Barbados is one of only two countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in which same-sex consensual acts are punishable by life in prison (the other being Guyana).In Barbados, the Sexual Offenses Act of 1992 prohibits all same-sex relations, a law dating back to colonialism. While the Penal Code fails to mention gender identity, the “buggery law” is often also used to repress non-cisgendered people.In a study of GP’s in Barbados, researches found that many doctors associated transgenderism with confusion about sexual orientation, and often used the incorrect pronouns in reference to transgender patients (Rambarran & Grenfell, 2016). The strong presence of the Christian Church has led many people of Barbados to view SGMs and “sinful” or “unhealthy”, ideas that are reinforced by both politicians and healthcare providers in the country. Meanwhile, many politicians and representatives claim that the buggery laws were only used in instances of rape, and LGBT people could live a life without fear in Barbados. SGMs in Barbados interview by Human Rights Watch say differently.
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Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
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Civil Unions
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Joint Adoption
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Second Parent Adoption
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Employment Nondiscrimination Laws
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Broad Protections
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Criminalization of Violence
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Ban of Conversion Therapy
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Consensual Same-Sex Acts are Legal?
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Gender
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Max Penalty (Yrs in Prison)
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“I Have to Leave to Be Me.”(2018, March 21). Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/03/21/i-have-leave-be-me/discriminatory-laws-against-lgbt-people-eastern-caribbean
International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), ILGA-Europe, the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CARIFLAGS), International UPR Submission. (2008).
Jackman, M. They called it the ‘abominable crime’: an analysis of heterosexual support for anti-gay laws in Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.Sex Res Soc Policy13,130–141 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-015-0209-6
Maiorana, A., & Rebchook, G. (2013). On being gay in Barbados:“Bullers” and “Battyboys” and their HIV risk in a societal context of stigma. Journal of Homosexuality, 60, 984–1010. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2013.774877
Rambarran, N.; Grenfell, P.; (2016) [Accepted Manuscript] An Exploration of the Perspectives and Experiences of General Practitioners in Barbados in Relation to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Patients. International journal of sexual health. ISSN 1931-7611 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19317611.2016.1223255