00:00Pride TT is describing the Privy Council's decision as an opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to turn a page on
00:08what it calls the relics of its colonial past.
00:11Director Tracy Shepard credits Jason Jones for his courage.
00:15History is going to remember Jason's courage. We are incredibly proud of Jason. Jason carried the weight of this fight
00:23for so many, refusing to be silenced.
00:26He refused to be defeated. He took this all the way to the Privy Council.
00:31And the success of the Privy Council today is a testament to Jason's resilience and a powerful reminder that the
00:40fight for equality, dignity and human rights is always worth fighting for.
00:44The organization says while the ruling is a significant victory for Jones and the LGBTQIA plus community, it must also
00:53translate into meaningful changes in the everyday lives of people.
00:58Pride TT points out that discrimination, stigma and exclusion remain realities in employment, education, housing, health care and access to
01:07public services.
01:08It doesn't change anything. It's not really particularly an LGBTQ issue as such as it wants to be.
01:16It just means that the Buggery Act is no longer, it can be struck down.
01:21But it doesn't give us gay rights. It doesn't give us a right to get married.
01:27It just means acceptance. I think the next step will be the Equal Opportunities Commission where we can have equal
01:32rights for employment, equal rights for health care.
01:36Those are the rights that we want. We just want to be treated fairly as human.
01:42It says the next major step must come through legislative reform.
01:46The organization is specifically calling for amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act to explicitly protect LGBTQIA plus citizens against discrimination.
01:58Pride TT is now calling on government, parliament, civil society, religious institutions and the private sector to support stronger anti
02:06-discrimination protections, inclusive policies and greater public understanding.
02:11The organization says it stands ready to work with government and other stakeholders to advance the proposed legislative changes.
02:19But Tracy is cautioning members of the community to still exercise caution.
02:24I must also say to the people to still be careful out there.
02:30Still be careful because not everybody accepts them.
02:33You know, we also still always, and even LGBTQ or not, we need to be safe.
02:38You know, so everybody needs to be safe.
02:41Don't get arrogant with it.
02:42The community, Shuru reminds us, lost two of its members to violent crimes around this year's Pride celebrations.
02:5041-year-old Kwesi Dionne Gill and Kobe Daniel Thomas were shot and killed in separate incidents within weeks of
02:57each other.
02:58Gill was found with multiple gunshot wounds along Textile Hill, Lady Young Road, Belmont, while Thomas was killed in Shagaramas.
03:06But the community has mourned countless more outside of those two incidents.
03:11We have had many, many, many, many over the years.
03:15We have lost many to violence.
03:18It's not just two, but yes, recently along our Pride celebrations,
03:22two weeks before and one the week after,
03:26very strong members of our organizations and supporters.
03:32And one, Brandy, died, according to Tracy Shepard, due to health care reluctance.
03:39Trans people, especially, they get discriminated terribly when they go for health care.
03:45There is also a lot of people that, a lot of the community, a great number of the community,
03:50that sometimes don't have a plate of food to eat or a place to live.
03:58We could get a seat at a museum, you know, where we could have a hot meal on the day
04:04when somebody could just walk in and get a hot meal or we could provide some groceries for them
04:09because they can't get employment, they can't afford to rent a place to live,
04:14they can't afford to eat.
04:17Pry Titi says while the Privy Council ruling marks progress,
04:21the work of building a more equal and inclusive Trinidad and Tobago continues.
04:26Arvishita Wari, Rupnarain, TV6 News.
