You can visit The Safe Space at any time during our opening hours to just relax, speak discreetly with our staff, work/study quietly, book an appointment or learn more about what we do. See our News & Events page for upcoming community activities, events and out of hours limes!
Equals is more than an organisation – It’s a movement for safety, inclusion, empowerment and justice. Together, we can build a Barbados where everyone belongs.
Who We Are
We’re Here For You!
Equals Inc, located at The Safe Space, is a civil society organisation which exists for and because of the LGBTQI+ community in Barbados. We aim to improve
the lives of LGBTQI+ persons living in Barbados by creating safe spaces, providing stigma-free health and wellness services, fostering a sense of community,
advocating for equity and justice, providing educational and empowerment opportunities, and working with allies and strategic partners to end stigma and discrimination.
Equals strives to create a Barbados where every LGBTQI+ person lives with dignity, equity, freedom and respect; free from stigma, empowered to thrive, and included in every aspect of society.
The Safe Space
The Safe Space is a “drop-in center” which is just somewhere you can come and feel safe to be yourself whether you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community or just questioning. The Safe Space is in a discrete location which is not widely shared. Contact us for directions
The Safe Space is generally open Mondays to Fridays 10AM-6PM and offers services and some amenities to the community free of cost. The amenities include a full kitchen, desks, couches, a stocked bookshelf, wifi, computer access and a TV
After hours, on many Friday nights there is a lime where you can come by and socialise. There are also special events at the Safe Space throughout the year. Check Events, News and our social media pages for the latest updates on events, changes to office hours and office closure notices.
Health and Wellness Services
HIV and STI Testing
The Safe Space offers free and confidential HIV and STI testing and counselling. Current tests available include: HIV rapid test, HIV delayed test, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, HTLV-1&2 and Hepatitis B and C. HIV rapid test results are returned in 20 minutes, while results from the other tests can take about 3 weeks. Please visit the Book Appointment page to see when testing is available.
Gender Affirming Care
We provide gender affirming care to those persons who wish to transition to the sex that aligns with their gender identity. Please reach out to us if you would like to access this service as the resident doctor is on call and therefore there is no set clinic time. This service is currently available at the Barbados Family Planning Association. Please contact us to arrange an appointment.
Doctor Clinic
On select days, there will be a clinic available for persons to see a doctor. The types of services the doctor can provide include: General Checkups Consultations, HIV/STI testing, Pap Smears. Check out our Booking Page for the times the services are available. Unfortunately, the Doctors clinic is not currently available. However, you can contact us for referrals to sensitised doctors.
PrEP
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a course of HIV drugs taken by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of HIV infection. The anti-HIV drugs in PrEP stop the virus replicating in your body. If you are exposed to HIV but have been taking PrEP correctly, you can have a 92%- 96% resistance to infection.
Psycho-social Counselling
Through a collaboration with the Barbados Family Planning Association, we are able to provide psycho-social counselling. To be referred for counselling, please message us through the contact page and we will connect you to an available counsellor. These sessions can happens virtually, or in person at Family Planning’s clinic. This counselling service is free and strictly for the LGBTQ+ community
Book An Appointment With Us Now
Please feel free to make an appointment with us for HIV and STI testing, psycho-social counselling, or general checkups. If you would like to know more about the services, or have questions, feel free to contact us.
Other Programmes and Activities
Equals Barbados Launches New Website on IDAHOBIT 2026: A Commitment to Transparency for the LGBTQ+ Community
World AIDS Day
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Celebrate Non-Binary Identities This Week with Equals Barbados
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Asexual Awareness Week: Celebrating the Spectrum of Asexuality
Asexual Awareness Week: Celebrating the Spectrum of Asexuality This week,…
Our Goal
Equals also serves as an educational outlet by providing general information that is catered to our community. In addition, we work to improve the quality of everyday life for the LGBTQI+ community by tackling stigma and discrimination through sensitization training and human rights violations case recording. We strive to achieve our goals through community empowerment, education, networking and rights-based advocacy.
How You Can Help
There are q variety of ifems that you can donate to us for our community!