Around 30% of EL*C’s member organizations and groups are based in France, and yet, until now, none were based in the French overseas territories.
This summer, we decided it was time to start changing that.
EL*C travelled to Guadeloupe and Martinique, with a stop in Saint Lucia, and with the great support of the Afro-Caribbean NGO, to meet Caribbean lesbian activists, feminist and LGBTQIA+ organizations, listen, learn and start building stronger connections between lesbian movements in the Caribbean and across Europe and Central Asia.
🇬🇵 In Guadeloupe, we were welcomed by our amazing comrades and joined the very first Kreyol Pride, bringing together almost 800 people! EL*C was there with our banner, our stand and a lot of dyke energy.
We also visited the Maison des Diversités et de l’Inclusion in Pointe-à-Pitre, a space bringing together nine organizations working across LGBTQIA+ rights, disability, sport, media and psychosocial support. Thank you to Kreyol Pride, Secret’s Out, Estelle Prudent, Maison des Diversités et de l’Inclusion and everyone who welcomed us.
🇲🇶 In Martinique, we spent time with Kap Caraïbe @kapcaraibe, learning about their work supporting LGBTQIA+ people, combating violence, working in schools, documenting community histories and creating spaces for a community facing the intersecting realities of patriarchy, racism, colonialism, religious violence and LGBTQIA+phobia. Thank you Marie Christine from the feminist NGO @enavanttoutes.
We also had a wonderful meeting with Espace Koze, born in 2023 from a photography project that unexpectedly helped create a queer community. Through talks, exhibitions, food, parties, games and cultural events, Koze is creating something deeply rooted in Martinique, a space where people do not have to choose between being queer and Martiniquais·e. Thank you to the funders of this and many other art, cooking and community projects, Cheffe Sterelle and Adeline Rapon.
By great chance, we had the opportunity to meet Béatrice Bellay, the MP representing Fort-de-France in the French National Assembly, and the team, working with a particular strength and commitment in advancing feminism and LGBTI rights. Special mention to the amazing activist and writer Nadia Chonville.
With all those fellow activists we talked a lot about lesbian visibility, lesbian archives, the history of slavery and the struggles those territories went through for the freedom of the people. We also addressed funding and the diaspora, including the many LGBTQIA+ people who have left the island because of the lack of institutional support, which can make living openly there difficult. We also shared information about EL*C membership, our re-granting programmes and scholarships for our 2027 Conference in Lesvos (don’t forget to register here!).
🇱🇨 Finally, in Saint Lucia, we met the incredible Kenita Placide to learn more about LGBTQIA+ and lesbian organizing in the English-speaking Caribbean, and about the very different political and legal realities across neighboring islands.
There are lesbians organizing everywhere, sometimes visibly, sometimes underground, sometimes without offices and often with zero funding. Our job as a network is to find and listen to each other, connect our struggles and move resources where they are needed.
From the Caribbean to Europe and Central Asia: our lesbian movement is bigger than the maps we inherited.
🌍✊🏾 Caribbean lesbians exist. Several new NGOs from the region have applied to join the EL*C Network (to become a member, click here).
As of today, already three LBQ NGOs from Martinique and Guadeloupe want to be part of the EL*C lesbian network.
Thank you to everyone who opened their doors, shared their stories, challenged us and imagined new collaborations with us.
