“Pride is the expression of our ability to exist. And this expression of us showing people that we’re deserving and that we are unapologetically ourselves,” Renae Green, the Executive Director of TransWave and the Co-Chair for ILGA North and the Caribbean tells us when talking about Pride.
TransWave are Jamaica’s largest trans-led organisation solely dedicated to promoting the health and wellbeing of transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex communities. As part of our Pride Beyond Borders campaign, we spoke with Renae about the challenges the trans community faces in Jamaica, what their meaning of Pride is, and how we can all support and be better allies.
Could you start by telling us what the context is in your region when it comes to trans communities and trans rights?
I mean, specifically for Jamaica, trans people aren’t necessarily recognised legally. Our constitution only recognises folks based on the sex they were assigned at birth, and so it doesn’t recognise people based on their genders, and so there’s no legislative protection.
Outside of those provisions, we still have our anti-sodomy laws on our books, and of course LGBT people in general face a lot of stigma and discrimination, but particularly trans women face it to even greater degrees. I will say, things have improved somewhat. You have a lot more trans folks who are very visible and carving their way in Jamaica and claiming and reclaiming space, which is beautiful.
On the other side, we have seen mass migration of the community to other countries and other spaces. A large portion of the community has left because of their lived experiences. A lot of trans folks are still homeless, although it’s looking a little different now. In the past, a number of the homeless trans folks used to live in our gullies and our gutters. That’s no longer the case. We do have shelters, one shelter specifically known as Larry Chang has been taking in a lot of our community members and supporting them.
Unemployment is still an issue. And access to education is still an issue so a number of the community aren’t able to get jobs. Even if they do, once their trans status is found out, they’re usually fired or relieved of that work. And so those are still some of the major issues that they’re facing.
“We have seen mass migration of the community to other countries and other spaces. A large portion of the community has left because of their lived experiences.”
What does the concept of ‘Pride’ mean to you personally or to the community in Jamaica?
For me, Pride is liberation. Pride is acknowledging our own existence and celebrating it. It is showing our resilience in the face of systematic and systemic erasure. It’s being able to let folks know that we are here, that we exist. That we are deserving of the space and deserving of the right to exist, just like everybody else.
One of the misconceptions too is that for some reason, they think LGBT people or trans folks in particular are trying to co-op spaces that don’t belong to us. And that’s not true. We’re just here to exist and to claim the same space as everybody else, which we have a right to.
So for me, Pride is the expression of our ability to exist. And this expression of us showing people that we’re deserving and that we are unapologetically ourselves.
So how do you celebrate Pride in Jamaica?
For us, Pride happens during the first week of August. And that’s intentional because that’s when both our emancipation and independence take place, to show that being LGBT and Jamaican are one in the same. We can’t divorce our LGBT-ness from our Jamaican-ness, for lack of a better term.
Pride is very much a celebration for us. Our different events are things that most Jamaicans would do anyway. So we’ll have parties, we’ll have discussions and forums, we’ll have different cultural exchanges. All of which embody our culture to its T.
“Pride is the expression of our ability to exist. And this expression of us showing people that we’re deserving and that we are unapologetically ourselves.”
Why is it important for people in the UK to learn about the experiences of trans people in Jamaica?
Most of our laws that we have that criminalise who we are, exist because of the colonial ties that we had with the UK. These are colonial laws that we have somehow indoctrinated in our very existence and being as a country.
I think there is greater need for, particularly the UK, to be a little bit more accountable, and to not only press our government and other governments throughout the Commonwealth that still hold on to these archaic laws to change, but also to support those entities and organisations who are working on the ground to have that change happen. I don’t want to say it is the UK’s fault, but it is. So it’s taking collective responsibility in that way, particularly because the UK has long since abolished a lot of these laws. Why isn’t it an area of focus when you’re having discussions with our various governments and pushing for these types of things? It should be a responsibility.
So how can we in the UK better support the trans community in Jamaica, as well as organisations such as TransWave?
While there are many ways that you can support, the truth is to do the work that we do in our various contexts, and especially in Jamaica, it’s very difficult. It costs a lot in most cases. We don’t have some of the liberties and freedoms that exist in other countries, especially in the Global North and especially in the UK. We aren’t able to raise funds in the same way. And so it’s imperative that people out there support us so that we can do this work, so that we can have the necessary impact that we are trying to create and trying to have, so that Jamaica can be better for trans and LGBT people in general.
And so that maybe not for my generation, but for the generation to come, they can have a better existence and a better life than I’ve had in Jamaica. The truth is, for me as a trans woman to exist, to affirm and to transition, I may not be able to do that in the country I was born and raised in. And that’s sad.
And the truth is, your support can help to make that a reality for a younger trans person who still has not gone through all the things I’ve gone through. And if you have the opportunity to make that happen, then you should.
“Remember that as an ally, it is your responsibility to speak up on behalf of not just the LGBT community, but for any form of injustice that you see happening in the world. Your voice matters. And how you show up matters.”
Aside from funding, what are some of the other ways we can support?
Well, I mean, talking about our issues is also very important. Talking about Jamaica, talking about the work of the various organisations is also important. All the data that we’ve collected over the years, which are all visible on our different websites and platforms, sharing that information, being an ally, which means being in your space and telling people about what is happening. You know, talking and using your social media platforms, because I know a lot of folks have strong platforms here. Using those platforms to spread the message and the information.
Talking to your politician about being a little bit more firm in their international conversations and dialogues. Because those things are also important. Applying that global pressure, which is necessary. Over the years, I’ve noticed that the UK in particular is very tiptoe-y around certain issues. I get it, they don’t want to come across as the colonial masters coming back to tell you how to exist and to live. But there is a difference between trying to come in and tell folks how to exist and live, and standing up for what is right and humanly decent.
And finally, what is the message you would like to leave with supporters in the UK this Pride month?
Remember that as an ally, it is your responsibility to speak up on behalf of not just the LGBT community, but for any form of injustice that you see happening in the world. Your voice matters. And how you show up matters. And it’s so important, especially in these pivotal times globally, for us to show up in the right ways. So let’s be on the right side of history. Let’s be on the right side of what is humanly right, especially on this wonderful Pride Month period.
Let’s continue to support LGBT people, and also continue to support the liberation and protection of all people.