What else is new?
Some of you asked me to have an entry about this but I have been down lately due to some bad news coming to hand regarding a community member but there are some pointers that come to mind with this issue of the community's daring presence at carnival.
A clash between alleged homosexuals and other persons out to enjoy 'Carnival Sunday', threatened to mar yesterday's Bacchanal Jamaica road march.
Persons who said they saw the incident unfold, say the men, about six in total with women also in the entourage, seemed ready for any potential confrontation as they walked up Constant Spring Road to meet the parade near West Kings House Road.
"Yuh shoulda hear dem. One say 'anybody tackle wi today get mash up'," said George, one alleged witness. It is reported the men parked their vehicles inside a popular plaza before proceeding to the parade. Their attire was described as 'very colourful'.
"One a dem hair all longa than mine," said one woman. "And him inna fishnet stockings. All black g-string."
dancing provocatively
Having joined the parade, the men were reportedly dancing provocatively, one even doing his moves on his 'head top'. The sight appeared to be too much for the other revellers to take, and the men were rebuked.
Before long, the verbal back-and-forth became physical and the men were stoned by the unsympathetic crowd. But although in retreat mode, the offending group proceeded to 'return fire', hurling various objects, including stones, to defend themselves. The raunchy revellers were determined not to be intimidated.
"One a dem come out wid acid," said another witness Marvin, who said the men were aided in their stance by the women. "Di women dem a boost dem up too. One a dem a talk bout 'show dem wha you can do yes'," he said.
It is alleged a woman was hit in the face by an object near King's Plaza. At least two other persons are said to have received injuries.
Police personnel were quickly on the scene trying to maintain calm but the epicentre of the confrontation was still to come near Springs Plaza, where one of the men was held and beaten by members of a crowd who had chased them down Constant Spring Road.
"Him did blood up man. Mi swear dem kill him," said George, who revealed he was able to break free. But the continuing salvos from both groups then threatened to damage property, as store workers and those who wanted to watch the parade were now caught in the middle. George said his Honda motorcar was one of several vehicles parked in the plaza that were within inches of being hit in the 'crossfire'.
"Me deh pon di corner and couldn't even move go a my car. Mi start fret," he said. Luckily no vehicles were damaged. The crowd then chased the men through the plaza and out onto Eastwood Park Road where they finally eluded the chasing mob, who called off their pursuit.
"Hey, a nuff people come back and say 'dem bwoy deh can run fast enuh," Marvin laughed.
The Half-Way Tree police confirmed the station had received a call about the incident and members were sent to help quell the disturbance. But they could not confirm if anyone had been injured. Indications are the incident did not stop or greatly hinder the flow of the parade.
names changed on request
We have had an incident of some sort involving gay men for the most part perceived or real in the road marches or at the enclosed events leading up to the final hurrah such as soca-robics almost annually since Carnival's inception, lesbians tend not to factor too much where these are concerned, whether it is due to the intolerance of public effeminacy linked to male homosexuality from such ordinary folk coupled with their refusal to budge on same or the view that gay men cannot defend themselves when cornered and disciplined by local standards is yet to be fully understood so persons feel a mind to exact their brand of punishment as they see fit as we deserve it and must keep it to ourselves by remaining in the closet. I leave that to the social anthropologists to better explain for me for now but there is a clear line in all of the cases I am aware of as it is always the "downtowners" so to speak or persons who reflect such aesthetics who get attacked or feature in the reports of such homo-negative incidents.
here is a clip taken by a passerby of some of the men revelling in the streets:
the comments that followed it on the thread where it was originally hosted tells us the state of mind of many, such as:
Suh yu really stan up deh suh wid yuh fone a video this?
B... GO EASY. HE SAYING "BULLET BULLLLLLLLET" HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EDUCATION. BUGGERY IS AN OFFENCE, IT FALLS UNDER SECTION 76 OF THAT ACT. US DEFINITELY DONT HAVE SUCH ACT SO WHY COMPARE? JEES, I DONT CARE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE DO WITH THEIR PERSONAL LIVE BUT I JUST DO NOT SEE WHY YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT IN PUBLIC
If mi did deh deh mi a fling box inna every batty bwoy face. Dem woulda affi kill mi tuh bloodclat. A sin
The gurlz (as I call them) were prepared to wreck shop I have since gathered so they went out in their numbers on road march Sunday and were prepared for anything, years gone by we have seen previous run-ins as well but for the most part they would have scattered away in retreat but not these days, they are willing to fight back. Is this a blessing in disguise as well in some sense as it shows the open nature of sections of our community as they are no longer prepared to remain in the shadows thus slowly softening the public outcry and hate of male homosexuals?
Several questions and issues abound here from this what may seem to some a simple matter, this group could be easily described as the actual front runners in us having a face in some sense but it may be perceived by many as that all we are in another.
A man examines the broken glass at the Singer Jamaica furniture store on Constant Spring Road in St Andrew yesterday. The window was damaged when bystanders and cross-dressers clashed during the annual carnival road march. (PHOTO: GARFIELD ROBINSON)
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Carnival-clash-_14014819#ixzz2Q2anxgr9
It was in March of last year that we saw an incident similar in nature to this at the New Mass Camp (as captioned above in the cartoon) by the Stadium and in fact this year there were a couple smaller skirmishes at the venue involving what were believed to be members of the homeless MSM community who argued with security guards at the gate there. Previous years we have seen everything from alchohol, paint, stones and other projectiles being hurled at men dancing effeminately or one year a man was trailed by thugs who smashed his car window as he boarded it after the festivities ended.
see: Homo-negativity in public: So called Unruly gays chased from party
April 2, 2007, a crowd in Montego Bay attacked three men alleged to be gay who were attending a carnival. Witnesses said the crowd chased the men down the street, slashed one man with knives and beat him with a manhole cover also who can forget that incident where at the roadmarch in 2008 just nearing Devon House where two men who were part of the revellers on the final leg of the parade had to beat a hasty retreat in a Hiace bus (photo above with broken window) as they were accused of winining or gyrating on each other in public, the story at the in part time said - Men, believed to be gay, earned the wrath of spectators who attacked them damaging a bus and injuring a police officer.
Superintendent Lenval Hutton, who was on the scene, said the parade was moving along Waterloo Road when, upon reaching the intersection with West Kings House Road, some men joined the parade.
The men were allegedly gyrating and wining on each other and this angered spectators who started to stone them. Police, in an attempt to prevent any further incident, placed four of the men into a police bus which was working at the festivities. However, this did not stop the spectators from continuing to attack the men. Someone threw a stone through the window of the bus, shattering one of the windows and cutting the hand of a corporal who was also in the bus.
One of the men who were attacked was slashed across the forehead. The police did not hold anyone in connection with the incident as the perpetrator ran off.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Carnival-clash-_14014819#ixzz2Q2anxgr9
It was in March of last year that we saw an incident similar in nature to this at the New Mass Camp (as captioned above in the cartoon) by the Stadium and in fact this year there were a couple smaller skirmishes at the venue involving what were believed to be members of the homeless MSM community who argued with security guards at the gate there. Previous years we have seen everything from alchohol, paint, stones and other projectiles being hurled at men dancing effeminately or one year a man was trailed by thugs who smashed his car window as he boarded it after the festivities ended.
see: Homo-negativity in public: So called Unruly gays chased from party
April 2, 2007, a crowd in Montego Bay attacked three men alleged to be gay who were attending a carnival. Witnesses said the crowd chased the men down the street, slashed one man with knives and beat him with a manhole cover also who can forget that incident where at the roadmarch in 2008 just nearing Devon House where two men who were part of the revellers on the final leg of the parade had to beat a hasty retreat in a Hiace bus (photo above with broken window) as they were accused of winining or gyrating on each other in public, the story at the in part time said - Men, believed to be gay, earned the wrath of spectators who attacked them damaging a bus and injuring a police officer.
Superintendent Lenval Hutton, who was on the scene, said the parade was moving along Waterloo Road when, upon reaching the intersection with West Kings House Road, some men joined the parade.
The men were allegedly gyrating and wining on each other and this angered spectators who started to stone them. Police, in an attempt to prevent any further incident, placed four of the men into a police bus which was working at the festivities. However, this did not stop the spectators from continuing to attack the men. Someone threw a stone through the window of the bus, shattering one of the windows and cutting the hand of a corporal who was also in the bus.
One of the men who were attacked was slashed across the forehead. The police did not hold anyone in connection with the incident as the perpetrator ran off.
As for this years event the Star News also carried the story as captioned in the very top photo scanned from their hard copy version of the episode which read in part, ..........................
Persons who said they saw the incident unfold, say the men, about six in total with women also in the entourage, seemed ready for any potential confrontation as they walked up Constant Spring Road to meet the parade near West Kings House Road.
"Yuh shoulda hear dem. One say 'anybody tackle wi today get mash up'," said George, one alleged witness. It is reported the men parked their vehicles inside a popular plaza before proceeding to the parade. Their attire was described as 'very colourful'.
"One a dem hair all longa than mine," said one woman. "And him inna fishnet stockings. All black g-string."
dancing provocatively
Having joined the parade, the men were reportedly dancing provocatively, one even doing his moves on his 'head top'. The sight appeared to be too much for the other revellers to take, and the men were rebuked.
Before long, the verbal back-and-forth became physical and the men were stoned by the unsympathetic crowd. But although in retreat mode, the offending group proceeded to 'return fire', hurling various objects, including stones, to defend themselves. The raunchy revellers were determined not to be intimidated.
"One a dem come out wid acid," said another witness Marvin, who said the men were aided in their stance by the women. "Di women dem a boost dem up too. One a dem a talk bout 'show dem wha you can do yes'," he said.
It is alleged a woman was hit in the face by an object near King's Plaza. At least two other persons are said to have received injuries.
Police personnel were quickly on the scene trying to maintain calm but the epicentre of the confrontation was still to come near Springs Plaza, where one of the men was held and beaten by members of a crowd who had chased them down Constant Spring Road.
"Him did blood up man. Mi swear dem kill him," said George, who revealed he was able to break free. But the continuing salvos from both groups then threatened to damage property, as store workers and those who wanted to watch the parade were now caught in the middle. George said his Honda motorcar was one of several vehicles parked in the plaza that were within inches of being hit in the 'crossfire'.
"Me deh pon di corner and couldn't even move go a my car. Mi start fret," he said. Luckily no vehicles were damaged. The crowd then chased the men through the plaza and out onto Eastwood Park Road where they finally eluded the chasing mob, who called off their pursuit.
"Hey, a nuff people come back and say 'dem bwoy deh can run fast enuh," Marvin laughed.
The Half-Way Tree police confirmed the station had received a call about the incident and members were sent to help quell the disturbance. But they could not confirm if anyone had been injured. Indications are the incident did not stop or greatly hinder the flow of the parade.
names changed on request
ENDS
Meanwhile a foreign blogger based locally has weighed in on the Jamaica Observer's take on the issue but I say to her, be ye careful when you comment on our LGBT reality as you may be perceived as missing the boat (as per usual for many non Jamaicans on our LGBT life) ......... there has been an incident such as this one almost annually since the carnival's inception but who cares to look? what is far more important to me is the hypocrisy in a sense or the paradox that is our country about all this, why is it always the "downtowners" or persons with associated aesthetics who get their ass whooped, attacked or experience some other homo-negative episode yet the in the same bunch of revellers often paired with women to covertly conceal their same sex leanings are members of our more affluent LGBT people who are insulated if you will from such attacks? that to me is the bigger issue here, is the two Jamaicas stratification problem playing itself out even in how homophobia is meted out to perceived to be gay in a public space?
I am almost sure if those guys were not so obviously downtown looking the most that would have happened would be a snarl and whisper and persons simply move on, why does it always reach the one set persons and not the others? besides the media will continue to sensationalise such issues as it sells papers ..... even the Gleaner or Observer in the absence of previous bashing tabloids as Xnews, Observer Chat or the others the two aforementioned simply fill the void left in their absence.
The public's strong aversion to public displays of affection or effeminacy are the bigger issues to me out of all of this as these are easy markers for profiling which can lead to and have led to disastrous consequences for those subjected.
Hypocrisy and double standards all over I guess.
Peace and tolerance
H
.mkv_000108708.jpg){kind=spacer}
.mkv_000109059.jpg){kind=spacer}
.mkv_000113988.jpg){kind=spacer}
+(Light).jpg)
+Cartoon+on+Rowdy+Homeless+MSM.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment