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- Nov 10, 2014
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With all the negative news going on, I thought I'd look for some tidbits of info that made Trinidad and Tobago seem cool again, and not like a morgue. What I found was not all good news, but still very surprising to me. I tested out my new knowledge on some folks that know all the curious good stuff already and they were indeed surprised by these facts. Check them out!
1. The law is all up in your pants. Consent is not required for marital sex, anal sex is illegal, and LGBT+ sexual relations is illegal, though these laws are usually not enforced. Offences of "buggery" (which is a slang term for anal sex but is what is actually used in the legal description) lead to: adults on adults (life imprisonment), adults on minors (25 years), or committed by minors (5 years). It is also illegal for members of the LGBT+ community to enter Trinidad & Tobago unless they are nationals. In either case, this is usually not enforced but can be used to make a strong case with other offences to keep an LGBT+ person out of the country.
Translation: It is illegal to be gay, homophobia is legally endorsed, and marital rape is approved; better make sure you have permission for kinky sex though!
2. Children can be married off against their will. You must be over 18 to marry under the civil marriage law, but religious exemptions allow child marriages from as young as 12. Under the Muslim marriage act, the minimum age is 16 for males and 12 for females. Under the Hindu marriage act, the minimum age is 18 for males and 14 for females. For both acts the consent of a party under 18 is not given by the child but by the father, or in the even of his death, the mother or an appointed guardian.
Let me break this down: even though sexual activity is legally okay between a male and female over 16 (not under), sex is automatically okay between a married male and female, no consent required (see #1). Which means a grown, old, perverted adult can legally marry a 12-17 year old and legally engage in sexual intercourse with their child bride/groom without consent i.e. sexual assault/molestation/ and statutory rape.
Translation: Parents can use religious marriage as a technicality to get rid of children as young as 12. Sell them off, trade them off, give them to pedophiles; as long as you "marry" them through a religious act, it's approved!
3. Nudity and half-nakedness is illegal (mostly). Wearing nothing but a bathing suit anywhere other than a beach is an offense; the only exception is during Carnival. Nude and/or topless bathing and sunbathing is also illegal. Once in public, women must wear tops and bottoms, and men must not be shirtless. Even in bars, in front of your house, and at functions (including weddings, birthdays, and parties in general. Hear that dhal belly, plumber crack offenders and drunken topless ladies? I said illegal!). Many officers do not enforce this but they have the right to, so keep your back covered! (<<See what I did there? :high5: No?
Okay.)
Translation: Cover yo'self!
4. Trinidad invented popular, musical fun. Limbo, Calypso, Soca, and the Steel Pan were all created in Trinidad and greatly influenced by our ethnic and ancestral history and relations. The limbo dance originated as an event during wakes and was made famous by Julia Edwards and her dance company in the 1960s. These musical feats of enjoyment are now popular world-wide, stretching from Western countries to other islands around the world as well, despite the fact that many do not know that they originate right here in sweet, sweet, T&T.
Translation: Despite some disagreeable laws, we kinda invented fun. ♫Let's have a good, good time!♫
5. We are a popular fictional island setting. Though not specifically stated in these works, it is a little known fact that the famous novels Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe were actually based on a Tobago setting. The 1960 movie Swiss Family Robinson was also filmed in Tobago.
Translation: They like us, they really really like us! Well, really our sister isle since there's no mention of Trini influence, but on a technicality by association; they like us, they really really like us!
1. The law is all up in your pants. Consent is not required for marital sex, anal sex is illegal, and LGBT+ sexual relations is illegal, though these laws are usually not enforced. Offences of "buggery" (which is a slang term for anal sex but is what is actually used in the legal description) lead to: adults on adults (life imprisonment), adults on minors (25 years), or committed by minors (5 years). It is also illegal for members of the LGBT+ community to enter Trinidad & Tobago unless they are nationals. In either case, this is usually not enforced but can be used to make a strong case with other offences to keep an LGBT+ person out of the country.
Translation: It is illegal to be gay, homophobia is legally endorsed, and marital rape is approved; better make sure you have permission for kinky sex though!
2. Children can be married off against their will. You must be over 18 to marry under the civil marriage law, but religious exemptions allow child marriages from as young as 12. Under the Muslim marriage act, the minimum age is 16 for males and 12 for females. Under the Hindu marriage act, the minimum age is 18 for males and 14 for females. For both acts the consent of a party under 18 is not given by the child but by the father, or in the even of his death, the mother or an appointed guardian.
Let me break this down: even though sexual activity is legally okay between a male and female over 16 (not under), sex is automatically okay between a married male and female, no consent required (see #1). Which means a grown, old, perverted adult can legally marry a 12-17 year old and legally engage in sexual intercourse with their child bride/groom without consent i.e. sexual assault/molestation/ and statutory rape.
Translation: Parents can use religious marriage as a technicality to get rid of children as young as 12. Sell them off, trade them off, give them to pedophiles; as long as you "marry" them through a religious act, it's approved!
3. Nudity and half-nakedness is illegal (mostly). Wearing nothing but a bathing suit anywhere other than a beach is an offense; the only exception is during Carnival. Nude and/or topless bathing and sunbathing is also illegal. Once in public, women must wear tops and bottoms, and men must not be shirtless. Even in bars, in front of your house, and at functions (including weddings, birthdays, and parties in general. Hear that dhal belly, plumber crack offenders and drunken topless ladies? I said illegal!). Many officers do not enforce this but they have the right to, so keep your back covered! (<<See what I did there? :high5: No?
Okay.) Translation: Cover yo'self!
4. Trinidad invented popular, musical fun. Limbo, Calypso, Soca, and the Steel Pan were all created in Trinidad and greatly influenced by our ethnic and ancestral history and relations. The limbo dance originated as an event during wakes and was made famous by Julia Edwards and her dance company in the 1960s. These musical feats of enjoyment are now popular world-wide, stretching from Western countries to other islands around the world as well, despite the fact that many do not know that they originate right here in sweet, sweet, T&T.
Translation: Despite some disagreeable laws, we kinda invented fun. ♫Let's have a good, good time!♫
5. We are a popular fictional island setting. Though not specifically stated in these works, it is a little known fact that the famous novels Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe were actually based on a Tobago setting. The 1960 movie Swiss Family Robinson was also filmed in Tobago.
Translation: They like us, they really really like us! Well, really our sister isle since there's no mention of Trini influence, but on a technicality by association; they like us, they really really like us!
