Grenada: Treatment of gay and lesbian individuals by the authorities and whether there are support groups available (2004-2005)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 17 November 2005 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GRD100712.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Grenada: Treatment of gay and lesbian individuals by the authorities and whether there are support groups available (2004-2005), 17 November 2005, GRD100712.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/440ed70420.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on the treatment of gay and lesbian individuals by the authorities and on whether there are support groups available was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
Sources indicated that "homosexuality is illegal in Grenada" (The Record 29 Feb. 2004; Andrew Reding Dec. 2003; Baird 2001; ILGA 31 July 2000;). Female homosexuality is not specifically mentioned in the law (ibid.; Baird 2001). Model legislation developed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) criminalized same-sex relations (ILGA Oct. 2003). No information on the prosecution of homosexuals could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In his 2003 report entitled Sexual Orientation and Human Rights in the Americas, Andrew Reding quotes the first secretary of the United States embassy to Grenada as saying that "[t]here is no gay rights movement in Grenada as homosexuality is not openly practiced" (December 2003).
As well, an article from the Website OutTraveler.com quoted a local gay man who stated that homosexuality is discreet in Grenada: "people keep it between their private selves" (2004).
A newspaper article explained that residents of Grenada reacted negatively to gay cruises that visited the island and that the minister of tourism, Senator Brenda Hood, stated that she would have discussions with cruise lines to the effect that "promiscuous behaviour [was] not allowed in Grenada" (Grenada Today 2 Apr. 2005). An editorial from The Grenada Informer stated that the public displays of affection shown by same-sex tourist couples were "immoral and abnormal" (19 March 2005).
According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), the government of Grenada is among those in the Caribbean region that support "repressive and even violent policies against the local communities of gays and lesbians" (Oct. 2003). This information could not be corroborated among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Baird, Vanessa. 2001. "The No-Nonsense Guide to Sexual Diversity." Oxford: New Internationalist Publications. (Amnesty International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network Website.)
The Grenada Informer. 19 March 2005. "What's Up with Health, Sen. David Antoine."
Grenada Today. 2 April 2005. "Brenda Hood: 'It Will Not Happen Again'."
ILGA Bulletin. October 2003. International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). "Homophobia, Violence Hamper Caribbean AIDS Outreach."
International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). 31 July 2000. "World Legal Survey."
OutTraveler.com. 2004. Alonso Duralde. "Getting Spicy in Grenada."
The Record [New Jersey]. 29 February 2004. "Gays Now Major Force for Change in Travel." (Dialog)
Andrew Reding. December 2003. Sexual Orientation and Human Rights in the Americas. (World Policy Institute).
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: The Allan Vincent Smith Foundation did not provide information within the time constraints of this Response.
Internet sites, including: Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Country Reports 2004, Factiva, Gay.com, Gayguide.net, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Gaypoliticsandlaw.com, Globalgayz.com, The Human Rights Campaign, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), PlanetOut.com, Rex Wockner, Website of the United Nations Development Programme for Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
