Vincentians Celebrate Pride SVG for 3rd Straight Year
Pride SVG continues to not only make history but also break records. With each passing year, it attracts more and new persons, with Vincentians and other persons flocking to sign up for and/or to attend the various in-person and/or online activities.
This year was no different. Equal Rights, Access and Opportunities SVG Inc. (ERAO SVG), a local human rights organization, with the generous support of a number of local, regional, and international donors/sponsors, organized a slate of in-person and virtual activities for Pride SVG 2025.
2025 marks the third year Vincentians have been celebrating “Pride SVG” since it was officially launched by ERAO SVG in 2023 with a historic Lunch Reception in collaboration with the Office of the Resident British Commissioner.
For Pride SVG 2025, ERAO SVG held two in-person events, a “Pride SVG Conference 2025: Stronger Together” on Saturday, the 7th of June 2025. This event, which was hosted by Tedra Kirby, saw remarks from Makini Barrow representing ERAO SVG, Geoffrey Patton, the Resident British Commissioner, and Her Excellency, Brenda Wills, the High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
During this event, Tedra Kirby also moderated a panel discussion on the topic, “Facing the Challenges Ahead: LGBTQIA+ Rights in SVG”. The panelists were Jeanie Olliverre, Makini Barrow, Winfield Tannis-Abbott, Jomo Sanga Thomas, Jazzique Edwards, and Dr. Alisa Alvis.
The last segment of the event was the Pride SVG Ball, where attendees competed to see who would win “Best dressed, “Best walk”, “Most Confident”, and the top prize, the “Winner of the Royal Pride SVG Ball 2025”.
The second in-person event for Pride SVG 2025 was the “Mental Health, Yoga, Wine and Wine Glass Painting Wellness Day” held on Saturday, the 14th of June 2025. This event consisted of 3 main segments. A mental health session facilitated by Dr. Alisa Alvis, a Yoga session facilitated by Rae-Dawne Howard, and a Wine Glass Painting Session facilitated by Chenese Stay.
Moreover, for Pride SVG 2025, ERAO SVG hosted two engaging online panel discussions with a diversity of panelists from across the Caribbean. Firstly, an online panel discussion on the topic “Progress and Challenges Facing Pride in the Independent English-speaking Caribbean”, was held on Tuesday, the 10th of June 2025. This panel discussion was moderated by Tedra Kirby. The regional panel consisted of Glenroy Murray from Jamaica, Jessica St. Rose from St. Lucia, Tynetta McKoy from St. Kitts and Nevis, Kennedy Everett Maraj from Trinidad and Tobago, Kwame Gilhuys from Guyana, and Ro-Ann Mohammed from Trinidad and Tobago but currently living in Barbados.
The second online panel discussion was on the topic “Progress and Challenges Facing LGBTQIA+ Families in the Caribbean”. This was held on Thursday, the 12th of June 2025. This panel discussion was moderated by Makini Barrow. The regional panel consisted of Pau González from Panama, Dadrina Emmanuel from Barbados, Joel Simpson from Guyana, Maria Fontenelle from St. Lucia, and Angelique Nixon from Trinidad and Tobago.
Furthermore, ERAO SVG held a “Raise your flag for Pride SVG 2025 Photo Contest”, which was officially launched on Friday, the 23rd of May 2025 and culminated in the announcement of a winner winning a cash prize on Friday, the 27th of June 2025.
Speaking on Pride SVG 2025, Founder and President of ERAO SVG Jeshua Bardoo stated, “I am very proud of what ERAO SVG has been able to accomplish over the years. When we started this organization, I wanted to create a paradigm shift. Through ERAO SVG, we are achieving that. Despite the lack of legal protection, the violence, and the discrimination in SVG, I think we are making some progress with regard to changing the attitudes of people on this topic and educating them more on LGBTQIA+ issues. That, I think, is something for me, my team, and Vincentians to celebrate. We are not where we want to be but we are also not where we used to be in SVG on this issue.
I call upon the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to repeal the laws under the criminal code that criminalize private consensual same-sex conduct amongst adults and to create laws that explicitly protect LGBTQIA+ persons from discrimination in areas such as employment, education, housing, health, and goods and services”.
