REPORT: Anti-LGBT Violence Rises in Post-Earthquake Haiti

(PUNTA CANA, D.R.) LGBT Haitians have been largely ignored by international aid organizations and the government in post earthquake Haiti—resulting in increased discrimination, violence and the rape of gay men, lesbians and transgender women.

Those are the findings of a damning new report (PDF) released this week by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and SEROvie, a Haitian community organization that helps LGBT individuals. It is just the latest chapter in the massive humanitarian crisis that emerged after the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake of Jan. 12, 2010, which flattened much of Port-au-Prince

R20 readers may recall that several HIV clinics and their staff were quake casualties. At least 14 gay HIV positive activists were killed after the collapse of SEROvie, Haiti’s largest organization serving gay and transgender people with HIV. Thousands of HIV positive Haitians were cut off from their life-saving anti-retroviral medications. Sadly, that was just the beginning.

When asked to identify the greatest impact of the earthquake on their lives, the majority of LGBT people interviewed for this paper indicated that it decimated the already limited physical spaces, social networks and support services available to them. According to one Port-au-Prince lesbian, "Loneliness, invisibility, and social isolation are persistent problems for us." ...

Overcrowding, flimsy structures, inadequate lighting, public bathing facilities, and general insecurity in IDP camps have increased the risk of gender-based violence for all women and people viewed as gender non-conforming, including LGBT people. SEROvie has documented the rape of lesbians, gay men and transgender women in or near camps. In August, 2010 for example, Sandy, a 24-year-old lesbian was brutally raped by eight men at the Champs de Mars camp. Additionally, SEROvie documented more subtle forms of sexual exploitation in which LGBT people were coerced into engaging in sexual relations with straight-identified men for food or money. A group of lesbian and bisexually-identified women interviewed by SEROvie and IGLHRC reported that sexual violence and corrective rape were “definitely a problem” in the IDP camps.

Rape was already a very serious problem in Haiti before the quake. The situation for women has become worse, human-rights groups say. Reported rapes have more than tripled in Port-au-Prince, according to the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, which has been monitoring HIV/AIDS in post-earthquake Haiti.

Even some well-intentioned policies have led to the suffering of LGBT people. International relief organizations distribute emergency food to female heads of household, but that excludes many gay men and transgender people living without families. "One man reported dressing as a woman to receive food. He was later beaten by people standing nearby," adds the report.

Download the full report HERE.

Comments

[dave lopes]

Don't believe the hype.

1. It is extremely rare to find gay or lesbian identified people in haiti.

2. There is no widespread abuse of gay men in haiti...especially sexual.

These NGOs sole reason for existence is to maintain themselves as money collecting charities. They take one or two incidents and create a report to make themselves look good and to colect monet from gullible people with good intentions.

[Derrick from Philly]

I pray that you're right, Dave. But I don't know. People behave badly...behave horribly in prolonged horrible conditions.

[Distant Lover]

Well, I know that gay and lesbians are everywhere and usually when cities are wrecked by natural disasters and law and order are no where to be found, people will act a fool so this sounds completely plausible to me. All I can do for them is pray.

[Greg G]

Dave: You're either trolling or you're a homophobe. Or both. Gays and lesbians are randomly attacked every day in the USA. What would make you think they would have it BETTER in a very poor, homophobic, nation ravaged by natural disaster? And if women are raped repeatedly in Haiti and crime was already very high pre-earthquake, why wouldn't it be even worse now?

Just pathetic.

[dave lopes]

Greg; the only thing pathetic is an american with no understanding of other cultures calling others homophobe or a troll.

For your education; Haitian culture does not promote or encourage violence against gays. In haiti's vaudou religion which heavily influences the culture, homosexuals are seen as just part of the sexual whelm of humanity. Certain Vaudou loas like Erzulie are protectors of homosexuals. The priesthood is open to homosexuals and many are homosexuals.

just because people in the US behaves a certain way does not mean others will follow or do worse simply because they are poor.

In haiti, overtly homosexual people are made fun of or ridiculed..but attacking them is simply not part of the equation.

You are confusing Haiti which kept many of the traditional african beliefs in its culture with the heavily christianized jamaica and others.

The point is... NGOs are like parasites all over the third world justifying their existence by blowing things out of proportion........so the money can keep coming in.

And yes I am Haitian born, have lived in west africa, in europe, in the united states....and am in haiti often making passes at straight men day in, day out...and only getting a laugh or a smirk from those not interested.

I know what I am talking about.

[Jerry]

Dave, I hope you are right. I hate it when gay people anywhere in the world are hurt and abused in any way. However, according to your comments, doesn't it mean that Rod, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and SEROvie are completely wrong in what they report?

I, too, have been to West Africa. Twice to Nigeria and once to Ghana, I have gay friends in both countries.

[Greg G]

Dave: I'm not American. I am Canadian and my family is from Barbados. I'll take your word that you are Haitian, but you apparently do not live in the camps in Port au Prince.

Haiti is a very beautiful country and I love the people. It is truly a shame what happened on January 12n 2010. But it is foolish to speculate on what you do not know. I have several Haitian friends who were robbed, attacked or beaten pre-earthquake. Keep telling yourself that more than one million impoverished, desperate people living in tents would never hurt or harm another person.

And are women not being raped either?

[dave lopes]

Greg; what happened on january 12, 2010 is simply an act of nature. It happened 200+ years ago and destroyed Port-au-Prince.

The large number of death however is man made. It is the result of our inability as Haitians to build a modern functional state.

Read my post aagin; it SPECIFICALLY dealt with the homosexual part.

"you'll take it that I don't live in the camps"....but YOU a canadian do..i assume.

There is an increase in criminal activities in the urban camps as was to be expected...anyone can be victimized. Just as anyone in a US housing project or a south african poor black urban area, or a brazilian favela can be victimized.

Even with that the crime rate in urban haiti is lower that south africa or Brazil....look it up if you don't believe me.

What is certain is that there is no systematic violence against gays in Haiti.

Again....these NGOs are looking for money and need to advertise with tall tales.