Facebook & unintentional outings to family members ........

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.

Such was the introduction to a previous post in June of 2011 where I tried to raise awareness of the fast changing LGBT social scene and the use of social media in hookups and ones own safety from gay for pay predators and fake same gender love seeking folks who have other motives in mind including robbery.

Now we have the issue of family members inadvertently being exposed to persons private socialization in as far as privacy is concerned based on ones settings on their profiles. While many LGBT people in Jamaica are making use of improved free medium to keep in touch and to meet new "friends" and the latest sharing of information the less tech savy user may find themselves in problems with family members and siblings if after when they peruse information and "likes" on the respective profile at the time. Such was the case with this latest episode that has led to this post along with other reports of persons being "discovered" probably family members think they know their relatives until, FACEBOOK!

A twenty odd year old has found himself estranged from his father after they recently reconnected as he resides overseas and was absent from the young MSM's life for some time. His father soon recognised that he was apart of an LGBT group on Facebook as his profile settings was left "open" to reflect where he is active etc, a tersely worded email soon was sent by the curious elder who inquired if he was apart of a gay movement and if he realised that homosexuality was wrong in God's sight?

They have not spoken with the regularity they used to since and this has caused some distress to the young MSM so much so that he removed himself from all gay related groups and pages so as to present a "clean" image to his father who by the way is still on his friends list but hardly responds to pokes and messages sent by his son. I tried suggesting he find a counselor to deal with this issue as I am not qualified for that deep level issue but there are other stories similar to this coming to the fore since this revelation was made in one of the groups just before he removed himself from it. Same gender loving sisters in that group have also shared some concerns and one simply said she closed her old profile and created a new one. The young man had reached out to influentials but as usual we do not have the needed resources and the main stay systems hardly address issues like this so what to do? At best I suggest the following settings under the privacy and account setting tabs to avoid conflicts or unintentional outings. On your profile page beside home (top right hand corner) click the drop down arrow:

Go to: 

Apps and Websites
Control what gets shared with apps, games and websites........ then select Edit Settings

then go to:

How people bring your info to apps they use
People who can see your info can bring it with them when they use apps. Use this setting to control the categories of information people can bring with them......then edit settings .... the following should appear 

Then deselect the persons or relationships etc you want to be seen or not to be seen, the groups etc you are in. That is of course if you had set up a family and relationship group apart from your friends list.

Also on ones profile one can customize the viewers of posts at any given time, it might take a few more seconds to do so but it is worth the wait, that is also of course if you are willing to go through all that.

some control can also be here as well:

select the last option and you can literally type a name or names of persons who may want to block generally while using the above to control what goes fully public or to friends only etc.

Some previous safety suggestions that appeared on that June 2011 entry on hookups are posted are below:

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

The problematic adding of persons to groups without any restrictive action or vetting that action is also of concern as that has also caused some accidents for persons as sometimes especially if the group is an open one ones activity may appear on their wall viewable by all on their friend's list.

Tinker with the settings and see the ones that suit you best if you do not want to be exposed. Just some suggestions friends.

If all else fails just open another account that they do not know of and do your business.

Peace and tolerance

H

Milestones in 2011 in LGBT life ..............

originally Prepared and contributed by MT 

Additions and editing done 

1. People's National Party ,whose leader said that she had no objections to gays in her cabinet and that she would call for a conscience vote on the country's anti-sodomy law if selected as the country's 10th Prime Minister, won a landslide victory in national elections.

2. Two extremely anti-gay Members of Parliament, Clive Mullings & Ernest Smith, lost their seats after the December 29th 2011 general election.

3. The first gender non-conforming male elected to the country's Parliament December 29th

4. Jamaicans For Justice lambasts Bishop Herro Blair after his homophobic diatribe.

5. Prime Minister Andrew Holness calls for debate on gay issues.

6. “AIDS free World” launches first legal challenge to the buggery laws at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

7. First tolerance for gays and HIV public service announcement showed on television.

8. Gleaner comes out in support of Portia Simpson Miller’s statement about gay rights and buggery law.

9. Countless amount of supportive letters and articles in media about the buggery law and having gays in the cabinet.

10. Portia Simpson Miller defends her statement about gays and buggery law she made at the National Electoral Debate.

11. Church leader, Reverend Oliver Daley, comes out in favour of buggery law repeal.

12. The Gleaner newspaper lambasts Clive Mullings for his anti-gay rhetoric at JLP rally.

13. Documentary on HIV and Jamaican gays released.

14. Opposition leader Portia Simpson-Miller publicly declared at the National Electoral Debates that she would allow a gay person to be in appointed to her cabinet, would ensure that people are not discriminated because of their sexual orientation, while suggesting she like to would bring the Buggery laws to a conscience vote in parliament and disagrees with the former prime minister’s “Not in my cabinet” statement.

15. UN Gay rights resolution passes. Could spark change in anti-gay countries like Jamaica.

16. Hilary Clinton champions Global Gay Rights at UN Summit in Geneva. Promised to take gay rights into consideration when giving foreign aid.

17. President Barack Obama directed all government agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and aid programs "promote and protect" the rights of gays and lesbians.

18. Thanks to persons like Maurice Tomlinson we had over a dozen pro-gay, incident-free tolerance-themed public events.

19. Police Commissioner publicly declared that members of the police force should not discriminate based on sexual orientation.

20. President of the Senate, Oswald Harding, advocates for repeal of buggery law and protection based on sexual orientation.

21. Health Minister, Rudyard (Ruddy) Spenser advocates for repeal of buggery law and tolerance of gays for the fight against HIV.

22. Jamaica Gay rights activist, Maurice Tomlinson, is the 2011 recipient of the David Kato Vision and Voice Award.

23. Activists at UN demand an end to homophobic bullying in schools across the globe.

24. Pro-gay book launched at “Bookophilia” by Shirley Anderson Fletcher (sister of former first lady) who later came on television to promote the book.

25. UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, come out in support of gay rights globally and promised to redirect aid to nations with poor records on gay rights.

26. Gleaner comes out in support of buggery law repeal after David Cameron’s plea at Commonwealth Summit.

27. Coca-Cola apologizes for sponsoring event with anti-gay lyrics sung by “Sizzla”.

28. Gleaner editorial and letters to the editor in support of JFLAG’s “Unconditional Love” public Service Announcement.

29. Reggae Artiste, Mista Majah P, sings pro-tolerance song against homophobia and re-releases full album/CD. Promoted by Peter Tatchell.

30. “Unconditional Love” public service announcement calling for Jamaicans to love their gay family members launched. Rejected by TVJ and CVM but was shown on Youtube for all to see.

31. Police High Command withdraws Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey's controversial claims about links between homosexuals and organised crime.

32. Study shows street youth more accepting of gays.

33. Swedish film crew that visited Jamaica to record a documentary on the island's human-rights situation got a first-hand look at our notorious homophobia and police excesses.

34. US embassy pledges to help reduce HIV/AIDS among locals.

35. Dancehall artistes stop direct anti-gay murder lyrics.

36. Jamaican Islamic leader in Germany expelled for calling for the death of gays.

37. Charter of rights criticised by media for not protecting gays. Ian Boyne and Elon Parkinson from CVM agrees with buggery law repeal and protection of gays by Charter.

38. Gleaner calls for gays to be protected by Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.

39. Homophobic Jamaica Labour party embarrassed when JLP councillor gets charged for buggery.

additions

40. First ever business and lifestyle exposition called PRIDE FEST, making the pink dollar more worthy

41. Record numbers of commitment ceremonies on record in recent history ........ 7 SGL females and 3 SGL males

42. The most LGBT entertainment offerings since recorded history in one year ...... 43

43. Most successful asylum cases for LGBT persons overseas ..... estimated at 24

44. 8 more LGBT blogs added to the independent media list of bloggers

45. DJ Howie celebrates 15 years in the LGBT entertainment business and is awarded by the Sankofa Mgmt team

46. Lesbian community became more visibly in voice on the media landscape .... interviews on nearly all radio stations 

additions to come where applicable 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Dance of Difference, The New Frontier of Sexual Orientation

 

First Source

You can tell that Shirley Anderson Fletcher is going to be very honest as she explores the nature of prejudice in The Dance of Difference, The New Frontier of Sexual Orientation when she starts the book with this story:

CLICK HERE

I have been concerned about the oppression of racism and sexism for most of my adult life. However, I turned a blind eye to the oppression of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals until my fourteen-year-old son confronted me. I was forty-one years old at the time. He had overheard his dad and me laughing at a so-called 'gay joke.' He looked us in the eye and asked, "Would you really be laughing if there was someone gay in this room? Do you really think this is funny?" He looked at us long and hard before striding out of the room. I was mortified.

That was twenty-nine years ago. We made a commitment then to monitor our own prejudices and biases regarding gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. We've been intentional about building our awareness. And the reality is we still have a long way to go.

Shirley then employs a model called "Dialogue with Difference" for exploring this prejudice by presenting a transcript of a discussion about sexual orientation with a gay African American colleague, the Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington. That transcript comprises the middle section of the book, and it is revealing in many ways. This particular technique is based on the societal construct of dominance and subordination, but it turns that relationship on its head by permitting the subordinated group member in the dialogue to have the opportunity and authority to decide the focus of the discussion.

I was skeptical about this type of presentation but found myself drawn into the discussion and learning a lot about the issue and, like Shirley, my own preconceptions and prejudices.

This is the first of a series of books on prejudice by Shirley, collectively entitled The Dance of Difference. If you want a break from traditional fluffy summer beach reading, it is well worth your time.

Publication Date: April 15, 2011
It is rare for heterosexuals to acknowledge, much less write about, their own homophobia. This black grandmother who grew up in the homophobic culture of Jamaica in the 40's and 50's offers a moving look into the challenges faced daily by people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) because of the learned biases, attitudes and behavior of heterosexuals. The author, a behavioral scientist, who migrated to the United States 30 years ago, shares examples from her early life experiences as well as examples from her long career as an organizational consultant in the United States and Europe. The centerpiece of the book is a spontaneous dialogue between the author and a gay pastor about the realities of life for members of the gay community. 

This is a standout element that sets the book apart. In a particularly valuable part of the book, the author describes common scenarios of heterosexual prejudice and bias towards LGBT people that will ring familiar with many readers. The responses she recommends will be useful in building relationships between members of the gay and heterosexual communities. Throughout, the author strikes a good balance between professional reserve and personal openness. She comes across as sincere, candid and open-minded.


She effectively uses her own life experience to demonstrate that we are not born with inbred prejudice. Rather we learn our biases from the culture in which we are raised and from well-intended people in our families and communities. She emphasizes that as adults, we have the capacity to move from indifference, to compassion, to support for human rights. This book will appeal to a wide audience that includes organization consultants and managers who are concerned about diversity and inclusion, as well as to educators and parents who are preparing children for a world in which we value and respect each other regardless of our differences.

Conscious choice The question is whether people make a conscious choice to be homosexuals. After all, why would someone willingly choose a path that is fraught with hate? That view ought to be weighed against how you exist in this setting for which the rest of the world defines you. "It is already a confusing time for many persons searching to define their sexuality," Anderson-Fletcher said, adding that she hopes readers will understand her journey as a heterosexual woman, see themselves in her, see that she was also at one point indifferent to gays, but has learnt to understand them. One would conclude that her views are unorthodox for a Jamaican. 

After all, the typical Jamaican has been reared in a culture that abhors lesbians and gays. But having lived in the United States of America with real experiences of race and gender discrimination, it was just a matter of time before her life of struggle with differences would lead her to be concerned about others. Since its April publication, the book has been well received. Many experts on the subject and persons touched by it have told her how helpful it has been. The turning point began with her then 14-year-old son who heard his father tell a homophobic joke and laugh about it. He challenged his father that he bet he would not have the same reaction were the subject of the joke present. "That incident made us stop, we never did it again," Anderson-Fletcher said. Her ongoing work in the areas of racism and sexism also influenced the change in her view of homosexuals. 

"They are a subordinated group who are treated badly in society. I also did some personal workshops with my peers to re-educate myself and that was also key to my development in the subject matter," she said. Her intention for the book which chronicles real-life case stories about the sadness, trauma and enormous suffering and pain endured by some homosexuals, is that readers will realise that gays are among our sons, daughters, brothers, friends, teachers and even ministers. "It is not a book about sex, it's about one aspect of the life of gay or heterosexual lifestyle - sexuality.

More from the Gleaner HERE

See the TVJ interview HERE

also read the first chapter 

also now see the uploaded interview on TVJ's Profile with Ian Boyne aired the 20th November 2011

Go HERE

The Loft/Sankofa's Sea Queens: Di Fish(es) DID swim .........

Sunday July 31st through to August 1 will go down in LGBT history as the once popular August Pride Events that had gone defunct for some time often held on the north coast complete with pride flags flying and all was lovingly resurrected and done so in good measure by the Management team of The Loft, Sankofa Events. The somewhat seasoned party planners/more adept club promoters have been trying their hand at events outside their strongest brand of gay clubbing and Sea Queens has paid off pulling a capacity crowd all limning and serving at the crescent moon shaped shoreline as the pulsating beats were delivered by DJs Howie, David and Kool all through the 12 hour timed fiesta, sadly it had to end just after 2am but all who came were clearly pleased with the offering.

Logistics, safety and mother nature...........

Barring the early logistical problems with the shuttle service from Kingston causing some to arrive some two hours later than expected which is a long standing problem that seems to affect all party planners who have out of town events and the lack of patrons being punctual with late or no confirmations plus the two occassions where petrol for the two stand by generators ran out thus leaving the area in a black out of sorts and dead air time for the music delivery the occasion in general was wonderful. Beautiful gay, lesbian and transgender bodies sprawled the coastline complete with tattoes, nipples, bathing suits of all shapes and sizes fully visible were all over the beach under the watchful eye of one half of the promotions team Ms Denise who carefully patrolled the area seeing to the safety and satisfaction of her guests and the property manager with the lifeguard manning the frolicking "fishes" at the waters which had good waves at some points winds of up to 1.5 knots made them hit the shoreline gracefully, the kidz basked in them all smiles like naughty children with a runny hose. Lofty Loft's Brian Paul manned the bar along with Nicky Nicardo as seasoned professionals as usual making sure the children were kept hydrated or high with alcoholic servings. The weed man was also present with the St. Mary stash having pullers going to the heights and so the climbers had their fill.

Rains earlier had some persons sceptical about the day's turnout especially those driving from Kingston but upon arrival in the host parish St. Mary mother nature made sure as the photos above suggest that sister sun was out in her glory at times to tan the brownest of skins and warm the overseas guests who were also present. The bleaching experts did not mind exposing some skin too as they also were decked in short shorts or two pieced bathing attire showing off all they had to offer, a small hedonistic realm tipping the north eastern parts of the island, a few guests could be seen pulling each others' stuff down exposing smooth derrières, shaved crotch/genitalia in the case of males or taught cleavage in the case of the ladies some as large as 34 double D in size with some boasting tattoos, the more covered and supposedly decent guests retreated to the bungalow where the bar and the soup counter were situated both creatively

made from bamboo with seats carved from mahogany, cedar wood and bark. Coconut branches and bamboo leaves lined the both spots and other similar covered seating deliberately designed for couples strategically placed along the stretch in both directions. The excellent lighting also created a superb atmosphere later as it came to dusk as the music servings intensified, the strobes and lazer strips blinked to pre-set times and the matching heavy bass from the nearby speakers with the children responding accordingly, as far as one could go from the bungalow the music was audible.

A who's who and the nyammings

Brown Teddy Bear Dane Lewis and his staff from JFLAG were also present as they too rocked to the pulsating beats all through the day or spread themselves on towels to the far side near the rock formations. The waves lovingly kissed the shore as the natural cove protected us from the dangerous under currents that would have existed as on the raw shoreline itself as was evidenced by the rough seas outside the semi circular formation. The view was breathtaking and although the property was located near a public beach we had no interference from passers-by to stop the "fishes" from swimming. Other popular crews present were The Couture Elements family, The Exquisite Dolls, GW Fashion House Crew, The Pussyboi Fem Kidz, The Underlined Response Crew, The Kardasian Crew and Club Heavens Management Team all holding their spots and mingled as if it were a family reunion, other long time party gini-gogs such as Bruk-foot Paul and Owen slimmers made their appearance. The food was not as many had hoped but the Jerked Chicken had persons commenting with the sauce as the draw card. The Soup was too flat for some as they wanted more meat, speaking of which the missing 'more masculine men" for bushy pleasures was lamented on through the evening by some but they compensated by drinking the carnal desires away and releasing the energy in dance but the infamous green grass hotel none the less had its share of visits for the latter part of the night as those who were lucky to "bingo" did the necessary follow up.

Other happenings and mother nature

Mother nature also made sure the living things of the earth and water joined us as a few turtles (photo) beached themselves during the high tide to deposit their eggs in the shrubbery a practice we were reliably informed later from the property's management occurs this time of year also the migration of certain other species, also present darting about as the same gender loving humans trampled on the sands were crabs of varying colours, shapes and sizes, dogs from God knows where and sea gulls who acted as scavengers cleaning up the left over scraps from picnickers on their towels and the high rock formations. Several announcements had to be made at intervals by the host and DJs so as to curb the over excited patrons from destroying the foliage and trees as the agile "cratches mawnin girls" made sure they were seen "a gwaan bad" on them, the property manager looked on in amazement as his expression seem to say he has never seen this kind of energy before at an event held there and when the trees couldn't hold the antics of the cratches crew they took it to the tables albeit atop their hands and heads and on the sands at long last. The vogue queens were not to be left out as they too used the provided seating, sands and tables for serving as Tamara El Prado chanted to the beats. DJ Kool was a hit as he proved his versatility, DJ David rested following his sets and deservedly so as he had hosted an event the night before which ended prematurely. Despite the presence of some not so friendly factions at Sea Queens tempers were not enough to disrupt the happenings. The bonfire was lit at around midnight which for a time had some patrons moving towards that direction dancing and frolicking as they saw fit.

When all is said and a Lofty decision

It was a wonderful relaxative event although sad word came from Madame Denise that the Management of The Loft will not be hosting any more outdoor events which most in earshot thought as a bad decision, one hopes they will rethink this one and come back with another naturist banger for all to enjoy. We have not had any major beach typed events for some time and this may become a fixture as other persons are now thinking of the idea. The last sea fearing event of course that proved that the formulae can work was the now infamous "Nauti Glam" High Seas Couture which showed that a boat ride can be hosted successfully. Both events could easily go down as parties of the year for 2011 in the next series of award shows in 2012.

The fish did swim, another good one to report.

Peace and tolerance

H

The Pink Orange Accord of the Dutch Caribbean Islands

This Pink Orange Accord, signed between delegations from Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius (not present), St. Maarten and the Netherlands, forms the basis of a new joint cooperation mechanism on LGBTI-emancipation in the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands.

We LGBTI Rights activists of the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands convened in the Pink House in Willemstad, Curacao:

• Considering that the island communities of the Dutch Caribbean form a cultural continuum with insular differences;
• Considering that the cultural continuum includes the communities of people of Dutch Caribbean descent living in the Netherlands;
• Considering that non-heterosexual and transgender people, their culture and sub-cultures, social performance and beliefs form an integral part of the cultures of islands nations, our immigrant communities in the Netherlands and the cultural mosaic of the Kingdom in general;
• Considering that the Dutch Caribbean cultural continuum still contains a large stigma and prejudice based on cultural bias in general and religious bias in particular against sexual diversity, non heterosexual orientations and other than male/female sexual identities or gender expressions;
• Considering that this stigma and prejudice is systematically and structurally expressed in practices of exclusion, discrimination, bullying, violence and general inequality against non-heterosexual and transgender people by the public at large, private and public institutions and governments;
• Considering that the right to equal treatment, non-exclusion and non-discrimination, are inalienable rights of all citizens guaranteed by all constitutional regulations within the Kingdom and the International Treaties it has signed;
• Considering that the Dutch Caribbean lacks policies and legislation to protect people of non-heterosexual orientation and transgender people against the exclusion, inequality and discrimination they find themselves in;
• Considering that the political and social leadership of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, show very little if any inclination to address issues of structural inequality in which people of non-heterosexual orientation and transgender people find themselves;
• Considering that many religious and political leaders actively support the prolongation of unjust policies, laws and practices, sustaining and supporting the exclusion, discrimination and inequality of our communities;
• Considering that this structural exclusion, inequality and discrimination often leads to internalization of heteronormativity, leading to low self-esteem, hazardous sexual behavior, suicidal feelings and potential enactments on those feelings in our communities, also reflecting on the socio-economic opportunities of members of our communities and their level of participation in society;
• Considering that the lack of tailored services towards our communities place us at high risk with regard to health issues like HIV/AIDS and other STI’s and/or harmful addictions;
• Considering that our plight is seldom heard by our own political and social leadership, that the present statuses of the Dutch Caribbean islands limit the possibilities of support for international redress, it is without prejudice that the Kingdom and its institutions will become evident subjects to reclaim our rights, and that to achieve this we will seek cooperation and alliances with partner organizations in the European part of the Kingdom.

We LGBTI Rights activists of the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands conclude that:

1. We will clearly describe LGBTI culture and identities in the context of our (Dutch) Caribbean cultural continuum;
2. We will conduct an assessment of the interventions, activities and campaigns that our groups have been, are or wish to be involved with, and we will access the realistic in-house capacity to do and/or develop these actions, where necessary with the aid of others, in the near future;
3. All islands in the Dutch Caribbean need a centre or other physical point of reference for the provision of emotional, physical and spiritual health services, psycho-social and legal support to the LGBTI community;
4. We will create the means to produce and transmit informational and educational messages and material about LGBTI sexual diversity, rights issues, culture and spirituality and inclusive human sexuality to our communities in general and to the LGBTI communities in particular; electronic media need to play a pivotal role in this;
5. We will promote the visibility of our LGBTI communities in all their diversity, present positive role models and fight stereotyping;
6. We will create opportunities to report instances of exclusion, discrimination, bullying, violence and other rights violations and develop strategies to address misinformation and defamation in our media;
7. We will promote an environment in our schools that is more inclusive of LGBTI sexual diversity, health and rights issues;
8. To be able to do this effectively parties agree to establish a PINK ORANGE ALLIANCE, including the LGBTI representative groups of the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands.
9. This Pink Orange Alliance will develop a capacity building strategy and bilateral as well as multilateral key pilot projects to start putting its core priorities in practice.

A petit committee to further these projects has been appointed by the meeting, consisting of: Marlon Reina as activist of Dutch Caribbean descent living in the Netherlands, Mario Kleinmoedig as FOKO’s International Secretary also functioning as proxy for St. Maarten, Koen van Dijk as COC Director and proxy of the BES islands and Aruba.

This agreement is signed on this day, Saturday November 6, 2010 by:

ALFA (ARUBA) FOKO (CURACAO)

Maikel Kelly Chair, Frits vd Capellen Secr.

Ryan Maduro Chair Mario Kleinmoedig Chair

COC NETHERLANDS SINT MAARTEN LGBTI REP.

Koen van Dijk, Director Donellis Browne Rep.

BONAIRE LGBTI REP. LGBTI TEAM SABA

Lloyd Obispo Rep. Carl Buncamper Chair,

Chulani Levenstone

STATIA REP.

Absent

Cuba Parade Says No to Homophobia

Once again 23rd Street in Havana’s Vedado district was chaperoned by the police, while gays, lesbians and transsexuals paraded down that central boulevard. The short march began at the cascading Malecon fountain only a few blocks from Pabellon Cuba – the center of this year’s near-month-long “Campaign against Homophobia.” Colors, music and flags abounded—Irina Echarry reports for Havana Times.

For the original report and a gallery of photos follow the link

The majority of the participants took advantage of the occasion to display who they are, without being repressed, though their presence stirred the curiosity of passing onlookers. The police, apparently playing a safeguarding role, must have been cursing the day when they had to assist the same people they abuse throughout the rest of the year.

These are the very ones who the police usually fine (and sometimes cart in to the station) for being at a gay meeting place on the Malecon, or who they harass at Mi Cayito (the beach that’s supposedly a zero intolerance zone). That’s why the uniformed officers didn’t hesitate in making fun (among themselves) of those who came to celebrate “their day.”

This is the day LGTBs are permitted to come out and show themselves off. Nonetheless, comments like “Look how that fag dressed in black moves… that’s to get you to do him,” could be heard among Havana’s finest as they broke out in laughter.

It’s been a few years now that the campaign against homophobia has been held in Cuba to eradicate that evil. Yet lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals continue being the objects of police repression, social humiliation, mockery and family rejection.

Repressed and spurned for such a long time, this is the one day when displaying themselves openly and congregating becomes a carnival. Some put on dazzling cabaret make-up at ten in the morning, others decked themselves out in wedding gowns and a few preferred to walk down the street kissing, unaware of the vortex that rallied them all together.

Spontaneous parades are not permitted in Cuba. All of them must be guided by the officialdom. The LGTB community, disallowed until a few years ago, has been winning official “recognition.” The place selected for the cultural gala this year was the important Karl Marx Theater, where outstanding events are held and major figures in the cultural world perform.

Sexual diversity is recognized and there exist lesbian and gay groups that meet and do everything possible so that their voices don’t go ignored. Even still, much is lacking before people and legal institutions begin to accept homosexuality without considering those having a different sexual orientation strange or weird. The road is long and we’ve barely begun the journey.

Additionally, what could mean progress in the struggle against homophobia could also degenerate into its opposite. A parade held once a year along barely four city blocks doesn’t help in gaining acceptance of homosexuals as human beings with the rights to walk down any street or to meet in any place at any time without being attacked (verbally or physically) or excluded by their fellow citizens, or — within a closer circle — by their very own families.

It doesn’t make sense that the gay community spends the whole year being invisible and that for one day the authorities draw open the curtain hiding them so the world can see that homosexuals in Cuba have rights. Homophobia is not eliminated like this; on the contrary, during that day many people go to see the “show” and to take photos, as if it were a carnival with freaks on display.

To make matters worse, this year they stole that show from the gay rights activists, though many of them didn’t even realize it. Groups of young people shouted rallying cries like: “It’s heard, it’s felt, the youth are present” – as if they were in a Young Communist League rally. Likewise, there were posters with slogans appropriate for other political events; one’s like “Cuba demands the liberation of the Cuban Five.”

The only demand on that one day should have been around the battle for the liberation of gays, lesbians and transsexuals, for their full freedom here in our Cuba. This struggle is too intense and urgent to relegate to take a back seat

Presentations from the May 3 Seminar on free movement of same sex families in Europe .....

Silvan Agius, ILGA-Europe

Pál Szirányi, Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU

Panel 2: What solutions against discrimination?

Ulrike Lunacek MEP – Introduction

Ben Baks, Dutch Government

Emma Reed, Government of the United Kingdom (Free movement of same-sex families)

Dr Helen Toner, Warwick University School of Law

European Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on the International Day Against Homophobia