Belizean Masculinity and the Carnival Gender Divide

The carnival road march may draw huge crowds every year, but look closely at the bands and one group appears noticeably absent. Women and girls dominate the road, dancing, jumping and shuffling behind the music, while relatively few men join the celebration. So, what keeps Belizean men on the sidelines? Is it a lack of interest, the way carnival has evolved, or the stigma surrounding men who choose to dance? News Five’s Shane Williams steps into the discussion and explores why carnival remains a mostly female space.

 

Shane Williams, Reporting

The women brought the energy to Orange Walk Carnival, but the absence of men also caught attention. Across the road march, women dominated the bands while only a handful of men joined the dancing. Some within the carnival community believe the reason goes beyond personal preference. They say many Belizean boys grow up believing that dancing publicly does not fit traditional ideas of masculinity.

 

For some boys, the love for soca and carnival starts young. They want to dance. They want to jump. They want to be part of a band performing in front of loved ones.

 

Nile Hamilton, Junior Reveler

“What most I like about carnival is about excitement, the crowds, the dance, the energy, how everybody move and thing.”

 

 

 

 

Nelson Maskall, Junior Reveler

“I like my costume because it nice. I like how I move round inna it and everything.”

 

 

 

 

 

Andre Bradley, Junior Reveler

“My band leader. My people them who support me and my parents.”

 

But then comes the teasing.

 

 

 

 

Pauline Bradley, Band Leader, Soca Massive

“Again, the stigma. Everybody feel like, ‘Cause we have little we have little boys who want to join, but they are afraid because other boys clown they and call them —– or they gay. And I think that’s one of our biggest problem here in Belize.”

 

 

 

 

Bradley says ridicule can drive boys away from carnival before they experience it, even though a man’s decision to dance says nothing about his sexual identity.

 

Pauline Bradley

“We need to we need to get away from that mentality, I know, like for instance, I know older guys that are adults now who started from they were little boys the dance carnival, and they’re not gay or they’re straight as me.”

 

 

 

For events promoter John Marsden, the solution may not be convincing men to join but allowing them to see for themselves that carnival is for all soca lovers.

 

John Marsden, Events Promoter

“That, that, that eventually a change, I think men are seeing that, that it’s not only the stereotype that comes along with it. Honestly, men that love Carnival, love soca music will, will eventually come around. I don’t think we can do anything to make them become, want to be a part of it. I just think that eventually they’ll see that if it’s fun, it’s a great time and they’ll join it if they, if they, their heart take them, right?”

 

 

 

Marsden believes the experience itself may eventually break down some of those stereotypes and the men already playing mas are inviting others to join the fun.

 

Windell Russell, Senior Reveler

“Y’all come out and y’all try that. If you like it stay, have fun. Carnival is all about having fun okay.”

 

 

 

 

Kieran Ysaguirre, Senior Reveler

“Come out, come out. Enjoy yourself. Have fun. That’s carnival for you, just to have fun.”

 

 

 

 

 

Leroy Smith, Senior Reveler

“Just look forward to beautiful costumes, pure hypeness. If anybaody interested unu could always come join the band. We have more space. We da one band one love. Yo know.”

 

 

 

 

Bradley says dismantling the stigma starts with challenging the rigid ideas about masculinity that boys learn from an early age.

 

 

 

 

Pauline Bradley

“People are brought up different and I just feel like it, they need to get out ah that negative mentality.”

 

 

That mentality is perhaps the biggest obstacle keeping more men from joining the road march. The fear of what somebody else might say. And changing the conversation around masculinity could eventually bring more men into the mix. Shane Williams for News Five.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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