However, only a quarter reported incidents to the local authorities, and only 10% received counseling for the depression and trauma they perceived these events to cause.
Over 50% in their study reported experiencing homophobic abuse, such as name-calling, discrimination, violence, threats of violence, and harassment on more than three occasions each month. (2010) attributed these mental health issues to the “high” incidence of homophobic abuse reported by their sample. Additionally, 69% met the criteria on the SCID-I/NP (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders Non-Patient Edition) for ever having experienced one or more Axis I disorders (DSM-IV-TR) in their lifetime. (2010) studied the mental health needs of LGB people in Jamaica and found 45% of their sample reported symptoms associated with major depression. This included feelings of depression, suicidality, and chronic sadness that they associated with suppressing and concealing their sexuality ( Bourne et al., 2012). Stigma, discrimination, and homophobic violence led many to believe that their lives were less productive and that consequently their psychological health. A study of stigma and discrimination experienced by homosexual men in Jamaica found that the majority of participants reported family disownment and being “shamed” into dropping out of school ( Bourne et al., 2012).
Homophobia has also contributed to some of the mental health issues experienced by LGB individuals in the region including their greater rates of depression, anxiety and substance misuse disorders compared to heterosexuals ( King et al., 2006 Addis et al., 2009 White et al., 2010 Milne, 2011 Bourne et al., 2012). The prevalence of homophobia and homophobic abuse in Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands has been linked to high rates of family disownment, homelessness and loneliness within local LGB communities ( Bourne et al., 2012). Thus, LGB people in the Caribbean have long struggled for social, cultural, and legal acceptance and tolerance ( Coates, 2010 Smith, 2011). Consequently, many of the region's LGB residents conceal and suppress their sexual identity to prevent social exclusion or criminalization ( Stern, 2003 Hickling et al., 2009). The impunity of individuals who commit hate crimes against LGB individuals is likely to legitimize stigma, hatred, abuse, and discrimination against LGB individuals in various Caribbean societies ( Smith, 2011 Sheller, 2012 Stanislas, 2013a, b). Some law enforcement agencies in the region fail to protect LGB individuals from homophobic hate crime and some law enforcement officers themselves have been involved in harassment and attacks on men and women perceived to be homosexual ( Human Rights Watch, 2004 Becker, 2013 Cloonan, 2013 Stanislas, 2013a, b). All homosexual acts are illegal in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados and male homosexuality including sodomy and public displays of affection are illegal in Guyana and Jamaica but female homosexuality is not ( Human Rights Watch, 2004 Sheller, 2012). However, across the Caribbean region many Islands criminalize homosexual behavior ( Human Rights Watch, 2004 Hickling et al., 2009). The 28 territories of the Caribbean have a population of over 35 million people ( Baldacchino, 2015 International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2016) and estimates suggest that 20% of the population identify themselves as non-heterosexual ( McDonald, 2012).
This study focuses on the intolerance aspect of homophobia, and considers the meaning of skin complexion and location for the intolerance experienced by St. Homophobia is fear or intolerance toward people who are attracted to others of the same-sex ( Remafedi, 2002 Consolacion et al., 2004).
This qualitative study focuses on this gap in the literature by exploring the perceptions and experiences of homophobia among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals living in St Lucia, an Eastern Caribbean Island with a British and French creolized, or Kwéyòl, colonial history, culture and language. However, Caribbean culture is diverse ( Hickling et al., 2009) and we know less about the perceptions and experiences of LGB individuals living in the French Antilles and former Dutch and Spanish colonies despite their distinct cultural identities and attitudes to sexual orientation ( Kempadoo, 2004, 2009 Sharpe and Pinto, 2006 Gaskins, 2013). Former British Caribbean colonies including Jamaica, Barbados and the Bahamas ( Gaskins, 2013) have been the focus of psychological research on sexual orientation and homophobia in the Caribbean region (e.g., Kempadoo, 2004, 2009 Sharpe and Pinto, 2006).