Another gay man has become the latest in a line of persons suffering examples of homophobic threats and ostracism from family members, community friends and neighbours due to cell phone inquisitiveness. This is the third such case since this year that has come to my knowledge with JFLAG handling one such but I have been able to confirm this and another one (from Western Jamaica) as they were brought directly to my attention. The young man with respect to this case has been homeless for some three or more weeks and has been bouncing here and there, all the more reason for some type of transitional or homeless shelter. Let’s not forget the only one that existed for however short a time was closed recently by Jamaica AIDS Support for Life in dubious circumstances which has sent more that 10 men out into god knows what. Some of whom are nomads roaming the streets daily and are at high risk for violence as evidenced in a broad daylight altercation with three of the homeless men and a motorist in New Kingston which brought traffic to a halt at the Knutsford Boulevard and Trafalgar Roads stop light intersection for more than ten minutes on April 20th.
Fortunately the situation didn’t materialize into a serious homophobic attack as it was viewed at a comedic level by passersby and motorists as one of the men was said to have had a handbag clutched in the crock of his arm dressed in a pair of pink jeans and a blue unisexual top he was dismissed as a trouble maker and told to go his way along with his friends. Someone who was actually present in the line of traffic called me and opened the line so I could hear the exchange for a short time, it was indeed laced with spurs of funny moments. While only a few homeless MSMs have been able to pick up the pieces and restart their lives in the current rough economic climate there are no current interventions to help the others assimilate into general society, those are said to be in the works by varying organizations.
Advocacy Response:
The young man in question from this case was temporarily housed at my flat for a couple days but unfortunately I couldn’t continue to extend that courtesy as my own costs and my rental agreement doesn’t permit me to host persons for protracted periods and I would be out of town for a while. He has since found shelter temporarily through a friend after we worked the phones where he says he is doing well for now and is job hunting. He does however require food, personal effects and toiletries as his supply may run out soon.
He is a specialized tradesman but due to the dramatic drop in demand for work in our present economic situation he is left in the cold he has since decided to venture into general electrical work as he has some skills there but is not certified as yet. I have asked him to use his face book page as a draw card and set up a group or something if and when he gets settled and has sustained internet access.
Background:
The young man paid a visit to his old family home over a weekend in April 2010, he wanted to make arrangements to relocate to the home to cut costs and find a new job as he was having financial difficulties where he originally resides and having to pay rent, he overnighted at the family home where a female cousin of his asked to burrow his cell phone to make a call however a text message from a male friend came in just as she was about to make the call she read the message even after she informed the young man of the pending message on the phone, he however could not retrieve the phone then as he was preparing a meal in the kitchen. The girl proceeded to read the message none the less which was said to have contained very suggestive and personal notes. She then called the number from which the message was sent where she had a loud exchange with the alleged male messenger which as audible to everyone in her vicinity that included the young man’s father. She then raised an alarm after ending the call to other family members and onlookers who now had gathered as a verbal exchange ensued where she accused the young man of being a Battyman and the usual colourful Jamaican homophobic slurs. His father angrily threatened him and demanded he leave the home with immediate effect.
Other family friends and neighbours present made verbal slurs as well and warned him not to return. The news of his perceived sexuality quickly spread to remote family members elsewhere as when he tried to find some temporary refuge is was to no avail. This kind of displacement has been a concern for me for some time, it has been the subject of many a discussion even at the former GLABCOM (gay lesbian bisexual community meetings) level where persons suggest that passwords be placed on phones so as to secure possible sensitive and damaging information that can be retrieved, read or manipulated to paint an ugly impression of persons.
Only earlier this year another young man from Western Jamaica suffered a similar fate where a man called him posing as a gay interested hookup after a so called female friend tried to trap the victim in a bid to expose his sexual preference in the community of his birth. (See the story on my Wordpress GLBTQ Jamaica Blog) he has since been temporarily assisted by The Underlined Response (a budding lgbt group) and a kind member of the GLBTQ community in another parish but it is not clear as to what other long term interventions may arise as he requires some skills to become employable. Thankfully there are still those who will intervene with no strings attached if truth be told we also have to be weary of so called persons who want to assist victims as they may have ulterior motives.
There are so many other stories from unconfirmed sources that tell of similar tales of “phone fassness” as I call it. Why must people try to go out of their way so as to prove what one does in their own private lives is just beyond me.
If you are able to assist financially please free to do so by contacting lgbtevent@gmail.com
also thanks to the persons who responded to the case of the rape victim she is in better spirits now as she has commenced counseling and the relevant follow up medical treatment. Her mother has taken charge of the situation and is doing her best despite the circumstances inclusive of the sexual orientation issue.
I am tracking that one closely and will report where necessary on the developments.
Thanks also for the general emails of support please continue to read the blogs and make your comments preferably public.
Peace and tolerance
H
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