Rights of Gay Belizeans to Cultural Expression-

-
Posted 14th, February, 2013

When group feel stigmatise and discriminated against they will fine their own spaces to assert their existence, pride parties, holloween parties and carnival participation is all part of a uncoordinated effort to assert individual right to human dignity. Here is an example of persons, doing just that at a halloween party this past year.


 When we think of Carnaval we dont think of Orange Walk, but Carnaval in Orange Walk in 2011 is filled with surprises of expression and public tolerance and points out that it depends on the district that will shape your perception of personal safety.










In 2012, Orange Walk was not the same as 2011, as the mood, the energy and the paranoia was intensified. The energy and the welcoming energy changed after my attack, but nevertheless, action speaks louder than words when a person chooses to get up and dance in public, even without a costume and alc0hol. Here is Kenny White engaging the music and creating his own fun.



We  have not done pride parades in Belize, but we do have pride parties that serves to unite the community and build morale. If numbers counted for anything, its when a community comes together to dance and show they are a force to be e harness as a political voice. We are not there yet as a country but when the time is right we will be the stretch our muscle  sufficiently for both parties to pay attention.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UniBAM at UN: It was about LGBT Politics, Humanity and Defiance

-
Image
Post 19th October, 2016 On September 21st, Belize was placed in a room of power at the United Nations General Assembly side event meeting. An event organized  by the U.N. L.G.B.T Core Group, which includes more than 20 countries and European Union. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders spoke at the meeting alongside Biden.        I had two cool parts to the event, the first was meeting Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koender and discovering the down to earth nature of the man while waiting for Vice President Biden at the door to the hall. Koender made me feel me l so at ease while waiting for Vice-President Biden that I was comfortable enough to speak to Biden sister for a few seconds. I learned latter, the Dutch Foreign Minsiter had passed or near through Belize once, years ago. The highlight of the event for me was meeting Vice Pres...
Read more

Dear Silly Straigghtish Belizean men

-
Image
  16/4/2022 16/4/22 Dear Silly Straightish men of Belize: I write to inform you that if you must express your fears behind my back at a bar and be homophobic and verbally violent, you’re not straight, you’re in the closet. If you must be bothered by me going to the bathroom, you’re not straight, your just want the D, but don’t know how to ask. If you need to cut your eye behind my back, while I am a customer too, you’re not straight, you’re just a gay man in waiting or at the worse frustrated because you are experiencing a malfunction with your third leg. When I walk the street, it not your job to police my body, my gender expression or sexuality. Please feel free to take care of your smelly braids, remember to ensure your children have an education, eat and clothes on their back, even if you’re unemployed. If you were clear about pulling down that zipper, you should be clear about how they will eat as they did not ask you to come into this world. Cutting into my business doe...
Read more

The Curtains Always fall in Advancing LGBT Rights in Belize, but...

-
Image
 11th September, 2020 "History despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Maya Angelou. In filling section 53 with the leadership of The University of West Indies Rights Advocacy Project was history making in the region. It generated 300 plus interviews over a decade, nationally and numerous references in the international press.    I was on the world stage meeting diplomats, parliamentarians, prime ministers, Lords and Baroness, often, making interventions about strategy and resources that led to five years of grants. We were the first case that helped launch The Human Dignity Trust global mandate to decriminalize same sex intimacy around the world.  The case triggered, constitutional march protest, a menacing message from an old classmate and  threats from evangelical believers in Belize. But this is not about, threats or legal launches or the high level relationships.There were global decriminalization...
Read more