The Pink House: A Beacon of Hope

It is a cool evening in the neighbourhood of Punda on the Dutch Antillean island of Curacao in the southern Caribbean. The crimson sunset dances across the cobalt waves that crash into this arid island surrounded by deep sea which is cooled by a soft breeze spiraling upward from Venezuela.

Curacao is one of few places in the Antilles with an active connection to The Netherlands and this history and present association has created a political and social atmosphere that is largely free of the psychological trauma that the Spanish and British colonies struggle with to this day. It is simply not the way of the Dutch. That is not to say that there is no racism, sexism, homophobia, and all the other schisms that have been ubiquitous in all societies leading up to modernity, but there is a marked difference of culture in the Dutch societies when compared to the British colonies such as Jamaica.

Casa Rosada or simply The Pink House is a project managed and supervised by FOKO (Fondashon Orguyo Korsou), and was established in the summer of 2010. It is the Caribbean’s first gay cultural centre and despite its novelty it is already proving itself to be much more than just a symbol standing silently in an isolated and placid Caribbean society, but a beacon of hope and inspiration for the millions around the region that live as second-class citizens in these former slave colonies, and also validation that such an experiment can serve as the foundation for the creation of similar spaces elsewhere in the region.

The Pink House as a community centre is not a lazy place where young queens hang out and watch TV. There is no rainbow flag at the front or disco music blaring into the streets. It is a cozy pink casita at the end of a quiet street in a section of town once notorious for sex work, in fact, the building itself was once a brothel, a history that staff and volunteers freely share as we talk about how important this unassuming single-storey building at the end of a lonely street is as part of the gay movement in the Caribbean.

Dudley Ferdinandus is the bubbly programme manager with an almost prophetic vision of where the gay movement in the Caribbean will go, how we will get there, and what will block progress. His down-to-earth approach and almost maternal instincts are tremendous assets for him as a counselor and default “house-mother” for the Pink House where his experience in HIV/AIDS advocacy and in counselling are combined to provide a service that is unmatched.

The programmes at this community centre are not necessarily novel in terms of their origin; however it is the application of these ideas that makes the difference. As Dudley points out, the prevention message is out there and MSMs can recite all that needs to be done to stay negative, and yet they are still becoming infected. Addressing this sad irony is what motivates him as a counselor to reach those that need advice so that the behaviors that contribute to this high infection rate despite three decades of awareness can be curbed.

Being a small island state Curacao can in some respects be viewed as a microcosm symbolizing the general problems of other Caribbean countries although at face value, its well-paved streets and genteel European ambience may say otherwise. Issues of homophobia do in fact exist in the small towns and settlements scattered across the island, and also there is a frequency of unchecked immigration of sex workers from South America and the rest of the Caribbean since Curacao has legalized sex work and a legitimate sex work industry, with the famous brothel Campo Allegre offering exotic females from all corners of the globe in a resort atmosphere.

The drivers for HIV infection among vulnerable populations exist and are just as stinging as elsewhere so therefore relaxed social mores and a supportive legal framework do not necessarily equate to a utopian existence for sexual minorities as Dudley is quick to point out. There may not be the threat of physical violence as is the case with other Caribbean nations, but there is the nagging unsaid notion that gays are second-class citizens that ought not to get too uppity. The current struggle for Curacao to recognize gay marriage as is institutionalized in Holland is an example of this.

One mustn’t discount the significance of this former Dutch colony as this will prevent them from coming to a greater understanding of HIV prevention and the LGBT rights movement in the Caribbean as there are many lessons to be learnt, as the fine example of The Pink House reveals. In fact, it is in stepping away from the noise that persists in this side of the Caribbean that one is better able to put the issues into perspective and come to a more comprehensive understanding.

Interviews with Dudley:

Part 1

Dudley pt 1 by brianpaul

Part 2

Dudley pt 2 by brianpaul

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