No to buggery! - Young candidates oppose relaxing laws, but want more education on subject

UPDATE 22.11.11 8:12pm please listen before reading below.

 UK/commonwealth Aid Matter & The New Developments, no aid cuts but redirecting, ethical problems on our part - 22.11.11 by glbtqja5 

BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com

FOUR aspiring politicians have come out against relaxing buggery laws in Jamaica, although they believe, collectively, that there should be national dialogue on the subject.

The four — the Jamaica Labour Party’s Paula Kerr-Jarrett, who will represent the party in Hanover East and Collin Virgo, the candidate in Manchester South, as well as the People’s National Party’s candidate in St Mary West, Jolyan Silvera and his colleague in St Andrew North East, John-Paul White — are all, based upon religious considerations, against the act of buggery. However, they argue that discussions should be held on the subject with the people as a whole, to determine whether or not Jamaica should continue to enforce buggery related laws.

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for Manchester South, Collin Virgo (left) states his view on the buggery law while his JLP colleague, Paula Kerr-Jarrret, who will contest the East Hanover seat, as well as People’s National Party candidates Jolyan Silvera (3rd left), who will be running in St Mary West, and John-Paul White (St Andrew North East), listen at yesterday’s Observer Monday Exchange. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/No-to-buggery-#ixzz1eRXbFI3s


The four were guests at yesterday’s Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in St Andrew.

The subject arose from revelations at a conference on HIV/AIDS being held in The Bahamas, which showed that countries without buggery laws had a lower HIV prevalence rate among homosexual men, than countries with such laws.

“I was brought up as a Christian. I am a practising Christian, and I know that there are a lot of things that are in the Bible as well as just generally, morally, the approach to it is not acceptable,” said Kerr-Jarrett.

“We need to educate our people in Jamaica more before laws are changed, because if you remove something, a void is created, and before anything is done there ought to be a blitz of education on the subject,” she added.

Virgo, who will challenge veteran member of parliament Michael Peart, said that the matter of buggery was a delicate one which requires solid discussion.

“The constituency where I am from, that is not something that you would be able to sell to them right now,” Virgo said.

“I come from a very strong Christian constituency, which has one of the largest concentration of Seventh-day Adventists in the country, and that's the church I grew up in.

“I don’t get the feeling that they (constituents) are going to be highly supportive of that one. To be an elected representative of the people is not going to be my responsibility to force my view on them. I will encourage dialogue, but at the end of the day, changing the law will not allow the problems to be solved,” he said.

“Knowledge and some level of exposure will cause it to be changed. If there isn’t acceptance by a significant portion of the people of Jamaica, changing the laws will not solve the problems,” Virgo added.

Both PNP representatives also echoed similar sentiments that buggery was immoral and an effort should be made to clarify issues surrounding the subject.

For Silvera, who is going up against JLP powerhouse Robert Montague, buggery has no place in the society.

“I grew up in a Christian home and I have my morals intact. But this is where we are today and this is reality,” Silvera said.

“We do have to engage, and we have to sit down and talk ,and take certain things into consideration, because at the end of the day, the Bible is ambiguous, there are double meanings every chapter you read.

“We are a civil society, and if buggery has to be brought to the table to be talked about, I don’t think I would have a problem listening. But at the end of the day I know where I stand, because I have Christian beliefs. I think the law should stay, but I am open for discussions. We would be a bit premature as a country to open it up presently,” Silvera said.

As for White, the son of a former preacher, education is the key to handling matters related to buggery.

“I am also from a spiritual and Christian background, but we need to educate the country more,” he said.

“When a person hears about buggery, he associates it with, based on our socialisation, things to do with homosexual activities.

“As representatives, we really need to seek the opinion of those we represent, and based on the majority of those opinions, we take it into the Houses of Parliament.,” he said.

“My biggest concern about the law has more to do with a health point of view and the transmission of diseases associated with such activities, especially in a society where the cost of health care is really expensive,” White said.


also see on my sister blog GLBTQJA on Wordpress new developments on the UK front:

Minister confirms UK will redirect aid, not cut it, for human rights violations

Andrew Mitchell (photo) said the policy had been wrongly reported as a threat to cut aid

The government has confirmed plans to redirect aid away from overseas governments who fail to recognise human rights, but has said it will still ensure aid reaches those in need.

Some African states reacted angrily to Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell’s comments that aid would be redirected away from governments to other bodies, believing that overall aid would be cut unless anti-gay laws were repealed.

Now that we have the smoke cleared several questions come to mind:

1) were we too quick to jump the gun locally?

2) were our advocates using the original report as a tag along to unethically promote decriminalization of buggery on a false footing?


Although the debate is on in earnest the advocates should never have in effect mislead the nation and should have sought to clarify the position before diving head on with coalition teams at that participating knowing or unknowingly. How can we have any moral authority to ask the nation for any dialogue or present our arguments on the strength of a farce in a sense to bolster our call for the buggery law to be removed?

True representation for any group must be above board and must be untestable ethically speaking and have some moral soundness, after all our detractors will judge us on that as they do already condemn us because of our “nastiness” we cannot go making demands and calls for acceptance on shaky ground.

Too many double standards? or are the British now backpedaling too seeing the furor the whole thing has caused?

Suffice it to say some with say cutting aid versus redirecting it is the same but let us remember aid comes in many forms and tranches.


also see posts and hear previous audio commentary: 

Not Ready For Gays ……. Gay Marriage smoke screen reintroduced ……………. political dodging

and

On The UK Aid Removal and Holness's Reponse ........ 06.11.11 by glbtqja6

Peace and tolerance

H

Buggery laws choking HIV control ..... Lower prevalence rate in men in countries without restrictions

Ingrid Brown

NASSAU, The Bahamas — Michel de Groulard, regional programme adviser of UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team said that data has shown a significantly lower HIV prevalence rate among gay men in Caribbean countries without buggery laws.

According to de Groulard, the HIV prevalence rate among men who have sex with men (MSM) in three Caribbean countries without buggery laws namely Bahamas, Haiti and Suriname was less than 10 per cent in all cases.

This he said is in comparison to Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana where the prevalence rate is more than 20 per cent for these countries with buggery laws.

Pointing to The Bahamas which repealed its buggery laws inn 1991, de Groulard said that the prevalence rate now stands at 8 per cent among gay men. This is despite Bahamas having the highest prevalence rate in the Caribbean.

However in Jamaica, where the buggery laws remain firmly on the books, de Groulard said that the prevalence rate among gay men is a whopping 32 per cent.

"We see correlation for countries which have decriminalised because when you compare them to those who continue to criminalise there is a significant difference," Groulard told the Observer.

He was however unable to say how, if any, decriminalising of homosexuality has impacted the incidents of HIV in countries like The Bahamas, since there are no available data.

Groulard said that while it is easy to determine what per centage of a population is infected, it is more challenging to determine when they were infected, thus determining if this would have been before or after buggeery laws are repealed.

"There are methods to do it but it is expensive and complicated so most countries do not do it," he said.

Dr Peter Figueroa, the former head of Jamaica's national HIV programme said that the HIV prevalence rate among Jamaican men who have sex with men continues to be unacceptably high.

Dr Figueroa was addressing delegates at the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference now underway at the Atlantis, Paradise Island, The Bahamas where delegates from more than 30 Caribbean countries have come together to chart the way forward in the fight against the disease.

Pointing to a Jamaican study conducted in 2007 with 201 men who have sex with men and another conducted this year with 453 men, the epidemiologist said that only 75 per cent of these men reported using condom at last anal sex.

According to Dr Figueroa, the study further revealed that 34 per cent of MSM had two or more female partners in the last 12 months while 56 per cent of them said they were bisexuals.

The homeless, victims of violence and those of lower socio economic status were twice as likely to become infected with the disease.

"What was worrying in 2011 survey was that 18 per cent said they had no chance of getting HIV and 40 per cent said they had little chance of getting the disease," he said.

HIV prevalence remains high among persons engaging in sex for money with 11 per cent reporting that they had paid for sex and 21 per cent saying they were paid for sex.

Pointing to reasons why the HIV prevalence rate was so high, Dr Figueroa chalked it down to high rate of commercial and transactional sex.

"Many of them are vulnerable, homeless, poor and have no family support and limited education," he said.

Dr Figueroa said that there is a need to empower and support these men to take more responsibility for safe sex.

"We need to provide a much more supportive environment starting from policies to actual programmes, and dealing with discrimination when it takes place," he said.

He said that he purpose of the research is to get closer contact with MSM in order to better improve prevention efforts and to get persons to seek treament earlier.

Meanwhile, policy and advocacy coordinator of the Caribbean Vulnerbale Communities Coalition (CVC) Ivan Cruickshank said that despite the rising levels of infections among vulnerable groups such as sex workers, MSM, prisoners and socially excluded youth, Caribbean states have chosen to focus almost exclusively on targetting the wider population. Such countries, he said continues to develop generalised responses rather than tailored programming.

"Moreover while Caribbean governments often commit on paper and in rhetoric to working with marginalised groups, in private government officials and ministers continue to express resentment to working with these populations," he said

He added that while most governments of the region have committed to report to the United Nations against targets, they fail to report 70 per cent of all data on sex workers and men who have sex with men.

Rev Clinton Chisholm on "Consensual Sex Revisited"

Another entry from Reverend, Blogger, Talk show host and columnist Clinton Chisholm touches on homosexual sex and the public discourse surrounding consent. Although aged it was brought to my attention on the strength of an editorial in the Gleaner earlier this year when the debate had commenced in a sense on gay issues. It was also published as a letter in the same paper. The Editorial was entitled: "

End Discrimination Towards Gays Now

(Excerpt)

Entrenched homophobia

We understand why the various commissions, committees and legislators who drafted the charter failed to expressly declare people's rights to freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

It has do with the receding, but still-entrenched homophobia in Jamaica that caused Mr Golding to declare, more than three years ago, that gays would not be welcome in his Cabinet. Politicians fear that any perception that they embrace or are soft on homosexuality will cost them votes and open them to discrimination and stigma.

The attitude, we insist, is cowardly, retrogressive, socially dangerous and offensive to human rights.

Serious concerns for all

To be clear, our position is neither an endorsement nor rejection of homosexuality. Frankly, we do not care. How consenting adults choose to live their lives is none of our business. There are, however, a couple of things that concern us and which we believe should be the concern of all Jamaicans.

First, while we note and commend the advances in individuals' rights contained in the charter, we are aware that the possibility of discrimination against any group is a toehold for the erosion of the rights of others, notwithstanding the cover of constitutional protection.

Moreover, the fear of stigma, discrimination and violence pushes many people into the closet. Their talents are often underutilised, to the detriment of the society and economy. There is evidence, too, of the health problems faced by gays, many of whom prefer to live without treatment for their illnesses, including HIV/AIDS, for fear of discrimination. The public-health risks are obvious.

It is nearly 50 years since the promulgation of the Constitution; waiting a few more months to get a better charter won't hurt.

Improving the charter will require that it lie in the legislature for months in accordance with the time stipulation for amending the Constitution. In the meantime, legislators should expunge the buggery law, the main bit of existing legislation that makes homosexuality illegal.

Here is the response from Reverend Chisolm let us juxtapose it to the recent comments, concerns and rhetoric by other religious leaders or fanatics however you want to label them, see the post immediately following this one that has several of those responses or 

Anti Sodomy Decriminalization/Repulsion action intensifies from the Christian Community

Consensual Sex Revisited

“To be clear, our position is neither an endorsement nor rejection of homosexuality. Frankly, we do not care. How consenting adults choose to live their lives is none of our business.” (Jamaica Gleaner editorial, April 1, 2011)

To some the above sentiment of the editorial is progressive, politically correct and defensible. To me it is dangerous and disingenuous. I say the editorial’s posture is disingenuous because it seems to reflect a neutral position about homosexuality but this veneer of neutrality is blown to pieces by the realization that the position of the editorial is not neutrality but indictable moral ambivalence/indifference about homosexuality summed up in the words “…we do not care.” How can a responsible and prestigious media organization (which influences public opinion) claim it is none of its business “how consenting adults choose to live their lives…”?

The editorial’s posture is societally dangerous in that how people live their lives sexually is critical to the society’s health concerns and even continued existence. Mathew Staver is correct when he says “It is a truism frequently forgotten by large complex societies: only societies that reproduce survive.” (Same-Sex Marriage, 2004, p.8) Ponder the societal consequence of universalizing homosexuality as the sexual norm!

Can one be really socially responsible but ambivalent about consensual homosexual sex, consensual adultery, consensual incest, consensual sadomasochistic sex given the relational implications of such acts beyond even the health costs of dealing with AIDS and other STIs? Has the editor given thought to the social cost of pregnancies deemed ‘unwanted’ by putative parents and especially the impact of absentee father figures on the lives of our young men?

Let us get it clear in our minds, consensuality even along with privacy and age-maturity does not constitute adequate moral justification for sexual behavior, without more, as the lawyers would say. If we hold the view that a certain sexual behavior is morally defensible let’s have the moral courage to be upfront and say so and not hide behind a thin veneer of neutrality. Homosexuality may indeed need to be decriminalized and the buggery law expunged but the reasons for doing so must be more convincing than simply moral ambivalence or apathy about what consenting adults do sexually.

New HIV infections rising in region, Unprotected straight, anal and bisexual intercourse blamed

BY INGRID BROWN

NASSAU, Bahamas — Former head of Jamaica's National HIV programme Dr Peter Figueroa has said that the number of new HIV infections continue to rise in the Caribbean although the epidemic appears to have peaked. Dr Figueroa was addressing participants pulled from 30 Caribbean governments, private sector, civil society and the HIV-infected and affected population who are attending the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference now underway at Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Prof. J. Peter Figueroa, The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, addresses the Plenary Session I on the HIV Epidemic in the Caribbean.
Photo Credit: Steve Shapiro/2011 Caribbean HIV Conference

US Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress Dr Donna M Christensen (left) is presented with a plaque by actress and AIDS activist Sheryl Lee Ralph at the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference now underway in The Bahamas. (Photos: Steve Shapiro)

Dr Figueroa said it is a wonder the epidemic has peaked given the many factors that continue to push the new infections rates up such as unprotected sex among heterosexuals, unprotected anal intercourse and high rates of bisexuality.

"We need to reduce the numbers by 25 per cent... we are doing well with mortality but not as well with new infections and social impact on persons infected," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Figueroa said the HIV prevalence rates are much higher in countries which continue to criminalise homosexuality.

"We still have a serious problem with men who sleep with men and we have to provide a more supportive environment," he said, adding that Governments need to examine their policies and repeal buggery laws.

The HIV burden varies considerably between and within countries in the Caribbean, with Cuba having the lowest prevalence rate of 0.1 per cent while Bahamas has the highest in the region at 3.1 per cent.
The adult HIV prevalence rate in the Caribbean is about one per cent higher than in any other world region outside of sub-Saharan Africa.

Unprotected sex between men and women, especially paid sex, is thought to be the main mode of HIV transmission in the Caribbean.

High HIV infection levels have been found among female sex workers in the region with nine per cent in Jamaica, four per cent in Dominican Republic and 27 per cent in Guyana.

In Jamaica, an estimated 32 per cent of men who have sex with men are living with HIV.
Prime Minister of the Bahamas Hubert Ingraham, in addressing the opening ceremony of the three-day conference, said Bahamas recognised early the value of treating HIV and AIDS even before the discovery of the drugs in use today.
He said sustainable high-quality prevention treatment, care and support services that are accessible by all residents off the Bahamas living with or affected by HIV regardless of legal status or ability to pay, is the basic mission of the National HIV programme.

"Care is provided for all who need it, irrespective of immigration status and this includes clinical care and support, diagnostic testing and antiretroviral treatment.

Notwithstanding the decline in new cases and a major reduction in mother-to-child transmission and decreasing mortality, the prime minister said AIDS remains a leading cause of death among Bahamian men and women.
The USA, he said, also recently approved the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Training Initiative (CHART-II) for implementation of a regional approach to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in 12 Caribbean Regional Partnership Framework (PF) countries: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname.

The goal of CHART-II is to improve HIV/AIDS-related health service delivery outcomes through the development of continuing education programmes, integrating pre-service and in-service training of the health workforce.
Despite the progress made in some areas, Ingraham said the total number of people living with HIV continues to rise.
"As we move forward in treating HIV/AIDS in the region, we acknowledge that there are still significant challenges in accessing vulnerable and at-risk individuals for diagnosis, care and treatment," he said.

Reports today, he said, record a shift in the distribution of new HIV/AIDS cases by race/ethnicity. Additionally, the largest proportional increase in the disease is occurring in cases attributed to heterosexual transmission. He said there are some notable success stories of survival rates with Bahamas having six young people who were born HIV positive still living relatively normal life.

"One is currently a student in college, and at least two of the others have produced children of their own," he said.
The best hope for containment of HIV/AIDS, he said, is a reduction in the number of new infections. "We must scale up the prevention activities that have proven successful if we are to reverse the AIDS pandemic, while at the same time providing treatment and care of people living with HIV/AIDS," he said.

Meanwhile, Claudette Pious, convenor of Children First, said the intervention of its "bashy bus" programme has contributed to the reduction in forced sex among adolescents from 60 per cent in 2006 to 38 per cent in 2008.
The mean age of sexual initiations has also increased from 14.9 for females to 17.1, and for males, from 11.8 years to 13.9 The programme, she explained, serves over 47,250 young people annually, providing them access to free Voluntary Counselling and Testing.

The concept for the 'bashy bus' was born out of the problem of school-children having sex on the public buses. The programme utilises cultural approaches and edutainment to encourage behaviour change among the youths. Service is taken to the beneficiaries 'pon the corner' ' in d streetz', ' pon the endz' and in rural Jamaica in a bashy colourful and jazzy mobile unit.

Meet Gays Halfway But ... (Gleaner Letter) ........ what!, homosexuality is learnt behaviour? PART II

In part 1 we saw the original letter and the trope she the Boulevard Baptist Church member postured to the Gleaner. She went on to stress that homosexuality is learnt behaviour. A member of my Facebook group GLBTQ Jamaica Chat sought to reply in as respectfully as possible given the undertones of the original letter.


The initial response from the group member was:


"Dear Elvena,I just read your letter published in the Gleaner and as it's a public forum I feel free to comment. You are entitled to your hypothesis but interviewing 50 people doesn't make a study where you can make any real scientific conclusions. Why not leave it to the experts who have sampled thousands? I, as a homosexual, can tell you that I believe that I was born this way. I always knew as long as I could remember that I was different and later on realized what this meant.You are not in a position to define scientifically that homosexuality is an "abnormal behaviour" as you stated.


Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in the 1970's and I tend to get my information from credible sources, though my bias is self-serving, but at least it doesn't demonize people and support perpetuated violence to an entire group of people. You went on to suggest that accepting homosexuality is the same as accepting bestiality, "If we do, we may as well accept bestiality, or plainly put, man and dog.". That's just plain stupid, for want of a better word. As a University graduate you should know better. At least you didn't mention the school you went to, which I presume would be embarrassed that you are an reflection of the quality of their education. I hope it's not UWI.You went on to write, "We can only meet them halfway".


You are not even on the bridge, not even close. To have a meaningful dialogue between groups with opposing views you have to at least recognise that they are both human (bestiality references don't help) and that they are cognizant and coherent ( you wrote "Like any abnormal behaviour, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc., homosexuality falls in a group of deviant behaviours"). When you get to that point, then we can have a conversation based on mutual respect, if not agreement."


 S. Macleish
St. Vincent and the Grenadines


But the letter writer answered and Sean rebutted:


"Hi Sean,

If you are comfortable with what you are doing, then so be it. It is beyond me to know why you always felt that you were homosexual. So you think that you are a born homo. Well well. How abour therapy? Most of the people in the world are heterosexuals so clearly you are different and logically there is therapy for every deviant behaviour. Do you have faily antecedents who are homos?

It is said that the vagina for the most part is very clean. Cleaner than the mouth so it is difficult for me to accept why a man should leave the vagine to insert his penis (which is a part of the sacred gift from God) into the exhaust system of the body that carries all the bacteria and will smell on your penis and hands."
EMAIL ENDS

SEAN'S REPLY

"Elvena,

Your feelings are not fact. I am not going to belabour your feelings about homosexuality because you can't argue with someone who does not deal with facts. Your analogy is erroneous. So to follow your skewed logic, Asia holds 60% of the World's population, so clearly the rest of us non-asians are "different", so what is the therapy for this? Maybe surgery to make us look more Asian?

You did get one thing right about vaginas being clean, so you must have paid attention in your Biology classes at University. Kudos to you. I respect vaginas and some of my closest friends happen to have one. However, you are misguided and misinformed. Homosexuals don't hold the patent on anal sex; heterosexuals partake as well. Also not all homosexuals participate in anal sex. Yes, vaginas are cleaner than a mouth, but what about oral sex? Is it acceptable to insert the sacred penis into a "dirty" mouth or the "dirty" mouth to a vagina? I didn't interview 50 heterosexual people like you did, but from what I have heard, oral sex is quite common.

It sounds like you may have had some experience with anal sex, you wrote,"...a man should leave the vagine to insert his penis (which is a part of the sacred gift from God) into the exhaust system of the body that carries all the bacteria and will smell on your penis and hands". I can offer you some tips here. Your anally receptive partner can douche prior to penetration to wash away all that bacteria, and you should wear a condom on your penis which will protect it from any unwanted smells. As for your hands, well if you don't like the smell then don't insert your fingers into the anus, or simply use soap and water."


Let me know how it works out.
Sean

Where will it end?

Clearly the conflation of homosexuality and supposed unprotected and unprepared anal sex is what drives this homophobic christian elder to produce such putrid hate when God says judge not and you shall not be judged, why are ignorant persons hung up on just homosexuals and the way we have sex? why can't we broaden our minds to the wider tolerance or acceptance of people as people and stop poking through our keyholes or using over active imagination about our sexual activities? As Sean rightly puts it not all gay or bisexual men practice penetrative sex.

We have a long way to go here folks as this letter writer is a symptomatic representation of others like her who are just plain dumb.

Peace and tolerance

H

Why the British PM can wield a big 'homosexuality' stick (Observer) ...... smoke in the room buggery vs homosexuality confusion

The threat by British Prime Minister David Cameron to withhold aid from governments that fail to reform legislation banning homosexuality highlights the importance of a position we advanced in this space exactly a week ago.The point we made was that Caribbean countries need to get our economies to the point where we will need little or no borrowing.We had put forward the argument against the background of a vicious strategy being employed by the Taiwanese Government to collect a US$28-million judgement against Grenada for non-payment of loans received from Taiwan's Export-Import Bank in the 1990s.Essentially, what the Taiwanese have done is to have their lawyers file papers in the United States compelling cruise lines and airlines to hand over any money they owe Grenada in fees or other payments. 


It's not that Grenada is unwilling to honour its obligation. 


The Caricom nation has made a proposal to renegotiate the loan as its economy is still feeling the effects of the devastation brought on by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and a drop in tourism after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.The Taiwanese, however, are not prepared to enter into any debt rescheduling arrangement because the Grenadians made the 'error' of severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of rival China. 


 So, now, Grenada faces the indignity of having its port fees seized -- a move that would further depress its economy — simply because it upset a benefactor.In the case of the threat issued by Prime Minister Cameron over the weekend, the British are in no way being as iniquitous as the Taiwanese. After all, the aid they are pledging to slash is their own money and they are at liberty to do with it as they please."Britain," Mr Cameron is reported as saying, "is one of the premier aid givers in the world. We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights." 


But while the British leader's statement is directed more at African states that have strong anti-gay legislation, his policy essentially applies to all Commonwealth countries, including Jamaica, where, due to religious and/or cultural beliefs, homosexuality is not accepted.Of course, he conceded that the countries targeted could not change immediately. That, we hold, should be the general position of the international community and the homosexual lobby. For it is unreasonable to expect that societies with prejudices rooted in a culture that, in most instances is a legacy of British Empire laws, will, overnight, accept a lifestyle that runs counter to those laws.Where the homosexual lobby and their supporters have erred is in trying to force their lifestyle on societies that regard it as wrong and ungodly. 


 And while we do not support laws that persecute people because of their sexual preferences, we hold firmly to the belief that threats, like that issued by Prime Minister Cameron, would not have seen the light of day had those countries that now gleefully accept monetary aid put their economies in order. 

ENDS

Smoke is in the room and it is choking us and everyone else so much so that we all are saying and believing foolishness and the hype or wrench thrown in the mix whenever this debate comes up. HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT ILLEGAL IN JAMAICA, sorry but I had to scream it and that is precisely why the debate is clouded, the beginning of this article/editorial just turns me as I have heard everywhere else including supposedly knowledgeable journalists and lawyers saying it is. What is illegal is the act of buggery or sodomy and even that is debatable as well as sodomy infers a kind of predatory tinge to it or forced sexual advances from a same sexed perpetrator as was deemed in the 1500s when this law came to be under Henry VIII.  As for the supposed imposition I was made to understand the  veiled threat from the UK PM was directed towards more caustic states in Africa to which some have responded in kind claiming being dictated to. I had hinted to the issue of imposition by foreign bodies in a previous post when the story first broke on GLBTQJA Wordpress seen below:


.........But what will that do though in the long run if most states and including Jamaica outside of the region mentioned in the article have a strong beliefs or perception that homosexuality is an import and that actions such as this are forcing the hand of countries with “christian principles” and “high moral values” to capitulate to the powerful gay lobby from first world nations yet The Prime Minister David Cameron is not gay but could be viewed as a puppet in the scheme of this with the pressure coming and positions from the European Union side of things and other bodies such as the United Nations on sexual orientation.Is forcing countries to comply the way to go?Or hitting them economically?I don’t think so, certainly other diplomatic methods can be employed but what about the notion that anti gay forces in the United States are in effect exporting homophobia and funding anti gay and religious fanaticism especially in parts of Africa in recent times. What does Mr. Cameron et al have to say or do about that?, these powerful backers behind such moves are said to be numerous and are some of the biggest companies and individuals allegedly. 


Will the UK also criticize those backers and demand they stop this kind of clandestine support or be made to stop? Can or will the UK Prime Minister stand up to the police man of the world and call it for what it is? Are we going to solve the issue of tolerance this way folks? I don’t think so, the hitting of the economic prosperity of these non compliant states as it were may only serve to bring more harm to the voices and populations on the ground who are made to pay the price as involuntary martyrs for this kind of pressure.While I can understand the need for rights and recognition to be extended to the common man this incessant push to seemingly impose it on the rest of the problematic states is unjustified for now, I say more dialogue bearing in mind also other countries who may have similar anti gay positions and laws with dire societal consequences are watching this and may feel justified in tacitly supporting homophobic acts even more so whilst becoming hardlined on budging from their no ease on buggery positions. We saw the recent comments but the Antiguan and Barbudan Attorney General on the law there on the strength of a legal challenge mounted by a group in Belize named UNIBAMThis debate has no end soon so let us see. 


The particular tranche of aid that maybe affected is a bilateral one known as general support,the aid was vital as it was used to rehabilitation programs for deportees who are helped to rejoin society, training and support. National Security Minister Dwight Nelson said on a radio interview that if aid was cut Jamaica could not afford to run such a program at this time.

Why is Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays, JFLAG so silent?


In response to that an answer from one of the Programs personnel dismissed the question as if it is not important, the exact words in a forum were:


"Truth is, if you read what Cameron said you realise it has no bearing on us. Do we even get budgetary support from Britain? Cutting aid is standard practice, it is nothing new. Why are we getting so fussed up about it? If my memory serves me correct, US withdrew money to an organ of the UN last week because of its work in China. The person who has the power of the purse use it to their benefit and it is a very old practice. There really isn't that much of a story in this. Activists are using the opportunity to respond to requests from the media to speak on the issue"



Aloofness as per usual, so much for that, I guess the negative perceptions that we are trying to homosexualize Jamaica, bugger our children and white foreigners imposing their beliefs on us are of no importance to the J coupled with the fallouts in the form of homophobic and lesbophobic violence that usually comes with when homosexuality hits the mainstream news?


Peace and tolerance 


H


also see more comments on these posts from other rights activists:


Jamaica should refuse British aid – Families Against State Terrorism convener ………………

CVM TV's Live @ 7 on the UK AID Withdrawal threat & responses .......

Another phone in body cavity story .. the third in succession, what's up Star News?

So this year again we have another "phone in butt story" this time not on the same day as the previous that came two years before the original story from also in July 2008. We all know however that the problem of contraband in prison is a major concern for many years but to go as far as say a phone in ones rectum what is the carrier to gain from that? We know of the ways and means used such as razor blades embedded in cooked food or ice picks ends (without handles) in the bone of chicken smuggled in or caught by the warders during the routine searches but a phone in someone's anus by our standards seems far fetched. There have been reports over the years of bribes as well to warders to take in of all things phones but this seems highly improbable to me especially at that Hunts Bay facility at three miles where visitors to incarcerated persons as far as I can recall do not have access to prisoners directly but however converse with them through a barred window with someone present during the session.

Here is today's piece though rather brief than the previous installments from the tabloid, it read as follows:

Man hides cellphone in anus

A man who hid a Nokia cellphone in his bottom in an attempt to smuggle it into the Hunts Bay police lock-up was sentenced to prison in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.Jonathan Garvey of a Kingston 11 address, who was also found in possession of ganja on the day of the incident, was sentenced to six months in prison for conveying contraband in lock-up and another six months for possession of ganja.According to police reports, on October 1 the defendant was taken to the lock-up when the contraband was found during a search of his person.Furthermore, it is reported that the accused was found in possession of vegetable matter resembling ganja in his pocket.The search also revealed the blue and black Nokia cellular phone which was retrieved from the crease of his bottom.He was subsequently charged.

ENDS

The story as you might have gleaned is misleading as the headline said the phone was in his anus then the body of the piece said it was in the crease of his bottom, crease and anuses to me are not the same. Why is the Star on this batty quest or anal obsession? 
Are they playing with the downlow community in a sense whilst selling papers generating this erotic stimulation of sorts for persons who like or practice anal sex??
Are they trying to say there is a connection to homosexuals who will do anything for incarcerated gangsters inside these facilities knowing how caustic we are in our homophobia?


Here is the old story from July 2008 that first got everyone's attention as it was a reputed area leader who had the phone in his excretory orifice and even that one was also suspicious:

Originally published July 8, 2008

Tesha Miller, the reputed leader of the Clansman gang, could be charged with possession of contraband after the police took a cellphone from his butt yesterday.

Miller, who is currently incarcerated at the Horizon Remand Centre, was initially arrested after he was alleged to have breached the conditions of his bail.

THE STAR was told that a search of the accused man’s cell was organised after police believed he had a cellphone in his possession. The police theorised that he had been using the device to contact his cronies.

An initial search of his cell found one cellphone; however, as the police were about to leave, another device rang.

Gloves used

This led to a further search and after combing the cell thoroughly again, it was discovered that the device was inside the accused man’s body. Gloves were said to have been requested, and the phone retrieved from the man’s body.

In a release last night, the Constabulary Communication Network said the phone was was found in Miller’s rectum.

The police also found a cellular charger and Vaseline in the cell. The call record on Miller’s phone is currently being processed by the police in order to ascertain who he had been in contact with since he was taken into custody. Prior to his latest incarceration, the accused man was out on bail and as a condition of the agreement, was required to be at home. THE STAR learnt that the police had visited his home on several occasions only to find that he was not there. He was subsequently arrested.

He was charged with four counts of murder and three counts of shooting in 2005, but fled the island for the United States. He was deported to Jamaica last year by United States authorities and later convicted for absconding bail, for which he served nine months in prison. ENDS

Two years later on the very date came this one:

PHONE FOUND IN MAN’S RECTUM – Cops discover instrument during search

The St Catherine South police seized a cellphone from a prisoner on Tuesday albeit in ‘dark’ circumstances. Information reaching The Star is that about 4:30 p.m. police were conducting a search of the lock-ups at the Portmore Police Station and upon approaching one of the 13 cells, a prisoner was said to have placed a phone in his rectum.

Vigilant police personnel extracted the Samsung phone from its hiding place. It is now in the possession of the police, who were shocked about the discovery. Other items seized during the search were cigarettes, matches and lighters.

In recent times, contraband in the lock-up has resulted in the injury of one inmate who was burnt with melted plastic while in his cell. Six other inmates have since been charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

The Star was informed that no cellphones, lighter, cigarettes or anything that can cause harm, should be in the possession of inmates. Meanwhile, investigations have started to determine how the contraband got into the possession of the prisoner.

ENDS

Is this a coincidence that both stories are similar plus this new addition and the two older ones carried on the same month and date but two years apart?

What is the Star implying here?

You decide folks.

UPDATE October 26, 2011

Man gets ... 3 MONTHS FOR PHONE HIDDEN BESIDE PENIS

For the act of concealing a Nokia cellphone close to his testicles while he was in custody at the Constant Spring Police Station, an unemployed man was sentenced to three months in prison in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Neville Lee, 43, of a St Andrew address was charged with breaches of the Corrections Act.

According to police reports, about 9 a.m. on October 11 of this year, the defendant was being prepared for a court appearance when he was observed by police officers putting an object into his waistband.

He was then searched and a black and silver Nokia cellphone retrieved from beside his testicles.

Lee subsequently told the court that the cellphone was given to him to hold by someone while he was in the holding area of the station.

When Lee was asked how much time he was planning to spend in prison for it, he replied, "none", and told the court that he was going through a tough time in his life.

Furthermore, he explained that he was going through a divorce and was served divorce papers while in custody which prohibited him from responding to his wife's request,among other things.

Peace and tolerance

H

Bug Chasers in Jamaica

Bugchasing is a slang term for the practice of pursuing sexual intercourse with HIV infected individuals in order to contract HIV. Individuals engaged in this activity are referred to as Bugchasers. Bugchasers may seek HIV infection for a variety of reasons.
Bugchasers seek sexual partners who are HIV positive for the purpose of having unprotected sex and becoming HIV positive; giftgivers are HIV positive individuals who comply with the bugchaser's efforts to become infected with HIV.

Bugchasers indicate various reasons for this activity. Some bugchasers engage in the activity for the excitement inherent in pursuing such a dangerous activity, but do not implicitly desire to contract HIV. Some researchers suggest that the behavior may stem from a "resistance to dominant heterosexual norms and mores" due to a defensive response by gay men to repudiate stigmatization and rejection by society.
Some people consider bugchasing "intensely erotic" and the act of being infected as the "ultimate taboo, the most extreme sex act left." A number of people who are HIV negative and in a relationship with someone who is HIV positive seek infection as a way to remain in the relationship, particularly when the HIV positive partner may wish to break up to avoid infecting the HIV negative partner.

Some workers in the US HIV community report that a number of younger people seek infection as a way to receive benefits, a "free ride," because they would qualify to receive Section 8, Social Security and other benefits from getting infected with HIV.Some contend that this behaviour stems from feelings of inevitability towards HIV among the gay community and the empowerment of choosing when to contract the virus.

Others have suggested that some people who feel lonely desire the nurturing community that supports persons with AIDS.
By design, bug chasing involves bareback sex, but members of the bareback subculture are not necessarily bugchasers. The difference is intent:

“In reviewing the scarce unpublished and published materials on bugchasing, as well as general healthcare speculations, a common theme appears- the lumping of bug chasers with barebackers...Although these two groups share some of the same practices, namely unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), there are distinctions that differentiate bug chasing...even though all bug chasers are indeed barebackers, not all barebackers are bugchasers.

Imagine my shock in here in Jamaica where we are more conservative to a point terms of sexuality even in same gender loving terms to hear or see someone express only they wish to be penetrated by a HIV+ man bare backed with sperm left in his rectum, this is the face of persistent social marketing both from the national level through the ministry of health and other private institutions and non governmental agencies.
The young man in a recent online group chat and subsequent one on one exchange was clear in his desire. He said he likes bareback sex and wished he could be in an orgy typed scenario with several HIV+ but healthy looking men as he feels he can survive the infection non the less, this is even after my trying to explain that there are different strains of HIV and that getting multiple infections can lead to a faster deterioration in health.

According to Wikipedia in the media there have been some references to this practice:
HIV positive man Ricky Dyer, who investigated the apparent bug chasing phenomenon for a 2006 BBC programme, I love being HIV+, said that an air of complacency about the realities of living with the virus may be one reason why infection rates have been rising.[18] However, the BBC also described bugchasing as more internet fantasy than reality, saying that, "Dyer finds that the overwhelming majority of the talk is pure fantasy." The article also quotes Will Nutland, head of health promotion at Terrence Higgins Trust, as saying, "The concepts of 'gift giving' and 'bug chasers' are definitely based more in fantasy than reality" as well as Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National AIDS Trust saying, "There is very little evidence of people trying to get infected with HIV."

In the Showtime series Queer as Folk a former student of Professor Ben Bruckner, asked Ben to infect him with HIV, wanting to experience "the gift." Ben refuses and writes a novel about the incident.
In the NBC series ER, season 7 episode 13 Dr Malucci treats a gay man who wants to contract HIV from his positive partner. Malucci asked they HIV- patient if he is 'bug chasing'

A character named Billy in a book by Dakota Chase called Changing Jamie is a bug chaser and attends a bug party in order to get "the gift" believing the man he has fallen in love with will accept him. He does test positive later in the novel, only to discover at the end of the book what a mistake it was.

This behaviour has been associated with some in the Caucasian bear MSM communities usually or even in some hobosexual groups as well now we see the tastes showing up here, maybe due to the fact HIV positive persons can now live almost ill free from opportunistic infections creating havoc running alongside HIV and decreasing one immune system.

Safer sex is still key but how do we meet this issue when it presents itself when would be participants insist on deriving "the gift" while enjoying themselves and thinking they are alright?

More is obviously needed to arrive at some workable solutions.

Peace and tolerance

H

Tenofovir Gel Provides High Level of Protection Against HIV in Rectal Tissue

via Microbicide Trials Network

[The abstract, RMP-02/MTN-006: A Phase I Placebo Controlled Trial of Rectally Applied 1% Vaginal Tenofovir Gel with Comparison to Oral Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate, is being presented at a scientific session at CROI 2011

Strongest effect seen in tissue taken from participants after one week of use

BOSTON, Feb. 28, 2011 – A gel developed to protect against HIV during vaginal sex produced a strong antiviral effect when used in the rectum, according to an early-phase study presented today at the 18th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). The results, based on rectal tissue biopsies sampled from HIV-negative men and women who used the product daily for one week, provide the first-ever evidence that tenofovir gel could help reduce the risk of HIV from anal sex, even though the vaginal gel formulation may not be optimal for rectal use.

Tenofovir gel was not especially well-liked by a majority of men and women in the study, yet most reported they would be likely to use the gel if it became available in the future as a method for preventing HIV. Although the study found use of the gel generally safe, side effects were problematic to a few study participants. In hopes of making tenofovir gel more acceptable for rectal use, researchers have since modified the gel and are now testing it in another study.

“We are very encouraged about these findings that indicate applying tenofovir gel topically to the rectum could be a promising approach to HIV prevention,” said Peter Anton, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Center for Prevention Research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who led the study with Ian McGowan, M.D., Ph.D., co-principal investigator of the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) and professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

“These are early results, but help set the stage for current and future trials of rectal microbicides and the development of a rectal-specific formulation of tenofovir gel,” added Dr. McGowan, who is leading the second study of the new gel formulation.

Microbicides, products applied on the inside of the rectum or vagina, are being designed and tested to help prevent or reduce the sexual transmission of HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. The majority of microbicide research thus far has focused on products to prevent HIV during vaginal sex. Yet, the risk of becoming infected with HIV from unprotected anal sex may be at least 20 times greater than unprotected vaginal sex, in part because the rectal lining is only one-cell thick compared to the vagina’s multiple layers, making it easier for the virus to reach cells to infect.

The study, known as RMP-02/MTN-006, is the first clinical trial of tenofovir gel for rectal use. Last year, tenofovir gel was shown in a trial called CAPRISA 004 to reduce the risk of HIV infection in women who used it before and after vaginal sex.

Conducted at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh, RMP-02/MTN-006 tested two products – tenofovir gel and oral tenofovir – in 18 sexually abstinent, HIV-negative men and women. Oral tenofovir, an antiretroviral (ARV) tablet commonly used to treat people with HIV in combination with other ARVs, is being explored as a means to prevent infection in people who are HIV-negative through an approach called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

The trial directly compared the anti-HIV activity of a single dose of oral tenofovir to a single dose of rectally-applied tenofovir gel. This was followed by six days of at-home dosing of tenofovir gel or a placebo gel, with the last and seventh dose given in the clinic. A novel approach was used to determine whether any actual protection was provided by the drug given in the different regimens – single oral, single gel and seven-day gel (or placebo) – in which small biopsies were taken from the rectal lining of the participants using a standard clinical procedure called sigmoidoscopy. The tissue samples were then sent directly to the laboratory where they were exposed to HIV to determine how well study products protected the tissue from infection.

The researchers found that HIV was significantly inhibited in tissue samples from participants who used tenofovir gel daily for one week compared to tissue from participants who used the placebo gel. While a slight anti-viral effect was noted in tissue from participants who received a single dose of tenofovir gel, the finding was not statistically significant. The single dose of oral tenofovir did not provide any protection against HIV in rectal tissue samples.

“These kinds of efforts early in the development phase of rectal microbicides can give us insight into a particular product’s potential efficacy, which enables us to better design and hasten the pace of future clinical trials,” said Dr. Anton.

According to self-reports, only 25 percent of men and women who had used the tenofovir gel said they liked it. However, when asked whether they would consider using the product in the future, 75 percent of these participants reported a high likelihood of future use. Two of the 12 participants who received tenofovir gel reported severe gastrointestinal side effects, including diarrhea and lower abdominal cramps.

“These results tell us that tenofovir gel was relatively safe to use in the rectum for most participants, but we need to address side effects to make it more acceptable to use,” said Dr. Anton, who reported the findings at CROI. “Even though three-quarters of the participants reported they didn’t like the gel, we are very encouraged that the majority would consider using such a product in the future.”

Another study, MTN-007, now underway is using a formulation of tenofovir gel with less glycerin, a common additive found in many gel-like products, in the hope that this will make it better tolerated when used in the rectum. Laboratory tests of the reformulated gel suggest it is just as effective as the original formulation but less irritating to the epithelium – the layer of cells that serves as a protective barrier inside the rectum. The study began in October 2010 and is enrolling 60 men and women at three sites – University of Pittsburgh, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Fenway Health in Boston.

In addition to Drs. Anton and McGowan, other authors of RMP-02/MTN-006 are Ross Cranston, M.D., University of Pittsburgh; Alex Carballo-Dieguez, Ph.D., Columbia University; Angela Kashuba, PharmD, University of North Carolina; Elena Khanukhova, UCLA; Julie Elliott, UCLA; Laura Janocko, Ph.D., MTN and Magee-Womens Research Institute; William Cumberland, Ph.D., UCLA; and Christine Mauck, M.D., M.P.H., CONRAD.

RMP-02/MTN-006 was a collaboration between the Microbicide Development Program at UCLA and the MTN. UCLA’s Microbicide Development Program is funded by the Division of AIDS Integrated Preclinical/Clinical Program for HIV Topical Microbicides at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The study products were developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc., of Foster City, Calif., which assigned the rights for tenofovir gel to the International Partnership for Microbicides of Silver Spring, Md., and CONRAD, of Arlington, Va., in December 2006. Gilead Sciences and CONRAD provided the study products free of charge.

# # #

Additional information about the study and rectal microbicides is available here.

The Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) is an HIV/AIDS clinical trials network established in 2006 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with co-funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health, all components of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Based at Magee-Womens Research Institute and the University of Pittsburgh, the MTN brings together international investigators and community and industry partners who are devoted to preventing or reducing the sexual transmission of HIV through the development and evaluation of products applied topically to mucosal surfaces or administered orally.