Page 14 - ARUBA TODAY

A14 LOCAL
Friday 10 august 2018

More LGBT activities wanted on Aruba

cret. Aruba accepts mostly themselves. It’s a bar in
persons of other sexual ori- Oranjestad known for its
entations but not really in clients being gay. Croes
the open. Or only during also says that in other bars
Carnival. Two man kissing they don’t feel as comfort-
each other, holding hands, able of dancing together,
it’s still difficult. etc. He hopes that more
companies will visibly show
But as Marriott’s Director of that they’re LGBT friendly.
Multicultural Affairs, See- That they do an effort for
ma Jain also stated, even this community to feel wel-
warned: the Millennials are come and train personnel
far more accepting. And about how to treat and
if a company doesn’t go communicate with them
with that flow, they will be without being unnecessary
confronted with this when offensive.
looking for personnel or
pleasing clients. But in the end he agreed
with the public present at
Croes also mentioned that the celebration that a spe-
It’s still a rare occasion global chain choose this culture. Aruba doesn’t have a lot cial mark to show compa-
when a company on Aru- island particularly as the of places that are LGBT nies are LGBT friendly should
ba reaches out to the LGBT first Caribbean destination However Aruba is not that friendly. When asked, what not be necessary when ev-
community. So for Aruba to celebrate LGBT Culture far yet as the personal story he means by LGBT activi- eryone would treat each
Marriott hotel hosting its first Day. As experienced trav- of Croes demonstrated. His ties, he says there’s for ex- other equally. “But that is
LGBT Culture Day for its as- elers might discover, Aruba parents didn’t mind he was ample only one bar where still not the situation.” q
sociates and local custom- is not its typical Caribbean gay as long as he kept it se- he and his partner can be
ers on July 25, a big ap- island. Due to Aruba still has
plause. And also for Hen- a very close connection to
drik ‘Endy’ Croes, a local Europe, forming part of the
who had the courage to Dutch Kingdom, which you
co-present with Marriott’s could say had and has an
Director of Multicultural Af- influence on how LGBT per-
fairs, Seema Jain. sons are received. In con-
trast with the more macho
Croes is spokesperson for dominated countries in the
the Aruban airport author- region where other sexual
ity and also know in his free orientations are far less ac-
time helping with beauty cepted.
pageants and other ac-
tivities where his eye and Aruba was the first Dutch
techniques for beauty is Caribbean island that al-
needed. But Croes is also lowed registration of mar-
married to another man, ried homosexual couples,
hence his sexual orienta- giving them equal rights,
tion is homosexual. even to adopt children. This
was a huge step for a com-
His personal story reflects munity where the catholic
how the situation is on Aru- religion still dominates and
ba. And why Marriott as a is very intertwined with the