TRIBE Carnival’s inclusion of an adult toy for women in costume packages has sparked warnings against the “cheapening” of mas and women’s bodies. At the same time, gender equality defenders have called on religious and public opinion to leave feminine sexuality alone.

Head of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) Dr Ellis Burris and children’s mas band pioneer, Rosalind Gabriel, yesterday voiced strong disagreement with the inclusion of the adult pleasure device in Tribe’s costume package and cited the possible erosion of moral values among younger masqueraders.

Burris, in a phone interview, said “we are not supporting that” and questioned the need for such an item in Tribe’s Carnival package.