As general election campaigning gains momentum in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has ignited a heated political controversy by linking two senior opposition figures to the circulation of unauthorised, digitally created campaign material targeted at LGBTQ voters. Browne named opposition members Jamale Pringle and Harold Lovell as the forces behind the provocative graphic, which frames itself as a pro-inclusion statement on LGBTQ rights ahead of the vote. The altered visual, designed to look like an authentic campaign poster, features a composite image of two men presented as Browne and lawmaker Kendra Beazer sharing a kiss, set against a iconic rainbow pride backdrop decorated with heart motifs. Across the graphic, bold slogans champion LGBTQ inclusion: phrases like “LOVE & UNITY BRING US TOGETHER” and “Make Room for Everyone in Barbuda” are prominently displayed. Additional text explicitly calls for churches to open their doors to same-sex marriage, framing the push for equal rights as a call for national unity “as one family under God,” and closes with the welcoming message: “Barbuda welcome everyone, all a we is family!”. Critics have already pointed out a key gap in Browne’s accusation: the prime minister has not released any concrete evidence to back his claim that the material originated from or is being distributed by Pringle, Lovell or any other faction of the opposition. As of Friday evening, neither Pringle nor Lovell had issued a public response to Browne’s allegations, leaving the opposition’s side of the dispute unrepresented so far. The controversy has landed at a sensitive moment for Antigua and Barbuda’s electoral landscape, as all major parties ramp up outreach to court every key voting bloc ahead of the general election. LGBTQ rights, and especially the debate over same-sex marriage, remain deeply divisive issues in the country. Public opinion is sharply split on the topic, and for decades political candidates and parties have approached public discussion of LGBTQ policy with significant caution to avoid alienating voters on either side of the debate. Political analysts note that the unauthorised poster, regardless of its origin, has added a new polarizing issue to an already tight election race, forcing all parties to take public stances on a topic many have long preferred to avoid.
PM Browne Alleges Opposition Linked to ‘Clandestine’ Pro-LGBTQ Campaign Material
