Barbados

Juran Bowen

Juran Bowen, otherwise known as Ju or Lord Ju, is a law student and multidisciplinary creative from Barbados. His work encompases multiple fields, from content creation for the Barbados festival Crop Over and the entertainment industry, as well as his role as Public Relations Officer at Equals – an organisation protecting the queer community on the Caribbean island.

As a queer cis-male living in Barbados, Juran's work is inspired by his love of community. Here, he highlights his favourite queer-friendly spaces on the island country.

Now this bar is an old time local favourite for the middle class of Barbados, but what this unique space has become is so much more. Embracing its connection to live music and its commitment to providing LGBTQIA+ safe spaces, Mojo has become a hub centred on love, family and acceptance. It’s easy to get to and the food is really yummy too. My favourite hidden gem here are the deep fried mushrooms, and all the bar tenders know me and my friends by name.

Now this one is close to my creative side. Sage Bar represents artistry at its finest as it is the home to so many queer-friendly creative spaces for open mics to performances in the most intimate of settings. The aesthetic of the place is its charm and eclectic atmosphere with mismatched pieces of furniture – from couches to stools to love seats and more; but imagine that all in the front of your cosy old style Barbadian bungalow. You heard right. It’s run out of the owners’ house and trust me when I say you’d love them, because they run it with love, love and more love.

Worthing Square is like a second home to me. It’s a food truck plaza with about 30 types of food to choose from: Asian fusion, Italian pizza, tacos, burgers, Bajan food (like the real, real stuff), curries and even some Arabian food. Imagine all of that and then add a Mount Gay rum bar with specialty cocktails and bottles for sale, even a three for $10 beer special, and seating to enjoy the cool shade on a hot day. At night, the vibe changes as live entertainment livens up the place.

This is my best friend’s favourite place to go and I knew I needed to
mention it because thrifting is both charity and self-gratification. Cheap, unique, thrifty finds with a particular Bajan flair, trust me it’s worth it.

Lastly, my workspace. An organisation dedicated to providing safe spaces and services to the LGBTQIA+ community. Now I've got to mention this. Equals hosts and sponsors limes, games nights, balls, parties, quiz nights – all for queer people by queer people.

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