Dear Editor,
I am at a loss of words for how unsafe it can be to simply walk around on the island, even during the daytime, and how young teenagers are still behaving.
On Monday August 16, 2021, I was walking from the parking lot on the Pondfill to Front Street. My route was from the parking lot, passing Sundial School and the library, and then passing through the alley where the former Super Plaza was located. While passing near Sundial, there were a large group of young men, students I must add in their uniforms, and they started shouting, calling out names such as “Faggot” “Gay” and saying things like “Yo, you like man!”
I was simply walking to my destination, caused no harm to these students, yet I had to hear these things. Visiting St. Maarten for vacation and minding my business I did not expect to be bullied by students on a bright Monday afternoon. I can imagine how unsafe queer students and other young teenagers must be feeling amongst their homophobic peers.
That was not it of my ordeal, I ignored the students and continued walking to the alley by the former super plaza, two young men – one from Milton Peters College in uniform and I believe one from Sundial – asked me for a dollar but I did not have one, so they started screaming obscenities and threw a bottle towards me. It was a scary experience.
Something must be done because no one should feel unsafe simply walking in the city or anywhere on the island. These teenagers must be taught from home and school to respect one another, despite of their gender, race, sexual orientation, sexuality, or even size.
I have a few friends from New York that will be visiting the island in a few weeks, these individuals are already asking me if the island is safe enough for queer people and they are double guessing their stay. Is this the reputation we want to have? What happened to being a friendly island?
All we have to do is simply respect each other.
Name withheld at author’s request
