In Jamaica, we like to say, “Wi likkle but wi tallawah.” We take pride in our resilience, our ability to look out for one another and our belief that, when times get hard, somebody will lend a hand. But what happens when the person who needs that hand is afraid to ask for it? For some transgender and gender-non-conforming Jamaicans, simply going about everyday life can mean carrying an additional burden especially the fear of being mocked, rejected, harassed or treated differently because of who they are or how they express themselves. This matters particularly when it comes to healthcare.
When you are sick, you should not have to wonder whether the nurse will laugh at you, whether the doctor will make assumptions about you, or whether you will be treated with less respect because of your gender identity or appearance. When you walk into a health centre, hospital or doctor’s office, you should be thinking about getting better, not about whether you will be safe from humiliation. Healthcare is supposed to be about care. That may sound obvious, but the evidence tells us that stigma and discrimination can become barriers to accessing care. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that transgender people in many settings have lower access to health services because of factors including violence, stigma, discrimination and legal barriers. The World Health Organization (WHO) also reports that gender-diverse people can experience discrimination from health workers and that stigma in healthcare settings can contribute to poorer mental health outcomes. And this is not simply a foreign issue that has nothing to do with Jamaica.
UNDP’s 2023 National LGBT Survey for Jamaica examined the lived experiences of majority LGBT Jamaicans across eight areas, including health, violence, employment, education, human rights and standard of living. The report found that stigma, discrimination and violence affect the ability of LGBT Jamaicans to fully enjoy their rights and participate in society. More recent UNDP research is even more specific, in 2025 their roadmap on transgender-inclusive social protection found that transgender and gender-diverse people in Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana face significant barriers to essential services and described these challenges as systemic rather than simply isolated incidents. So this is not about creating special treatment for anybody. It is about making sure that the basic standards of healthcare, respect, confidentiality, compassion and competent care apply to everybody.
Think about what happens when someone puts off going to the doctor because they are afraid of how they will be treated. A minor health problem can become a serious one. A person may avoid preventive care. Someone who needs mental health support may suffer in silence. A patient may withhold important information because they do not trust the person sitting across from them. That is bad for the individual, but it is also bad for public health. A health system cannot effectively care for people who do not feel safe enough to use it.
This is why the conversation about transgender and gender-non-conforming Jamaicans should not be reduced to arguments about politics or culture. At its heart, this is also a healthcare issue and healthcare is something that affects all of us. We all know what it feels like to be worried when a loved one is sick. We know the relief of finding a doctor who listens. We know how vulnerable we can feel sitting in a hospital bed or waiting for test results. At those moments, nobody wants to be treated as a political issue. We want to be treated as a human being. That same dignity should extend to every patient.
Of course, not every Jamaican will agree on questions surrounding gender identity. We do not have to agree on everything. Jamaica has always been a country of strong opinions and spirited debate. But disagreement cannot be a licence to humiliate somebody, deny them basic respect or make them afraid to seek medical attention. Trans gender non-conforming Jamaicans should not be viewed only through the lens of vulnerability but as people. They are our neighbours, colleagues, family members, students, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, parents and friends. They have the same hopes and worries that the rest of us have. They also deserve the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives.
At the end of the day, this is not about asking every Jamaican to think alike. It is about asking us to care about how we treat people when they are at their most vulnerable. If a Jamaican is sick, let them feel safe enough to go to the doctor. If they need help, let them feel safe enough to ask. If they walk into a clinic or hospital, let them know that their dignity will not be left at the door. We often speak of Jamaica as a land of strength, resilience and community. Those should not just be words we use in speeches and advertisements. They should be reflected in how we treat the person standing beside us especially when that person is sick, frightened or in need of care. Healthcare should not ask who you are before deciding how much dignity you deserve.
Every Jamaican deserves better than that.
Let us build a Jamaica where getting sick is not made harder by the fear of being yourself.
