Nazima Raghubir
A Guyanese grandmother is the latest messenger promoting love and acceptance for her trans-granddaughter. Eighty-year old Romanie Viola Simpson and her granddaughter were featured in the fourth Guyana Together campaign video launched in late March in observation of Transgender Day of Visibility.
In the one minute video which was released on social media and other platforms, Simpson narrates a story of identity, family acceptance and love for granddaughter Hollister, “She always like to dress up. You’d always see she got these fancy hairstyles and make-up on her face,” Simpson says in the video, “We just had to accept it and love her for who she is”.
Simpson remains a motherly figure in Hollister’s life. Hollister lost her mother when she was a child. According to a statement from Guyana Together, Hollister remembers her mother for her love and protection as she recalled that her mother “knew she was different”.
The love and protection from grandmother Simpson is a familiar feeling. In the video, Grandmother Romanie and other family members became very protective and supportive of Hollister. “Hollister is very, very respected in the area. Everybody loves her for who she is,” Grandmother Romanie said, “Hollister does everything for me. Hollister is very caring, very loving. I never had a problem when I understood who she is,” Grandmother Romanie emphasised.
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fs8Nq3SdBo&authuser=0
Grandmother Romanie ended her message with advice for other families. “I am very, very proud of her. I would tell other parents and grandparents to accept whatever is happening with their child or children because they didn’t make themselves,” Grandmother Romaine declared. This video was released to mark Trasngender Day of Visibility which is observed on March 3 and celebrates the lives and contributions of transgender people, while also raising awareness of the discrimination faced by trans people worldwide.
According to a release from the campaign, the fourth video will be aired both on local television stations and across a wide range of social media platforms. This video complements three others launched between September 2023 and in 2024. The first video features a young lesbian, Krystal Trim, and ally Eusebia Liverpool, who has been a mother figure in Trim’s life since her biological mother passed away when she was a teenager. The second video features Guyanese Model and Pageant Queen Kristal Inshan and her gay, best friend, fashion designer Avinash Narine and captures support through friendship. The third video saw sister Kaisha Davis and her trans brother Tarique. Their love and support transcend a mere sibling relationship as it cemented an everlasting bond of trust. All the videos capture real stories of immeasurable love and support from family and friends for gay and transgender Guyanese.
Guyana Together is a grassroots campaign aimed at growing public support and understanding for gay, bisexual and transgender people and calling for the repeal of the country’s outdated, colonial-era law criminalising intimacy between men. The campaign brings together leading business voices, faith leaders, and over 100 Guyanese organisations – all while elevating the voices of everyday Guyanese people who believe in respect for their fellow gay and transgender citizens. A national 2022 poll shows a majority of Guyanese nationwide support the repeal of the laws criminalising same-sex intimacy.