Anti Gay Group Jamaica CAUSE told We're Not Into You! Gays No Threat To Straight Folk

I am still trying to control my laughter as I typed this post from reading this wonderful article twice that appeared in the Gleaner today, the hysteria, fear-mongering and inciting violence under the guise of a stupid tag line from the anti gay newly formed group Jamaica CAUSE "Straight without the hate" or "love the sinner but hate the sin" had not been bought by many folks including ordinary Jamaicans who are labelling the over reaction by the group as hypocritical owing to the fact that they have not responded so organised to other more serious societal ills.

First here is the article

K. Dwyer, Guest Columnist

So it must have been the rave thing to do on Sunday when 25,000 men and women left their homes to protest in hope of eliminating or possibly exiling the LGBT community?! Give me a break!

I'm just throwing it out there to the 25,000, and please give honest answers! How many of you were fornicating before you took to the streets? How many of you left your homes without ironing clothes for your sons/daughters/husbands/wives for the coming week to jump on the wagon?

How many didn't cook Sunday dinner because the march was going to fill your stomachs with all the necessary nutritional elements to keep your bodies alive?

How many of you left your children at home to join the march instead of giving your families quality time, helping them get ready for graduation, reviewing summer-school notes or just listening and being present?

How many different sins did some of you commit before taking to the streets? How many of you are men and women in the closet living 'down-low' and protested because you didn't want to jeopardise your posts, and so you sold out your own kind?

The Church is very hypocritical. The Bible says, "Judge not and ye shall not be judged," yet you put yourselves on pedestals judging others. NEWS FLASH! You people are not GOD. He did not say the Church will have to condemn or commit malicious acts against you before you could get to him!

How many of the persons marching have children out of wedlock, are stealing, murdering, raping and committing other heinous crimes, yet you guys are protesting about GAYS that don't see you! The Jamaican dollar has slid to 112:1 with the US dollar. Protest about that.

Stay out!

My bedroom is NOT your playground, so I don't see why you want to enter it! The same sexual methods that you use to satisfy yourselves are the same ones we use. The only difference is that we choose to be sexually satisfied by someone of the same sex.

Our bedroom business has a closed-door policy. Hence, STAY OUT! Sure, we can share a few tips and tricks with you, but why should we? We invented some of the ways you use to sexually satisfy your partners.

Portia Simpson Miller, your dear prime minister, gave a commitment to review the buggery law and failed to honour that promise. She is an upstanding political hypocrite with a bang and a hidden agenda to keep her seat in Gordon House.

The heterosexual community is adamant that homosexuals are a threat to them and that is contrary to their beliefs. We do have a type that we are attracted to, and it is NOT heterosexual men and women!

Let me just say to the 25,000 of you out there and the multitudes: gays will always be in existence and more progressive because we are looking into making the world a better place and more uplifting.

So to the pastor man who is lashing out and the politician, what's in the dark must come to light! My bedroom is my play area and what I do there stays there. Your application has been denied!

Feel free to respond to columns@gleanerjm.com and kimswaggerkid@gmail.com.

ENDS

A recent RJR interview a day after the rally showed up the hidden intent as the president of the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship Helen Coley Nicholson referred to their group as the real civil society clearly pitting other groups as irrelevant or their causes not clear. This kind of divisiveness is disturbing indeed coming from so called Christians, they have even gone as far as to malign the more traditional churches who have not supported the CAUSE initiative as supporting homosexuality.

also see for some additional coverage:

Jamaica CAUSE issues Veiled threat to Govt to not Repeal The Buggery Law

Betty Ann Blaine Deliberately Conflates Same Gender Attraction & Child Abuse at Christian Anti Gay Mass Rally & in Public Advocacy

More Overreaction to the Jamaicans for Justice Sex Education Course & Media Senationalism 

Betty Ann Blaine on Poverty, children and the Buggery Law .... and that awful confusion of homosexuality with paedophilia 2012

Hardened Positions by Religious Fanatics & Their LGBT Detractors Will Only Leave More Blood on the Floor

Anti Gay Voice & 'Child Rights' Advocate Betty-Ann Blaine Taken to Task on Public Advocacy

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston instead of the Children’s Home Fiasco that now obtains?

Justice Minister reiterates his personal position on the Buggery Law, Anal Intercourse, Consent & Privacy, government position

J-FLAG now advocating for decriminalisation of same-sex acts

Pastors Push Enumeration As Hedge Against Buggery Repeal (Gleaner July 1 2014) obviously the JFLAG change in the call to decriminalization has gone unheard deliberately or unnoticed. So much for pro-activity from our goodly advocates

The False Dichotomy of the religious right on the LGBT advocacy Godlessness

Espeut, West says “Homophobia” was invented to abuse Christians as hate speech

Betty Ann Blaine & foreign religious zealots continue their paranoia & misrepresentations of male homosexuality

Church claims future victimization if buggery is decriminalized in Jamaica

Spilling homosexual blood .... Observer Headline 29.11.09

Lesbians Do Have Morals 2009

More gay marriage paranoia & hijacking of the homosexual debate by fanatics 2014

Professor's Bain's Testimony Threatened Foreign Funding (Gleaner letter)

Lessons to learn from The Professor Bain Matter?

Anti Gay Voice & 'Child Rights' Advocate Betty-Ann Blaine Taken to Task on Public Advocacy

Ian Boyne: Bain exercised terribly poor strategic judgement

The Deliberate Misuse of the “Sexual Grooming” Term by Antigay Fanatics to Promote Their Hysteria

Anti gay religious voices where are they? .... Pastor charged with sexual assault

'UWI had no choice but to dismiss Prof Bain' says Professor Rosemarie Bell Antoine (OAS Rapporteur)

Pro-Bain Protesters To Meet With UWI Today

Buggery the only thing that makes church butts sore?

Betty Ann Blaine on Poverty, children and the Buggery Law .... and that awful confusion of homosexuality with paedophilia

Blaine will be her own victim (Observer Letter 11.08.10)

Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society continues its “HIV is a gay disease” campaign with more deception added

What goes on in the minds of the overly religious?

BETTY ANN BLAINE’S ARRANT NONSENSE REQUEST OF PETER KING TAPES

THAT WON’T STOP AIDS, BETTY ANN SAYS GAY LAWYER

BUY NO RINGS, YOU WON’T WED; RELIGIOUS FEAR-MONGERING ON GAY MARRIAGE & THE BUGGERY LAW CONTINUES

Peace and tolerance really needed at this time as the silly season continues, hope we can ride this one out in one piece.

H 

More podcasts on the subject

The Hypocrisy of Jamaican Anti Gay Groups & Selective Actions of Societal Ills

Buggery, Bain, Bullshit & Buffoonery in Jamaican LGBT Discourse 

Office of the Children's Advocate, OCA's Child Justice Guidelines recognises discrimination/sexual orientation but .................

DOWNLOAD the DOCUMENT: HERE

The Office of the children's advocate released to the public a document that took some time in the making by a special committee to include the People's National Party human rights lawyer Clyde Williams who also hosts Freshstart on Newstalk 93FM. Speaking on Cliff Hughes hosted Impact last evening he pointed out that the document  guidelines is the only one that takes into account sexual orientation discrimination that goes further than the charter of rights does or was supposed to do until the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, LCF took care of business.

Definition of a child and more .

The non discrimination clause comes above but the Family Life section seems to omit the inclusion of said sexual orientation in as far as the adults who maybe raising those children, here the document says:

The family is the preferred environment for the care, upbringing and protection of children and this responsibility rests primarily with the parents; separation of children from parents, and by extension their siblings, should be a last resort. 

also of concern to me is above and the the Admissions, Registration, Movement and Transfer section where it says:

"(1) In every place where children are detained or on a correctional order a complete and secure record of the following information should be kept concerning each child received in such an institution:

(a) Information on the child’s identity;

(b) The fact of and reasons for commitment and the authority therefore;

(c) The date and time of admission into the facility;

(d) The date and time of transfer into or out of the facility, as the case may be

(e) The date and time of release from the facility

(f) Details of the notifications to parents and guardians on every admission, transfer or release of the child

in their care.

(g) Details of known physical and mental health problems, including substance abuse.

(h) All interventions made by a relevant authority in whose care the child has been.The details of these interventions are to be documented along with notes that make the continuity of care as least."

Given the present modus operandi and how state actors treat with children in state care I am not sure how the above plays out and worse yet suspected or profiled children who are gay are either ignored, exposed and or physically abused or set upon by adults involved as previous cases have proven. Whether there will be multi-state actors involved including LGBT ones is not clear and whether the child/victim will have to endure multi interviews in a case as the case file travels though the system, I understand that there will be specially trained police officers hopefully to be distributed over many precincts island-wide but will they have capacity for LGBT matters and recognition of LGBT especially transgender and intersex children and which professional will be tied into the mix such as a clinical sexologist or endocrinologist?

I am formulating an email questionnaire to the OCA to find out more on this as my concerns about displacements, forced evictions and subsequent homelessness of MSM mostly in particular is the background to me preparing this post. As I type there is a youngster sitting in my living room who was thrown out of his house by parents right in the middle of parenting and homelessness awareness month.

Overall the guidelines look perfect on paper but as we know in this country we have a major challenge with implementation as proven in times gone by, nice reports, guidelines and summaries but little action to initiate the stated actions.

Peace and tolerance

H

New Website To Educate About Science and Sexual Orientation Launched

US based Truth Wins Out Launches New Website To Educate About Science and Sexual Orientation

Website is Critically Needed to Debunk Peddlers of Anti-Gay Junk Science

CHICAGO - Truth Wins Out launched a new website today, LGBTScience.org, to counter the anti-gay junk science industry's frequent distortions about the origins of homosexuality. This ongoing project explores the

latest research findings and videotapes interviews key scientists.

"The researchers that we have interviewed have produced landmark peer-reviewed research, and can articulate the challenging concepts presented in a way that's easy to understand from a layman's point of view," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "Our goal is to bring greater scientific understanding to this topic and ensure that critical research is not twisted or distorted for political gain."

LGBT Science was launched one day prior to the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality's (NARTH) annual conference in Phoenix, since this organization is a key purveyor of scientific disinformation.

"NARTH is a manipulative peddler of junk science that professes to help, but only creates havoc in the lives of LGBT people and their families," said Truth Wins Out's Wayne Besen. "This is a fringe organization that pretends to be scientific, when their real goal is the stigmatization of LGBT people. It is our intent to put NARTH and other 'ex-gay' groups out of business and save lives by doing so." 

 

 LGBT Science is part of Truth Wins Out's three-pronged educational strategy. Part one was the launch of the NALT Christians Project (NotAllLikeThat.org.), which rebuts the damaging lie told by anti-gay extremists that one cannot be LGBT and a person of faith. The LGBT Science project is the second prong. Part three, scheduled to be launched in 2014, will be a comprehensive website thoroughly debunking the "ex-gay" industry, which purports to "cure" LGBT people through therapy and prayer. Truth Wins Out hopes these ongoing efforts will play a role in assisting state organizations to pass legislation banning "conversion therapy" for minors. California and New Jersey have already passed such measures. Other states considering a ban are New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

"We urge lawmakers in all fifty states to introduce legislation to prohibit child abuse disguised as genuine therapy," said Truth Wins Out's Besen. "Conversion therapy is a form of consumer fraud that is ineffective and dangerous, particularly when it is foisted upon desperate and vulnerable LGBT youth. When a young person comes out of the closet, they need love, not lies."

Truth Wins Out's LGBT Science project will examine questions, such as:Is there a biological basis for sexual orientation and gender identity?
What do the experts say about efforts to change one's sexual orientation?
What are the ethical concerns surrounding this issue?

LGBT Science not only covers the origins of homosexuality, but also has sections addressing bisexuality and transgender issues.

"It is our goal to be as inclusive as possible," said TWO's Besen. "As we move forward with this website, we will continue with our commitment to represent the entire LGBT community."

Truth Wins Out (TWO) is a non-profit organization that works to demolish the very foundation of anti-gay prejudice. Our philosophy is simple: We attack the underpinnings of homophobia by debunking harmful lies, discrediting hateful myths, and countering anti-gay organizations. By chipping away at the underlying ignorance that fuels anti-LGBT attitudes, we can ultimately win our fight for fairness and achieve full equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people worldwide.

Not Separate But Not Equal? Bisexuality Explained (At Least 13 Times)

Demonized, ostracized, unrecognized, and sexualized…what gives? Though the “bi” in “bisexual” brings to mind either/or dualities, true-to-life bi experience is entirely unique.

Every year, Bi Visibility Day is observed on September 23. (http://september23.bi.org). Still, when it comes to bi visibility and/or invisibility, myths and misconceptions abound.

Dr. J.R. Little has identified 13 prevailing types of bisexuality. On the face of it, these discoveries seek to classify bi experience as seen through a control group study. At the very least, this reveals the fluidity of sexuality in general. Predominant bisexual traits Dr. Little found are the following:

1. Alternating: May be with a man, then after a relationship ends, may choose a female partner for a subsequent relationship, continuing to alternate.

2. Circumstantial: Primarily heterosexual, but will choose same sex partners only if they have no access to other-sex partners, like in gender-segregated circumstances.

3. Concurrent Relationships: Have primary relationship with one gender only, but other casual or secondary relationships with people of another gender concurrently.

4. Conditional: Either straight or gay/lesbian, but switches to a relationship with another gender for a specific purpose, like young straight males who prostitute with men for money or lesbians who marry men for social acceptance, or to have children.

5. Emotional: Have intimate emotional relationships with men and women, but only have sexual relationships with one gender.

6. Integrated: Have more than one primary relationship at the same time, one with a man and one with a woman.

7. Exploratory: Either straight or gay/lesbian, but have sex with another gender just to satisfy curiosity or “see what it’s like.” (Bi-curious.)

8. Hedonistic: Primarily straight or gay/lesbian but will sometimes have recreational sex with a different gender purely for sex.

9. Recreational: Primarily heterosexual, but engage in gay or lesbian sex only when under the influence of substances. (Party-sexual.)

10. Isolated: 100% straight or gay/lesbian now but has had at one or more sexual experience with another gender in the past.

11. Latent: Completely straight or gay lesbian in behavior, but has strong desire for sex with another gender (having never acted on it).

12. Motivational: Example – straight women who have sex with other women to please their male partner who requests it for his own arousal.

13. Transitional: Temporarily identify as bisexual while in the process of moving from being straight to being gay or lesbian, or going from being gay or lesbian to being heterosexual.

No matter what your orientation is, sexual discovery is a process. Whether or not you agree with Dr. Little—or bisexuality in general—if you seek to understand bisexuality, do your best to meet bi folks where they are, without trying to marginalize them or inflict a sense of “wrongness” on them for having their own experience.

Australia Closer to Passing First-Ever, Intersex-Inclusive LGBT Anti-Discrimination Bill

Gay News Network reported:

New legal protections for LGBTI Australians passed the Federal Lower House last week with a bill the government says will better protect Australians from discrimination.

The Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill is designed to make it illegal for someone to be discriminated against based on their sexual or gender identity.

"These new protections are long overdue and I’m delighted we are bringing them one step closer," Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said.

"The absence of these protections at the federal level means that many members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community have been victims of discrimination when accessing accommodation, healthcare, and everyday consumer services.

"The Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has tabled its report and urged passage of the Bill this parliamentary term."

Minister for Ageing Mark Butler said the reforms will mean there is greater protection for older LGBT people when they access aged care services.

"While most aged care service providers are accepting of residents regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status, we think there should be legal protection that ensures such discrimination cannot occur," Butler said.

"When such services are provided with tax payer dollars, it is not appropriate for providers to discriminate in the provision of those services.”

During the passage of the bill Liberal MP Michael Keenan said the Coalition supports the move.

“This bill follows from the government's abandonment of its Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill on 20 March,” he said.

“Its principal effect is to adopt the recommendation of coalition senators, in the minority report of the senate committee which inquired into the bill, that the Sex Discrimination Act should be amended so that it extends to discrimination on the basis of sexuality.

“It should be noted that this was the policy which the coalition took to the 2010 election, and it remains coalition policy, which the government has now adopted.”

NSW GLRL policy and project officer Jed Horner told SX the organisation welcomes the bill’s passage through the House of Representatives.

“We call on the Senate to pass the Bill, with amendments to ensure that elderly LGBTI people can access aged care services without fear of legally sanctioned discrimination. If enacted, these protections will go some way towards ensuring LGBTI people can lead lives with dignity as they age,” he said.

“Significantly, the inclusion of sexual orientation as a ground of protection will have the effect of ensuring bisexual people have access to some protections, something that is not the case under existing NSW anti-discrimination law.

“The inclusion of the grounds of intersex status will likewise provide protection at law for people who are intersex, a long overdue and welcome move.”

The bill also extends the grounds of marital status in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to include relationships status to offer greater protection to same-sex couples.

The bill is now before the Senate where it is expected an amendment will be moved to take out the exceptions given to religious organisations.

Referred to Committee (21/03/2013): Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report due 17/06/2013

Track the Bill HERE

Jamaican Clinical Sexologist on Human Rights for All

Clinical Sexologist Dr Karen Carpenter hit the nail on the head on some things with our advocacy and the areas they have been afraid or refused to properly engage.

The myths and misconceptions surrounding the practices of the community can only be dispelled if those organisations that advocate for LGBT rights also advocate for the protection of the child, the encouragement of safe-sex practices, and all other behaviours that support the human rights of all citizens.

Protect The Rights Of All Jamaicans

Karen Carpenter, Contributor

IN JAMAICA, when it comes to the sexual orientation of minority groups, we are perhaps most familiar with the terms 'homosexual', 'bisexual', and 'lesbian'. Same-sex attraction and activities have not generally been accepted as part of the sexual culture of the country. Additionally, how Jamaicans view themselves sexually - as opposed to how they are viewed by the world media - differs.

Rebecca Schleifer of United States Human Rights Watch produced a report after three weeks of extensive interviews with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, non-governmental organisations and government officials. She dubbed Jamaica "the most homophobic place on earth" (November 2004, Vol. 16, No. 6 (B)). It seems this label has been accepted by the foreign press without much consideration for Jamaica's cultural norms, or the history of the LGBT movement in Jamaica.

In contrast to Schleifer's comments, former Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green of the Scotland Yard Police asserted, after three years of working in law enforcement in the island: "I think Jamaica is far more tolerant than the public hype. There is a vibrant community in Jamaica, and there isn't the sort of backlash that some people say." The gap between what is often given media coverage and what obtains on the ground is large. Few attempts have been made to provide a balanced argument that considers both the perspective of the local community and the foreign press.

HOMO-NEGATIVE ATTITUDE

Jamaica's reputation for being irrationally fearful of, or aversive to, persons who are same-sex-attracted, or 'homophobic', is not supported by the statistics regarding the numbers of such persons living undisturbed in communities. That Jamaica, as a society at large, does not support, condone, or accept same-sex attraction and activities is indeed true. Evidence of this is easy to find in numerous public opinions published in the newspapers and broadcast on radio and television; however, it is important to distinguish between a fear of homosexuals and a negative attitude towards homosexual behaviour.

Jamaicans are generally homo-negative. The attitude towards same-sex activity is that it is biologically unnatural, medically unhygienic, and it goes against Christian values. A few weeks ago, I participated in a radio discussion about Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's comments on same-sex-attracted persons serving in Parliament and the nature of same-sex attraction. One of the most impassioned remarks came from a Christian woman who described my neutral approach as "demonic".

The truth is, in a democratic society, people are entitled to their opinions and to have these opinions heard. What we are certainly not entitled to is denying the rights of others in the pursuit of our own beliefs. All citizens must enjoy the rights and share in the responsibilities of a nation.

Curious to find out what exactly are our rights and responsibilities as Jamaicans, I visited several websites. The first search for 'gays in Jamaica' turned up over 34,200 results and 'homosexuality in Jamaica' 15,200 results. Several of these were captioned with Ms Schleifer's now-infamous comment.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The civics section of the National Library of Jamaica provides a very user-friendly and easy-to-understand definition of citizen: "Citizenship is defined as membership in a state, nation, country, with guaranteed rights, privileges as well as duties and responsibilities. Citizenship of Jamaica is acquired through birth, marriage, or naturalisation."

The section goes on to outline 12 rights shared by all citizens of Jamaica:

1. Protection of right to life;

2. Protection from arbitrary arrest;

3. Respect for private and family life;

4. Protection to privacy of home and property;

5. Protection of freedom of conscience;

6. Protection of peaceful assembly;

7. Protection from discrimination;

8. Protection of expression;

9. Right to fair trial;

10. Right to vote;

11. Freedom of worship;

12. Freedom of movement.

There is a much shorter list of four responsibilities:

1. Pay his/her share of tax that is levied for the good of the community;

2. Obey the laws of the land;

3. Serve as a witness in the court if summoned;

4. Serve on a jury if called.

These rights are not subject to the approval of one group of individuals over another, but neither are the responsibilities restricted to any one group of persons, and certainly not on the basis of sexual orientation. The section goes on to cite that "one of the greatest rights of citizens is to share in the government of the country". (http://www.nlj.gov.jm/?q=jamaican-civics)

Supporters of the LGBT community here and abroad point to the archaic Offences Against the Person Act, Sections 76, 77, 78, which speak to"the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with mankind or with any animal". I suspect that few persons actually know that the so-called 'buggery law' does not actually constitute a law against same-sex activity. Further, according to an interview carried out by The Gleaner Company's Western Bureau with attorney Clayton Morgan of the Cornwall Bar Association, attempts at prosecuting men for violation of the same law have been unsuccessful due to the practical and legal requirements for proving that the law has been breached.

Advocates further point to the international conventions, which have been signed by the Jamaican Government, supporting full human rights for all members of the society. What has not been made clear by these proponents is that the laws and constitution of a country have priority over international conventions.

What, then, are we left with 50 years after the Constitution, given its shortcomings?

The current prime minister of Jamaica came in for considerable criticism for her public support of persons of all sexual orientations being part of the business of the country. More public information is needed, not on the international conventions which may not be reflected in the country's Constitution of 1962, and which cannot supersede the Constitution, but on the basic guidelines that allow us to maintain civility and agree to disagree, even where our personal beliefs may not support the lifestyle.

Recently, we witnessed the rather civil statements made by dancehall king Beenie Man when he, too, demonstrated his respect of and tolerance for all persons regardless of sexual orientation, which he deems a private matter. Beenie Man's declaration shows that he, too, has 'evolved' away from the anti-homosexual vitriol to a more reasoned acceptance of the right of others to be different. And while this has not stemmed the tide of anti-gay pro-gyalist lyrics emanating from dancehall, it is a step in the right direction. Many other artistes need to take a page from his book if they are to regain international respect and the privilege of working abroad in societies where these rights are observed.

SECURING RIGHTS

What started off as the Gay Freedom Movement of 1974 has evolved, and new groups have been formed to protect and lobby for the rights of LGBT and persons affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS. The most well known of them are the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays and Jamaica AIDS Support for Life.

These organisations have worked hard to secure the rights of sexual minorities in Jamaica. The challenge is to uphold the responsibilities and to protect the rights, not just of the community, but of all Jamaicans. It is the responsibility of the LGBT support groups to participate fully in the life of the country - in those areas of public life that affect sexual minorities as well as all aspects of citizenry. It is short-sighted to believe that any real justice could be had by speaking out only when there is violation of the rights of the LGBT community.

We need to examine the real, or imagined, aversions and fears of the larger society, and address these honestly. Some of these include the belief that same-sex-attracted persons prey on underage boys and girls, and that same-sex practices are inherently more likely to increase the spread of HIV/AIDS. Other objections include what some see as inappropriate public displays of affection, displays which heterosexuals themselves do not perform in public. If the first thing a person knows about you is your sexual orientation rather than who you are or what you do, you may also be inviting public commentary on and reaction to your private life. This is indeed a challenge which immature heterosexuals and homosexuals alike face.

The myths and misconceptions surrounding the practices of the community can only be dispelled if those organisations that advocate for LGBT rights also advocate for the protection of the child, the encouragement of safe-sex practices, and all other behaviours that support the human rights of all citizens.

There used to be a Virginia Slims cigarette advertisement that had as its slogan, "You've come a long way baby". The same is true of the LGBT community. The very fact that this article and so many others exist is testament to that fact. There is a bigger picture and perhaps we need to return to public education on civics if we are to behave in a civilised manner.

US Human Rights Watch has emphasised in its recommendations ways in which the Jamaican Government could better meet external criteria for guarding the rights of all sexuals. However, other than the suggestion for the repeal of the commonly termed 'buggery law', little attention has been paid to the existing laws, statutes, and civil agreements that ensure the human rights of all citizens and how these can be upheld. More focus needs to be placed on these to ensure that the rights and responsibilities of all Jamaicans are protected.

Karen Carpenter, PhD, is a lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

Asexuality .......... a closer look

Over the week there has been some interest in this subject following a youth forum in Kingston, persons were not aware of this one and were only used to homosexuals (deemed as men only), lesbians (viewed outside of homosexuals), bisexuals to a lesser extent and heterosexuals I guess due to the heightened discussion on the buggery law and possible review. The presenters started to explore the others at the forum thus Asexuality came up for mention, persons could not believe such persons do exist in Jamaica and indeed at all.

All the more reason to push for the HFLE manual recently pulled from schools just because it dealt with homosexuality and anal sex: MORE HERE

Here is what I found for easy reading from wipe out homophobia's website:

What is Asexual?

 

Asexual people have the same emotional needs as anyone else, and like in the sexual community they vary widely in how they fulfill those needs. Some asexual people are happier on their own, others are happiest with a group of close friends. 

Other asexual people have a desire to form more intimate romantic relationships, and will date and seek long-term partnerships. Asexual people are just as likely to date sexual people as we are to date each other.

Sexual or nonsexual, all relationships are made up of the same basic stuff. Communication, closeness, fun, humour, excitement and trust all happen just as much in sexual relationships as in nonsexual ones. Unlike sexual people, asexual people are given few expectations about the way that our intimate relationships will work. 

Figuring out how to flirt, to be intimate, or to be monogamous in a nonsexual relationships can be challenging, but free of sexual expectations we can form relationships in ways that are grounded in our individual needs and desires.

Attraction

Many asexual people experience attraction, but feel no need to act out that attraction sexually. Instead they feel a desire to get to know someone, to get close to them in whatever way works best for them. Some asexuals describe attraction as "romantic", "platonic", or "aesthetic" attraction, to differentiate them from sexual attraction. Asexual people who experience attraction will often be attracted to a particular gender, and will identify as gay, bi, or straight.

Arousal

For some sexual arousal is a fairly regular occurrence, though it is not associated with a desire to find a sexual partner or partners. Some will occasionally masturbate, but feel no desire for partnered sexuality. Other asexual people experience little or no arousal. 

Because we don’t care about sex, asexual people generally do not see a lack of sexual arousal as a problem to be corrected, and focus their energy on enjoying other types of arousal and pleasure.

Note: 

People do not need sexual arousal to be healthy, but in a minority of cases a lack of arousal can be the symptom of a more serious medical condition. If you do not experience sexual arousal or if you suddenly lose interest in sex you should probably check with a doctor just to be safe.

Identity

There is no litmus test to determine if someone is asexual. Asexuality is like any other identity- at its core, it’s just a word that people use to help figure themselves out.

also see:

Relationships

Asexual people have the same emotional needs as anyone else, and like in the sexual community we vary widely in how we fulfill those needs. Some asexual people are happier on their own, others are happiest with a group of close friends. Other asexual people have a desire to form more intimate romantic relationships, and will date and seek long-term partnerships. Asexual people are just as likely to date sexual people as we are to date each other.

Sexual or nonsexual, all relationships are made up of the same basic stuff. Communication, closeness, fun, humor, excitement and trust all happen just as much in sexual relationships as in nonsexual ones. Unlike sexual people, asexual people are given few expectations about the way that our intimate relationships will work. Figuring out how to flirt, to be intimate, or to be monogamous in nonsexual relationships can be challenging, but free of sexual expectations we can form relationships in ways that are grounded in our individual needs and desires.

Attraction

Many asexual people experience attraction, but we feel no need to act out that attraction sexually. Instead we feel a desire to get to know someone, to get close to them in whatever way works best for us. Asexual people who experience attraction will often be attracted to a particular gender, and will identify as lesbian, gay, bi, or straight.

MORE HERE

Education Minister says he has been harrassed post the HFLE Manual withdrawal

It is difficult to confirm this one clearly but since the Minister of Education's dithering on the Home and Family Life, HFLE curriculum matter that had contained therein some questions that were deemed objectionable and maybe inappropriate for the age cohort intended, grades 7 - 9, so we can surmise 12 to 14 year olds depending on what age they successfully attained GSAT results etc. Erica Virtue of the Gleaner says the paper has confirmed from the horses mouth that he has been fact been receiving inappropriate emails and other correspondences on the matter.

The Minister on his feet in parliament justifying the withdrawal of the manual in October 2012.

In two previous posts (see linked below) while I have been disappointed and very critical of the minister's decision to seemingly capitulate to the religious right as he himself is a man of the cloth due to the questions that explore homosexuality, anal sex, HIV testing and disclosure and a problematic guided imagery exercise that asks the students in a controlled setting I might add (as I understand it) to imagine themselves gay and everyone else straight or hetersexual and the associated stigmas the student may feel in the reverse roles. 

Urgent need to discuss Sex & sexuality nationally part 1

Urgent need to discuss Sex & sexuality nationally part 2

In the absence of an 2012 online copy of the manual here are some of the questions as carried on TVJ when the story broke in November, the hard copies have been pulled from the trained teachers' hands. (no copyright infringement intended) Here is the 2009 version in case:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Here is the article by Miss Virtue:

Lifestyle Text Withdrawal Backlash - Calls And Letters, Attack Ministry, Minister

Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's Education Ministry is taking a beating from local and international rights groups who are upset that it pulled the controversial health and family life education (HFLE) text issued to grades 7-9 students.

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites last week confirmed the attacks, but opted not to disclose the names of the groups and individuals leading them.

"We have been inundated by calls and letters because of the position the ministry took. Up to today (Wednesday), I received a broadside from a group of gay, lesbian and transsexual people in New Jersey in the United States, who wanted to know why I was in favour of hate crimes," Thwaites told The Sunday Gleaner.

According to Thwaites, the New Jersey group wanted to know when he could report to it the full information on non-discriminatory material available to all students in Jamaica.

"It has been surprising to me, because our position is that, in principle we support the instruction of children towards healthy, faithful heterosexual relations, with tolerance and with understanding and non-discrimination towards others who adopt a different and alternative lifestyle," the minister said.

According to Thwaites, the position taken by the ministry was consistent with the position taken by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

"But, apparently, there are many of those who want something much more than that and who feel that we must instruct children in all aspects of sexuality; homosexuality, heterosexuality at the earliest stages, without any caution or restraint, and we reject that," he said.

In September, the education ministry pulled the text after a parent pointed out the controversial content. Angry parents at the time demanded to know who approved the text even after it was withdrawn.

Approval questioned

The firestorm was ignited when it was discovered that the text, among other things, required grades seven to nine students to give responses to questions on their involvement in homosexual and heterosexual activity. Some stakeholders including parents and teachers questioned the process by which the Ministry of Education approved its teaching guides.

Thwaites accepted that officials at the ministry did not offer the rigid scrutiny the text should have undergone before it was signed off.

"We blinked," he admitted.

Faced with questions in Parliament from the opposition spokesperson on education, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, Thwaites argued that, "no minister of education of whatever political stripe would have knowingly allowed material as obnoxious as that contained in the HFLE curriculum to have been published, and it does appear that there were previous instances, and there were warnings, and it was a clear intention of some who have very clear predispositions regarding sexual conduct ... who got away on this one."

- erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com

ENDS

While I am strongly in support of some sort of sex and sexuality intervention at the high school level as I like others feel that the very reason we have so much homo-negativity and homophobia and patriarchal related challenges in society is because we have been taught reproductive health more so than S & S with a tolerant infused message. If this report by Miss Virtue is to be believed I cautiously used "harassment" in the eyes of the Minister is NOT my idea of engaging the official and to be fair to him he has met with JFLAG and other stakeholders prior to this uproar about the manual, he was present at the IDAHO conference in May where the J and other civil society groups were in attendance.

Yes we also appreciate the interventions (if you will) supporters overseas but they must be guided by the advocates on the ground, lest we forget in 2009 the Red Stripe Boycott in San Francisco and the attempted tourism boycott in Canada by what seemed to be over-exuberant friends without proper consultations and strategies, these high handed moves only serve to make the struggle extended or problematic as persons already resist the notion that Jamaica is one of the most homophobic places on earth (truth or not) thus the backlash at times towards homosexuality is actually the affront persons feel being supposedly castigated as homophobes. 

Just a word to the wise.

Peace and tolerance

H