Stigmatization of Effeminacy in Gay Jamaican Culture Part II

In April 2009 I had briefly touched on this issue in part 1 of masculine types complaining about effeminate men and not finding them sexually attractive but only as friends in private settings for the most part. Who knew that almost three years later this issue is still a contentious one despite the metrosexual revolution as I term it in aesthetics and attitudes nationally as well trickling into the previous hardened dancehall and male driven societal culture. It was also in January another subject linked to this question of identities under the MSM umbrella was mentioned on my sister blog GLBTQJA on Wordpress looking at role play between masculine types and so called bottoms or passive partners.


See: On Tops bottoms and hyper-masculinity ……………..


Reactions to effeminacy varies according to the space one finds oneself in or the perceptions others may have of one if seen with a girly individual in public given the stereotypes on male homosexuality in Jamaica.

International pop stars such as Prince photoed above or Caucasian eighties Icons such as David Bowie get away with some variant of effeminacy or metro-sexuality in the mainstream as men become very comfortable with either experimenting with near uni-sexual or feminine feel attire versus traditional male accoutrements. Homosexuality linked to effeminacy however has and still is in some circles viewed as a "white" thing and an European import to cultures of predominantly African descent but same gender loving men who are not so effeminate or down right hyper masculine carrying the new swagger type imagery have been getting very vocal in some quarters regarding their non transvestite yet effeminate counterparts in the MSM world. At a new waterhole of sorts in St. Catherine where many brothers hang out as of late the topic came up for mention while I happened to have been present there for the first time and my opinion was sought, I cautiously tried to be neutral and said I had no issue with effeminate persons albeit that I too can be flaming when I wanted to and very masculine almost at the same time after years of mastering the gift of stealth changing over with the greatest of ease. Reference was made of my DJing sessions these days at parties where I spin predominantly dancemusic, international gay club hits and vogue materials for lovers of such music forms and the drag community and have been nicknamed the "dancing DJ," a brother who remembered me from one of my sessions said in the exchage that he did not have an issue with drag queens generally but that some were ugly and did not present themselves well and he would not be caught in public with one either, he also said he would more appreciate a brother who could switch when needed to. Another more ruffian typed brother at the table where we sat said he disliked them period and that he preferred his men manly, "if mi did want a woman mi woulda go look one, not a man weh waan gwaan like gal starrr," (If I wanted a woman I would have gone after one and not a man wanting to be a woman my brother), is this brother subscribing to the stigma from the mainstream in a sense here?

After that remark nearly all the other five brothers who were around the table agreed in some form and this led me to wonder why this dislike or fear of the effeminate from same gender loving males? How easy it is to sway others thought on this issue, we may never know the others true feelings of the other men except in another space or one on one as our culture has a desire to conform attitude following what is politically correct for the group. It was refreshing however to see these new faces as far as I was concerned who were expressing themselves in this space about same sex matters, I hope the space stays safe long enough for more long term socialization and discourse. The brother who had expressed his dislike continued and agreed with the first speaker about not socializing with transvestites in public or even at parties hence his refusal to do gay parties unless they have a certain theme to them. He prefers to go to straight events as it were and find a hot brother than stomach a drag show or see them dancing mimicking the girls on their head tops in mainstream dancehall. 

The fabulous Nina Flowers, Rupaul's Drag race entrant and personality who performed in Jamaica in 2011 to a warm response as many non regulars to local LGBT events came out to see her and Jamaicans who prefer this type of entertainment but outside of Jamaica such as in New York or Miami, notably South Beach.

Even in local LGBT entertainment offerings there has been a steady decline in receptivity to effeminate typed shows with a certain tinge to them save and except for a more dancehall type presentation and more swagger typed hip hop based offering are more popular these days. Drag Queens are still a feature but they are far more looking transgender and closer to a real woman than the drag elements that made the art form popular (I still see it as an art form born out of ones personality) such as the buffed look, butch queen (mix of feminine and masculine attitude complimenting each other) overdone makeup or scary aesthetics so as to indicate it is in fact a man in women's clothes as entertainment. We continue to steadily adopt hetero-normative typed entertainment especially from dancehall culture which is the dominant feature while even drag entertainment is snubbed by the very LGBT community.


Outside of the questionable low quality sometimes of said transvestite offerings however if an overseas big named star is on the bill for events there tends to be some support from the community which may suggest a need to improve local standards in as far as drag shows are concerned. The very dancemusic or "beats" is sometimes not easily digested or accepted any more in local settings as before when the dancehall culture was openly caustic to homosexuality in general, to a certain extent dancehall has burrowed tremendously from the gay underground and ballroom scenes from the United States with sped up beats per minute (BPM) on tracks, triple drop counts, and the sampling of queer sounding voices in some tracks. But with the metrosexual revolution of sorts the aesthetic in dancehall is changing though it has been slowed down due to the absence of its leading personality and bleaching king Vybz Kartel who has been having serious legal woes, murder charges and all. Male dancers in the dancehall community especially those who bleach or lighten their skin for acceptance in the idiom have been and are still castigated as being closeted gays as the dress code in the form of tight pants, plunging neckline tees and brand name gay designer clothing abound and are markers of acceptance especially those with a hefty price tag.  


Could it be a rub off from the national effemophobic response which is embedded in the general homophobia meted out to gay men who are perceived as such with the stereotypical link to effeminate behaviour and the misconceptions of gay men wanting to "replace themselves" in the role of women that has led to the LGBT community also following suit in a sense?


There are some masculine brothers however though who prefer femininity in a guy just that they were not present at that discussion. I am aware of brothers who do not have an issue appearing in public with their spouse or friend or even in drag as many cross dressers  in recent years have presented in public as themselves and have passed easily without incident. Then there are those cases where someone figures it out which leaves a perception that it takes another gay man to recognise a gay man. 


As we evolve we may just see a change again to the widespread recognition of effeminacy again, who knows? it could all be a phase as nothing stays the same.


UPDATE: 26/01/2012
Talk about effemophobia or transphobia ? here is a planned event in the form of a lyme, with some support from guess who? JFLAG!!!!! ...... take a good look at the wording of this invitation sent around the community via various means:

‎::::::::::::::::::::NO Drag Queen are Allowed::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

On February 3rd, 2012, T.A.B.S (founded by Ashe)...will be hosting an MSM LYME titled....Attractor Factor Project Edutainment Lyme.

This lyme promises to be a fun filled event, with a bit of education and gives the option of meet and greet in a comfortable setting with ONLY MSM's. Free HIV testing will also be available for those who wish to get tested, and LIVE performance from the World Renowned...ASHE.

So come out guys, get tested, eat, drink, dance and be GAY...but be on your BEST behaviour, as violence or boisterous behavior will not be tolerated.

It is to be held at (******** ***** ****) and it set to commence at 7pm SHARP!!!!!! This event is invitation only, so if ur name is not on the list..then stay home (lol). interested persons can inbox me their CORRECT name.... Save the date. 

My response to this in one of the avenues used was: cross dressers I would imagine are not apart of the msm community? ........... oh boi, the foolishness continues ........ don't they need to be tested too, what if the persons permanently presents as a cross dresser or is a member of the transgender community pre-operatively? who do they have sex with, isnt it other men in some cases?


This shows we have long ways to go yet.


Peace and tolerance


H

We must not sell our values for money says letter writer

Issue: Jamaica's Anti-Buggery Law

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I take issue with many of the arguments the writer of The Gleaner editorial titled 'Discrimination against gays: a folly' (July 7, 2011) used to support his or her points.

In the editorial, one paragraph was devoted to showing the increasing popularity of legislation supporting gay unions in the United States. In citing a trend in the US, the writers of the editorial are employing bandwagon appeal to try to convince Jamaicans that it is okay to legalise homosexual unions and tolerate homosexual lifestyles. Such careless writing belongs in vacuous fashion magazines, not in a national newspaper, and certainly not on the editorial page.

Economic gain

The editorial's next argument is an economic one: being tolerant of gays and having gay-friendly laws would make Jamaica a more attractive tourist destination, thereby generating more revenue for the island. The formidable purchasing power of homosexuals is mentioned, and a feeble argument about childless gay couples having greater inclination and more means to contribute to the tourism industry is thrown in for good measure.

To show you that this argument does not work, I invite you to consider the set of all Americans with net worth in excess of US$1 billion. These people are wealthy beyond words, and travel a lot, so they are perhaps more likely tourists than the average American.

Suppose for some strange reason that these affluent Americans will only consider visiting Jamaica (note the gap between consideration and action) if the Jamaican flag were blue. Should we change our flag in hopes of appeasing this set of rich Americans? Obviously not. This set is relatively small (as is the set of gay Americans who refuse to visit Jamaica) and there is no guarantee that if we changed our flag (policy) they would come rushing to our shores (gap between consideration and action).

What troubles me the most about the argument above, however, is the sinister invitation to become mercenaries, pledging our allegiance to the highest bidder. Financial gain as our sole objective is not the way forward for Jamaica. In fact, it is this very principle, individually applied in our politics, that has authored our failure as an indepen-dent nation thus far.

Whatever decision we as a nation arrive at on this issue must arise from deep introspection and stock-taking, not the lecherous gaze of a money-hungry harlot.

D.N.G.

ENDS

My two cents

It seems the writer here DNG is missing that the same way he or she is complaining that the reasons for getting the pink dollar is not right is the same way casino gambling has been quietly snuck through the back door ironically under a so called Christian conservative government with close ties to the all power and financially viable Seventh Day Adventists, he or she didn't see that is right? we always have a problem with anything remotely leaning to "gay" look at how our tourism interests market the nation to the world by selling sun sea and sand and other attributes to reach varying demographics.

Do people like DNG think that somehow making all things "gay" will unleash some raunchy and decadent madness on the island and that somehow we are going to infect or poison the minds of others?

what unfounded fear these persons have?

The gay community is just another one of those demographics although I doubt we will see an influx of persons coming to Jamaica if the law were changed tomorrow as the rest of the world is still years behind our reality in a sense in terms of perceptions and think persons will be hacked to death literally if they are pointed out or at leasts suspected to be gay.

That "blue flag" analogy by DNG was so off course and simplistic, is this writer trying to insult our intelligence or something?

Get over it DNG some people are gay!, why are we afraid to embrace that fact and move on? We all can live together, aren't we already doing so until your fear and that of others cloud your judgement?

We already as a nation reasonably accept gay characheteur on stage readily and gay themed entertainment with a revolutionised dancehall culture now openly reflecting homo-thug identities and aesthetics or maybe the writer feels claustrophobic with the seeming implosion on Jamaican society of such themes and actions?

There are other opposing views as well to the Gleaner Editiorial and I also expressed a different take on the piece juxtaposing it to the political happenings recently.

Also See:

No Interest In Gay Tourism

THE EDITOR, Sir:

The Gleaner editorial on Thursday was frightening, to say the least. Exactly what is the editor saying? That we should now change all the laws to ensure that gays are protected and free to do what they want to do in Jamaica?

Tourism is good for where, and the tourist dollar goes where? Certainly not in my household. I would not be surprised in future editorials Jamaicans are asked to fix up their children and parade them for gay tourists as in the days of slavery when they paraded our foreparents.

The editor should keep his personal opinion to himself/herself because I certainly am not interested. The Gleaner can suck up to politicians and gays as much as they like, but guess what, I am not compelled to read your paper.

CAROL CAMPBELL

carcam99@hotmail.com

Kingston 19

and My two cents on

Gleaner EDITORIAL – Discrimination Against Gays: A Great Folly

Peace and tolerance

H

Sexual objectification & mystique of Black Gay Men, a brief look

Jamaican men certainly are some of the most attractive beings to look at in their natural aesthetic sans gym activity or any needed enhancement products or surgery to gain that enviable position. Added to that are the worldwide perceptions (outside of sexual orientation) that we are well endowed and are able to perform sexually far better than our African descented counterparts elsewhere thus the rent-a-dread concept in tourist haunts a thriving under ground business, the orgy parties hosted by Caucasian and African Americans alike with other nationalities following suit is and has been a constant here on the island as well once one knows where to look and who to talk to to get such types of masculine alternative entertainment.

They usually ask for masculine men who are "gifted" and are mostly toppers in sexual relations with men taking up the offers quickly to prove their worth while earning dollars, almost a gay for pay issues as well when ones examines it closely as many of the guys seen in video footage released elsewhere are masked and are not featured on the local underground circuit as they avoid effeminate same gender loving men out of fear of being exposed. (the usual fear or hatred of the effeminate or effemophoba from within the community) but it is these same hypermasculine types that are objectified and are the subject of strip shows and the occassional soliloquised expressions of many same sex attracted brothers whose criteria for a good man are:

1) Well defined body with excellent torso features

2) Usually should have a six pack well defined

3) Muscular with well outlined features

4) Added beautification such as tattoes

5) Well endowed or have large "gift stick" for maximum pleasure

6) Must have the latest swagger and that well groomed look

7) Latest clothing and accessories are a must (metrosexual rub off)

8) Must have the hottest car or mode of wheels to suit the occassion

Plus others that vary according to individual taste, certainly if we are to look from an average perspective the obsession with masculinity and the 'heaviot" index for sexual encounters are things that aren't taken lightly for some Jamaican same gender lovers.

According to PAUL CHADWICK NEAL in preparing for his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1998 he wrote:

"Michelangelo’s David has represented the ideal male figure for centuries. It is the personification of male beauty in western culture. When you look at his face, you notice that he is more youthful than his muscled body would suggest. Closer inspection shows hands that are not young at all; they are massive and aged like the hands of a labourer. Indeed David is considered perfect for many reasons; he embodies youth, power and strength. He is carved of stone and etched into our collective western mind. In the same way that Michelangelo, a gay man, created David to represent perfection, our society has fashioned the male body, not out of marble but out of flesh. The gay community has placed extra pressure on its citizens to become the living physical embodiment of perfection."

Internalized homophobia has been cited (Williamson, 1999) as one of the contributing factors. It is hypothesized that this self discomfort with being gay generalizes to a greater sense of dissatisfaction with the self. Involvement in the gay community seems to be a second factor leading to body dissatisfaction (Beren, Hayden, Wilfley & Grilo 1996). The AIDS epidemic served as another recent factor since one of the by products of advanced HIV disease is a loss of body fat, creating a sickly and overly lean image. This overly thin look, being associated with illness, is not considered attractive (Grogan, 1999). Social approval may be a fourth factor- gay men are still trying to overcome the perception that they are “sissies” (Harris, 1997). The gay community places a premium on image, and gay men often compare themselves with this unattainable standard of body image (Williamson, 1999).

Little attention has been made to understand the heightened emphasis on physical appearance in the gay male subculture (Seiver, 1996). Research needs to uncover what contributes to body dissatisfaction in gay men. To date no research on the process of internalization of sociocultural ideals about the body (Lakkis, Ricciardelli, & Williams, 1999) has been conducted. Given these gaps in our body of knowledge, the following questions come to mind:

1. What values, customs and beliefs does the gay community have about the

body?

2. How do gay men perceive those messages?

3. How do gay men integrate those beliefs into their self-concept?

4. What relationship does involvement in the gay community have with body

dissatisfaction?

See the FULL STUDY HERE

There are possibly other reasons behind our still growing and changing obsession with body image and masculinity to include former vilified and tabooed practices of skin bleaching now accepted by men as normative despite the continued belief in the background it's has been and still is a "gay thing" which suggests general society already used and associate certain aesthetics to identify "gays" Leading dancehall figure VYBZ KARTEL who has been riding a wave of popularity on the formerly offensive skin bleaching is also toning up with gym work outs and new body tattoes, many persons in the LGBTQI community belief he is coming out in a sense while others like myself believe he is using the new look as a marketing tool to stay popular as whie Jamaicans quarrel about his ever changing styles and the Michael Jackson effect his songs are more popular than ever.

Masturbation tool:

Many persons also say they use images or videos of buffed and hung men to act as stimulation for masturbation, this strong attraction towards perfectly fit looking bodies for sex usually is not matched by real sexual partners who may not even come close to the airbrushed images on pages. Have we somehow internalized so deeply the want to be like the figures presented to us in glossy magazines and by extension the deliberate selection of "good looking buffed men" for the growing black gay sex video market?

All the porn stars these days are muscular or have a gym workout plan, tattoed and use makeup on set to hide imperfections with some also resorting to skin lightening yet these are the objects of our erotic fantasies, fantasies that only go to rest the minute one ejaculates only to return in the future.

More to come on this

Peace and tolerance

H

A gang bang busted .... a backlash to silence

As news circulates that a group of thugs, heaviots (shottas) or hyper masculine types who were allegedly caught in the act in an inner city community makes the grapevine it is no longer in the realm of hearsay. The incident which was said to have occurred in Kingston near to a residential area as most inner city communities are situated and happened on Sunday night May 22nd around 11pm the day before the Labour Day holiday which was celebrated on Monday instead. The men who were described as top gangsters in the scheme of how gangs are set up here in Jamaica were caught in the act after strange sounds were heard coming from a wooden structure in the community as the rains had just subsided by four men who had gone to pay a visit to one of the users of the building.

They men who stumbled unto the three man orgy apparently did not recognise who the persons were at first as it was dark they none the less created an alarm in the community, no stones were thrown at the shack but a crowd by this time had gathered some distance away as many persons knowing who regularly occupies the shack which is situated on captured lands were still sceptical about approaching the structure as he was said to be "strapped" or in other words illegally armed and dangerous. The mob now noisy chanted anti gay sentiments moved towards the shack but when the men emerged they were already partially clothed in Jamaican terms meaning underpants or boxers and marina vests which could suggest nothing occurred in the first place. They were also smoking marijuana. The four men who made the discovery insisted that they heard strange moaning coming from the structure before they made the alarm and that one of the male lovers at the time was seen holding his erect penis in front the face of another male figure who was seated on the ground this suggesting some oral sexual activity. A heated exchange between the four and the alleged orgy three ensued with threats and counter threats issued. According to the source who was given a blow by blow description of the play by an eyewitness present and who is also bisexual the mob was afraid to exact what would have normally been a beating or chopping as in some regular homophobic attacks where men were "caught in the act" but instead retreated reluctantly knowing fully well the possible implications and or punishment one way or another for dissing the program so to speak.

In a follow up telephone conversation with that eyewitness as was made possible by my source who has since discontinued speaking on the matter he said he was relieved in a sense the "ting neva get outa hand my yute" (matters never got out of hand) as it may have led to deaths and shootings. He continued that there was speculation about the particular leader who used the shed occasionally as he resided with his current "baby mother" in another house in the area. Wooden structures such as these are usually used to have kangaroo court trials for vigilante justice, ganja smoking or sexual transactions or group sex with hand selected females in the community (a practice that runs in most inner city communities) where teenage girls are watched and selected for pleasure, the parents or mostly mothers of these teens have to give in or face punishment, banishment or even death by the gun if they do not comply. More and more stories of same sex activity is not new to those who have some insight into this section of Jamaican thug life, however the men who made the alarm are said to be cautious as the days go by the talk is that they are informants and we all know how our culture treats with this type of allegation once levelled at an individual. They have since kept a low profile but some residents fear it is not the end of the matter.

It was only in January of this year I carried a story that appeared in the Star news that was subsequently corroborated by ties close to the area. go HERE for more

"Badmen" in our context are not supposed to be involved in any same sex activity or at least publicly depending of course on how powerful one is in the community then that power can shield one from any form of negative reactions from community members but for the men to allegedly pull their weapons shows the power they can wield to silence any opposition to their supposed lifestyle. The men since then moved from the area for some time but one has returned I have since gathered without any public backlash at least for now.

Very interesting developments in the inner city.

Also see two entries from my other blog GLBTQ Jamaica on these hyper masculine types or heaviots in local terms.

The curious case of these "Curious Heaviots" Part 1

The curious case of these "Curious Heaviots" Part 2

This story also came from next door to Denham Town last year suggesting same sex down low activity among so called gangsters or thugs and appeared in the Star News in June 2010:

Also see: Cross dressing Dildos and thugs as well

My close ties with the downlow community in a sense has also shown we have a long way to go in dealing with the double standards of public homophobia as often times it's the fear of the effeminate really that is the driving factor not the hatred or despising of gays to begin with.

There are other stories like this out there but there is great difficulty in verifying the allegations as the overall societal taboos prevent the discourse of such matters.

Peace and tolerance

H

Silent madness on the rise (Star feature)

Every now and again some good sense in a way prevails and the Star publishes a thought provoking piece although they are few and far in between, here is Leighton Levy known more for sports radio on a particular station on the recent startling issues of murder suicide and the possible co-relation with stigmatization to vulnerable groups taking into account the down low phenomenon vs denial.

The article reads:

Silent madness on the rise

with Leighton Levy

In the past few days two policemen - well one and another who had retired - triggered by relationship issues took out about seven people before killing themselves. Since the end of March, three teenagers reportedly committed suicide.

Is this just a coincidence, or is it that the silent madness that a lot of us Jamaicans have been experiencing is beginning to manifest in abundance? Professor Fred Hickling wrote in The Gleaner last year that a significant portion of the population suffers from some form of mental condition.

However, we are not availing ourselves of the necessary help because like for so many other things, we have attached a stigma to mental health.

We seem to find a way to stigmatise so many things in this country; a sign I believe of how mentally unstable we are. We conjure up all kinds of unnecessary drama to try and somehow escape reality. We have stigmatised the number two, we raise eyebrows if a man hugs another or expresses emotion of any kind (as if to say anger is not an emotion), we continue to bash homosexuals even though some of us who do are on the down low.

Some of our most notorious criminals have at one time or another been exposed as closet gays, so why are we still living this fantasy, this delusion?

What this amounts to is that many of us, especially our men, are forced to bottle up all their emotions for fear of being ridiculed, ostracised and stigmatised, so at the least sign of trouble we explode. It has got to a point now where we can't even spend enough time to listen to our kids, to show them love, to let them know that someone cares.

There should be no surprise then that our kids are resorting to killing themselves.

They must somehow believe that it's easier to be dead than to live among us.

we need help

Whether we want to accept it or not, we need to start acknowledging that individually and collectively we need help. Between the daily stresses of the excessively high cost of living and just trying to stay alive and on top of that the idiot politicians making our lives even more hellish, we are bound to need help.

And there is nothing wrong with needing help. In fact, it takes great courage to admit that we need help and we used to be a courageous people. We used to have fire in our bellies, the fire that helped the Maroons fight for their freedom.

It was that courage that put us on the path to independence.

Somewhere along the way that courage was replaced by something else and whatever that thing is, it has not been serving us well.

We need to find our way back to what we were before, a strong and proud people and the only way to start that process is to accept that we need help and ask for it.

The "outing" on a Sunday morning ....

The life of a fifty plus year old married man from a middle class suburban community in St. Catherine will not be the same again following a most embarrassing outing and temporary displacement incident on of all days a Sunday morning April 10th as he returned from early morning exercising to prepare to go to church with his family. The man who was described as very active in his community and a member of the neighbourhood watch team among other social outreach work is also a father of two male teenagers but as it turns out he also may have had another side to him that was discovered by accident allegedly by the wife who reportedly burrowed the cellphone that was left as he went on the usual early morning exercise routine as many do who reside in that scheme.

It was upon his return according to eyewitness reports that things got out of control as his wife and two other relatives on her side created an embarrassing scene at the home much to the shock of the neighbours, as in cases such as this the audience usually gathers very quickly as word spread that Mr. So and So was a battyman so animated the issue became that prayer warriors allegedly from his church congregation who may have been called also converged at the home during the initial heated exchange between the couple and relatives to supposedly pray the gay away. The teenage boys were reportedly stunned as they watched the incident unfold. The prayer warriors reportedly passionately called on God to strike down this evil spirit out of him as he was a good man and just strayed, they shouted frantically and some were said to be "in the spirit" with a view to fix Mr. So and So. The homosexual relationship as it was belted out by the woman, his wife of some twelve years now supposedly started when their house that was upgraded had several thug looking typed characters working on the construction activities she said she was told only some time afterwards that something looked suspicious as there was one particular guy who would hail her husband and her also when he passed by the home on his bicycle and was very friendly but she didn't take it as a gay relationship instead she thought he was just being polite, she also suggested that one particular neighbour who is known to be very nosy (there is one in every community, village lawyers) said the young thug came by the house more than once when she was travelling but she never took it seriously and maybe thought he was just coming to ask for some money or assistance seeing that they were familiar with him from before. He is described as very masculine, muscular and handsome with a very cool yet dreaded demeanor.

Things came to a head however when the "alleged thug lover" in question turned up at the home with other men on bicycles saying it was a lie that was told on him and that he was called and told that his name was being mentioned that he was a battyman and involved with Mr. So and So, they hurled expletives at the woman insisting she stopped pushing her unfounded accusations, the reported damning text message that was the evidence the victim's wife relied on could not be found by this time to substantiate her claim and it's not yet known what actually occurred between the man's arrival from exercising and his access to the phone which he had in his possession during the heated exchange, he may have deleted the text, interestingly enough it was the alleged "thug lover" who drove off with the outed man in a car that was parked on the sidewalk when things cooled down, both men along with others returned in the afternoon with a moving truck to take out the man's belongings with other thugs seemingly guarding the truck and entrance to the home. They also reportedly chased away some onlookers and the prayer warriors who had calmed down from the praying exercise by this time but who were still expressing shock at the allegations. The thug in question apparently also left a veiled threat that if anything should happen to "bossy" (a common term used to show respect from hyper masculine types to older men especially if they are able to get jobs or money when they make requests of them) he would sort out who is to be sorted out (not in such kind language). On lookers were said to be mum yet fearful to condemn or make anti gay sentiments based on the type of men who at the scene in an indirect way defending Mr. So and So but there were whispers non the less.

Things have calmed since and my sources tell me that community seems quiet on the surface. If there are any new developments there will be updates.

Even if the allegations are not true this also show how quickly a situation can develop from just mere assumptions with no time to defend oneself for a retreat or an amicable solution.

Notes:

Whether there is any truth to the allegations we may never be sure unless we get really close to the situation or if the man in question is willing to speak on the issue. It is interesting however if the men who arrived on the scene to deny the allegations and to guard the removal process were defending the outed man because they too are gay or bisexual as well but have an image to protect seeing working class types must adopt hyper-masculine or "heaviot" aesthetics or they were defending him because they didn't believe the allegation or because they can "nyam a food" (favours or money they can get from literally free loading on more affluent men in a non sexual relationship) or all of the above.

One thing I am happy it never turned out any more violent that it may have if it were different circumstances and a more depressed community we know all too well the outcomes of said outings elsewhere.

The matter of downlow rears it head again in this incident and begs some questions:

1) when if ever are we going to have any discourse on clandestine relationships seriously in the public domain?

2) in this case are we to assume the thugs were or are gay for pay types but deny publicly the accusations?

3) given recent happenings in certain inner city communities where so called thugs/heaviots/hyper masculine types are caught in the act, are you surprised?

4) did de man dem a protect dem ting cause man haffi nyam a food nuh matter wah?

Sure it is when stories like this are highlighted properly that we get the opportunity to examine the issues of down-low living better although each case must be taken on it's own merit.

A similar incident happened in another section of St. Catherine as well several years ago and while some neighbours expressed outrage and anti gay sentiments it was some of the so called thugs in the area who said the outed man should remain and no one was to touch him, they since retracted that line and he had to remove from his home and selling the property.

Peace and tolerance

H

World Map of Penis sizes ...... (xrated materials contained)

The interactive map above shows averages of penis sizes around the world I doubt if its accurate but you be the judge as far as Jamaica is rated we are averaged at 6.3 inches which I seriously doubt we have developed a reputation over the years of having fairly good sized dicks and based on my own personal experience I have seen anything from 8 inches to a whopping 14 inches so maybe the folks here need to redo our landscape. Black men in general have always had a reputation of having larger penises by virtue of skin distribution on the shaft and more sturdy erections that those of our Caucasian and Asian counterparts. Latinos seem to be coming in a close second these days going by the explosion of Latin gay porn mostly from the United States and Brazil although that arena of adult entertainment cannot be the only yard stick used to judge. There are some Caucasian men who seem to be getting the size gift in recent times, a similar premise applies as well as in the latino camp.

Black Men objectified

A major downside to the issue is that we are objectified based on the belief that we are well hung with overseas photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe getting alot of flack for portraying black men as nothing more than long dicked sex objects more so than individuals with a mind. Fans black and white and eclectic art lovers however hold his work in high regard as evidenced in coffee table publications right here in Jamaica albeit his books have to be specially ordered or brought in ones hand luggage many also purchase his slides at art auctions houses online and physically overseas, here is an example:

here is a work from Mapplethorpe from 1986 called "Formal Cock" which is going for $12, 500 at Christies Auction go here for more pieces

a typical Jamaican penis (wood) could have been seen as taken from the blocked Jamaican adult entertainment site Rudejam a message reads to Jamaicans who try to access it as follows:

not available

Sorry, this content cannot be made available in your area.

The porn industry has also followed suit in this objectification it seems and has and is making millions of dollars from more and more "well hung" stunning black men entering the arena specifically gay sex porn which was once dominated by Caucasian actors. Locally we have our own versions now same sexed porn with well endowed men who seem to be getting and younger by the turn, as some would ask "a weh dem bois get dem big wood from?" One wonders of it is due to repetitive masturbation or sexual activity that leads to these impressive sizes these days? The two major site however who offer that are blocked from local ISPs so one would have to be creative and find secondary sources to view them.

You be the judge, if you are having trouble using the map here then go to the source for it: http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=3073 also see the detailed breakdowns as per country: http://www.everyoneweb.com/worldpenissize/ here is a Gleaner 2007 article on penis size: The penis size debate

I know this is a post outside the norm for this blog please see a fairly new blog from GLBTQJA www.battymantings.blogspot.com to see more xrated materials.

Peace and tolerance.

H

Review condom policy for prisoners .........

A discussion that has been looked at on this blog and a few others has finally made it to mainstream media again on the question of condoms in prisons, sadly it is only the legal aspects that are pushed by the pundits involved on the back drop of buggery often times and grouping or giving the impression that men who fuck or have sexual contact in prisons are somehow gay or bisexual which is not necessarily so. Often times the discourse though important lacks the psycho social reasons for such sexual activities to take place and often times leave out the non penetrative or outer course aspects of the contact in maximum security prisons and jails across this island, such as oral sex for a bar of soap or other items which are considered precious in a confined space so bartering comes in. Sexual contact in prisons or confined areas often times are not consensual and rings more on control and power differentials than anything else.

I have tried to present some of the other issues in layman's terms of course on here to explore at best how or why sex happens in prisons hence the other tab/labels such as substitutional sex, Metrosexualism, down low issues, Heaviots (local jargon for hyper masculine gay/bi thugs), situational homosexuality. The discussion must include the other factors I feel if we are to not only have a basic grasp as to why sex happens in prisons, boys homes and other "confined spaces" which may not be just physical but mental as well but could also help to explain the reasons for internalized homophobia and the farce or hypocrisy that surrounds our intermittent "public homophobic outbursts" attached to down low living.

Here is a letter from attorney-at-law and activist from Montego Bay Maurice Tomlinson who is also a consultant to AIDSFREEWORLD. He takes a more HIV response and legal look on the matter but this may be precisely the problem as the prison authorities have contended some who are calling for condoms in prison are trying to sneak Male homosexuality through the back door under the guise of HIV?AIDS interventions.

The Letter reads:

Review condom policy for prisoners

Dear Editor,

The HIV prevalence rate among Jamaican prisoners is twice the national average. As far back as the 1990s, Dr Raymoth Notice, former prison doctor in Spanish Town, and later mayor of that town, responded to the growing HIV epidemic by recommending the distribution of condoms to inmates. He was supported by then Commissioner of Corrections Colonel John Prescod who in 1997 quietly ordered the issuing of condoms to prisoners.

Colonel John Prescod and Dr Raymoth Notice

Whether out of desperation or desire, the fact is men have sex with each other in prison, usually without protection. Upon their release, many of these men take HIV back to their (often multiple) female partners. Colonel Prescod's enlightened approach was met with a prison riot in which 17 persons were killed, including warders. As a result, there was a quick policy reversal on the guise that by distributing condoms to inmates, prison officials were aiding and abetting a criminal offence, namely buggery.


In a recent discussion with a prison warder I was advised that condoms remain contraband in prisons, but some warders make a tidy profit trading in them. For inmates who can't afford to pay they resort to the use of plastic "scandal" bags. Jamaican supermarkets are now going green and will soon cease the distribution of this major prophylaxis used by prisoners - plastic bags. It is therefore time to review the policy and the law which prevents the distribution of condoms to prisoners. Otherwise we can expect an increased HIV prevalence among inmates and their partners.


Maurice Tomlinson
Montego Bay, St James
maurice_tomlinson@yahoo.com

LETTER ENDS

Often times these letters do not categorically state that the issue of HIV in prisons is directly related to the threat of the virus reaching the general populations, given how often some Jamaican brothers make the trip to the slammer and back out again.

In a previous post on the subject it was mentioned how some in the prison system reacted such as Lambert Brown the UAWU's the then first vice-president, had said that although he was still opposed to condom distribution in prisons, he had nothing against the other recommendations made.
"The fight against AIDS is not based solely on condom distribution," Mr. Brown said. "Those who are promoting condoms in prison are using the back door to promote homosexuality which is illegal." here suggesting fear.

The gentlemen in the photo above were in the system .... In 1997, Lieutenant Colonel John Prescod, then Commissioner of Corrections, suggested that condoms be distributed in the prisons as a means of stopping the spread of HIV. The suggestion sparked a riot that claimed the lives of 16 prisoners, some of whom were accused of being homosexuals and as it turns out many who died weren't actually gay but prior rivalry and a golden opportunity for a disturbance led the way to the attacks. The National AIDS Committee had recommended again in 2000 to the then Peoples National Party administration launch Mandatory medical examinations for all inmates, segregation of HIV positive inmates, legal conjugal visits, a health education programme for the prison, and permission for terminally ill patients to be allowed to die at home, were also among the recommendations made to the Government which were ignored.
Dr. Raymoth Notice medical expert in the penal system had said at the time, "...We recognise that the incidence of HIV is increasing in the general population and not only that, studies have shown that the incidence of AIDS in prison is six to 10 times greater in prisons than in the general population," also he continued "the level of homophobia and ignorance as well as the lack of resources have hampered the education process a whole lot. Before we even get to the condom issue it is important first and foremost to educate the population about AIDS. But everyone has been too afraid to do anything since the riots. There is no analysis being done, no reliable data, inmates are leaving with the disease and taking it back to their communities."

We all remembered what happened the last time they tried to introduce condoms and the riots which left persons dead as hinted in Mr. Tomlinson's letter but many of who died as it turns out were not gay but were just murdered due to internal rivalry and a perfect opportunity in the form of a riot for enemies to exact revenge.

What you think?

Peace and tolerance

H

Extras:

here is a take on it from up north in a seven part documentary on Sexual Assault Behind Bars, maybe this can give us some insight on the local front.

Sex in prisons: Bad for the fight against HIV in Guyana says health minister

By Elan Era John

Panos Global AIDS Programme Georgetown, Guyana It has been reported ad nauseum in the media over the years that Guyana 's prisons are overcrowded and that this not only threatens security, law and order, but also the health of prison populations and by extension the general public. This is multiplied when there is sex in prison — consensual or not.

The Georgetown Prison, Guyana

The Georgetown Prison, Guyana 's main prison, was built to accommodate just over 1,000 inmates. But it now accommodates over 2,000 inmates comprising persons who have been sentenced and those awaiting trial on remand. The propensity of magistrates to remand persons charged with various criminal offences, some of them minor, has been blamed for the overcrowding of Guyana 's prison system.

There is a large number of remand prisoners — about 800 — in the Georgetown Prison.

Chaplain of the Guyana Prison Service Reverend Faye Clarke said that there are many programmes to address HIV in the prisons. "We have VCT (voluntary counseling and testing) sites at the Georgetown Prison and at all other locations. We have had ongoing programmes since 1999 and these are being continuously expanded," she said.

Reverend Clarke said that an area in the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara has been funded through the World Bank to address the care of HIV positive inmates and for the supply of supplemental dietary items.

Guyana's National HIV/AIDS Strategy 2007 – 2011 called prisoners one of the marginalized sub-groups, along with men who have sex with men (MSM) and commercial sex workers (CSWs). This strategy said that for the fight to be effective, recognition must be given to the special needs of these groups as part of the guiding principles of a multisector response.

Evidenced-based

Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Health, Guyana

Speaking to Panos, Health Minister of Guyana Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said that Guyana recognizes the science and the evidence that suggests that the prevalence rate of the prison population is generally higher than the mainstream population.

"Whatever we do in Guyana is evidence-based and this is not just us pulling things out of the air. If you look at any country where studies have been done, in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in the Caribbean, we see that populations in prisons have an HIV prevalence that is higher than the prevalence in the general population," said the minister.

"And when you look at the situation in Guyana we see the same thing…this is not about hearsay or speculation. We have done the study," he said. According to Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey in 2007, the prevalence rate among prisoners in Guyana was 5.24 percent.

He said that while in many other countries the rate of infection among the prison population is about four times higher than that of the general population, the rate is about two times higher for Guyana 's prison population.

"This being the case, it would be morally irresponsible on our part [to not address health in prisons] since the vast majority of these prisoners are going to come out and return to the society," he said.

He said that the programme for the prisons is a comprehensive one that includes prevention — the foundation of which is education and awareness — regular testing and counseling. "As part of the prevention programme we recognize that drugs and alcohol represent a major risk and for that reason we have introduced, in all but one prison, a substance abuse programme," the minister said.

Minister Ramsammy said that treatment in prison is available as well so there are prisoners today that are getting anti-retroviral drugs. "So when it comes to HIV services, no prisoner is denied, so when we talk about universal access for prevention, treatment care and support, it extends to behind the bars," he said.

Condom distribution against regulations

Speaking on the cooperation between the health ministry and the various agencies that are responsible for the prison system, the minister said that the prison authorities proactively seek out the support of the health ministry.

"We have social workers, counselors and testers, and that requires an extensive amount of facilitation and the authorities have been extremely supportive," he said.

But on the darker side of the prison system, he said that there are some aspects of the programme that are not yet in place. For example, the distribution of condoms, which is against the regulations. He said however this does not mean that condoms do not make their way in the prisons.

"At this time, Guyana does not have an official policy on the distribution of condoms in prisons. Though I am sure they are there, how they get there I don't know," Ramsammy said.

On sex, he said that the evidence suggests that this occurs in prisons, and here he spoke of both consensual and non-consensual. "The evidence around the world suggests that [there is sex in prisons].

The extent to which it occurs in Guyana, I don't know. No studies have been done. I don't know what would make Guyana's prisons different from the prisons in any other jurisdiction," he said. "But like most prisons in the world we do not permit sex in our prisons. Non-consensual sex is a crime anywhere in the world and that should not be permitted in our prisons."

The minister said that all of the talks and other methods of educating prisoners about risky behaviours and the risks of contracting infections would only work in the case of consensual sex and not cases of rape. "But we have to continue to work to reduce the possibility of sex in prisons," he said.

Other health risks

He added that there is a need to also address tuberculosis and other infectious diseases while in prison so that inmates do not become a risk to others when they are eventually released.

With regard to the health risks posed to healthy prisoners, the minister said that the prison authorities and the Ministry of Home Affairs are doing everything they can to prevent sex in prisons — consensual and non-consensual.

"We are convinced that prisoners need to be given access to the means of protecting themselves and reducing their risks, like any other citizen. And therefore the prevention of risky sex in any setting, whether in our homes, in our clubs, in our workplaces, at our prisons must be promoted. What we can do, outside of what the prison authorities are doing to promote safe sex, is that we can educate people."

On the issue of tattoos, the minister said that the authorities have recognized the health risk that this practice poses and have responded through programmes in the prisons.

Panos Caribbean