Community Cleans Up with Compassion

Members of the LGBT+ Community of Trinidad & Tobago and their friends came out on Sunday to clean Woodford Square, Port of Spain, at the same time that members of T&T Cause were assembling to begin their rally against decriminalization of the buggery law.

This latest public mobilization activity of the LGBT+ Community aimed to place a spotlight on real issues facing our nation – such as rampant littering and its impact on the environment – which is a clear breach of laws and regulations. Yet, it seems that some persons choose to focus on matters which have little or no real effect on the wider society.

Twenty-two year old Josh Ryan, one of the organizers of the clean-up, commented that “what consenting adults do in their bedrooms, should not be what citizens expend their energy, time and prayers on. We have to stand as one nation, in love, and confront issues of crime – especially against young children and women; the depressed economy; and corruption and inefficiency which has cost many their lives.”

The group of LGBT+ activists sang along with the crowd while receiving some stares and a few comments about their eventual judgment to ‘fire and brimstone’, but most persons sat quietly watching as the square was cleaned, a few offering their empty water bottles or snack wrappers to the group for their garbage bags.

Nefertiti Orr-Thompson, another member of the clean-up crew, mused on the fact that “it is interesting that people can sit and ignore the trash just around them – this is an example of the general desensitization of our people. Our nation needs us to take care of it – not encourage division, hate and fear.”

The LGBT+ Community continues its public outreach over the next few months with T&T Pride to be commemorated from June 22nd – July 22nd.