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Trinidad and Tobago gets a transgender senator for a day, but a series of tweets turns congratulations into chaos

· Written by Tabatha Auguste

Categories: Caribbean, Trinidad & Tobago, Citizen Media, LGBTQ+, Politics, Women & Gender, Pride 2022: Community resistance
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Jowelle De Souza, the first transgender woman in Trinidad and Tobago to sit in the senate. Screenshot taken from a YouTube video of a NOW Morning Show episode on Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT), in which she was interviewed about animal rights.

In mid-February, politician, activist and animal rights advocate Jowelle De Souza [2] became the first [3] transgender woman in Trinidad and Tobago's parliament when she was appointed as a temporary senator [4], filling in [5] for opposition senator Jayanti Lutchmedial [6], who was absent due to illness. De Souza has been very outspoken about her gender identity, having undergone [7] gender confirmation surgery back in 1993 at the age of 19.

After her contribution in the senate, where she weighed in on the 2021 Summary Courts (Amendment) Bill [8], De Souza told the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday [9] that she enjoyed the experience and was grateful to have had the opportunity, adding:

For now it shows that TT is maturing as a country. So I'm very grateful for both sides for having me today. I was treated really well. I'm just very thankful that we have a country that was able to accept people who are different.

There were many positive [10] social media messages [11] about her appointment [12], with some calling it “historic” [13] and “monumental.” [14]

In a country that is still conservative, thanks in part to a strongly ingrained religious culture, the debate about De Souza's presence in parliament may well have stayed within the realm [15] of her sexuality [16], as it has in past commentary [17] about her. In 2015, certain religious leaders were very outspoken [18] against her bid [19] to run for political office.

However, tweets allegedly sent from her Twitter account shifted the focus from her appointment [20] and contribution to the parliamentary debate on the 2021 Summary Courts (Amendment) Bill [8], to whether she was simply seeking likes and attention [21] for her new role. It was a move that surprised many, who suggested that her activism work spoke for itself [22], without having to garner further endorsement.

The tweets, most of which appear to have been deleted [23], announced her senate appointment and tagged high-profile Twitter users like American talk show host Oprah Winfrey [24], president Joe Biden [25], and even the archived Twitter account [26] of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Current White House press secretary Jen Psaki [27] was also tagged:

The move caught the attention of a few Twitter users, including local journalist Kejan Haynes, who tweeted:

At least one mischievous Twitter user was quick on the draw…

…while another was upset that local celebrities weren't tagged:

De Souza soon responded to the social media commotion, saying:

It was a position that was eagerly [36] challenged [37] on various [38] social media platforms:

In fact, one Twitter user alleged that this type of thing was part of De Souza's modus operandi:

In 2019, De Souza had tagged Trinidad-born rapper Nicki Minaj [41] in a tweet about animal rights:

On her personal Facebook page, De Souza continued to insist [44] that she was the victim of online trolls. She did find some support in the LGBTQ+ community, however. Activist Jason Jones said he was “hugely proud” [45] of her accomplishment, and Caribbean trans activist Xoe Sazzle [46] tweeted:

In 2014, De Souza was recognised with a national award, the Hummingbird Medal [48] (bronze) for her efforts towards animal welfare — but as the memes continued over the Twitter faux pas, she was forced to rethink how she felt about Trinidad and Tobago's readiness to be inclusive: