Rainbow Alliance of the Bahamas

The Rainbow Alliance of The Bahamas was a support and advocacy group for persons in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

History

The group was established in May 1999 during a social event hosted by members of other

organization. They named it “The Rainbow Alliance of The Bahamas.”

At that time RAB was essentially a support group, organizing LGBT socials and the annual, low-key

in the country.

The activist arm of the group placed it in the public spotlight between 2004 and 2008. The group eventually disbanded in 2008 due to a lack of resources.

Legal fight

There is no legislation in The Bahamas that addresses basic

.

Homosexual relations between

consenting adults

have been legal in The Bahamas since May 1991, but the age of consent is two years higher than that for heterosexuals – 18 vs. 16. Adult heterosexual men can legally engage in sexual activity with 16-year-old girls, though these teens are considered minors. Homosexual men however, have been charged before the courts for having consensual sex with 16- and 17-year-old males.

LGBT Bahamians are also subject to discrimination in employment. The Employment Bill of 2001, which had a clause barring discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation, was passed with that clause removed.^{[citation needed]} The law was amended again in 2002, still without protecting LGBT Bahamians.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to protesting these laws, RAB spoke out strongly against its lack of inclusion in the former government's Constitutional Reform Commission. The commission, which included outspoken anti-gay Bishop Sam Greene, had been reviewing the country's unamended 1973 constitution between 2003 and 2006. It failed to consider a person's sexual orientation as an attribute deserving of protection from discrimination in a preliminary report it presented to the Cabinet on March 21, 2006.

See also

• LGBT rights in the Bahamas
• List of LGBT rights organisations

External links

Bahamas' current LGBT group:

• Bahamas LGBT Equality Advocates