Insensitive Parents and Displaced MSMs Part III

As you may have realized this has now become a series as we continue to look at adolescent men who have sex with men and the issues that attend to ostracism, stigma and hate leading to displacement or full on homelessness, all topics I feel strongly about. In part 1 of this set of issues posted on sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica way back in 2009 we looked at some cases and reports that came to light then and a flashback story that was disturbing where a father outed his son at a prominent high school only to watch other students beat him mercilessly fortunately he was rescued by some staff members present and a few well thinking students who literally used their bodies to block or absorb some of the blows.

Part 2 we continued to focus and juxtapose the similarities in other incidents that came to my attention at that time where a series of complaints and expressions have been forthcoming from mostly early male teens and a couple of same gender loving females as well with one case reaching a drastic point where a nineteen year old woman was forced to leave under the watchful eye of her stepfather, others have not gotten so bad in the ladies department but persons are uncomfortable in their family homes or places of shelter with other siblings. The age old problem of improper monitoring and securing of cellphones, personal computers/laptops and blackberries with saved passwords for social networking sites thus allowing third party access have also contributed to unwarranted outings and exposures with one male being prayed for in earnest by a weeping mother and the good book thrown at him while she insists his life is all wrong and he must accept God or burn in hell.

In Part III here comes a hastily put together rescue effort of sorts coordinated by a member of my Facebook group GLBTQ Jamaica Linkup on Sunday afternoon October 30th who brought some of his friends with him. The team now totaled five with a strong arm brother (the driver) who was visibly upset by the developments proceeded to take us to the home of a 17 year old gay male who was literally thrown out of his home after returning from a stay with his aunt in another parish where he had gone to conduct personal business. The young man was apparently on watch by his mother of all persons for some time who constantly questioned his activities in recent months according to the teen who we shall refer to for purposes of this post "Garry" 


Garry apparently based on the timeline presented to us by him had very little female friends who would visit him in his small district except for childhood acquaintances and as with other small areas or rural districts residents are close and known to each other, his mother he said occasionally criticized his lack of  having "girls" coming to check him and would hint at her need to have grandchildren and his future marriage. His father a working class tradesman was out of the home most of the time and never really interacted much on a deeper level due to his time working most hours thus his mother had more time to observe and critique his suspected sexual orientation while passing on her suspicions to his father as she was a part time stay at home mother who tendered to a back yard garden.


There have been discussions before Garry informed us but it never escalated to this all out brawl and anger from her, we however went to try to quell the scenario while having our phones set for to summon the police with other self protective mechanisms not fit for mention here, his mother kept saying his silence or avoiding the subject when it was brought up by her meant he was guilty and gay (a battyman) but fortunately for Garry while he was evicted there were only a few eyewitnesses to cause any serious harm, due to Garry's own masculine built and physique he was spared the physical threat that sometimes obtain in other cases such as this. He, while outside with clothes and items literally being tossed through a window had made contact with a third party with what phone minutes he had and was able to get some conversations going until Facebook friends organised a pickup, we pooled together what funds we could muster given the high gas prices these days and drove from Kingston through St. Catherine to the district just outside of St. Ann's Bay while planning how we would execute or mitigate any danger. His farther who had arrived just before our arrival was boisterous we were told when we got to the gate by a woman who was walking away from the scene, she seemed to have muttered something under her breath that she couldn't believe Garry was a battyman, however the houses are far apart from each other thus allowing some room for intervention without too much of an audience then. 


As we cautiously exited the pickup we could hear a female voice shouting as Garry hustled his scattered items on the outside in a large barrel bag, other items were packed in large black garbage bags as per instruction from the organizer of the intervention by phone on our way to the site and who was in no mood like myself and the others for interruptions in what we set out to do. His physical build was also an advantage for our presence added to Garry's thus mitigating any physical threat of violence to his person or any of us. We tried to introduce ourselves at the passage way whilst the family conversation took place but were greeted with a set of tersely worded comments by Garry's mother suggesting that we "his battyman fren dem" (his gay friends) were luring him into the nasty life, his father also was shouting but his words were inaudible as he was behind a closed sliding glass window when we managed to see him upon entering. After several exchanges with the two other persons in this rescue party of sorts we managed to create a diversion while we packed the items hastily in the back of the pickup, by now more persons were prying at the road and the by the fence some eight or nine feet away from the home's entrance.  In the end after some exchange and getting the items we could carry already strunned on the lawn or allowed to take out of his room such as the larger stuff, the strong arm man of the team barreled his way in and managed to get the laptop and a PC with other items that Garry wanted to have with him but was ordered not to take and the remaining clothes/shoes in a combi robe of course not without some physical attempts to block the move by his father but he relented and allowed them to be taken out while remaining boisterous and suggesting we were making his son gay and that one of us or all of us were "fucking him."


Thankfully the situation did not spiral into something worse after just over a one hour's ordeal but Garry was clearly heartbroken in leaving his home by force by his own parents and understandably so, he said very little on our way back to Kingston Sunday night and refused offers of food when we stopped at a popular gas station to pick up snacks. Garry is now in Kingston as we contemplate his next moves and the relevant reports to be made. Thanks to the concerned persons who decided to get involved in this matter and I was pleased to have been introduced to the strong armed brother, his resolve in this issue was a major inspiration. Garry still wants to try and reconnect with his parents and to start some dialogue meanwhile a counselor has been suggested by another person who I was introduced to via my Facebook contact. Indeed this kind of networking was great as we became new friends out of an ugly situation, contrary to popular belief that I know everyone who is gay in Jamaica here is proof that it cannot be true. There are always new faces and brothers to meet (wide smile) where we can network not just for sex but for the greater good of the community.

Summary published with permission from Garry


Peace and tolerance


H

Homophobic Killings or what?

It seems every time we walk away for a little peace and seemingly a lull comes over the community in as afar as incidents are concerned there comes something and very gruesome at that. RIP my brothers/sisters as the case maybe.
Late on the weekend of October 18, 2011 reports were published on various media regarding three incidents in a short space of time and of course whenever one hears of these incidents the natural inclination is to get angry and cry homophobia but as it turns out new information that has been corroborated has come forth. First let us look at the outlets and what was said.


CVM TV October 18 news item (srcoll to 10:00 or so to see the Oshane story)

New bloggers at the Pink Report reported that:

Home Eviction Turns Deadly! Gay Man Kills attacker forces another to Flee!

Montego Bay, St. James - Reports reaching the Pink Report are that a community member is nursing severe chop wounds at a St. James Hospital after successfully fending off two attackers who had visited his rented premises to enforce an illegal eviction order. The attackers were lead by the female landlord who wanted the man off the premises because of his alleged homosexuality. Up to the time of publication there is no indication that any monies are outstanding in respect of rent, maintenance or public utilities.
The report notes that on the afternoon of Wednesday the 19th October, 2 men lead by a female landlord attempted to evict the man who was living at a premises in the parish of St. James with another man. A struggle ensued in which knives/machetes were brought into play. The man being attacked was, however, successfully able to defend himself killing one attacker in the process and forcing the other to flee.


The St. James Police are currently investigating the circumstances but have preliminarily ruled it a case of self-defense.

ENDS

The Ricardo Morgan murder story 

Then gay lawyer and AIDSFREEWORLD Consultant Maurice Tomlinson wrote a letter to the Gleaner regarding a news item carried on CVM TV on October 21, 2011 about the murder of a 16 year old youth in Western Jamaica. It read:


Are Jamaican Gays Dispensable?

THE EDITOR, Sir:
 During its evening newscast on Tuesday, October 18, CVM TV reported on the gruesome early-morning home invasion and murder of 16-year-old Oshane Gordon in the district of New England in Lilliput, St Elizabeth. According to the news report, the youngster, who had previously been threatened, was killed because of 'questionable relations with another man'.


As he tried to escape through a window, Oshane was first chopped on his foot to prevent him from going far. When Oshane's attackers caught up with their prey, they finished him off with several more chops.
His mother, who was at home with him, also received several chops and is now nursing serious injuries.
This is the second homophobic murder that CVM has reported in three months. The other occurred in Torrington Park, Kingston, on August 2.
Despite these vicious attacks and many more like them, there are still those who argue that Jamaica's deadly homophobia is a figment of the global North's gay hysteria and an agenda to smear our country's good name.


Thanks, CVM, for daring to report the truth. In the face of this carnage, the silence of our politicians on the need for tolerance towards homosexuals is both cowardly and deadly. Where is the leadership?
Or are gay Jamaicans simply dispensable? 
MAURICE TOMLINSON
 maurice_tomlinson@yahoo.com

ENDS

Sad that this is what befell both gentlemen and it is interesting how politically correct CVM TV was in saying young Oshane Gordon was in an inappropriate relationship. I am really sorry for this loss for his mother and especially his father who expressed grief at the scene on camera given the suspicious circumstances. The Torrington Park matter is puzzling to me as you may have noticed I held my comments from August on this matter as it puzzles me that even though the deceased Ricardo Morgan resided in an inner city community he survived for so long with little interference if the truth be told, the community knew that he was a hair stylist, a profession not practiced openly by many males from the lower socio economic quarters, also what was more puzzling was why didn't the traditional "born and grow" culture or protection chips in and protected him, this however is a fragile shield and can shatter if any proof presents itself as confirmation for them to act on the accused with sometimes harsher violence, MSMs and WSWs have been shielded in a sense by this community phenomenon where if one was born in a depressed area, or has family residing there for extended periods or generations then even if one was suspected or being gay or lesbian that knowledge of your roots would act as a reason not to attack and in some areas outsiders cannot enter communities and point out suspected individuals. Clearly even with his sister supposedly in the altercation as an intermediary it didn't stopped his attackers from killing him. New information which has been corroborated suggests the killing was made to look homophobic because of a fear by a particular gangster in the area who Mr. Morgan had a secret relationship with had gone sour and he reacted publicly to the presence of a "new babymother" whom the man moved into his house.

Ricardo in happier times


The man learned of the upset or Mr. Morgan and warned him to keep it quiet however like in most small communities the news travelled and in a bid to protect his identity and secret the thug arranged the attack so as to avoid any future issues and finger pointing. The community to this day is still tense according to my source and his sister who spoke on camera is said to know more than she revealed on camera. What is also curious is that she resides in the community with no threat to her person. This matter or downlow relations in inner city communities going haywire is not new, we lost several other persons in years gone by due to this phenomenon. Kitty in early 2000 from Fletcher's Land, Kelly formerly of Rollington Town is another who was shot in broad daylight in downtown Kingston as he prepared his vendor's stall to do business. Another gruesome killing was a popular figure named "Carry on" or Opal who hailed from Tivoli Gardens and who was the worse case as his body was stabbed all over, multiple gunshot wounds and was dumped on the infamous Matches Lane wrapped in barbed wire, then there was the killing of a young man in upper St. Andrew under the guise that he made the moves on one of his attackers. Gay Panic Defense? When these types of killings are done the ones who often commit them or accused of such are empowered in the community and praised as well so they have nothing to loose in killing a suspected person when things go wrong. Many deceased may have felt aggrieved due to possible competition as in this case a woman who is the main partner while they have to settle for second fiddle. So Mr. Morgan's murder cannot be deemed homophobic if we are to go by the new information that has come to light, this downlow issue has to be properly ventilated and brought to public as previous experience has brought to bear. The public's cynicism has always been there and the proverbial crime of passion description, here is an old star news piece from 2006 that spoke to the predictability of cases where a male is found naked with multiple stab wounds: 'Brotherhood of Knives'


Let us also not forget the supposed area leader who was to take Dudus' place in Tivoli Gardens despite his womanizing public persona rumours festered of his alleged hebephelic nature with male teens. Read More here: 


WANNABE TIVOLI DON KILLED - Was warned to reconsider his desires


Sad that in history this time of years seems to be a most violent one for LGBT people especially MSMs it was in November 30, 2005 that we lost Steve Harvey to a brutal murder after a home invasion. 
RIP my brothers/sisters as the case maybe


Peace and tolerance


H


additional thoughts from teens on gays in Jamaica and homosexuality as a gay for pay thing and the violence is more gay on gay.

Case Update: Brotha Hurt by Homophobic Violence in 2008

Remember this case in 2008? where three gay men were attacked in Mandeville, Manchester at their home by an angry mob of approximately 20 people who had threatened them with violence days before if they did not leave the community to which they refused. The matter was also aired on CVM TV (a DVD copy should be a JFLAG's archives, if kept safe) at the time with the fire brigade saying on camera they supposedly went down a natural cave formation where one of the men was suspected to have fallen into and found nothing, a claim that has left many including myself doubting as our forces do not have the requisite cave exploration equipment to do that kind of investigation.

What as even more disturbing at the time was that a group of local expert cavers offered on a pro bono basis to assist to prove if such excavation was done as said by the fire department to which JFLAG declined, this was one of the many controversial pointers that has gotten several persons doubting JFLAG's reoluteness on issues at the time to the present day leading to the strong criticisms about their stewardship.

The photos below highlight some of the injuries then as I had taken at the old office when he had come in for an interview I had insisted upon then that injuries be documented carefully and the necessary permissions granted for re-publication:

He has since healed miraculously along with his other friend who sustained far lesser injuries as he managed to escape the impending doom as they watched television in their rented flat. I caught up with him at a party recently and he was in good spirits, unlike others he decided to remain in Jamaica no matter what and do what he has to do and not take the asylum route for now. He was looking quite well physically too and his scars could barely be seen as they have healed nicely, including the chopped left ear that was reported as severed on some news sites and blogs.

Thankfully his life was speared after this harrowing ordeal, as for his missing friend he is not sure what has happened really to him but he doubts he fell in the cavern at the time as no signs of any deceased has occurred since including unusual odours etc. to indicate such. His other friend has since also found resolve from his temporary displacement and was last heard from some months ago by our photographed individual above.

Great news as we sometimes do not follow up and bring some closure to some of the atrocities past thus leaving detractors to think no such happenings go on in the first place hence the cynicism when LGBT groups agitate and to also inform the LGBT body politic of the outcomes of some of the cases where persons think the victims are still victims when they do not see or hear of the transitions and gains they have made in rebuilding and assimilating into general society.

Hope he grows from strength to strength other updates will come from time to time as needed.

Peace and tolerance

H

Skewed and still no justice after 49 years

Originally posted two years ago as "..after 47 years"



By the way, Happy Independence Day if you feel so moved but judging from the cartoon in the Observer two years ago in 2009 it makes one question how independent are we?



Yes we are free from colonial rule and are supposed to be managing our affairs but our former colonial masters left a template for us to use in the form of the Westminster parliamentary system and as far as freedom of choice and orientation goes they have removed the buggery and other related acts and laws to secure citizen's rights and privileges. Not to mention the other ills which I won't go into now.

A law for the rich and and law for the poor is what we have ended up with for the past 49 years which still dogs us in however subtle forms it may present itself. I mean I never expected things to happen overnight but one would have expected more enlightened legislation and thought from the intelligentcia on class, sex, sexuality and sexual orientation. With three major University campuses, various law schools and an additional 4 overseas institutions operating here all of whom offer some Psychological and related studies independent and liberal thinking are woefully lacking.



The two types of justice at least exists but for gay people in general as we all know there is very little for us when we have to access the state mechanisms to achieve closure. We are ignored or vilified and accused of paedophilia even without proper investigative procedures. It's only since the new Police Commissioner stepped into office we have seen slight improvements as far as the police community relations are concerned. Gays and lesbians still have it hard and to think our motto says "Out of many, one people" we are eons away from it. Older gay folk with tell you that in the sixties and seventies we never had this kind of trouble except for the occasional taunt by kids whose parents would discuss a suspected neighbour over their dinner table or some ostracism but that was as far as it went, now even under the slightest suspicion you can be beaten or killed at the least warned before the impending doom is enacted.



Justice where is it for us?, most gays are subject to ridicule and forced outings when allegedly caught in the act, we are dragged into court, cases are tried (if it gets to trial) in open court instead of "in camera" meaning without the public present in the room, names published in the papers, stories embellished for sensationalism to sell papers, cases languish in court that is if we persistently attend mention dates (if it gets so far as arresting officers scarcely follow up) we may get a sine die adjournment long after then the arduous task of clearing your police record if you want to access certain services or to clear ones name.

Is it that we are going to have to consider civil unrest and have martyrs among us to get the point across or to effect change and How many of us a are willing to take that stand? We are so busy living in our own worlds and have become so individualistic we forget others because we are not poor so many feel we won't get beaten or hurt and are far removed from the realities on the ground, so we can hop on a plane and go somewhere else. Justice is a reciprocal process as I see it we can't just sit by and demand it, we have to act as well legally firstly and if needed, civil disobedience. Even our advocacy has been tainted by this elitist stance in a sense, the powers that be aren't from the larger LGBT body politic and are immune or far removed from the matters of homophobic violence etc of which they speak on, which is not to say they cannot speak but we have to include those voices directly in the mission but often times they are missing from the agitations over these many years, just take a look at the latest video campaign which has persons of a "lighter shade" who may never know save and except for reports what violent homophobia is all about, the video would have made a better impact if real victims were used if it means concealing their identities that has been done before. Many in the community are not pleased with the video although the intent is noble and is a start from the rigor mortis that had set in over the years, thankfully vigilance by us is also forcing the sleeping giant to act as was evidenced in several party interventions which JFLAG booths have been seen lately a feature that was not present before, we hope it continues and not die which would suggest it was used to keep the criticisms to a minimum.



Hmmmm some questions for us:

Are you comfortable as a GLTBQ citizen in this country?



What has happened to the legal agitation that started in 1998 to decriminalize buggery?



What about the public engagement for tolerance and understanding?



Why do gay politicians ignore who they are and join the band waggon in the name of political correctness?



Why are we hiding in the shadows (DL) instead of coming out?

Is JFLAG doing a good job on our behalf?

How can we mobilize ourselves to become effective?



Independent? I think not as far as gays are concerned, we have imprisoned ourselves in certain respects as well there are powerful movers and shakers in this land who can help to shape a more tolerant society instead they sit and are quiet. Even as we celebrate there are reports of only continued homophobic violence but gay on gay violence as well and a oblivious advocacy system that seeks to heap praise on itself more than directly engage certain sections of the LGBT body politic that are deemed undesirables.



Tolerance is what counts we all can co-exist, we can't go asking for it from John public and we can't even extend or agree on the cohesive way forward.



FREE UP YUSELF



H

Remembering Donahue Jimmy Bulgin: April 11, 1966 - April 14, 2005

Donahue Jimmy Bulgin: April 11, 1966-April 14, 2005

Thanks to a fellow DJ/Queen from Toronto DJ Relentless I was reminded of this awful event in 2oo5 and like me Relentless also made a decision to desist playing certain dancehall tunes in protest against murder music, here is one of many poems that were dedicated to Bulgy as he was also known at the time of his murder in western Jamaica.

Thanks Relentless for this.

The poem:

Jamaican Birthday

By Monday the missing person flyer I designed was unnecessary The dogs had already found you

Everyone said you looked stunning at Grandma’s funeral wearing the blue Yves Saint Laurent suit I gave you compliments of the Salvation Army thrift store

Breathtaking it would be to see you now in moonlit rain styled with the passion of
machete fire and hate adorned in a plain bed sheet a gift of the police

For your 39th birthday your mother roasted breadfruit (although you preferred it boiled)

I reopened a credit card that flew me to you with birthday presents undeclared at the Jamaican Customs house I returned to New York with my complexion no darker from the sun’s fire

No anti-gay fire burned we chi chi men even as the new CD player I carried down
blasted Carl Bean’s disco declaration I’m happy I’m carefree and I’m gay I was born this way 1

The dogs found you in your own yard in a fatal reversal of your 39th birthday to nine night in three days with an offering of flesh to tear from bones for guard dogs that never barked at strangers dogs whose tails wagged with the satisfaction of a full belly

A boy half your age half your size drives your missing car What music does a killer listen to in his victim’s car? He wears your clothes
clothes twice his size clothes carefully removed from their hangers in the bedroom closet while your body was burning behind your house in the bushes underneath the birds of paradise

The blue Yves Saint Laurent suit remains in the closet You won’t be wearing it at your own funeral Breathtaking it is to see you now skeletal organs exposed through browned bones
ashy skin no lotion can soothe nor hand will touch after the dance of flames rode your body
to the twilight rhythm of crickets and frogs

Quiet is fire Loud was your voice balling out to neighbors down the hill who did not call the police
because your yelling stopped before the last cutlass chop drew blood that rain washed away
away away away

Four nights of rain cleared the stains of eight cervical lacerations but did not wash away our love
my tears the assassin’s intent your ashes You are ashes and memories of your smile never before so painful to see You skinned your teeth permanently but I can’t hear your bellowing laugh only the gasps of your name exclaimed in horror that four nights of rain can never carry away from your death night to your earth day

Amnesty International (Caribbean) removes paper documenting Jamaican anti-gay violence in early 2000

Humboldt Against Hate has made a startling revelation via a post on June 20, 2011 - "The Caribbean Office" of Amnesty International had a straightforward answer when it was asked why a document about homophobia in Jamaica was removed from its website:

The document you made reference was not an Amnesty International public

document but an internal document for action from AI membership. It is the reason why you cannot access it anymore (it should not have been on Internet for public).

Here's a link to the "Wayback Machine" archive of the document. It is reproduced in full below:

http://web.archive.org/web/20090624202721/http:/www.amnestyusa.org/lgbt-human-rights/country-information/jamaica/page.do?id=1106567
"Battybwoys affi dead:" Action against homophobia in Jamaica

In January 2004, around 30,000 people attended a huge stage show and Rastafarian celebration, Rebel Salute, in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Some of Jamaica's most celebrated artists were present. Throughout the night, Capleton, Sizzla and others sang almost exclusively about gay men. Using the derogatory terms for gay men - "chi chi men" or "battybwoys" they urged the audience to "kill dem, battybwoys haffi dead, gun shots pon dem... who want to see dem dead put up his hand" (kill them, gay men have got to die, gun shots in their head, whoever wants to see them dead, put up your hand).
Elephant Man, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, TOK, and Capleton are amongst the stars who have written lyrics variously urging the shooting, burning, rape, stoning and drowning of gay people.

From Buju Banton's Boom Bye Bye, which threatened "batty boys" with "ah gunshot in ah head", to Beenie Man's "I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays" to Babycham & Bounty Killer's "Bun a fire pon a kuh pon mister fagoty, Ears ah ben up and a wince under agony, Poop man fi drown a dat a yawd man philosophy" (Burn gay men, til they wince under agony, gay men should drown, that's the yard man's philosophy), the exhortations to kill and maim seem to know no bounds.
DEADLY LYRICS
"When yuh hear a Sodomite get raped...
But a fi wi fault...
It's wrong
Two women gonna hock up inna bed
That's two Sodomites dat fi dead."

(Sodomites -- A derogatory term for lesbians)

– Elephant Man"When you hear of a lesbian getting raped
It's not our fault
It's wrong
Two women in bed
That's two Sodomites who should be dead."

Although the singers are Jamaican, their records are widely distributed abroad. Recently organisations in Jamaica such as J-FLAG, Jamaica's only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group, have been joined by others around the world targeting the artists themselves, as well as radio stations, record labels and music stores that have distributed and promoted the songs.
The groups have sought to bring the lyrics to the attention of the public and the authorities. In December 2003, campaigners from the British gay rights group OutRage called on the British police to arrest Bounty Killer for incitement and conspiracy to commit murder, amongst other offences, during a UK tour. As the group stated in a letter to the Metropolitan Police, "in a democratic society people have a right to criticise homosexuality, but they do not have the right to encourage queer-bashing violence and murder."

The problem of homophobia in Jamaica goes far beyond any single artist however. Here, reports of violence regularly meted out to members of the LGBT community have reached such an extent that they have started to attract international headlines. Action is needed on a much wider scale to systematically tackle the prejudice that inspires the attacks and the laws which facilitate them.

"My experience as a gay man living in Jamaica is one which is marked by periodic incidences of abuse, both verbal and physical. I have lost count of the number of times I have been verbally abused, called ‘battyman', ‘chi-chi', ‘sodomite', ‘dirty battybwoy' (all derogatory terms for homosexual men)."

-- Gay man, talking to J-Flag, 2003.

The reports that AI has received range from vigilante action by members of the community to ill-treatment or torture by the police. Gay men and women have been beaten, cut, burned, raped and shot on account of their sexuality. In the past two years at least 5 Jamaicans have been granted asylum in the UK because their lives had been threatened as a result of their sexual identity; others have been granted asylum in the USA and Canada. AI believes that these reports are just the tip of the iceberg however. Many gay men and women in Jamaica are too afraid to speak of their experiences to human rights organizations or to the authorities.
One man described to J-FLAG how six men from an infamous "garrison community" (poor, inner-city communities controlled by either of Jamaica's two main political parties) blocked a road to beat a local gay man.
"The crowd stood around watching, chanting "battyman, battyman, battyman" before gathering around him as he lay on the sidewalk. The crowd beat, punched and kicked him. They threw water from the gutter and garbage on him, all the while shouting "battyman, battyman." Then they dragged him down the road for half a kilometre. They shouted "battyman fi' dead." As I stood across the street I realised there was nothing I could do to help him. Some mothers were actually in tears at what they were witnessing but there was nothing that they could do either. ... The crowd was saying "Give him to us! Let us kill him! He's a battyman!"
When police arrived they had to call for back-up. Three police jeeps arrived and fired shots into the air to clear the crowd.
The story is typical. Once a person's sexuality becomes known to family or community, they are at risk. Amnesty International has interviewed many people who have been forced to leave their areas after being publicly vilified, threatened or attacked on suspicion of being gay. They face homelessness, isolation or worse.
In a particularly egregious recent example, a national newspaper reported in February 2004 that a father had encouraged students to attack his son after he discovered a picture of a nude man in his rucksack. One student described the attack on the 16-year old on 18th February 2004 by other students: "him get nuff lick, kick, box and thump from other boy and girl." School authorities were forced to call police to escort the boy off the compound. Police were also attacked. Students received a "stern warning" but, at the time of writing, no-one had been charged in connection with the assaults.

One man was forced to leave his community in 2003 after his friend was murdered and he was threatened by local gunmen. He is still homeless and living a hand-to-mouth existence.
"One morning, at about 2 a.m., my friend was at a dance in the community. He was enjoying himself and dancing and suddenly there was a gunshot and a bullet hit my friend in the back of his head. He turned around after realising he was shot and they shot him in his face again three more times. He fell, but they continued to shoot him as he lay on the ground. Then they announced that I was next and "battyman fi' dead."
Protection is often denied by the police, who in many cases appear to tacitly or actively support such violence. Amnesty International has received many reports of police failing to investigate homophobic-hate crimes. In some cases they fail even to take written or verbal reports of incidents. One man called the police after running into a supermarket to escape from an attack in Half Way Tree, Kingston:

"We waited more than half an hour and still the police did not come. The police station is less than five minutes away. We eventually realised that the police were not in fact on their way and decided to see if we could leave safely. We were shaken by this incident, but doubly upset because the police had not responded to this homophobic attack."

In many instances, the police have tortured or ill-treated LGBT victims of crime seeking assistance from the police. AI has received numerous reports of police arresting and detaining

men overnight whom they suspect of being gay, or charging them with offences such as loitering. In some cases individuals have appeared in court several times before charges were dropped. In other cases known to the organisation, police have stopped passers-by or placed gay men in the holding-area of police station, informing those present of the "batty-men" and encouraging further verbal or physical abuse.

An example of the kind of treatment LGBT individuals can expect from the police occurred in 2003 when a group of gay men were attacked, beaten, ill-treated and detained by plain clothes police officers as they socialized together in a bar frequented by the gay community in Kingston. One of the victims described what happened to J-FLAG:

"All of a sudden, a white van pulled through the gate and men armed with firea

rms jumped out of the vehicle and starting to fire shots into the crowd. We scattered in all directions, jumping fences and dividing for cover. A group of three of my friends and I began to run. They could jump the fence, but I had difficulty so they had to drag me over the fence with men chasing us and firing at us. This happened three times and each time I was dragged over the fence I fell on my head. Finally, we got to a residence and I hid behind a tree. My friend was not fast enough to find a hiding place and the two men who had been chasing us caught him and began to beat him with their fists and their weapons, kicked him as he lay on the ground, calling him a battyman. They took him away.
I met up with some of the guys from the crowd on my way home, and found out that my friend had been taken to the police station, and that the men who had attacked us were plain-clothes policemen. When I saw my friend later, he told me that they verbally abused him at the station and had told their co-workers that he was a battyman and they began to verbally abuse him as well. They held him overnight and released him. He was not charged with any offence."

Police appear to also target healthcare providers working with LGBT individuals and there have been several reports of nurses, community workers or others being unlawfully detained and ill-treated by the police. In 2003, three men were detained and searched by the police in Half-Way Tree. When asked by the police why they had condoms on them, they reportedly stated that they were promoting safe sex to both men and women. Police told the men that they were to be locked up for promoting "battybusiness". The men were crowded into the back of a police car as none of the officers wanted to sit next to them. They were not allowed to let their bodies touch

the policeman who was also sitting in the back of the vehicle. At the police station, other officers told them that they should be dead and that policemen should have killed them rather than bringing them into the station. Police pointed them out as "battymen" to everyone who came into the station. The men were released after three hours.

"We did not report this to the police because my friend felt, based on past experience, that the police would be unsympathetic and possibly abusive too." -- Man attacked with rocks by three armed men in 2003.

This kind of behavior from police officers means that an accurate picture of the number of victims of homophobic violence in Jamaica is impossible. Since so much shame and disbelief surrounds violence against the gay community – and since victims can not expect to receive the protection of the law - the number of men and women who report abuse is assumed to be many times fewer that the number of actual incidents.
The police are not the only authority to actively discriminate against non-heterosexual individuals. Reports of individuals losing their jobs once their sexuality has become known to their employer are common. Sometimes medical staff have reportedly joined in abusing gay or lesbian patients. When a group of gay men accompanied their friend to hospital after he was attacked, stabbed and robbed, they were verbally abused by staff in the accident and emergency department. One told J-FLAG that:

"The porters, janitors, and even some of the nurses laughed at us. They took a much longer time than usual to attend to us; we got to the hospital at about 10 p.m. and they did not attend to us until the next morning."Although lesbianism is not a criminal offence under Jamaican law, gay men are not the only targets of this kind of violence in Jamaica. Amnesty has assisted in several cases of lesbian women from Jamaica who have sought asylum abroad following persecution at home. Amnesty International has received reports of acts of violence against lesbians, including rape and other forms of sexual violence. There are reports of lesbians being singled out for attack on the grounds of "mannish" physical appearance or other visible manifestations of sexuality. Some reports of abduction and rape emanate from inner-city garrison communities where local NGOs have already expressed concerns about very high incidences of the prevalence of violence against women. There are some reports that lesbian women have been forced to carry drugs by community gangs, on threat of, or after having been abducted, beaten or otherwise degraded or

assaulted.

Perhaps fuelling such acts is the widespread public misconception that lesbianism is illegal. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the public is largely unaware that this is not in fact the case. This perception is reinforced by comments made by authority figures, such as politicians, the media, religious leaders and dancehall musicians. A Gleaner/Don Anderson poll of September 2001 posed the question "do you think that homosexuality should be legalised?" – drawing no distinction between male or female same-sex relations. According to the Jamaican NGO J-FLAG, the derogatory Jamaican word for lesbian, "sodomite", further underlines this misconception, as the word derives from an imputation against males.
Against this backdrop of high levels of violent crime - including murder - against gay and lesbian people in Jamaica, tacitly accepted by the police, are the laws that continue to criminalise consensual gay sex between males. Article 76 of the Jamaican Offences against the Person Act punishes the "abominable crime of buggery" by up to ten years' imprisonment with hard labour. Article 79 of the same act punishes any act of physical intimacy between men in public or private by a term of imprisonment of up to two years and the possibility of hard labour.

Jamaica is not the only country within the region that retains laws criminalising consensual sex between adults of the same sex. Only two English-speaking Caribbean countries do not criminalise this at all: the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Here, reports of discrimination and ill-treatment are still common. In July 2003, a Bahamian Bishop threatened to become the first "live Guy Fawkes" if the Government passed legislation legalizing same sex marriage. "The devil and every demon in hell can expect the church to react because God has done too much for us,"

he reportedly said. Jamaican and Guyanese laws are silent on lesbianism, whilst in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Saint Lucia, all acts of homosexuality are illegal.

Such acts of violence are set against a public which appears to strongly endorse the idea of differential treatment. A recent poll showed that 96% of Jamaicans were opposed to any move that would seek to legalise homosexual relations. Many churches have released statements indicating their support for the retention of current laws. In December 2001, Roman Catholic bishops in the Caribbean stated that they would be against decriminalising consensual sex between consenting adults. In 2001, the Jamaican Prime Minister reiterated his support for the exclusion of gay men from the Boy Scouts movement.
The risks facing LGBT people in Jamaica are increased because of the lack of effective governmental programmes catering to the needs of the gay and lesbian community. From the lack of effective victim support or witness protection schemes, to ineffective and oftentimes brutal policing, to an absence of refuges, the authorities are, in the organisation's view, unable to protect LGBT people in need.

In such a climate, the activities of J-FLAG are crucial. At the forefront of lobbying and campaigning on the issue in Jamaica, their work supporting LGBT people and promoting an agenda of inclusion and equality in extremely hostile conditions is essential. Their activities include running a telephone helpline, workshops and training of authorities, including health care workers, media and students . However the NGO has very limited funds and their activities can not and should not replace actions by the state to fulfil its international legal obligations to

protect citizens from violence (the "due diligence" concept).

The way forward?
Is there an impetus for reform from within Jamaica? The Prime Minister of Jamaica has publicly confirmed his intention to retain legislation which discriminates against homosexuals on many occasions.

In 2000 the Jamaican parliament discussed J-FLAG proposals to amend the current bill of rights to the Constitution to include prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexuality. Section 24(3) of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed. The proposals were rejected in June 2001 by a Parliamentary

Special Select Committee. The Committee reportedly feared that the provision would force reform of other laws, such as those on marriage and taxation.

In December 2001, a parliamentary Select Committee recommended that Parliament review laws criminalising consensual gay sex. The proposals were rejected by Parliament in January 2002.

ENDS

What has also irked myself and others as that JFLAG itself since its revamping of the old website many of the older accounts of violence and historical data has been lost or not replaced, stories such as the Parliamentary submissions on Buggery, the Male netball founder and activist,

Michael Johnson's account of his work with MSMs, the accounts of homophobic abuse by the agents of the state plus many more items. We seem to have a total disregard for archiving and preserving history.

Thankfully the GFM, Gay Freedom Movement archives that myself and others were concerned about were finally reposited (sadly overseas) at an online archiving facility this June 21 in the United States where Larry Chang (GFM Co-Founder now resides.

http://dloc.com/icirngfm

Warning!: Fake Facebook pics and hookup dangers

With Facebook now the most widely used social networking site by Jamaican LGBTQI people these days there was sooner or later bound to be some anancyism turning up at some point as we are a people good for that kind of crap. With no clear rules by Facebook as to the use of the account holder having a real photograph of themselves on their profiles dishonest individuals have been running rough shod with photos of buffed man or provocative male images with some intended to lure unsuspecting MSMs in particular who in a short time arrange hook ups while not even verifying and developing any long term e-lationship or chat before the face to face or supposed sexual encounter.

Men who have sex with men are not the only ones who have been duped into this practice with disastrous and near death results.

Two women who suffered the "corrective rape discipline" that some men think they have a right to do in order to straighten them out after they were lured to meet a "lesbian" who has set up a profile with a female body (head capped) on a particular site run by a Jamaican as well, unbeknownst to the owner it happened with even CISOCA Centre for investigations of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse getting involved as they tracked the rape ring which led them to central Jamaica where one of the master minds was accosted. He got 29 years in total as he was on bail and had previous charges of rape as well answering in the courts. Another was arrested at the time but the case fizzled as the victims refused to come forward to testify fearing reprisals. CISOCA had seized several computers, printed copies of online message chats both on MSN and the particular networking site as well. Archived copies of the chat were also preserved by one of the victims as well which was a smart move on her part.

Thankfully the site's admin has since implemented new security features where members only can now log on with new members needing referencing or verification from existing ones. Both victims met a so called brother of the girl who took them to a fake address where his cronies were laying in wait armed with guns.

See more HERE

and HERE

Serial rapist gets 29 years in rape ring, Look out my sisters.

This particular MSM case of which this post revolves happened on June 11 and comes from a young man who met someone on the popular Facebook site who had a photo of an exposed torso male. Believing the photo was that of the person behind the messages and comments between the two over a three week period the profile's holder invited the young man to be in a face to face meeting at a point they agreed on. The date arrived but just before the meeting was to take place the profiler changed the point of contact via a phone call and in hind sight the young man said he heard rough voices in the background speaking about what they should "do to him" but he thought it was something else or not him. He went to the area near a plaza just off a main road for the proverbial hook up wearing the exact colours he had indicated to the profiler but noticed when he arrived some twenty minutes prior to the set time that a car was near the area parked seemingly with passengers aboard as the body of vehicle was lower than normal and the engines were running, he dismissed any unsuspecting issue as he thought that due to the summer' heat the occupants were using the engines to power the air conditioning.

Soon after he walked to the exact spot on the piazza where two men alighted and gave chase but though young he was not a fool as he had planned his escape route should the need arise.

This however was not before the men shouted the usual curse words "battyman" etc as their attempts were thwarted, it is not yet clear though if the men were homophobic or they wanted to gang rape the young man, he surmises the latter as he said after passing the photo around he was told it is a regular practice by this profiler to lure men for rough sex usually under duress.

Thankfully this one ended the way it did but for the men to use curse despite the young man's strong suspicion of gay on gay violence is a glaring sign how easily persons will cloak themselves with homophobic disguises to carry out their dirty deeds. Homophobes can well be posing as gay too or DL persons who are struggling with their own feelings of guilt and shame also can exercise this kind of revenge attacks as well to purge themselves of said guilt.

Some suggestions:

Please bear in mind the following if you or someone you know is planning a face to face meeting following an continued e-lationship

1. Make sure the profiler has a real photo or photos of themselves
2. Ask questions about them, get to know as much as possible as timely as possible
3. Establish telephone contact as early as you see fit
4. Listen for any change in mood, tone or information shared over time
5. Keep the e-lationship going with regular interactions to pick up any changes as well
6. Archive or save suspicious exchanges as you see fit
7. Avoid instant hook-ups without first developing some rapport in the e-lationship
8. Tell a close friend where and when you are going to meet an online friend for the first time
9. Develop a trend in communicating for e.g same times if possible per day for chatting
10. If you decide to meet find an open public area as best as possible, and decide how to behave in that space to avoid any unsuspecting onlookers who may deduce it's a gay link up
11. Decide on clothing and colour or change colours previously agreed to if you are not sure of the individual
12. Study your surroundings when there and get there early (as this young man did)
13. Plan your possible route(s) of escape if necessary
14. Have a weapon of some sort or maze that can create a distraction then escape as quickly as possible
15. Have a trusted friend accompany you if possible and have them away from the actual meeting spot but make sure they can see you
16. Make a call if needed to the person(s) who followed you and keep the line open so they can hear your conversation and call for help elsewhere if needed
17. Set your Facebook profile to "Friends Only" as under "Friends of Friends" all other persons can see you
18. If you are in a group and are active you may turn off the feature where non friends can send you a message or see you photos
19. Use only a sensible face picture as your profile thumbnail so as to avoid stalking

These are just some of what you can do as suggested by me, do more online research on your own as well.

Here is a previous suggested checklist I had done for the same gender loving sisters when I had written on their side of things:

"This is a stern warning to my lesbian sisters out there please be mindful of the persons and social networks you become associated with, here are some tips I think that are useful:
1) Check the sites and chat rooms to make sure their privacy settings allow for scrutiny of members and their profiles.
2) Be ware of the amount of pictures of yourself you may upload to these open sites,
3) If one intends to meet or hook-up with potential persons from these networks do so in a public place for your own protection
4) Develop a rapport with online chatters or friends before meeting them; get to know the chatter by asking probing questions
5) Use a pseudonym where necessary and ask the administrators to verify members where necessary
6) Use the privacy settings available on your respective social networks so that not everyone can see your page if needed
7) When in doubt just block a suspicious profile user if one if not satisfied that the person is legitimate
8) Be alert to the number of members in your page and try to discern suspicious activity
9) If in doubt leave the respective page and delete all content of you including photos
10) Look for pages that offer privacy settings that are suitable for you protection, pages on NING, Facebook and MySpace offer great privacy settings that can make your profile hidden from all other members
11) Network with those you know so they can verify other folks and tread carefully online."

As I say on my sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica - "Be Vigilant, Be Safe" in your e-lations.

Peace and tolerance

H

Homophobia heats up with the summer

As the summer months fast approach us and today being the longest day of the year the tense atmosphere in that which is Jamaica in as far as homophobia is concerned is becoming more so, as more reports continue to come in and JFLAG in a recent flyer (Below) said they had some reports as well.

One of the police abuse instances that is mentioned above in that flyer is one that occurred in Montego Bay where a party promoter aligned to some rouge police officers were sent to disrupt a popular venue there as it was deemed as taking away business in the ever increasingly stiff party entertainment market. Sadly it seems JFLAG has overlooked or chose to ignore the real reason in fear of the community's embarrassment coming too much to light, if we are going to be speaking on rights we must speak the truth and call it as we see it, not gloss it over. The others were flat out homophobic abuse.

Read more on that here from my sister blog on Wordpress:

Big Blow For Homeless/Displaced MSMs In Western Jamaica …..

Of interest are the cases of beatings since May with a recent one in Glendevon in St. James of a 13 year old. The previous was a skirmish in St. Thomas which started out as a quarrel over a fence with a neighbour and ended up in homophobic slurs being directed at one of the occupants of the property who by the utterances of his detractors said they suspected him as a battyman. Disturbing lesbophobic attacks as well have been making the rounds with unconfirmed choppings and beatings in St. Ann of two women respectively while a confirmed case of "picketing" in Kingston of a same gender loving woman has also come to light which occurred in late May. She has since relocated and is planning on selling the property.

The case of the former business man who was displaced and had relocated has taken a new twist as the police had to be called in to settle a dispute with a landlord who also accused the man of not having any woman, so he must be a battyman den and he should leave her place at once. The police as reported were professional and reminded her of the rules as stated under the Rent Act as to how to ask a tenant to vacate ones premises but the landlord has threatened to use other means to get rid of him so he is taking all the needed precautions.

A suspected murder at a previous crime spot in Kingston nearing the national solid waste authority building is also of grave concern but unconfirmed as at this post. The murder of a former JFLAG volunteer and employee earlier this year is also still disturbing myself and others who are close to the case as he was buried unceremoniously as a pauper with no last rights offered due to an unrepentant homophobic father and a less caring organization of which he was apart no matter how short his tenure was. Not even so much as a release to formally recognise him was forthcoming.

See more here on previous questionable deaths of members of our community:

The Tragic Loss Of Three Icons In Less Than A Month ……..

Also see the entry from Wordpress on the dancehall DJ's entourage attack at a gas station earlier this year:

Hate Crime Or Magnet For A Beating? ……. Popular DJ’s Entourage Square Off With Gay Men ……………..

Men Rushed And Beaten In New Kingston

Certainly I am worried and deeply at this sharp rise in accounts of abuse and other problems that we ourselves cause to occur such as a lack of vigilance of ones private electronic devices and computers especially when surfing social network pages with gay materials with relatives or non gay friends around only to have them eaves-drop or deliberately force themselves to discover the secret with a broadcast that causes awful repercussions. A disturbing case of blackmail also has come to the fore of a young man who was found out by a distant relative only to have the

same relative declare his own same sex attractions and demanding sexual favours as the young man resided in the home of the relative. He is since seeking new accommodation to avoid any eventualities.

A case of a chase in Half Way Tree on May 17 was also confirmed as a young man who had had a public quarrel with another man alleged also to be gay near the York Pharmacy was chased away by the fruit vendors and taxi drivers nearby as he exited the establishment according to reports, his raucous behaviour was not tolerated by onlookers who also used the regular curse words "battyman" sadly more and more it is becoming burdensome to have to bring these events in my posts to your attention but it is needed so we can have some clue as to what's really going on. The difficulty as always is confirmation of some of the reports and accusations such as the beating of a youngster at a prominent high school in Kingston, it has been the subject of

discussion elsewhere on social network sites but no one seems able to provide proper leads or evidence to that effect.

What is promising is the younger lgbt body politic is not lost to adopting some care and vigilance and they are speaking out on issues as well it is refreshing to see the vibrant exchanges now on some networking sites and it is hoped that this can help the information sharing to grow in earnest although many of the subject matter is of a raunchy nature but that may tire out some and maybe lead to new issues or real issues being brought to bear. Certainly the participation in advocacy typed activity such as responding to letters to the editors, article reviews and critiquing the issues as well as the advocates JFLAG's stewardship is on the minds of this new crop on LGBT people.

Sadly as seen below the transgender advocacy from the J is still way below par and the invisibility from lack of proper engagement and discourse is glaring, the page only has a link to a Wikipedia entry and as usual the comments section is closed, so much for engagement and forumatic activity. JFLAG SITE

Let's continue to be vigilant at all angles, watch and document what you see and hear, let me know if you desire it to go public send via email to lgbtevent@gmail.com or link JFLAG if your so desire at the numbers on the flyer above that shows the countdown of incidents.

Peace and tolerance

H

June is Pride Month ... but sadly last year's post still seems befitting

Sadly not much has changed since last year's entry on Pride Month on my sister blog GLBTQJA, yes we have seen some silent protests from a section of the advocacy arena and the letter writing campaign is still on which are geared to the anti gay establishment, there are some other changes in regards to homelessness and our transgender sister who was mentioned in the original piece but sorry to be the bearer of bad news many are just not feeling the overall community unity and sense of worth that is needed, there is a bright spot where a new forumatic area has been helping to air some of the inter and intra community issues and social networking sites have also been widely utilised, have a read of the post from last year and see if you agree, some slight editing has been done.

So June is PRIDE Month internationally as various parts of the world will celebrate publicly in most instances their respective LGBTQ events. With new territories adding their own voices in expressing pride in themselves, Jamaica in times past has had our own set of private celebratory events, parties and lymes when the the days of JFLAG (Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays) were far more introspective in the community itself and using such activities as a part of the social support strategy to engage the community and develop an identity given the homophobia and violence meted out to persons accused of being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered as we have seen in recent times. Only some party promoters and bloggers like myself who will highlight or have events so themed in respect to the occasion still carry on, I hope that will change soon.

PRIDE presently is supposed to be a mostly American invention coming out of the Stonewall events in the late sixties, other jurisdictions have added their own historical experiences such as Brisbane, Russia, Canada and The UK. LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity. The movement has three main premises: that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity, that diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered. The use of the abbreviated gay pride and pride have since become mainstream and shorthand expressions inclusive of all individuals in various LGBT communities.

The word pride is used in this case as an antonym for shame, which has been used to control and oppress LGBT persons throughout history. Pride in this sense is an affirmation of ones self and the community as a whole. The modern "pride" movement began after the "Stonewall riots" in 1969. Instead of backing down to unconstitutional raids by New York Police, gay people in local bars fought back. While it was a violent situation it also gave the underground community the first sense of communal pride in a very well publicized incident. From the yearly parade that commemorated the anniversary of the Stonewall riots began a national grassroots movement. Today many countries around the world celebrate LGBT pride. The pride movement has furthered the cause of gay rights by lobbying politicians, registering voters and increasing visibility to educate on issues important to LGBT communities. LGBT pride advocates work for equal "rights and benefits" for LGBT people.

Symbols of LGBT pride include the LGBT rainbow flag, butterfly, the Greek lambda symbol, and the pink as well as black triangles reclaimed from their past use.

Historical Background:
Advocates of gay pride have used history to point to oppression as well as differing levels of acceptance of homosexuality throughout history. The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier, as Western societies have done for the past century. Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants, but by the extent to which such desire or behavior conformed to social norms. These norms were based on gender, age and social status. "Lesbian" derives from the name of the island of Lesbos,which was famous for the poet Sappho, who wrote love poetry to female lovers. Homosexuality in the ancient Roman Empire is considered to have been widespread but was tempered by the complex social systems of the society.

During Medieval times all forms of sexuality began to be repressed by the church as the message of heaven and hell gained popularity. As technology fell behind, simple luxuries such as clean running water and proper sewage became a thing of the past. This caused horrible conditions and disease. People began to believe that they were suffering from the wrath of God, blaming immorality. Any and all forms of homosexuality became not only shameful but punishable by death.

see also:
Homosexuality in ancient Greece
and Homosexuality in ancient Rome
Symbols of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Movements
The Catholic Church and Homosexuality
Pride celebrated worldwide

In 390, the first law banning same-sex love was enacted in Rome, making it punishable by death.

Pride! but the problems on the ground still are real .......
In our most recent history though, it is disheartening that many activities that were once expected to occur during this period have died or discontinued, there were film festivals, art auctions, other forms of entertainment and forums/workshops as well that were helpful to the community to realise who we are with ordinary LGBTQ persons participating. Sad that the only advocacy group once again has failed and continue to fail us as a GLBTQ community in this regard to fuse our resolve in ourselves as proud people despite the problems we face literally on a daily basis. The closure of the MSM housing project in 2010 for example under the watch and deafening silence from JFLAG is a further indication that we are representationless as a community as only certain issues seem to be of priority while others are cast aside for whatever reasons at the risk of violence due to displacement and even reported deaths since 2011. Recent attacks on a camera crew from Sweden who were interviewing MSMs in a volatile community suggest we have a far way to go. Yes we may be proud as individuals as we assert ourselves as a natural survival instinct mechanism but it is sad we can't get the activities required on a larger scale to fuse the subgroups under the GLTBQ umbrella towards solving some of the inter-community issues that need urgent attention. Small cell groups however are doing what they can given their limited scope and resources available, many individuals would like to offer more but the present systems overlook or ignore such voices.

The important GLABCOM (Gay Lesbian Allsexual Community) meetings that were discontinued in Kingston in late 2008 has been meeting constant stalls in efforts by some to restart them. Frankly in my estimation there is nothing to be proud of in this vein presently given the set of circumstances that prevail. We have an advocacy system for the most part now being driven by funders who now basically dictate how those activities ought to operate as we have failed to properly carry out basic continuity of previous interventions, ideas and strategies that would have produced tangible results and a seemingly special club decides what happens on that level excluding dissenting voices like this one and others as was evidenced in the recent IDAHO event, the wider community was never made aware in a meaningful way of what IDAHO actually entails let alone a planned activity in Jamaica.

What is happening to our lesbian and bisexual women in terms of the corrective rape typed instances of violence meted out to them with very little assistance or concern from the advocacy quarters on these problem that has been on the increase since 2007 is worrying as well. Not even so much as public outcry on the matter to bring attention to it or some forumatic discourse on the issue at the community level.

The invisibility of the Transgender and bisexual communities are still a major concern for me, their issues need to be brought to the fore by main advocates and take a break from all this talk of repealing the buggery law.
Let us still celebrate PRIDE on an individual level non the less but we cannot and must not overlook these and other serious issues friends, I am sure there are many others you may know of as well in your own corners. See how best you can play however small a part in adding improvement of the lives of our brothers and sisters out there.

Peace, tolerance and PRIDE

H