CAISO Launches “Growing Spaces” Initiative To Support LGBTQI+ Community
As conversations around equality and inclusion continue, initiatives like “Growing Spaces” are aiming to meet urgent needs within the LGBTQI+ community while also building long-term support systems.
Non-Governmental Organisation CAISO launched its new “Growing Spaces” initiative, a project aimed at supporting vulnerable LGBTQI+ individuals through wellness, food security and healing programmes.
CAISO Director Dr. Angelique Nixon explained that the programme was developed in response to housing insecurity, unemployment and limited access to support services faced by members of the LGBTQI+ community.
« It is a response to the needs of our community members that emerge from the inequality, marginalisation, and lack of legal and social protections the community faces, especially in the context of various precarities, from social and economic crises to the climate crisis. Growing Spaces seeks to empower LGBTQI+ community members through holistic, supportive, and sustainable resources. »
Ambassador of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago, Cécile Tassin, said the launch of the project is both timely and necessary.
« It addresses immediate needs while contributing to longer-term structural change. The European Union firmly believes that inclusion makes societies stronger, more resilient and more just. Together with our member states, we will continue to work closely with civil society and human rights defenders advocating for LGBTQI+ persons and to support those who face intimidation, harassment, and threats in their pursuit of equality. »
The initiative was launched during CAISO’s annual media conference ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on May 17th.
