This sounds just harrowing: Michael Baker and his partner Nick Smith, of Atlanta, joined their friend Todd at he and his partner’s St. Lucia cottage rental, and after returning from a snorkeling trip, their home was invaded by a group of men brandishing guns, screaming that they would kill the men if they were “faggots.” The picture here shows them on the plane en route to their island getaway which they barely survived.
We’ve reprinted Michael’s story, posted to Facebook, below. It is a frightening story, with no real winners.
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Nick and I have been so overwhelmed by all the love and support of so many incredible friends, and we are so grateful and lucky! Thank you, everyone. We have seen every note and text and listened to every voicemail, but have not had the ability to respond fully until the past day or so. I’m apparently going through something called post-concussion syndrome which makes me tired and irritable. (Yes, I know… How will we ever know when I’m better?) Many have asked for more details, and to me writing is a form of therapy, so I thought I would share our ordeal as best as I can.
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The attack was more than a simple robbery.
Nick and I were staying with our friend, Todd, at a cottage he and his partner had rented since October 2010. It was a one bedroom small wooden cottage with a completely open plan sitting on the ridge of a mountain; it was the last house at the very top of a long, extremely steep road. The views were extraordinary. Nick and I had been sleeping on the back porch, under mosquito netting. In short, it was paradise.
On Wednesday, March 2, Todd, Nick and I had gone snorkeling and stopped at the local store to pick up dinner supplies. As had been our custom, we wanted to be back on the mountain for cocktail time while watching the sunset, about 6pm. The neighboring house had a beautiful patio and pool, and since the guests had departed for the week, we were able to use it for happy hour.
After the best sunset yet, we decided it was time to get dinner going. Todd suggested that Nick and I shower off while he checked email and then we would make dinner. Nick and I went into the bathroom, started the shower, chatting about how incredible the day had been. I stepped under the water with Nick as he started to lather his hair.
Then I heard a scream I’ll never forget. “Oh my god, oh my god, no, no no!!! Stay in the bathroom!! OH MY GOD!”
It didn’t make sense… there had been bugs and creatures in and out of the house all week, how could Todd be freaked out by a bug? I went to the door and glanced out. Immediately, I saw a man all in black, his face covered in a tee shirt so I could only see his eyes, and the gun in his hand. We were going to die. I didn’t see, but knew there was more than one because someone was attacking Todd.
I closed the door hard, realized there was no lock, and pressed myself against the door as hard as I could, waiting for the bullet to come through the door. The door pushed back against me, hard. Then harder as another person began to shove. It opened far enough that I could see two faces, guns and hands pushing to get in. I shoved back as hard as I could, and it closed. I forgot there was no ceiling on the bathroom or the pantry on the other side of the mirror.
I looked up to see a man putting his foot over the wall to the bathroom. The gun came next. Again, he was covered in clothes, his face hidden by a tee shirt, but this was not the same man. He pointed the gun at my head and said, “Get the fuck down!” As I sat down on the ground the door crashed open, and I put my head between my knees. I wondered if it was going to hurt to die by being shot in the head. I felt so trapped. I wanted to run away with Nick, get him out of there, but there was no where to escape. This was going to be it. I was angry… I was only 34. I had so many things I wanted to do.
Nick in his natural habitat, just before we head to the beach for snorkeling. The Petit Piton is in the background.
Two men grabbed me, dragged me from the bathroom and threw me into the main room (dining room/kitchen). I heard Nick being dragged behind me. I looked up and saw them throw Nick against the counter, near the pantry. He was alone. They told me to get up, so I did and went over towards Nick to get between him and the men. That’s when I felt the handle of the gun hit the back of my head. I think I cried out, and I felt the darkness coming on… I knew I couldn’t pass out; it would be worse if I did. I couldn’t help my boyfriend and my friend if I was unconscious. I reached out to grab the kitchen counter. A gun smashed my forearm to keep me from holding on. I could hear Todd being beaten behind me.
They began to kick me in the back and the side. I was on my side, looking at Nick’s face. I could feel warm water running down my back, and realized it was not water, it was blood. I saw the blood flowing out of my forearm. They began to tell us that they hated White people. They hated faggots. They asked where we were from. We told them the United States. They told us again how much they hated us. They asked if we were gay. Why had we showered together? Todd and I both said it was because the water heater was so small. They said if we were faggots they would kill us. I saw my penis lying on my belly, and I thought they would cut it off and probably Nick’s, too. I pulled my legs up in a fetal position and clamped my thighs down on my penis, pulling it back to hide it from them so maybe they wouldn’t cut it off. Then I saw the lead guy kick Nick in his face. I heard the scream. I thought they broke his nose, or worse. His whole body collapsed on the floor, and the same guy kicked him in the stomach. I heard him scream again.
I started talking, trying to get them to pay attention to me, and leave him alone. Someone hit me in the base of my neck with a foot or a gun. Todd and I started telling them to take our money and just leave us alone. I pointed to my bag and pulled out my passport with the cash in it. They took it. I felt my hands being pulled behind my back. They told us they had been watching us, and they hated us, and wanted us off the island. They said they would kill us if we did not leave. We promised to leave on the first flight tomorrow. Near my head, I watched as they put a towel down, and Todd and my Macbook’s were placed in it. I could hear things being stuffed into a sack. I kept my wrists as far apart as possible, hoping that there would be some slack to use to untie myself.
From the floor, I saw Todd being marched into the shower. Blood was running down his head. They picked me up and said to follow. I felt a kick to my back, and my head hit the mirror on the bathroom door. They pushed me down in the shower. It was cold. I worried about Nick being out there alone, but they pushed him in after me. We were all together. Todd had blood running down his white tee shirt. It was bright red, so I thought that was a good sign.
My favorite part of the house: the outdoor shower! It is ridiculously cool… The sun shines in, and it is even cooler when it rains while you’re showering. Note how roomy it is. Two people might fit. I think. I don’t know for sure, though.
We hadn’t looked at them as much as possible, and had told them so. I had seen the guns up close, felt them pressed against my head in various places. They felt real, but had looked like old West revolvers, with a little bit of rust on them. Their knives were long, and looked like old kitchen knives, with rust.
They told us to get off the island. They said they would check on us in five minutes, and if we had untied ourselves, they would kill us. The water got colder as it kept pouring on us. I had untied my hands almost immediately, but I kept the binding on my wrists so it would look like I had not. Todd’s ankles were bound, as were his wrists behind his back. Nick untied himself, and worked on Todd’s ankles. I reached up and grabbed a pair of nail clippers and clipped Todd’s wrist binding.
We checked in with each other to see if we could all run. We left the water running, and Nick and I put on our shorts and tee shirts. Our shoes were on the front porch. It was out of the question to get them. The boys went to the back porch and started to climb down, about a 10 to 12 foot drop. It was very dark. I saw Nick’s and my passports on the floor. I grabbed those and grabbed a flashlight out of a cabinet I had seen Todd open once.
I fell hard, and missed the chair that had been set up to climb into. We were all barefoot. We couldn’t use the flashlight, because we didn’t know where they were. Todd started to guide us down the back mountain, which was literally part of a rainforest. We held onto trees to ease our way down, as the incline was incredibly steep. I knew if I slipped, I would be in trouble. All of a sudden, Todd stopped us. We were at a drop-off where a road had been carved into the side of the mountain. He went first. I watched him fall to the ground for what seemed like several seconds. He reached up for me, and he helped me down. We both reached up for Nick.
The road was worse. It was not paved. It was sharp, jagged gravel. I cursed myself for having such soft feet, for never walking outside without shoes. (At this point, I have to admit that I whined, a lot. But I can’t stress enough how painful it was walking on that road.) As we were getting closer to one of Todd’s friend’s house, we took our tee shirts off because they were bright and we wanted to conceal ourselves as much as possible.
The kitchen. Notice the bread. It seems to be a St. Lucian type of bread… it is pure white on the inside, and long and thin with a bulbous mid-section… much like myself.
We finally made it down the mountain, to safety. Todd’s friends (Winston and Nancy) were not home. We decided that we could get to the resort, about a mile further down the road. As we started past the house across from Winston and Nancy’s, we heard English speaking voices playing trivia. We banged on their door, asking for help. It didn’t go well. They were scared by three half-naked men, covered in blood, mud and shaking. The wife tried to shut the door on us, the husband took us to the neighbor (Bruno), who was more helpful. Bruno took us to his outside shower to get some of the mud off our feet and legs. His wife brought us water. Walking back to their front door, we saw Winston and Nancy had just gotten home.
We were finally, truly safe. I cannot express my love for Winston and Nancy enough. They took us in, gave us a phone to use. A comedy of errors began to occur at that point. The house phone battery died. I couldn’t remember a single number, but finally remembered the dial pattern to Glen Paul. I gave him their cell phones. Both of their cell phones had no battery strength. The internet wasn’t working. But… we were safe.
Obviously, we made it off the island. Todd’s passport was “found” in town the next day, so he was able to come home Friday, while Nick and I came home on Thursday. Delta upgraded our seats to First Class, and we were escorted to the plane by a wonderful employee who hugged us repeatedly. There are so many people we have to thank. Nick and I were met at the airport by our friends, pizza and champagne were brought to my house for dinner. Our friend, Dennis, stayed with us for several days, and took us both to Emory and the doctor’s to be checked out. People have been so good to us, and we are humbled by this experience.
I don’t know the full motivation that drove these five men, but I do know that I can feel pity for them. As Todd said, how horrible that this was the only option that they felt. I do think it was partly a gay-bashing. I have so much shame for denying who I was, but I did not feel I could endanger my friend and boyfriend by admitting who I was. I wish I could have fought back more, but we were so over powered. I know that we will all struggle with this for a long time, possibly our whole lives. I already feel panic attacks in certain situations, but I remind myself that I’m safer now. I just can’t say thank you enough to everyone who helped get us out of there. I love you so much, and I am so grateful that it did not end differently. Thank you to everyone who has checked on us and offered support. It means so much to us.
Happy guys at the start of their vacation.
[all photos and captions via Michael Baker]
Cam
“but I do know that I can feel pity for them. As Todd said, how horrible that this was the only option that they felt.”
___________________-
No, how horrible for others that those men are this way. I have no sympathy for them.
Geoff
@ Cam – agree – they are animals – no sympathy. In fact I believe they should be dealt the same punishment…
Mark from Queensland
I used to love St Lucia – such a beautiful island. But, with this, I’ll never go there again. Such a pity.
I do hope you’re all feeling better soon though I can only imagine how you must feel and the process of healing.
Mike
I truly feel for these guys and the ordeal they went through. Having travelled extensively throughout much of the tropical world on marvelous vacations with my partner, let me say this. There are so many gay-friendly places just as or even more beautiful than St. Lucia, that I’d ask all gays and gay-allies to boycott that horrid island as well as the rest of the homophobic Carribean (which is most I’m afraid), in addition to other nations known to be unfriendly or dangerous to us. I realize that this alone does not guarrentee safety, but might decrease the risk of a similar incident happening to you. There’s Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Tahiti, Australia, Costa Rica, And the list goes on. And what about Hawaii, South Florida, and SoCal? Speak loudly with your wallet!
jonasjones
I’ve worked on a lot of the islands in the Carribean, including St. Lucia. People are very friendly, but very homophobic. In St Lucia I told a local I was gay and he told me it wouldn’t be smart to repeat that on the island. I’ll keep going for work, but I wouldn’t take my partner with me.
Hyhybt
Thank you, Queerty, for covering this.
I’m just glad they’re still around to tell the tale.
Kev C
Tourism is a major industry in St. Lucia as it is in Jamaica and many Caribbean islands. Crime and bigotry harm the tourism industry which employs many locals, and hurts the entire economy of these countries and islands. Gays and gay friendly people will not spend money in homophobic countries. And who really gets hurt by these bigots and thugs? The citizens of St. Lucia.
Horrible story, my sympathies go out to the victims.
Mike in London UK
While what happened was horrible, I have to wonder WHY the people went there. Yes its a stunning place, but personally I’d have looked at the reports and chosen somewhere else.
This is the ILGA weblink for Stain Lucia
http://ilga.org/ilga/en/countries/SAINT%20LUCIA/Law
M/M relationships are illegal with some acts (buggery) being subject to a 5 or 10 year imprisonment.
Saint Lucia was also the only UN member in the Americas to formally oppose the UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Oprah
And we should care because?
EuroRant
I am so sorry this happened to you, both of you sound like really lovely blokes that should never have had to go through such a harrowing experience. It frightens me when this takes place but we should not feign from the fact that this can happen anywhere.
Sometimes we take it for granted when we live in a homo-friendly neighbourhood or vicinity but and become immune to the idea that the outside world doesn’t yet feel homo-friendly and open-minded as out young straight university friends.
Even here in Amsterdam, probably best known for being the most homo-friendly city in the world, we have had more than our fair share of homo-beatings on our streets (even in broad daylight).
I don’t think we should live under a cloak of fear and paranoia but we should use our heads a little bit when visiting foreign countries, cities or even local unknown neighbourhoods. Yes, I know it’s a bit like going back in the closet but until the whole world changes their viewpoint about us, which I don’t see yet on the horizon then let’s use our heads and take some tenacious small and perhaps life-saving precautions:
– Walk in groups of 3 or more
– Take a taxi (especially if you’re in drag or leather)
– Learn some self-defence
– Don’t let alcohol or drugs hamper your clear thinking
– Keep the flamboyant queeny behaviour in public down to a minimum
– When walking try to stay as much as possible on well-lit heavy pedestrian/traffic streets
Maybe I’m saying what we already know or feel but I fear that we sometimes take too much for granted. And I would really hate to be reading about your violent bashing or death one day on this site. Have fun and stay safe out there – try to remember that not everybody loves us … yet.
scott ny'er
This unfortunately is a reason why I won’t visit Caribbean countries. And am wary of PDAs, even in NYC. I would love to be free and be able to hold hands out in public but survival instinct takes over and I’m reluctant to do PDAs.
Thankful these dudes made it out as safe as they could be.
D.R.A.
@Oprah: You’re a real piece of work.
Soupy
Oprah believes that homosexuality is a sin. ‘Nuf said.
Francis
Cute couple. So happy they are alive. My thoughts are with them for what they have been through and the emotional toll this event obviously must be taking. So terribly sad, tragic and senseless.
Oprah is a troll, ignore everyone.
There needs to be a BOYCOTT of anti-gay Caribbean/African/Middle-Eastern/Asian countries. These attackers freely admit to hating Americans, whites and gays. These attackers are savage animals, and nothing more, and as long as these governments show no will to grow the culture and show some sort of human rights improvements, and step in when gross atrocities like this and many others are happening under their nose, no-one needs to freely reward these countries with money. I don’t understand why these countries are let off the hook or have people being apologists for their behavior, but that time is up.
Tonyguido!
Why are gays so ill informed as to go to homophobic nations on vacations? Seriously, the darker the fruit the deeper the homohatred. Nuff said.
Taylor Siluwé
What a horrible story. I’m just grateful that they are alive; it could have so gone the other way.
But this can happen anywhere, as last year’s gay-bashing inside NY’s infamous Stonewall Bar in broad daylight can attest to. I’m booked on a cruise later this year with a stop in St. Lucia. I don’t know how I feel about that now.
Not that I fear for my safety. I just hate spending money in a place where I’m a criminal just for being me.
Oprah
D.R.A–i know i am a piece of work. thanks. LOL
Soupy- and well, technically i am right.All religions on earth says homosexuality is a sin. But this topic has no relevance this point–so lets not get into religion philosophies. LOL
Francis@LOL is that what you have been doing? Ignoring me? Cute people? So Happy they are alive? Are you kidding me? So if they were un-cute people, you wont be so happy they are alive? LOL
Oprah
and foir the record: They are not ‘cute’ people. I am sorry. LOL
Soupy
And you are still eating shellfish, aren’t you, you dirty, evil sinner.
Oprah
Soupy
Actually i am allergic to seafood. And yes, i am a dirty sinner,but i will confess and repent. Will you? lol
The Artist
A very sad story. The Caribbean is a beautiful place, but there are places the GLBT community should take extreme caution. We have to remember that when you visit a foreign country, there are old laws and old ideas still practiced. When in doubt stick with what you know. The good ole US of A—Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (especially St. Croix) are great island getaways! PEACELUVNBWILD!
Soupy
Well, Oprah, wherever we go after death, if we do indeed go anywhere, I don’t want to be in the same place as you.
Oprah
Soupy
Ok then. Hell shall your dwelling. LOL
Francis
No Oprah, I haven’t been ignoring you, until now, as I see you’re a troll, and this story isn’t the time nor place to be trolling.
John
@scott ny’er: I agree. It’s a shame really because there are many islands in the Caribbean that are just stunningly beautiful. Yet because too many of them have enough of a virulently anti-gay animus I won’t visit any of them. I prefer to spend my dollars elsewhere.
YetAgain
I agree with those saying to go to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. And since Puerto Rico has a higher I.Q. population than some of those other Carribean ….places.., they’ve preserved a lot of great historical sites to see as well, if you’re into that.
Oprah
Francis dont you think you are over-using the word troll? Why are you so compelled to support two over-weight unattrative gay couple who went to remote dangerous places to have a gay time. I mean, what happen to Paris,Sydney, or London? Oh wait–i know–its cheaper to go to dirt poor places where the mighty weak dollar goes a long way.Well–tuff-cheap doesnt always guarantee quality. *eyes roll*
thematics
A terrible ordeal for the 3 guys, and a lesson to us all: Research your vacation spot to the n’th degree. That includes knowing the crime rates, attitudes of the locals to GLBTs, and what to do in case of emergency.
We rented a tiny villa on another Carribean isle near by and hired 24/7 security (off duty coppers) for the 5 days. Not as costly as you might imagine.
Nigel Puerasch
Moral of the story: Don’t go to St Lucia. And while we’re about it, NEVER go to Uganda. These ppl hate us. Why should we give them our money?
mark snyder
To everyone saying not to go there, don’t forget people are beaten and killed on the streets of the UNITED STATES all the time.
Yorban
Mark Snyder : yes, we all know about cases like the Sucuzhanay murder in Brooklyyn, etc., but at least here the culprits were arrested and are serving life. But, I’ll admit, maybe the same will happen in St. Lucia, we’ll see I guess.
The Artist
Check out St. Croix! The island is a great place to vacation. BTW, ignore OPRAH (the fake one on here).
Caribbean Lady
I know feelings are running high over this terrible incident, but isn’t it counter-productive to respond to homophobia with the racism I see running rampant in the comments?
I swear, every time there is an article on Queerty about incidents in the Caribbean, the racist trolls come out and no-one bats an eyelash at comments like YetAgain’s thinly veiled remark about ‘higher IQs’ and TonyGuido’s completely unveiled comment about “the darker the fruit”.
Whew! Imagine if you were a black gay from the Caribbean – clearly you would not find safe harbor here on Queerty.
Caribbean Lady
Let me also add a historical note/backgrounder to this. Hopefully, it will at least provide food for thought.
From the 1950s onward, St. Lucia’s prime industry was banana farming. But in the mid-90s, the World Trade Organization, pressured by the U.S. (which was pressured by major banana producers such as Chiquita) started putting pressure on the European tariff system that favoured and supported the industry.
In 2005, the tariff system was ruled illegal. And so St. Lucian bananas, produced on small scales on independently owned farms, cannot compete, even though they taste way, way better.
The industry has simply been crushed, going from exporting 132,000 tons in 1992 to 42,000 in 2004. It is no doubt way less now.
And hand in hand with the implosion of the banana industry has been a scary increase in crime – last year St. Lucia had a record number of murders. Because the industry collapsed so quickly, there has not been enough time to put alternatives in place.
But the ‘crime industry’ always has an alternative, especially for poorly educated but strong young men who previously might have been farmers or truck drivers or worked loading bananas.
Which brings me to this – this incident was motivated mostly by poverty and greed. They were not targeted that night because they were gay tourists but because they were tourists with Mac books in a poorly secured cottage.
However, that does not make it any better for anyone involved – neither Michael, Nick and Todd who suffered terribly nor ordinary St. Lucians who continue to suffer from rising crime – and have to live with it.
scott ny'er
@Caribbean Lady: Thanks for informing us of this. Interesting background information.
That said, I still stand by what I said, moreso than ever. Don’t go to St. Lucia or Caribbean countries. (I never insulted anyone, btw). If u must visit and want to be openly gay, visit places that are known to be tolerant and accepting of us.
Mike
As I pointed out in a much earlier comment, there are more astounding places to spend your vacation dollars than just about any island in the Carribean (except perhaps the ones with Dutch influence like Curacao and Bonaire). My partner & I have been the French Polynesia many times over the years, where the tradition of ‘mahu’ (men raised and who live as women) is an honored position in their culture. We actually witnessed a German group harassing a mahu waitress at our favorite restaurant, and in response, all the local Tahitien patrons forcefully evicted the Germans! And there absolutely nothing that compares with snorkling in the BoraBora lagoon all day, then watching a Polynesian sunset behind a motu on the reef with a maitai in hand. And if clubbing is your scene, just ask any French sailor in Papeete to take you to one of the many private dance venues. If you can, get one of the sailors to give you his hat with the multicolored feather…
Jules
The Puerto Rican island of Vieques is extremely gay-friendly and is still part of the USA. feels very foreign, but with all the comforts of US government/laws to keep you safe.
We went and stayed at the new W last fall and met lots of friendly people
Kev C
@Caribbean Lady: I don’t try to control what other people say on the internets, but if you want to try, you could start by addressing racist and homophobic comments on caribbean websites. That would be swell.
Jeffree
@Caribbean Lady: Thank you for your insight into St. Lucia.
I don’t think anyone except the robbers can say if they were more motivated by greed or homophobia, but homophobic remarks were made. What Michael, Nick & Todd went through is horrific, and stories such as these will reduce the level of tourism to your area, which will be a further drag on the economy.
Yes, I’m sad too that racist remarks were made here. People who make those kinds of statements on this site usually get called out on them, but that didn’t happen here.
American travelers (and I include myself here) don’t always take necessary precautions to assure safety when abroad. That, too, needs to change.
Bostonian
Maybe the St. Lucia robbers were more motivated by racism and/or homophobia. Hard to say. But, although I believe the accounts made by the three men, let’s be very very careful and remember this is only their own report. I DO believe them, but let’s not forget the fake cases like Kieran Daly in Savannah and Phillip Nelson and a slew of others. (Don’t anybody jump on me. I’m just being like….court of law here).
Steve-O
@Carribean Lady, regardless of their motivations, greed or homophobia. what these people did was horrible and i class them as some of the worst scum there is.
Alluding that US action resulting in St. Lucia economic decline as factor to explain for why these people did this is a bit far removed and a little insulting.
Scum comes in all forms, rich, poor, middle class, and regardless of a persons economic situtation they were the ones who make the concious decision to assault another human being and threaten to kill them.
Mendy
@The Artist:
I have lived on St. Croix…it’s just as homophobic as St. Lucia (my homeland) A FEW THUGS…not the entire island!
St. Lucian Mendy
@Mark from Queensland:
I am a St. Lucian. These were 4 men…not the entire island. I don’t blame all Americans for a president’s mistakes…yeah, I go to school in america so I know. You guys are doing the same thing to us that you dont want done to gays.
St. Lucian Mendy
@Mike:
Please don’t call my island horrid because of 4 horrid people. It hurts my heart becuase just as these people were terrorized for who they are, your comment hates me for who i am-St. Lucian
Francis
I don’t think anyone has said “all Caribbean individuals are homophobes”. HOWEVER, homophobia is an EXTREME issue in these countries, and it is doing a disservice to say otherwise. Instead we need to stand strong against it and change the culture. Also, the anti-white and anti-American sentiment is worrying as well. It’s not useful to make excuses for bad behavior.
Oprah, I may be overusing the word troll but in this case, you are trolling here. I’m not jumping to their support just because they are 2 white Americans or because I think they are cute. I said they are a cute couple because they seem happy and in love with each other. I do not think any LGBT person should spend their money in these anti-gay countries, but if they do, obviously they should not live in fear or be attacked, and that is the issue here.
St. Lucian Mendy
@YetAgain
I HAVE LIVED IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. I DID HIGH SCHOOL THERE. IT’S NO DIFFERENT FROM ST LUCIA IN GAY BASHING-A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE
Mendy
OK PEOPLE
I feel so bad for these people. I am born and raised St. Lucian. I lived in the US Virgin Islands for 4 yrs. Living in New Jersey for 1 year now. In Toronto at the moment. I AM NOT HOMOPHOBIC.
People always blame a entire nation for what a handful of people do. People’s actions toward gays in the VI are no different than St. Lucia…if you want to change the people…you have to be with the people, relate to them. Not shun and ignore them?
When has that changed anything? IT’S BEST YOU STAY OUT OF THE CARIBBEAN, IF YOU ARE SCARED TO GET BASHED BY THE HANDFUL OF PEOPLE THAT DO IT THERE.
open your eyes and look past 10 people…look at 1000 warm smiles.
that’s what i miss most about St. Lucia and the USVI…NONEXISTANT SMILES IN NORTH AMERICA, THAT FORCE UNHAPPINESS, DEPRESSION, OBESITY, suicide, AND ALL THESE PROBLEMS.-HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT GENERALIZATION????!!!!
Caribbean Lady
@Kev C:
@Kev C – thanks for your concern. As it so happens, I do. I can’t nor do I try to police the entire internet (or the Caribbean portion of it) but I speak against these things wherever I see them.
Don’t even try patronising me – it does not invalidate my point and makes you look petty.
Caribbean Lady
@Steve-O: Let’s start with what we agree on – these robbers are indeed scum. Greedy and vicious to boot.
Now to what we disagree with- actually and unfortunately, what I said it is not far removed at all. In 1998 St. Lucia had 18 murders (according to Freedom House). Last year, it was 46. The fact is that the implosion of the banana industry has led to an explosion of criminality. I am trying to point out that there is an even bigger picture here than the other big picture of homophobia which most commenters here are naturally fixated on. It’s like those Venn diagrams at school where circles overlap.
I also, like Mendy, take issue with the broad brush which many commenters are trying to paint the whole Caribbean with, clearly without being very familiar with the region. Jamaica is indeed extremely and tiresomely homophobic but Jamaica is not the whole Caribbean, nor is it reflective of the whole Caribbean. Jamaica is extreme in almost every way – both good and bad. However, even in JA I saw drag queens dancing in popular night clubs, the PM at the time I lived there was widely believed to be gay but never lost an election and its biggest (living at the time) cultural icon was widely known to be gay. Did not stop him from receiving numerous honors nor a state funeral when he passed. And the most popular act touring in JA and its diaspora is the flamboyant Shebada.
In its bi-polar approach to homosexuality, Jamaica is somewhat reflective of the rest of the Caribbean – except in its own extreme Jamaica way. The truth is, many Caribbean people won’t express approval of homosexuality if pushed on the issue – but they also don’t care. And the two attitudes co-exist and don’t stop people from living, working with or voting for homosexuals.
In fact, this applies generally to people’s sex lives – unlike Americans we also don’t care if politicians cheat on their wives – or husbands. We ‘see and don’t see’. We accept the person even if we don’t like something they are doing.
This is a fundamental mistake I find many American homosexual activists make in their approach to the region – it’s a very hard and fast, ‘either-or’ approach and we are not like that. J-FLAG has had cause to reprimand their well-meaning overseas colleagues for this counter-productive approach. Attitudes like those expressed by Francis that you must “change the culture” are not the answer.
I was trying to avoid typing a small novel but I hope I have gotten my point across. The way to deal with homophobia in the Caribbean is by addressing the bigger picture (poverty is connected to criminality but is also connected to ignorance and homophobia) and to be more subtle. More flies with honey than vinegar and all that…
Kev C
What the Caribbean Queen forgot to mention is that male homosexuality is a punishable crime in half of the Caribbean nations. And even ones where it is legal, virtually no protections exist for LGBTs. And if they want to deprive gays of their rights, they can. And if a serious crime occurs to gays, the law .. and the entire society .. is on the side of perpetrator, and not the gay victim. Don’t gamble with your life or property, and avoid vacays where homosexuality is a crime.
newman moon
hey
newman moon
Hey KEV C
That’s the wrong approach. I understand that couples may find themselves in harms way at times. But lets not have the gay community stick their collective heads in the sand, and pretend these crimes are perhaps not happening… I am sure they are and will continue. How do we change the mentality of thugs like those? Perhaps Jobs? Perhaps education? Let’s contiue to bring light to the issue… This is not the time to look the other direction…
Caribbean Lady
@Kev C – I didn’t forget that – it was mentioned right there in the article so I didn’t think I needed to re-emphasise it.
@Newman Moon – I applaud your approach. Honestly, I think education is the best answer and lack of education is the reason for much of the homophobia in the region. Education develops your capacity for critical thinking and there is way too little of that in the Caribbean when it comes to homosexuality – it’s largely emotive and ill-informed.
Politicians know better and will say so privately but have not got the will to tackle the issue of even decriminalising homosexuality and the few that have tried, have been shot down in flames of emotive, ignorant rhetoric.
Here’s another (frankly mind-boggling) fact – St. Lucia only introduced universal free secondary (high school) education in 2006.
Meaning, before 2006, there were thousands of students who did not go past an elementary school education. If you did not pass the common entrance exam and your parents could not afford private education, that was the end of the road for you. There just were not enough schools.
Combine that with the other economic issues I mentioned in previous posts and you get the ‘perfect storm’ of criminality St. Lucia is experiencing now.
I also don’t want to be misunderstood here. I’m not saying commenters should not be angry about what’s happened nor am I making excuses for what happened. I am explaining why it has happened. And I’m saying don’t just get mad or take the easy way out – let’s talk about what can actually work to change attitudes from the inside.
Mendy
http://www.youtube.com/user/htsstlucia#p/u/5/qsigEjCj-2c
tolerant
st lucia seems to want to take action
http://www.youtube.com/user/htsstlucia#p/u/5/qsigEjCj-2c
Kev C
@tolerant: That’s good news. I hope they can make gay legal. Gays are not second class citizens, and they aren’t stupid. They know that this was a hate crime. 5 men with guns don’t need to brutalize to get money.