laws that unjustly punish individuals based on who they love or how they respect their gender.
“Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” is the subject of Human Rights Day 2022, by which we can all live.
We are reminded that activism is the application of our principles. Each of us has the capacity to advocate for respect, liberty, and fairness.
Our words, our actions, and our defence of marginalised and discriminated individuals. We can all be advocates by holding our governments accountable for safeguarding all citizens against violence, homophobia, misogyny, ableism, ageism, and sexism.
“We all have a role to play in protecting and advancing the rights of those with whom we disagree. Too frequently, we view rights from a limited perspective or in terms of their application to maintaining the status quo. We must move away from this and embrace the rights of all individuals, says ECADE Chair Lysanne Charles. She continues, “When we reach a point when respect for human dignity outweighs all other forces, the area will be stronger and better.”
To achieve this objective, ECADE, in collaboration with Synerga and the European Commission, will launch the European Development Fund-supported “CALIPSO” project. Caribbean LGBTQ Initiative to Promote Solidarity Outcomes (CALIPSO).
The project will advance the full protection and promotion of LGBTQ+ individuals’ human rights. This regional project focuses on Barbados and countries under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Over the next two years, initiatives conducted with country-level organisations will ensure exposure through equitable representation, advocacy utilising documented constituents’ lived realities, and capacity building.
Executive Director Kenita Placide states, “Human Rights Day celebrates the social, cultural, and legal progress we have made. As we construct a path of healing, reconciliation, and progress with an openness to learning, we acknowledge the lives lost, the damage of the colonial past, and the trauma we still carry.”
ECADE continues to bolster the ability of regional organisations representing marginalised communities to connect with policymakers and promote the views of the LGBTQ+ community.
With constitutional challenges in Barbados, Saint Lucia, and Grenada, the Alliance remains dedicated to opposing discriminatory legislation.
These are not merely landmarks, but genuine advances toward enhancing the quality of life and the lived experience of everyone. The phrase “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” expresses the core of ECADE’s work for LGBTQ+ individuals in the subregion.
Human Rights Day is an opportunity for us to recommit to building the world we want for ourselves, our children, and future generations.
