Bahamas

LGBTQ+ people in the Bahamas are subject to discrimination not only byother citizens, but their government as well. Same-sex acts are legal,but that is essentially their only protection under the law. There are no laws that prevent discrimination or harassment and same sex unions are not recognized or given the same rights as opposite-sex couples. The government in the Bahamas has been very outspoken in its opposition of same-sex marriage. In 2016, the Prime Minister Perry Christie said, “Marriage in the Bahamas will be legal only if it is between a man and a woman, and male and female are determined at birth."The influence of religion, specifically Christianity, on culture in the Bahamas can account for some of the opposition to homosexuality. In addition, many LGBTQ+ citizens do not trust the judicial system and keep their sexual orientation or gender identity a secret for their own protection.In 2018, Canada issued a warning to LGBTQ+ travelers who planned on visiting the Bahamas. However, due to the advocacy work of several LGBTQ+ rights organizations, the Bahamas is becoming increasingly more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. Nassau, the capital and largest city in the Bahamas, has an underground gay community. Bahamas LGBT Equality Advocates utilizes social media to speak out against homophobia in the Bahamas (https://www.facebook.com/myBLEA) and the Rainbow Alliance of The Bahamas has made appearances on several talk shows to discuss their campaign against discrimination (https://www.facebook.com/TheRainbowAlliance). The Bahamas Organization of LGBTI Affairs formed in 2019 to educate on LGBTI issues and formalize a means of public sensitization. While work is being done to fight the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ population in the Bahamas, there is still a long way to go. There is an extreme dearth of literature pertaining to sexual and gender minorities in the Bahamas.

Alexander, M. J. (1994). Not Just (Any) Body Can be a Citizen: The Politics of Law, Sexuality and Postcoloniality in Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas. Feminist Review, 48(1), 5–23. sci-hub.tw/10.1057/fr.1994.39

Gaskins, J., Jr. (2013). ‘Buggery’ and the Commonwealth Caribbean: A comparative examination of the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. In C. Lennox & M. Waites (Authors), Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity in the Commonwealth: Struggles for decriminalisation and change (pp. 429-454). London: Published by the Human Rights Consortium, School of Advanced Study. doi: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/39385/9781912250134.pdf?sequence=1#page=449

Hamilton, A., Shin, S., Taggart, T., et al HIV testing barriers and intervention strategies among men, transgender women, female sex workers and incarcerated persons in the Caribbean: a systematic review Sexually Transmitted Infections 2020; 96:189-196. https://sti.bmj.com/content/96/3/189

Lennox, C., & Waites, M. (2020, May 27). Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in The Commonwealth. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/39385

Malta, M., Cardoso, R., Montenegro, L.et al.Sexual and gender minorities rights in Latin America and the Caribbean: a multi-country evaluation. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 19, 31 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-019-0217-3

Wallace, A. (2017)Policymaking in a ‘Christian nation’: women’s and LGBT+ rights in The Bahamas’ 2016 referendum, Gender & Development, 25:1, 69-83, DOI:10.1080/13552074.2017.1286802