The Walk for Tolerance ...... scenes and more

the ambulance parked nearby to assist just in case the heat got too much for the participants

Interpride representative taking shots of the walk

poignant message

Esteemed MCC Reverends Nancy L. Wilson and Robert Griffin

the flagggggggg

A success ...... yesssssss!

The Walk for Tolerance (April 7, 2010) as launched by Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) and The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) group from Florida and the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) went on unimpeded that is of course until the media got hold on footage and photos of the actual walk then questions are now being raised by many public commentators as to the genuine nature of the walk. Was it really for HIV/AIDS issues as they say or was a gay agenda involved? One radio personality asked. Of note TVJ television Jamaica reported that members of the gay community participated in a Walk for Tolerance and the footage clearly highlighted the LGBT elements of the event pointing out the openly lesbian MCC leader Nancy L. Wilson and Reverend Robert Griffin . Other international LGBT groups were also present namely Interpride, the International Association of GLBTI Pride Coordinators. www.interpride.org, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition CVC, Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica (all three chapters, the parent church being MCC in Florida) and Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays (JFLAG). I was invited but had prior commitments so I was unable to attend but from the looks of it the balanced reports and exclusive photos I have received it seemed to have gone over well.

The Chairman of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Mr. Ian McKnight was interviewed on Nationwide FM radio afterwards where he was quizzed as to the real reasons for the walk, the hosts Owner and manager of Nationwide Radio Cliff Hughes and one Ealon Parkinson pressed the Chair if the walk were a guise to push the envelope of the gay agenda without saying it in so many words, Mr. McKnight responded by saying it was a mix of faith based groups and civil society with representatives from the Ministry of Health pushing for the need for tolerance for persons living with HIV/AIDS and other minority groups affected by same . The reason why Montego Bay was chosen for the march he said was to highlight the higher instances of infection rates in that side of the country than elsewhere and to tackle the issue of discrimination towards persons living with HIV. I am not so sure he was able to diffuse the perception that there was a strong gay agenda intertwined in yesterday’s exercise as one commentator on another radio station remarked at the large gay coloured flag that was present in the march as told to him and the tone of the signage used by the participants. Several newscasts also used language to the effect that openly gay persons marched in Montego Bay.

When asked if another such march would take place Mr. McKnight was careful to contextualise the reason for it to happen, he said that with the high rates on infection within the transactional and commercial sex groupings in the tourist areas they (JASL and possibly others) would target a similar area on the north coast, that sounds to me like Ocho Rios where JASL also has an office that serves the public including GLBTQ people through GLABCOM (Gay Lesbian and Bisexual Community Outreach).

Whether the organizations in question will be able to host another such walk is unclear as this one came in quietly through the back door and surprised even members of the GLBTQ community who were not told of the walk until they saw it on television or on the internet. The down side to this is that many feel the groups involved are too selective about whom they want to have in these activities and in a way they feel left out of the loop. I am sure the press is not going to let this one slide so easily as JASL already has a reputation over its head but with this successful walk they are going to be scrutinised much more from now on whenever they launch any other public education drives or similar activities.

Tents were set up by an area after the walk from the Montego Bay shopping centre to the dump up beach where a mini conference was held with HIV testing and talks conducted.

Let’s watch the aftermath of this one folks.

Peace and tolerance

H