Event

The “Sexual Culture of Justice” Project collected Lifestories of 18 Working Class LGBTIQ people in Trinidad and Tobago. These stories document experiences with family, support systems and violence, as well as priority needs and ideas for social change. This research ensured that the experiences of working-class LGBTIQ persons guided other activities within the project, namely policy agenda work and related activities. This presentation offers an overview of the research findings and how these influenced key aspects of the linked activities. Further, we discuss the experiences of gender based violence and discrimination faced by working-class LGBTIQ+ people and various strategies of resilience and healing. 

ABOUT THE PROJECT: A Sexual Culture of Justice: Strengthening LGBTQI & GBV Partnerships, Capacity & Efficacy to Promote & Protect Rights in T&T is an activity-based, human rights project funded by the European Union and implemented by The University of the West Indies, Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) in collaboration with six LGBTI and feminist organisations in Trinidad and Tobago: CAISO, Friends for Life, I Am One, The Silver Lining Foundation, The Women’s Caucus, and WOMANTRA. This project is a community- university collaboration that provides support for some of the longest-standing and emerging local efforts to transform approaches to partner violence, homophobia, bullying and policing, while building partnerships and organisational capacity. The project includes a suite of linked activities aimed at influencing “a sexual culture of justice” through change in societal thinking. 

Dr. Angelique Nixon is a Lecturer at the IGDS, The UWI St Augustine, and Project Lead Researcher of the EU-funded human rights, activity based project called “A Sexual Culture of Justice” -- working to end gender based violence and LGBTI discrimination by transforming harmful gender and sexual norms in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Mr. Luke Sinnette is Lead Social Worker, “A Sexual Culture of Justice” and Vice President of the civil society organisation Friends for Life, which has pioneered community social work strategies to build LGBTQI resilience and address working-class needs for over 20 years in Trinidad and Tobago.