Studies on Trans* and Same-Sex Loving People in Curaçao: a Review Essay

This contribution reviews available research on trans* and same-sex loving people in the Dutch Caribbean, focusing on five areas: female same-sex sexuality as a research focus that emerged in Dutch Caribbean studies in the 1950s; cultural practices such as academic works discussing novels, performances, clothing and religious practices; medical research on STDs, HIV and AIDS; sexual minority rights and activist movements from the 1970s onward; and the social and legal developments around trans* and same-sex cultures after the 2010 constitutional reforms. It aims to show how we can use a decolonial contextualizing approach to gain insight into sources marred by their colonial and heteronormative biases and to identify areas in need of further research.