Tips for Gay and Lbian Travelers Caribbean | Frommer's

Contents:

• IS BARBADOS GAY-FRIENDLY? | UPDATED JANUARY 2023
• 5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
• GAY LIFE BARBADOS
• GAY BARBADOS - BARBADOS FOM
• GAY BARS - BRIDGETOWN FOM
• SGLE GAY MAN BARBADOS - BARBADOS FOM
• GAY UPLE VISG BARBADOS - BARBADOS FOM
• GAY’S COVE, BARBADOS
• EXPLORE GAY ROOMS & RENTALS BARBADOS
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS CARIBBEAN
• GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS BRIDGETOWN
• THE BT CARIBBEAN DTATNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS
• GAY FRIENDLY HOTELS, RORT ACMODATNS BARBADOS

IS BARBADOS GAY-FRIENDLY? | UPDATED JANUARY 2023

However, when you Google Barbados and gay, the first thg that pops up, other than Mount Gay Rum (the world’s olst mercial m distillery), is “illegal, ” “life imprisonment, ” and that LGBT people Barbados do not enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people.

Barbados has tradnally been known for beg anti-gay and not very gay welg, pecially sce they still have anti-sodomy laws that punish “buggery” wh a life sentence. [ PLEASE SEE our December 30th 2022 Update Below]That said, LGBTQ visors generally do not face any physil danger Barbados, but they may face prejudicial treatment om people that aren’t que ready to embrace the gay muny. Alex St John, a Barbadian currently livg Toronto, mented that Barbados is fe wh the gays, jt like lots of plac the world, but ’s important to rpect their relig culture, and to be rpectful of the people around you when you are exprsg yourself to your partner.

Tony Chanthavong, a Canadian who lived there for ne months on a work assignment, mented that there were no gay bars and that he only knew where the popup “bh parti” were after he ma some gay islanr iends. In an attempt to help terme the worst plac for gay travelers, the duo created the 2019 LGBTQ+ Danger Inx, rankg the world’s most dangero—and saft—untri for gay travelers. The journalists looked at the top 150 most-vised untri the world by the number of g tourists, then ranked them g eight factors, cludg laws agast gay relatnships, legal protectn agast discrimatn and more.

5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)

There, people n be put prison for up to 14 years jt for beg gay, and some stat even have the ath penalty unr Sharia law.

In almost all s, the laws outlawg nsensual gay sex were put to place unr Brish le and were left place followg pennce.

GAY LIFE BARBADOS

“In 2018, India managed to annul Sectn 377, a Brish lonial-era law prohibg ‘unnatural acts, ’ orr to legalize nsensual gay sex, ” says Fergson, who pots out that ancient Indian lerature such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have many referenc to LGBTQ+ hero cludg transgenr warrrs and two queens who ma love orr for one queen to get pregnant wh an heir for their kgdom. “Long story short, this pots to the fact that was likely the Brish fluence that largely led to Indian homophobia the first place, ” she says. “We found this to be a b ironic as the reason for many of the harsh homophobic laws untri throughout the world is largely leftover om laws created durg Brish le, ” says Fergson.

“One reason for that is that there is a great al of variatn gay rights pendg on the state you’re , ” says Fergson.

GAY BARBADOS - BARBADOS FOM

You n see the entire rankg of the 150 untri here and also get 37 safety Swen, the saft untry the world for gay. Prime Mister Jt T promoted clivy by marchg Toronto’s Pri Para and beme the untry’s first Prime Mister to vis a gay bar. Ci like Lisbon and Porto have the bt gay scen the untry and Portugal is hopg to host the 2022 Europri, the world's biggt event celebratg gay pri Europe.

Wh an overall natnal attu that is relaxed and acceptg towards homosexualy, Belgium is known for havg a vibrant gay and lbian scene, particularly Bssels, ” says Fergson. It was ranked so highly largely due to the extreme penalti for simply beg gay, which clu up to 14 years prison and the ath penalty stat unr Sharia law, ” says Fergson. “This oil-rich Middle Eastern untry enforc up to three years prison, floggg and the ath penalty unr Sharia law for any acts of homosexualy.

GAY BARS - BRIDGETOWN FOM

“In Yemen, the punishment for beg gay for both men and women is prison time and 100 lash, wh ath by stong for married men, ” says Fergson. “This nservative Mlim untry means bs when to rejectg homosexualy, both s laws and general public sentiment. “Sdi Arabia is another of the untri on our list which implements the ath penalty for nsensual homosexualy unr their terpretatn of Sharia law, ” says Fergson.

“In Tanzania, any homosexual acts rult 30 years to life prison, and there has been a recent ernment crackdown on LGBT activy wh the untry. “Iran ma #6 on the x, due part to s extreme punishments for homosexualy, which clu 100 lash for homosexual terurse or the ath penalty, and 31 lash for same-sex acts other than terurse, ” says Fergson. “Publicly, homosexualy is a taboo topic, so LGBTQ+ travelers choosg to vis Sudan should proceed wh utn and rema discreet wh regards to their sexualy.

“Historilly, Barbados and some other Caribbean islands have had poor anti-LGBTQ+ legislatn and practic, largely left over om the Brish occupatn which put the laws place and rerced anti-gay attus. Unfortunately, imposed punishment for homosexualy is severe and the existence of gay people Malaysia was nied by their tourism mister as recently as March 2019, ” says Fergson.

SGLE GAY MAN BARBADOS - BARBADOS FOM

Pro-LGBTQ+ anizatns are also banned by the ernment Malawi and general public sentiment regards homosexualy as off-lims. That said, the LGBTQ+ muny is margalized this untry and there are heavy nsequenc for beg homosexual, which clu seven years to life prison for any same-sex act, ” says Fergson. Unfortunately, thgs may soon be gettg even worse for the LGBTQ+ muny, as the Ugandan ernment has recently lled to retroduce an anti-homosexualy bill, which would clu the ath penalty for same-sex acts, the midst of the recent murr of a gay Ugandan activist.

“In the Paltian terrori of Gaza and the Wt Bank, the anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is taken very serly, wh homosexual acts rultg up to 10 years prison, ” says Fergson. “Groups advotg for LGBTQ+ rights are threatened by the erng thori Palte, who nsir homosexualy to be ‘a blow to, and vlatn of, the ials and valu of Paltian society. Currently, Kenyan law stat that same-sex terurse between mal rults 14 years prison, while all other homosexual acts between mal are punished wh five years imprisonment, ” says Fergson.

“However, the crimalizatn of gay sex is beg discsed wh the ernment, which would likely bolster LGBTQ+ travel to the untry.

GAY UPLE VISG BARBADOS - BARBADOS FOM

“In the Maldiv, homosexual acts and terurse, as well as same-sex marriage, earn eight years prison or 100 lash.

GAY’S COVE, BARBADOS

In fact, Jamai was lled ‘the most homophobic place on Earth’ by Time magaze 2006 and LGBTQ+ people are sadly still the victims of homophobic vlence today. Rankg 19th on our x, Ethpia outlaws same-sex relatns and ‘cent, ’ or homosexual, acts rult up to 15 years prison, ” says Fergson. “Recently, there have been ath threats by Ethpia’s Orthodox Christian muny over gay tourism to the untry, puttg LGBTQ+ tourists at risk.

“Same-sex acts rult up to three years prison wh a fe, and posssn of homosexual materials rults up to two years prison wh a fe.

It’s a qutn that’s top of md for many gay travelers as they nsir where to go and evaluate the world’s saft and most dangero plac. Sourc clu Human Rights Watch, the Gallup World Poll and ILGA (the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Associatn), jt to name a few.

EXPLORE GAY ROOMS & RENTALS BARBADOS

The Fergsons started trackg the saft and most dangero plac for gay travelers 2019 and have been updatg the story annually sce then. “They were one of the first untri to legalize same-sex marriage, they have nstutnal anti-discrimatn protectns and the majory of Canadians report that is a safe place to live for gay and lbian people. Acrdg to the LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Inx, Bnei is the most dangero untry for gay travelers 2023, followed by Sdia Arabia and Nigeria.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS CARIBBEAN

“Neverthels, there are other stat where gay, trans and non-bary people are targets, both legislatively and their day-to-day liv, ” he says. Some of the notable chang sce Fergson started dog this report 2019: 15 new untri have eher legalized gay marriage or allowed same-sex upl to register as civil unns. And the past 12 months alone, Swzerland, Slovenia and Cuba have legalized gay marriage, while Sgapore, Sat Kts & Nevis, Barbados and Antigua & Barbuda crimalized same-sex relatnships.

“For stance, Bolivia gay marriage isn’t ‘legal’ but a handful of upl have been able to register their marriage by petng the urts, ” says Fergson. Another challenge: While some of the world is tchg up to equal rights for gay and lbian upl, transgenr and non-bary people still have the furtht way to go.

The long standg tradn of rejectg homosexual behavr was iated by the Brish when Barbados and many other islands were small Caribbean loni. Ironilly, is now the Brish of a very different generatn who are ercg all former UK terrori to change urse and remove anti-gay laws om the books. Brish Prime Mister David Cameron has announced if Barbados expects to ntue receivg fancial aid om Bra laws that discrimate agast homosexuals will have to be reversed.

GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS BRIDGETOWN

A gay visor n easily walk around Barbados (not hand hand) and not be disturbed bee sexual orientatn is visible. One Barbadan has claimed “ Barbados we are known to be tolerant of homosexuals although our laws say otherwise.

Gay murr (honor killg) is not mon but do happen certa suatns such as mob hysteria that n ept quickly and unpredictably, as has Jamai.

THE BT CARIBBEAN DTATNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS

Death n also e om an extremely disturbed fay member, such as happened to my iend Ahmet Turkey when his father murred him 2009 for beg gay.

(I would list Iran, Sdi Arabia, Iraq and Palte as ser danger spots for gays, followed by Nigeria, Somalia, Errea and numero small wt central Ain untri such as Cameroon, Gambia, Guea). The prejudice here is ep and mostly silent but rears s ugly head on ocsn such as the torchg of a hoe owned by a known gay man.

GAY FRIENDLY HOTELS, RORT ACMODATNS BARBADOS

“Mr Darcy Dear of Uned Gays And Lbians Agast AIDS Barbados fears someone will try to burn down his hoe aga, jt as they did five years ago wh his three-bedroom hoe.

There are gay iendly venu that do not md LGBT ctomers but even here you will not see anythg overtly gay such as rabow flags or posters for upg parti. Dpe the generalized homophobia on the natn-island, there is (perhaps) phback om the prence of Barbados Gays & Lbians Agast Discrimatn (BGLAD), an “unofficial group of ncerned cizens”. This anizatn has or had a missn of beg: “dited to the promotn of human rights for all persons wh the Barbadian society and particular lbians, gays and bi-sexuals.

Lackg any apparent anized pro-gay activists or tors Barbados there is ltle hope for policy change the near future. More likely to ntue is the followg attu: “I have at least three homosexual acquatanc whom I have known for many years. They are not predators, and I suggt that homophobia Barbados is down to the fact that many men doubt their own sexualy and even a ltle aaid that they, too, may have homosexual tennci.