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| - Homosexuality is legal in the Bahamas and there are no prohibitions on gays serving in the police and military forces. However, there is widespread homophobia in the country, evidenced in the 2005 de-crowning of a lesbian beauty queen and the 2006 banning of the American gay-themed movie, "Brokeback Mountain." More recently, in September 2007, the Bahamas Christian Council formed an anti-gay committee to fight against a gay group after it asked the local cable company to offer Logo, which caters to the LGBT community.
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| abstract
| - Homosexuality is legal in the Bahamas and there are no prohibitions on gays serving in the police and military forces. However, there is widespread homophobia in the country, evidenced in the 2005 de-crowning of a lesbian beauty queen and the 2006 banning of the American gay-themed movie, "Brokeback Mountain." More recently, in September 2007, the Bahamas Christian Council formed an anti-gay committee to fight against a gay group after it asked the local cable company to offer Logo, which caters to the LGBT community. Then on Oct. 6, 2007, police raided a gay cruise party in downtown Nassau but could not arrest anyone as no crime was committed. The cruise company demanded an apology. A few days later, on Oct 10, 2007, two anti-gay activists appeared on a conservative radio station (Gems 105.9 FM) and called for the re-criminalization of homosexuality. The most vocal activist, Clever Duncombe, said he would "kill" homosexuality wherever he finds it. Because of these strong anti-gay stances, most gay people in The Bahamas are afraid to live open, honest lives. The vast majority of the gay population is in the closet, and as such, don't expect to see any annual gay pride street parades or publicly noticeable signs of an organized gay community. Homosexuals could be confronted with anti-gay remarks if they express themselves openly, i.e. coming out publicly or holding hands on a public street. Reports of violence against gays and lesbians are rare but religious-based verbal attacks are not. In fact, any person disobeying established gender roles in dress and mannerisms could be subject to jeering. On the other hand, openly gay persons such as members of the gay-rights group, "Rainbow Alliance of The Bahamas" have been applauded on talk shows and in newspaper articles for speaking against discrimination. The Bahamas has a tourist-based economy and the government targets a variety of markets, but not the growing gay tourism market. Individual and small groups of homosexual tourists are left alone for the most part but boatloads of gay visitors have been protested on three separate occasions - once on March 8, 1998, a month later on April 13, 1998 and again on July 16, 2004. However, the Rainbow Alliance held a counter protest during the 2004 demonstrations, welcoming the gay visitors.
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