Defiant Bodies: Making Queer Community in the Anglophone Caribbean

International queer human rights activists have dominated interventions in the Anglophone Caribbean, focusing on homophobia and transphobia, but this elides the complex nature of queerness and fails to account for the nuances of queer sexual and gender politics and community making. Defiant Bodies: Making Queer Community in the Anglophone Caribbean problematizes this and offers critical insight into the ways that queer people negotiate, resist, and disrupt homophobia, transphobia, and discrimination by mobilizing "on the ground" and creating transgressive communities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 212 pages
Publication date: 14 July 2023
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Queer human rights activists in the Anglophone Caribbean have played a significant role in addressing issues affecting people across the region, often positioning themselves as experts and advocates. This approach has been based on the assumption that the Caribbean is highly homophobic and transphobic, leading to violence and death for those who challenge dominant sexual and gender boundaries. However, this focus has elided the deeply complex nature of queerness across different spaces and places, and has failed to fully account for the nuances of queer sexual and gender politics and community making across the Caribbean.

One of the key challenges facing queer human rights activists in the Anglophone Caribbean is the neocolonial and homoimperial nature of their activism. This is evident in the way that international financial and political resources are used to influence interventions and the regions engagement on issues of homophobia, transphobia, discrimination, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. While these resources can be valuable in promoting queer rights, they can also be used to reinforce colonial power structures and perpetuate harmful practices.

To address this challenge, queer human rights activists have begun to focus on the “on the ground” and create transgressive communities within the region. This involves working with local communities, organizations, and individuals to develop strategies and practices that challenge dominant sexual and gender norms and promote queer liberation. For example, some activists have worked to create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals, provide education and training on LGBTQ+ issues, and advocate for legal and social reforms that protect LGBTQ+ rights.

However, the process of creating transgressive communities is not without its challenges. Queer people face a range of barriers, including discrimination, violence, and social exclusion. These barriers can make it difficult for them to access resources and support, and can lead to feelings of isolation and marginalization. Queer human rights activists have worked to address these barriers by building networks and partnerships with other organizations and individuals, and by advocating for policy changes that promote LGBTQ+ rights.

Despite these challenges, queer human rights activism in the Anglophone Caribbean has made significant progress in recent years. For example, Barbados has become the first country in the Caribbean to legalize same-sex marriage, and Guyana has passed legislation that protects LGBTQ+ rights from discrimination. Jamaica has also made significant progress in promoting LGBTQ+ rights, including the establishment of a national LGBTQ+ organization and the passage of legislation that protects LGBTQ+ rights from discrimination.

However, there is still much work to be done. Queer people face a range of challenges, including discrimination, violence, and social exclusion, and these challenges can have a significant impact on their health and well-being. Queer human rights activists have worked to address these challenges by building networks and partnerships with other organizations and individuals, and by advocating for policy changes that promote LGBTQ+ rights.

In conclusion, queer human rights activism in the Anglophone Caribbean has played a significant role in addressing issues affecting people across the region. However, the neocolonial and homoimperial nature of their activism has led to the elision of the deeply complex nature of queerness across different spaces and places, and has failed to fully account for the nuances of queer sexual and gender politics and community making across the Caribbean. By focusing on the “on the ground” and creating transgressive communities within the region, queer human rights activists can help to promote queer liberation and improve the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals across the Caribbean.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978830363