“Yes, We Exist!”: Lived Experiences From a Caribbean Transgender & Gender Nonconforming Group

Current research portrays the Caribbean region to be one of the most unsafe spaces for individuals within the LGBTQ+ community. With so many ideals based in colonialism and traditionalism, there are still prominent, negative attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people across Caribbean countries. As such, the purpose of our study was to explore the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ members within a Caribbean support group, specifically a cohort that identified as gender nonconforming or transgender. We interviewed four participants as part of a social support group using a phenomenological approach through queer theory. Results indicated positive and negative categorizations on the group level and societal level through thematic analysis. On the group positive level, broad themes encapsulated open communication, pro-self-expression, and accommodating facilitators. Negative themes included areas for improvement, such as group timing. On the societal level, positive themes captured understanding from a limited number of societal members; negative themes represented lack of support systems and self-expression, conventional gender perspectives, poor mental health, and difficulty accessing services. The critical discussion put forward highlights the oppressions of LGBTQ+ that remain highly evident in Caribbean society and implications for social change, including the establishment of NGOs and other social organizational structures that create safe spaces for individuals who identify with this historically oppressed group.