Much abuse in gay community

Marcus Lashley (FP)

By Trevor Yearwood | Fri, February 18, 2011 - 12:02 AM

THERE’S a lot of domestic violence in Barbados’ gay and lesbian communities.

Priest and psychologist Reverend Marcus Lashley made this charge last Wednesday night during a panel discussion at the Grand Salle, in the Tom Adams Financial Centre, Bridgetown.

Lashley said domestic violence was not limited to man/woman relationships.

“I can’t think of one case where they (partners) are equal in terms of power,” he told the meeting, organised by the Caribbean Gynaecological Endoscopic Services (CariGES).

“There is always a significant power differential and it is how that power differential is manifested that is of tremendous significance.

“There’s also a lot of violence because it is a close-knit community. It is, in essence, a minority community and therefore there is tremendous possession, tremendous jealousy, tremendous fear and that motivates a lot of the actions.”

The meeting discussed issues including domestic violence, how to become more attractive to your partner, male menopause and the prevalence of endometriosis.

The panellists included obstetrician/ gynaecologist Dr John George, women’s rights activist Nalita Gajadhar and mathematics teacher and youth leader, Corey Worrell.

Earlier, Gajadhar had said Barbadians may have some “fanciful notions” about violence and assigned roles in homosexual relations.

She was responding to a question from the audience on whether the “females” in such relationships faced abuse.

Dealing with the issue of how to become more attractive to your partner, Worrell told the gathering that it took more than financial and emotional security to keep a relationship going well.

He spoke of the need for partners to pray together and to be physically fit.

Worrell urged couples to do what was right and not what was popular, complaining that men were being encouraged to have several spouses.

“A lot of people’s lives get messed up because of a penis and a vagina,” he said.