About the author
Aros ku Batata; Different by nature. Together by choice.
Editorial note
Inspired by an island tradition, the name reflects a simple idea: different things can exist side by side without losing what makes them unique. Rice remains rice. Potatoes remain potatoes. Together, they form something complete.
Through history, anthropology, and interdisciplinary research, Arroz ku Batata explores how colonialism, culture, religion, memory, and identity continue to shape Caribbean societies. The goal is not to tell readers what to think, but to invite thoughtful reflection through evidence, historical context, and respectful dialogue..
“Before We Call It Colonial” Queer Histories, Caribbean Questions
Introduction to the series
In June 2026, Bonaire celebrated its fourth Pride. Under the theme Uní—unity—the island made space for LGBTQI+ people to be seen, heard and celebrated.
That same week, a local news article reported a Bonairian describing the proposed ban on conversion practices as “modern colonialism.” It was another example of LGBTQI+ rights being presented as foreign, European or somehow outside Caribbean culture.
But what does history actually tell us? It points in almost the opposite direction.
This series is built around the work of Brazilian anthropologist Estêvão R. Fernandes and his strikingly titled book “Existe Índio Gay?” (Does the Gay Indian Exist?). In the book, Fernandes studies what he calls the colonisation of Indigenous sexualities.
His main message is clear: colonialism did not only take land and political power. It also imposed rules about bodies, gender, marriage, family and desire. Indigenous ways of living that did not fit European ideas were often described as sinful, backward or unnatural, and were pushed aside, punished or erased.
Fernandes writes about Indigenous peoples in Brazil, not Bonaire. But his work lays the foundation for this series because it helps us question a story heard across the Caribbean: that queerness came from Europe, while strict heterosexual and gender norms are naturally ours. While the opposite seems true.
Research from other parts of Latin America, Native North America and the Caribbean raises similar questions. What existed before colonisation? Who recorded our history? Which ways of living were erased? And who gets to decide what counts as Caribbean tradition today?
This series brings that research into everyday language. Not to close the discussion, but to make sure we begin it with better information.