Homophobia & Transphobia in Caribbean Media

These were the main findings of our baseline study on homophobia and transphobia in five countries in the Caribbean. During the month of July 2014, Outright International and United and Strong, in collaboration with Groundation Grenada, Guyana Rainbow Foundation, J-FLAG, and United Belize Advocacy Movement, conducted the first-ever, LGBTI-focused media monitoring project in the English-speaking region. These groups monitored the media in five countries—Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia. 

The results of the monitoring show that many media outlets reinforce negative stereotypes that can lead to violence against LGBTI people. Stories of importance about this community—policy issues and concerns about exclusion— or those that should depict them engaged in positive activities, were largely ignored by the media. Overall, the media coverage created an unbalanced, inaccurate, and largely unflattering picture of the community.