The Pink Orange Accord of the Dutch Caribbean Islands

This Pink Orange Accord, signed between delegations from Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius (not present), St. Maarten and the Netherlands, forms the basis of a new joint cooperation mechanism on LGBTI-emancipation in the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands.

We LGBTI Rights activists of the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands convened in the Pink House in Willemstad, Curacao:

• Considering that the island communities of the Dutch Caribbean form a cultural continuum with insular differences;
• Considering that the cultural continuum includes the communities of people of Dutch Caribbean descent living in the Netherlands;
• Considering that non-heterosexual and transgender people, their culture and sub-cultures, social performance and beliefs form an integral part of the cultures of islands nations, our immigrant communities in the Netherlands and the cultural mosaic of the Kingdom in general;
• Considering that the Dutch Caribbean cultural continuum still contains a large stigma and prejudice based on cultural bias in general and religious bias in particular against sexual diversity, non heterosexual orientations and other than male/female sexual identities or gender expressions;
• Considering that this stigma and prejudice is systematically and structurally expressed in practices of exclusion, discrimination, bullying, violence and general inequality against non-heterosexual and transgender people by the public at large, private and public institutions and governments;
• Considering that the right to equal treatment, non-exclusion and non-discrimination, are inalienable rights of all citizens guaranteed by all constitutional regulations within the Kingdom and the International Treaties it has signed;
• Considering that the Dutch Caribbean lacks policies and legislation to protect people of non-heterosexual orientation and transgender people against the exclusion, inequality and discrimination they find themselves in;
• Considering that the political and social leadership of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, show very little if any inclination to address issues of structural inequality in which people of non-heterosexual orientation and transgender people find themselves;
• Considering that many religious and political leaders actively support the prolongation of unjust policies, laws and practices, sustaining and supporting the exclusion, discrimination and inequality of our communities;
• Considering that this structural exclusion, inequality and discrimination often leads to internalization of heteronormativity, leading to low self-esteem, hazardous sexual behavior, suicidal feelings and potential enactments on those feelings in our communities, also reflecting on the socio-economic opportunities of members of our communities and their level of participation in society;
• Considering that the lack of tailored services towards our communities place us at high risk with regard to health issues like HIV/AIDS and other STI’s and/or harmful addictions;
• Considering that our plight is seldom heard by our own political and social leadership, that the present statuses of the Dutch Caribbean islands limit the possibilities of support for international redress, it is without prejudice that the Kingdom and its institutions will become evident subjects to reclaim our rights, and that to achieve this we will seek cooperation and alliances with partner organizations in the European part of the Kingdom.

We LGBTI Rights activists of the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands conclude that:

1. We will clearly describe LGBTI culture and identities in the context of our (Dutch) Caribbean cultural continuum;
2. We will conduct an assessment of the interventions, activities and campaigns that our groups have been, are or wish to be involved with, and we will access the realistic in-house capacity to do and/or develop these actions, where necessary with the aid of others, in the near future;
3. All islands in the Dutch Caribbean need a centre or other physical point of reference for the provision of emotional, physical and spiritual health services, psycho-social and legal support to the LGBTI community;
4. We will create the means to produce and transmit informational and educational messages and material about LGBTI sexual diversity, rights issues, culture and spirituality and inclusive human sexuality to our communities in general and to the LGBTI communities in particular; electronic media need to play a pivotal role in this;
5. We will promote the visibility of our LGBTI communities in all their diversity, present positive role models and fight stereotyping;
6. We will create opportunities to report instances of exclusion, discrimination, bullying, violence and other rights violations and develop strategies to address misinformation and defamation in our media;
7. We will promote an environment in our schools that is more inclusive of LGBTI sexual diversity, health and rights issues;
8. To be able to do this effectively parties agree to establish a PINK ORANGE ALLIANCE, including the LGBTI representative groups of the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands.
9. This Pink Orange Alliance will develop a capacity building strategy and bilateral as well as multilateral key pilot projects to start putting its core priorities in practice.

A petit committee to further these projects has been appointed by the meeting, consisting of: Marlon Reina as activist of Dutch Caribbean descent living in the Netherlands, Mario Kleinmoedig as FOKO’s International Secretary also functioning as proxy for St. Maarten, Koen van Dijk as COC Director and proxy of the BES islands and Aruba.

This agreement is signed on this day, Saturday November 6, 2010 by:

ALFA (ARUBA) FOKO (CURACAO)

Maikel Kelly Chair, Frits vd Capellen Secr.

Ryan Maduro Chair Mario Kleinmoedig Chair

COC NETHERLANDS SINT MAARTEN LGBTI REP.

Koen van Dijk, Director Donellis Browne Rep.

BONAIRE LGBTI REP. LGBTI TEAM SABA

Lloyd Obispo Rep. Carl Buncamper Chair,

Chulani Levenstone

STATIA REP.

Absent