Trinidad and Tobago held its first-ever Gay Pride Parade when members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) came out in their numbers and paraded through the streets of Port of Spain last week-end.
The organizers said they were inspired by a High Court ruling in April, which deemed Trinidad and Tobago’s sodomy law unconstitutional.
The parade, which was preceded by a health fair at Nelson Mandela Park, St. Clair, Port of Spain, attracted not only members of the LGBT organizations but civil society groups and individuals throughout the country.
It culminated six weeks of activities organized by the TT Pride Arts Festival Committee to create a heightened awareness of issues affecting members of the community.
Head of the Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (CAISO), Colin Robinson, said the event was long overdue.
He said the parade has happened in Barbados and Guyana. It is not a novelty adding it is not a spectacle any more.
“The laws and the Government need to catch up with us,” he added.
Robinson said the people felt encouraged by the High Court ruling, adding that he was particularly impressed with the large number of young people at the event.
He said the main message is that the LGBT community is just like any other community in T&T and “we simply want to exist and enjoy our human rights and that we are also supported by many allies who don’t belong to the community.”
