Vincentians celebrate third straight year of Pride SVG

A number of locals and others outside of St Vincent and the Grenadines ( SVG), were engaged in activities to mark the third consecutive year of celebrations of Pride SVG.

A release from the organisation states that Equal Rights, Access and Opportunities SVG Inc. (ERAO SVG), a local human rights organization, with support from a number of local, regional, and international donors/sponsors, organized a slate of in-person and virtual activities for Pride SVG 2025, making this the third year that Vincentians have been celebrating “Pride SVG” since it’s officially launch by ERAO SVG in 2023. That launch, hailed by Pride SVG as historic, was marked with a lunch reception in collaboration with the Office of the Resident British Commissioner.

For Pride SVG 2025, ERAO SVG held two in-person events- a ‘Pride SVG Conference 2025: Stronger Together’ on Saturday, June 7, 2025, hosted by Tedra Kirby. At this activity, remarks were made by Makini Barrow representing ERAO SVG; the Resident British Commissioner, Geoffrey Patton; and the High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Brenda Wills.

During this event, Tedra Kirby also moderated a panel discussion on the topic, “Facing the Challenges Ahead: LGBTQIA+ Rights in SVG”.

The last segment of the event was the Pride SVG Ball.

The second in-person event for Pride SVG 2025 was a ‘Mental Health, Yoga, Wine and Wine Glass Painting Wellness Day, on Saturday, June 14, 2025, which consisted of three main segments. A mental health session facilitated by Dr Alisa Alvis; a Yoga session facilitated by Rae-Dawne Howard; and a Wine Glass Painting Session facilitated by Chenese Stay.

ERAO SVG, the release adds, also hosted two online panel discussions with a diversity of panellists from across the Caribbean. The first addressed the topic: ‘Progress and Challenges Facing Pride in the Independent English-speaking Caribbean’ on June 10; and the second addressed the topic, ‘Progress and Challenges Facing LGBTQIA+ Families in the Caribbean’, on Thursday, June 12, 2025.

The organisation says it also held a, ‘Raise your flag for Pride SVG 2025 Photo Contest’, which was officially launched on May, 23, 2025 and culminated on June, 27, with the announcement of the winner of the cash prize.

“I am very proud of what ERAO SVG has been able to accomplish over the years, the founder of Pride SVG, Jeshua Bardoo is quoted in the release as stating.

“When we started this organization, I wanted to create a paradigm shift.

Through ERAO SVG, we are achieving that. Despite the lack of legal protection, the violence, and the discrimination in SVG, I think we are making some progress with regard to changing the attitudes of people on this topic and educating them more on LGBTQIA+ issues.”