A woman isn’t just six-inch heels and crotch-high dresses. That was the message from protesters who staged a placard demonstration against sexism and gender discrimination outside the popular Aria nightclub in Port-of-Spain on Friday night.
A few dozen men and women took part in the protest, holding their placards aloft as patrons walked into the club which was hidden from view by red and white fabric panels.
Police drove past occasionally, and one officer hovered nearby as members of the group passed out pamphlets on the correct language to be used when referring to gender.
The protest was prompted by an incident a week earlier when a young woman, Shannon Gomes, was told by club employees she could not benefit from a promotion because she was “dressed like a man.”
The issue was the focus of considerable debate on social and traditional media.
Stephanie Leitch and Khadija Sinanan, co-directors of Womantra, the organisation that organised the protest, said the group was not targeting any specific nightclub but was addressing the much wider issue of a culture in T&T “which is based on sexism and misogyny.”
“We are here in response to an incident that took place at this particular establishment but it is not unique to this establishment. What took place here could have taken place at any club along the strip of Ariapita Avenue,” Sinanan said.
“It is specifically about people’s right to express their gender however they feel and your right to not be discriminated against on the basis of gender non-conformity which simply means if I am female I do not have to dress in whatever you believe female to be or female clothing to be.
“They had a particular practice and it was administered in a discriminatory way and we are here in response to that and in solidarity with Shannon.”
The group numbered about three dozen at one point and dipped as low as 12 throughout the night.
Asked if the level of support was less than expected, Leitch said since conversations about the situation had become hostile and inflammatory, she was happy with the outcome.
“The mere fact that it captured the public attention nationally shows that it is a relevant issue,” she said.