+ What exactly is Intersect Antigua? What inspired the name, and who does this collective exist for?

Intersect Antigua is an Antiguan, feminist collective founded by Sarah-Anne Gresham and Nneka Nicholas in April, 2015. Our name was inspired by the understanding that vectors of power intersect to produce varied experiences of oppression on the basis of gender, colour, race, class, sexuality, and other identities. Moreover, these categories are not discrete but, instead, intersect to inform access, power, security, safety, and even love. Our name is one of many terms that can be employed to describe our feminism; it is intersectional. It is within this intersectionality that our purpose resides: to center the experiences and needs of the most marginalized among us – including queer, trans, non-binary, and disabled people who include the Afro-Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean and Indigenous-Caribbean. By agitating for transformative change, we hope to reenvision a world where Caribbean women, men, and gender expansive people are free to live and love in societies where they are cared for and cherished.

+ Who is Intersect Antigua composed of?

Our team consists of eight individuals committed to the realisation of our goals.

• Sarah-Anne Gresham – Co-founder and Essayist
• Nneka Nicholas – Co-founder and Legal Consultant
• Nicole Christian – Queer Identity and Advocacy
• Shannon Meade – Historian
• Javier Spencer – Creative Outreach
• Annetta Jackson – Storyteller
• Nicholas Jeffrey – Researcher
• Lucia Murray – Artist
  

+ Why does Intersect Antigua exist? In what struggle do you exemplify yourself?

Intersect exists to uplift and protect our most vulnerable, while also exemplifying anti-imperial, anti-colonial, anti-patriarchal, and anti-capitalist politics. We believe in healing ourselves and our communities – from violence – through reparatory, restorative, and transformative justice and care. Moreover, we advocate for environmental justice – a core feminist principle that is integral in adopting if we are to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis that has had severe and gendered impacts on small islands.

+ Does Intersect Antigua respond to a particular absence or demand?

Intersect’s existence is, in part, a response to a dearth of public-facing Antiguan and Barbudan feminist organisations that platform Queeribbean life and politics.

+ What feedback have you received since your launch?

Following our online launch in 2015, we held a public rally – aimed at raising awareness about rape, domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual harassment – in St. John’s, in collaboration with the Directorate of Gender Affairs and Art.Culture.Antigua. This event commemorated the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women on November 25, 2015 as part of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

Following this, we were able to conduct interactive feminist teach-ins with students from Antigua State College, Clare Hall Secondary School, Antigua Girls’ High School, Antigua Grammar School, and St. Anthony’s Secondary School on topics that include gender, power, comprehensive sex and consent education, and gender-based violence. We have also engaged the public through the media, including Observer Radio and ABS Television, on gender- based discrimination, reproductive justice, and LGBTQIA rights. In addition, since our increased presence on social media and the launching of our Caribbean Feminist Stories Project, we have received numerous interactions and submissions from individuals throughout the Caribbean. The warm reception that we have received in this regard has been incredibly affirming and a resounding reminder of the purpose we serve as an organisation.

+ What are your future plans?

In addition to our Caribbean Feminist Stories Project, we plan to continue hosting Caribbean feminist teach-ins, wellness and healing justice sessions, among other programmes that you can learn about in our "Join Us" page.

+ Do you collaborate with other organisations or collectives? Which ones?

Not only has Intersect Antigua has collaborated with Antigua’s Directorate of Gender Affairs and Art.Culture.Antigua, but we have also been involved with Girls of a Feather St. Lucia, the CaribbeanVoices Project, Amplify Caribbean, and ECADE. Moreover, we have hosted interviews with several incredible women based in Antigua and Barbuda who espouse “Queeribbean” feminist politics via our Instagram page – including the likes of Heather Doram, Arica Hill, and Brenda Lee Browne.

+ What future do you envision for collaborations within the Caribbean region?

We hope to build stronger transnational Caribbean feminist coalitions across the region. We realise how important it is to build alliances with each other and work towards a common goal given our shared histories and socio-economic challenges.

+ How can I join Intersect Antigua?

While we don't have any positions currently available on our team, you can join our commmunity by submitting a piece to our Responsive Writing Series or our Caribbean Feminist Stories project whenever we issue a new call for submissions. You can also attend our teach-ins and wellness and healing justice sessions. Learn more about our programmes from our "Join Us" webpage.