Guadeloupe: The challenge of bringing together the LGBT+ community
Creating awareness of the LGBT+ community in schools
In the French Caribbean island Guadeloupe, the months of July and August have been a time for reflection about activism within the local LGBT+ community. Leïla, of the association Secret’s Out, agreed to talk to us about her organization.
Erasing 76 Crimes: Why set up a new organization to help the LGBT+ residents of Guadeloupe?
Leïla: I used to live in France, and when I returned to Guadeloupe after the Covid 19 epidemic, I discovered Amalgame Humani’s, who is in charge of Voix arc-en-ciel, a hotline for victims of LGBT phobia in the archipelago.
But I was struck by the gap between the visibility of the West Indian LGBT+ community in France and the situation here.
I was encouraged and on February 28, 2022, the association was founded. In total, we are a group of seven founding members.
Erasing 76 Crimes: What’s the biggest challenge you face?
Leïla: It’s about getting community members out for reasons other than festive. No matter how many game nights or exhibitions we put on, we find it hard to reach our people.
However, anyone who wants to can come and meet us twice a week at the “Il y a kaz” space in Pointe à Pitre, a stone’s throw from the Mémorial ACTe. We’re available on Thursday afternoons from 5:00 to 8:00 pm and on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
It’s a place where we can listen and exchange ideas, and help people not to feel alone, as many people don’t go out in the evening.
Afterwards, we also organize social evenings on specific themes. One doesn’t exclude the other.
Erasing 76 Crimes: It is said on social networks that you’re speaking against interventions towards youth homophobia in schools. Is this true?
Leïla: Indeed, one person is spreading lies, but in fact, I’ve said that we need to raise awareness among national education staff, before going out to meet pupils and talk about LGBT phobia. Our leadership knows and is aware of this rumor. This short reply is intended as a clarification.
Otherwise, in fact, we have received training to intervene in schools, and on May 17, we intervened in a middle school, with 6th graders.
However, this is not our core business at the moment.
Erasing 76 Crimes: What does that mean? Can you tell us more?
Leïla: We organize a lot of workshops with a view to creating debates, in order to channel public discourse and to be able to have a space to respond to anyone who comes along, because comments relating to ordinary homophobia are commonplace in Guadeloupe.
For example, we discuss themes such as binarity, transidentity, religion, coming-out, being born or becoming LGBT.
Often, this is an opportunity to collaborate with liberal professionals or more structured organizations, such as Aides.
Despite a somewhat shy audience at times, we reach people between the ages of 25 and 35, and that’s positive.
For the future, we’d like to be able to position ourselves in family mediation activities, as we realize that this is often where homophobia is most painfully experienced”
Erasing 76 Crimes: Do you have a message for the West Indian LGBT+ diaspora living in Paris or Montreal, for example?
Leïla: We’d like to say that things are moving here too, following the example of what’s happening on our sister island, Martinique, where they’re a little more advanced in terms of activism.
Today, many people are able to reconcile their lives in Guadeloupe with their sexual orientation, and coming back home should no longer be seen as a hindrance to our fulfillment. We should be able to come back to Guadeloupe on vacation if we want, and stay if we want, just like heterosexuals.
Finally, next year we’ll be organizing a pride march in Guadeloupe, where security will be present for parade participants. We’re in talks with a number of partners, and we’ll be taking the time to do things properly and without haste, so that the population and the people concerned are properly informed, with the approval of the authorities in charge.
