Judgement, rejection, and discrimination are some of the biggest fears of people in the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/ questioning, and others) community in TT.
Those reactions from people on society keep them closeted, hiding from and lying to friends, family, living in fear of discovery by the wrong person, and hesitant to live their truth.
One lesbian from east Trinidad said around age 12 she started liking her best friend, a girl, “in that way” but she never felt “different.” She was 14 when she saw the Showtime series The L Word and realised she could put a word to her feelings.
However, she never felt it safe to express herself openly and let people know who she is.
“Trinidad and Tobago is so full of all these fake religious people who are so judgmental and ready to condemn you to hell. So, I rather keep it amongst me and my friends who are allies, or are part of the LGBT community.”
She said she has a very close relationship with her mother and still, she knows her mother would not accept that she likes women. And, since she is not out to her family, she was not going to “advertise” that she is in a relationship with a woman.
In addition, when she was first employed at her company, she paid attention to the policy on discrimination. Sexual orientation was not included. She believes if she lets her employers know she is gay, they would eventually find a reason to fire her or ask her to resign.
A gay man, who works in a male-dominated field, said he was not afraid of losing his job if he came out because companies in TT are becoming more inclusive. However, he is concerned that his coworkers, managers, and supervisors would interact with him differently.
He sometimes hears the comments his coworkers make and slurs they use when referring to gay men and he does not want that directed at him, to be isolated from them, or to be discriminated against.
“No human being wants to live their lives being judged for something they have no control over. There is a general ignorance in society. There are these preconceived notions that people believe when they hear the word ‘homosexuality.’ I feel as though this judgement comes from a place where people just don’t understand.”
He said when people think about male homosexuality they think about disease. The idea stemmed from the early 80s when, because of the promiscuity of some members of the community, HIV/Aids was rampant in the US.
“Had it been spread by heteronormative activity I don’t think it would have garnered that much hate. Would people hate themselves? No. So, it really didn’t help the cause.”
What also sickens and angers him is that some people associate homosexuality with paedophiles. The fact that there are there are so many accounts of priests “interfering” with alter boys does not help.
There is also the issue of the church which preaches that homosexuality is a sin. He said the message religious leaders are sending is one of hate rather than love which allows people to use religion as justification for hate.
