The Equality for All Foundation (EFAF) on Tuesday launched its updated Queer Agenda, a national advocacy document outlining policy priorities for improving the lives of LGBTQ+ Jamaicans.

Executive Director Glenroy Murray used the occasion to call for a renewed push towards legal protections, social inclusion, and recognition of the community’s contributions.

Murray, addressing diplomats, civil society partners, community advocates and members of the media, said the new revised agenda reflects both progress made since its first publication in 2018 and significant work still required.

He noted that the document was originally created to reclaim the term “queer agenda,” which had often been used as “a weapon” against LGBTQ+ people, and to clearly articulate the community’s policy expectations of the Jamaican government and society.

“Years have passed, and a lot has changed within Jamaica, some for the good, some for the not so good. While our society has slowly become more open and our community more visible, there is still much more to be seen,” Murray said.

He highlighted several accomplishments influenced by the foundation’s advocacy over the last seven years, including: Expanded mental-health access and training for service providers, revisions to the clinical psychology curriculum at the University of the West Indies Mona, multiple cohorts of trained youth advocates, re-establishment of safe community spaces for university students, creation of Rainbow House, now home to EFAF and TransWave Jamaica, training of more than 150 social-service providers in partnership with the European Union, sensitisation programs with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, supported by the British High Commission.

Despite these gains, Murray stressed that LGBTQ+ Jamaicans continue to face disproportionate discrimination, inadequate legal protections and a homelessness rate of 33 per cent.

“There is still little recognition of our work and contributions to this nation over the 63 years of its existence. There’s a need now to restate what our desires are for our place in society—and what we expect of the government, stakeholders, and each other,” he said.

Murray described the updated Queer Agenda as a roadmap for a more inclusive Jamaica with recommendations under each pillar.

The launch event included representatives from Belgium and the United Kingdom, along with United Nations officials, civil society groups such as TransWave Jamaica, Jamaicans for Justice and Jamaica Aids Support for Life, and volunteers and ambassadors from the LGBTQ+ community.

Printed copies of the new Queer Agenda were also distributed, outlining key recommendations across the various pillars including security and justice, family protections, health, education, housing and other priority areas.