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5 actions to make environmental migration processes more inclusive for LGBTIQ+ people in the Caribbean
Based on the policy paper by Yemi Knight, Nastassia Rambarran, Ranako Bailey and Makesi Francis
The Caribbean is a region that faces many environmental hazards, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. These hazards can force people to leave their homes and move to other places, either within their own country or across borders. These movements can take many forms, including displacement, and present many challenges and risks for the people who experience it.
Some people are more vulnerable than others when they are faced with environmental disasters that force them to move. One of these groups is the LGBTIQ+ community*, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and other diverse sexual and gender identities.
LGBTIQ+ people often face discrimination, stigma and violence in their daily lives, and these issues can worsen during and after a disaster onset. They may also have specific needs and concerns, which are often not addressed in Caribbean laws and policies regarding disasters, leaving them highly vulnerable to various important socio-economic and psychological impacts.
A new policy paper produced by AnchorBridge Environmental Inc with the support of International Organization for Migration (IOM), has identified several gaps in the current Caribbean rules and regulations regarding this issue:
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Lack of research and data on the experiences and needs of LGBTIQ+ people before, during and after displacement;
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Lack of legal protection and recognition of LGBTIQ+ people and their families, especially in countries that still criminalize same-sex acts or do not allow gender affirmation;
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Lack of training and sensitization for policymakers, planners and responders on LGBTIQ+ issues;
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Lack of partnerships and consultation with LGBTIQ+ organizations and communities;
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Lack of skills and capacity building for LGBTIQ+ people and organizations to tackle the challenges that they face.
Taking these gaps into account, the study proposes several recommendations for lawmakers, decision-makers and other stakeholders to be more inclusive and respectful of LGBTIQ+ people. These may apply at different stages in the cycle of disaster management, namely before, during and after movements.
Here are 5 recommended actions:
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Conduct research and collect data on the risks and vulnerabilities faced by LGBTIQ+ people during displacement processes and use this information to inform planning and response efforts.
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Implement legal protections and anti-discrimination measures for LGBTIQ+ people and their families, as well as recognizing their diverse identities and relationships.
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Provide training and sensitization for policymakers, planners and responders on LGBTIQ+ issues and how to create safe and discrimination-free spaces for them during and after displacement.
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Establish partnerships and consultation with LGBTIQ+ organizations and communities to include their perspectives and inputs in policy development and implementation.
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Invest in skills and capacity building for LGBTIQ+ people and organizations to enhance their resilience and adaptation to environmental migration and its impacts.
Addressing the needs and concerns of LGBTIQ+ people during environmental migration processes is not only a matter of human rights, but also a matter of social justice and sustainable development.
By making the legislative landscape more inclusive and respectful of LGBTIQ+ people, lawmakers and decision-makers in the Caribbean can contribute to reducing the negative effects of environmental hazards and climate change, and to enhancing the well-being and dignity of all people in the region.
* NOTE: Although the term “LGBTQI+” is used in this blog, the UN recommends the term people with diverse SOGIESC. This acronym stands for sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. This umbrella term allows for for a more flexible and evolving definition, which includes the rights of people who do not identify with LGBTQI+ identities, but still have diverse identities and expressions in terms of gender and sexuality.
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