Orden David
Orden David | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985 or 1986 (age 40–41) |
| Disappeared | 26 January 2025 |
| Status | Missing for 1 year, 6 months and 29 days |
Orden Passo David (born 1985 or 1986)[1] is an Antiguan human rights activist. A long-time member of the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs' AIDS Secretariat, in 2022 he became known as one of the claimants of a case that led to discrimination against LGBTQ people becoming illegal in Antigua and Barbuda. David disappeared in January 2025; his whereabouts remain unknown.
Early life
[edit]David was born in 1985 or 1986[1] in Bolans, a village in the Saint Mary parish on the island of Antigua.[2][failed verification] Raised Christian, he stated he first recognised himself as being gay at the age of nine. David later stopped attending church after parishioners urged him to undergo conversion therapy, though continued to identify as a Christian.[3]
From a young age, David experienced significant bullying, including in person and on social media, which he attributed to his feminine presentation. He had been assaulted on at least two occasions, including while working at a hospital, during which he was beaten into unconsciousness.[3] David criticised the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda's responses to crimes he reported, accusing officers of not taking the reports seriously, and focusing on his sexuality; for example, asking him "why are you gay?" while he attempted to report a robbery he had been subjected to.[4][non-primary source needed]
Activism
[edit]AIDS Secretariat and community activism
[edit]In 2014, David began working for the Ministry of Health's AIDS Secretariat as a counsellor and tester; in the role, he provided sexual health and therapeutic services to Antiguan citizens, including those living with HIV and AIDS.[3][5] David also provided outreach work on a voluntary basis with sex workers operating in St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, including providing advice and contraception.[3]
David was the founder and president of Meeting Emotional and Social Needs Holistically, a non-governmental organisation providing practical and therapeutic support to Antigua and Barbuda's LGBTQ community.[3]
Orden David et al v The Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda
[edit]In 2022, David, alongside the Antigua and Barbuda-based human rights organisation Women Against Rape, and with the support of the regional Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality, filed a case with the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Their case argued that sections 12 and 15 of the Sexual Offences Act, 1995, which criminalised "buggery" and "serious indecency", made illegal consensual same-sex activity and contradicted LGBTQ people's rights to liberty, protection of the law, freedom of expression, protection of personal privacy, and protection from sex discrimination, as enshrined in the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda.[3][5]
On 5 July 2026, the Court struck down sections 12 and 15 of the Sexual Offences Act, finding that it "contradicted" articles 3, 12 and 14 of the Constitution, and "stigmatised" same-sex couples by criminalising them for something that was "part of their human experience". The government of Antigua and Barbuda confirmed it would not appeal the decision.[3][5]
Disappearance
[edit]At around 23:30 AST on 25 January 2025, David was seen leaving a casino on Market Street in St. John's, stopping by the Percival's petrol station on Fort Road; this was the last recorded sighting of him. The following day, he was reported missing by friends and family at Bolans Police Station after he failed to respond to attempts to contact him.[6][1]
On 29 January, the Concerned Citizens Group began a search in northern and eastern Antigua, supported by the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, members of the AIDS Secretariat, and MP Kelvin Simon. They subsequently organised searches in the south of the island.[7][8][1][2][9][10] In February 2025, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda announced it was launching a wide-scale search for David following the discovery of his burned-out car hidden in bushes near a secondary school in Pares.[6]
In July 2025, friends and family of David raised concerns about a lack of progress and information concerning the investigation into David's disappearance from Antiguan authorities. They queried whether a body found at that time was David, though a spokesperson from the police stated a DNA sample had been sent abroad for testing; it was not confirmed to be David.[10]
David remains missing as of January 2026. To commemorate one year since his disappearance, the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality stated that the search for David remained active and called for people with any information to come forward.[11]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Walker, Monika (1 February 2025). "Famous LGBTQ+ advocate Orden David missing from Antigua since Jan 25". WIC News. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Police Launch Major Search for Orden David". Antigua.news. 18 February 2025. Archived from the original on 20 March 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Henao, Luis Andres (11 June 2023). "Meet the LGBTQ activist who challenged his Caribbean country's anti-sodomy law and won". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Robertson, Marissa (5 July 2022). "Claim No. ANUHCV2021/0042 IN THE MATTER OF SECTIONS 3,5,7,12,14,15, & 18 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA AND IN THE MATTER OF SECTIONS 12 & 15 OF THE SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, NO.9 OF 1995 BETWEEN: ORDEN DAVID WOMEN AGAINST RAPE INC. CLAIMANTS -and THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA DEFENDANT" (PDF). The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the High Court of Justice Antigua and Barbuda. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Orden David et al v The Attorney General of Antigua & Barbuda". Human Dignity Trust. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Police continue search for Orden David". Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda. 18 February 2025. Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Handy, Gemma (29 March 2025). "Mysterious disappearances spook residents of Caribbean island". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Joseph, Kisean (30 January 2025). "Concerned Citizens Group launches search for Orden David". Antigua Observer. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "ELEVEN DAYS GONE: Still No Sign of LGBTQ+ Advocate Orden David". Antigua.news. 5 February 2025. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 Sheniqua (6 July 2025). "LETTER: What Happened to Orden Passo David? The Country Is Still Waiting for Answers". Antigua News Room. Archived from the original on 17 May 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "One Year Since Orden Passo David Was Last Seen". Antigua News Room. 27 January 2026. Archived from the original on 28 January 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.