Response to Student #1
Until 2010, homosexuality is still an illegal practice in Haiti. I agree with your assertion that homosexuality is considered taboo in Haiti (Durban-Albrecht, 2015). I support this point because the senate in 2010 passed a bill to criminalize any form of Lesbianism, Gay, bisexual, and transgender relationships (LGBT). The senate imposed strict punishment on those found engaging in the LGBT movements in the country. However, I would like to disagree with your argument that in the country, most LGBT activities receive no public support at all. In my view, the Kouraj president is heard saying in a press conference that their community has grown and cannot stay hidden for a longer time (Nolan, 2016). The LGBT president lays it bare that their rights have to be recognized and even if it means saying hello to the devil (Azor, 2017). The devil, in this case, refers to those against LGBT rights in the country. In addition to what you have said, I would like to say that in 2016, the Kouraj, led by president Jeudy organized a four-day film festival duped Massimadi (Couti et al., 2019). The event was a success for the first day but was disrupted by police on the second day (House, 2017). However, I can say that I support how Ronald’s family handled his case. LGBT rights are not allowed in Haiti until now though some events are happening privately.
Response to student #2
I support your view that most Haitians are not fluent in speaking English. Having more qualified healthcare workers who can provide the much-needed services in the health sector is critical. I am also supporting your arguments that Ronald’s case is not an exception, and most people in this country who underwent such trauma face discrimination from family members.
I support the idea that people like Ronald should be taught basic prevention skills such as using a condom during sexual intercourse (Farmer, 2016). However, I would like to say that currently, there are families within Haiti who accept their family members, whether gay or lesbian (Encarnacion, 2016). Some families are known to support LGBT and their rights. Consequently, your views that LGBT rights in Haiti have faced much criticism from the spiritual community, with most religious leaders coming out to condemn it in the strongest terms possible (Lamothe, 2017). Additionally, subsidizing medical costs for Haiti’s people can help solve the current crisis in the healthcare sector. I wish to point out that some parents in Haiti currently embrace LGBT and their rights (Farmer, 2016 and Corrales, 2015). Furthermore, the Haitian government passed legislation through the senate that made LGBT in the country illegally, and anyone found guilty is liable to a three-year jail term or a fine of more than $ 8,000 or both (Chambers, 2019).
References
Response to student # 1
Azor, J. (2017). Documenting spaces of liberation in Haiti. Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory, 27(2), 247-258.
Couti, J., & Grant, J. C. (2019). Man up! Masculinity and (Homo) sexuality in René Depestre’s Transatlantic World. Humanities, 8(3), 150.
Durban-Albrecht, E. L. (2015). Postcolonial Homophobia: United States Imperialism in Haiti and the Transnational Circulation of Antigay Sexual Politics (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Arizona).
House, F. (2017). Freedom in the World 2017-Haiti.
Nolan, R. E. (2016). LGBT Activism in the Caribbean. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies, 1-5.
Response to student #2
Chambers, C. S. (2019). Reclaiming blackness:(Counter) narratives of racial kinship in black gay men’s sexual stories. Texas A&M University.
Corrales, J. (2015). LGBT Rights and Representation in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Influence of Structure, Movements. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina.
Encarnación, O. G. (2016). Out in the Periphery: Latin America’s gay rights revolution. Oxford University Press.
Farmer, P. (2016). AIDS and accusation: Haiti and the geography of blame, updated with a new preface. Univ of California Press.
LaMothe, M. (2017). Our love on fire: Gay men’s stories of violence and hope in Haiti. Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory, 27(2), 259-270.