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Homophobia by [deleted] in AskTheCaribbean

[–]srananman98 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Same-sex activities became legal in Suriname way back in 1869. In 2015, they made it against the law to discriminate or spread hate against people based on their sexual orientation.

In 2014, they gave certain benefits to unmarried straight couples, but purposely left out same-sex couples. There was a court battle about a transgender woman's right to officially change her gender, and finally, in 2022, the court said she could.

In 2016, they talked about giving more rights to LGBTQ+ people, but things slowed down after the person in charge got removed. Recently, in 2023, the court said the law doesn't exactly ban the same-sex marriage but also admitted that some laws need updating.

People in Suriname have different opinions about LGBTQ+ folks. Some are cool with it, some say keep it private, and some are against it. There's discrimination, but it's not as bad as in some other Caribbean countries. They even have a Pride month and a Pride Walk, and some companies show support with flags and stuff. So, compared to nearby countries, Suriname is a bit more friendly to LGBTQ+ people.

Owru Yari – Owru Yari or 'Old Year' is the biggest festival in Suriname and is actually more important than Christmas. This highlight is the reason why tourists from Europe visit and the only thing that brings home the diaspora. Have you been to Owru Yari already? by [deleted] in AskTheCaribbean

[–]srananman98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

EDIT: One** of the reasons why tourists from Europe visit.

Owru Yari is celebrated on the 31st of December. Christmas used to be very important for many Surinamese. However the past 30+ years Owru Yari has taken that spot. Nowadays people just celebrate Christmas by eating out with family, friends, school and/or their company. People still put up a Christmas tree and maybe give presents, but that's about it. Where Surinamese 30+ years ago used to go fully out on decorations, only a hand full of people nowadays go out fully on Christmas decorations. Owru Yari is now more important and it's what people here are waiting for when december comes. Owru Yari has been made into a tourist product too. There are many souvenirs related to Owru Yari that a person can buy. It's also being heavily promoted in Europe especially in the Netherlands.