The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

A SPOKESPERSON for the LGBT+ community says due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many in this grouping have fallen on hard times sparking a proliferation in sex work.

This “survival sex” work, according to Alexus D’Marco, has been a means for some to acquire housing and put food on the table when there is no other option available.

She highlighted the issue while announcing that the D’Marco Foundation is launching its second safe house-to-house lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people who’ve been kicked out of their homes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Asked about the affects COVID-19 has had on the LGBT+ community, she said: “There are a lot of persons who are unable to pay their rent.”

“They are unable to access basic food needs so we try to provide and collaborate with other NGOs to provide direct food.

“COVID-19 has really impacted everyone, especially those who are already vulnerable. It’s like a double whammy.”

She also said: “There has been a lot of sex work going on especially among youth who are using survival sex as a means for a place to stay and food on the table. I have also recently found out that there are persons claiming to be youth mentors and pastors in the youth bracket taking advantage of these individuals so we are trying to stand in the gap for our community as it rallies to that type of behaviour so they won’t have to be subject to that behaviour.”

Several years ago, the organisation founded a safe house in the eastern portion of the island, but that home was forced to close down because of funding challenges.

This time around, Ms D’Marco said the organisation is looking at several means to sustain the new safe house.

“This is our second safe house,” she said yesterday. “The first one was about three years ago out east where we housed individuals whose parents put them out based on their sexual orientation or their gender identity.

“The concept came from the need to stop them from walking Long Wharf, which is a known spot for sex work, especially for LGBTI persons. It came out of that need.

“We weren’t able to sustain the programme based on funding and not being able to provide the meals for the persons and so we had to end up transferring that safe house programme to Canada to a programme called the 519 programme in Canada.

“So, those persons who were a part of that first safe house programme were able to apply for asylum in Canada so it came out of that Junkanoo Beach project and eradicating homelessness for our people.”

She continued: “This particular safe house because we are now registered in The Bahamas as a registered NGO, we are able to apply for grants and collaborate with the Ministry of Social Services.

“It’s helping us with the safe house and also we plan to sell meals to sustain the programme itself and the rent of the home. We have asked persons who can cook to support lunches. I also have a pending meeting with the ministry to discuss the way forward as it relates to the home.”

Currently she said the new facility will house four people, considerably less than the 16 who were living in the previous home.