PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten/St. Martin Alliance For Equality (SAFE SxM) has raised serious concerns about the escalating challenges facing the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex plus (LGBTQI+) individuals on the island.
Reports of harassment are on the rise, indicating a troubling trend. One particularly distressing incident involved a bar customer who not only faced verbal abuse by being called derogatory terms, but also endured a physical assault.
Days following the attack, the victim bravely shared his ordeal at The Daily Herald's editorial office. In addition to visible physical injuries such as a haemorrhage in his right eye and bruises at the level of his ribs, the deeper wounds are emotional. “I can't escape it; it consumes my thoughts,” he said.
For him, visiting a bar after work serves as a means to unwind before heading home for the night. However, his routine took a terrifying turn in the early hours of Monday when he entered a club in Maho for a nightcap. Engaging in casual conversation with the bartender quickly turned into a nightmare as he became the target of aggression.
A broad-shouldered, muscular man abruptly charged towards him, spewing hateful words. “I don’t like faggots,” he declared, and struck the victim’s eye with a clenched fist. The force of the blow sent the man tumbling from his bar stool. As his assailant initially walked outside, a brief reprieve was shattered when he returned, delivering another vicious blow to the victim’s side.
“I found myself on the ground, momentarily disoriented,” the victim recollected. “Initially, the situation eluded me.” Then, a sudden recollection flooded his mind. “I identified the man – it was the bouncer from a club in Simpson Bay. He had harassed me previously. For instance, while I occupied a seat at another bar nearby last week, he intruded, forcefully nudging my elbow off the counter. His demeanour exuded homophobia. Despite his provocation, I chose to remain silent, opting to walk away rather than engage in verbal confrontation.”
On Monday morning, at the club in Maho, walking away wasn’t an option, the victim lamented. “Everything happened so fast,” he said. Adding to his distress is the lack of assistance from bystanders and staff at the establishment. Following the assailant’s return and subsequent attack, the club staff instructed the victim to vacate the premises.
SAFE SxM, an alliance advocating for the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals in St. Maarten, stands firmly behind the victim in this distressing situation. Lysanne Charles, actively aiding the victim during a visit to the Philipsburg police station to lodge amendments to his complaint against the assailant, emphasised the gravity of the matter, saying, “We take this matter very seriously.”
The victim has scheduled an appointment with the recently-established Victim Support Services and has enquired about his legal options with the assistance of SAFE SxM and other parties. Charles explained, “We connected with several legal representatives who outlined the necessary steps for the victim to pursue complete justice in this case. … We are attempting to ensure that he is formally included in the case as an injured party and is kept informed about any developments.”
Charles emphasised the gravity of the incident, saying, “It is imperative that this incident is not taken lightly. SAFE SxM has been signalling to local government and government officials in the Netherlands that the perception of St. Maarten as an LGBT-friendly destination has steadily deteriorated over the past years. Members of our community are facing mounting pressure and some fear for their safety. This incident serves as a clear illustration of precisely that.”
Expressing solidarity with the victim, Charles said, “Members of our organisation deeply empathise with the victim. Enduring such an ordeal is deeply traumatic.” She lamented the lack of intervention from bystanders, saying, “He has explained that those present at the establishment and in the vicinity failed to intervene, which is unacceptable. It’s crucial for people in St. Maarten to recognise that hate speech, bullying and physical violence are intolerable and carry legal consequences.”
Following an assault on a heterosexual woman while she was enjoying a night out with friends at the strip in Simpson Bay, the prosecutor decided not to bring the case to court. The incident, in which the victim’s throat was forcibly grabbed by an unknown man in public after she declined his advances, was resolved by the prosecutor assigning the perpetrator 40 hours of community service, along with a US $100 compensation for medical expenses.
“We have to do better than that,” Charles said. “We have to be able to trust that cases like these will be brought to court and dealt with seriously or you risk sending the wrong message to the public. Violence against vulnerable populations, including women, children and LGBTQIA+ persons, should not be accepted and should be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.”
The male victim echoes the sentiment, expressing the profound impact the incident has had on him. “Since this happened, it’s been four days of not just physical pain, but also mental anguish,” he said. “I constantly feel like I have to watch my back. As I prepare to return to work this week as a bartender, I’m filled with dread. I won’t even consider going for a drink afterward, as the thought of encountering this man again and facing another attack terrifies me.”
While there is a global trend towards greater inclusion and acceptance as well as a growing recognition of the level of discrimination and violence that is experienced by people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and the need to redress that in some way, St. Maarten cannot lag behind, Charles said. “It is essential to enact legislation explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. We will continue to fight for inclusion and take the case of our member as far as we possibly can.”
