Quality of Citizenship Jamaica (QCJ) launches LBWSW Needs Survey

Quality of Citizenship Jamaica (QCJ) was founded on January 22, 2013. QCJ came out of the need for an organisation specifically working on issues surrounding lesbian, bisexual and other women who have sex with women. To that end they are seeking to assess what the needs of the LB, WSW population are through this survey. 

The information collected in this survey is blind, i.e. we will not know who is completing the survey, unless you so chose to share your personal information within the survey.

You can learn more about the organisation by visiting www.qcjm.org or http://qcjm.org/womyn-needs-survey/

Earlier this year in a post on my sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica I sought to introduce in essence the group as founded by a two woman team who like many of us have become frustrated with the limp wristed advocacy and outright invisibility at times for same gender loving women in particular and the step-n-fetchit one overall with regards to several community challenges, chief among them homelessness with more than enough evidence to substantiate.

see: Another LGBT Group launches with a mature lesbian focus ...........................

Angeline Jackson QCJ co-founder is a lesbian activist in Jamaica, one of 76 countries around the world where being gay is illegal. Last summer, she attended the Spirit of 76 meeting in Washington, D.C., where she came away inspired to do more for the LGBT community back home.

Jackson returned to Jamaica and founded Quality of Citizenship Jamaica (QCJ), which “recognizes that the concept of citizenship cannot be subjected to personal biases.”

Angeline Jackson speaks with SDGLN Contributor the Rev. Canon Albert Ogle about LGBT rights in Jamaica, what life is like for LGBT Jamaicans, and her vision for Quality of Citizenship Jamaica. She represents the next generation of LGBT activists in countries where life is dangerous for sexual minorities. (click link above)

An unscientific look at as well by the QCJ also revealed many women have experienced some sort of sexual violence related to their sexual orientation perceived or real by their abusers/attackers. 

Lesbian/Bi women issues need attention

Corrective rape cases for example rose substantially in 2009 and since then several reports have surfaced on the continued crime against same gender loving women with the last one said to have occured in November 2012. There are three SGL women who are also reported missing with one from as early as September 22, 2012 and who is feared dead but with no corpse or any trace of her family and friends are distraught as their inability to bring some closure to the prolonged episode is proving worrisome. 

flashback from 2011 CLICK HERE for a post on a serial rapist who was cut down and who was alleged to be linked to several attacks involving SGL women. Also in 2010 another alleged leader got 29 in prison CLICK HERE

Forced evictions have also been reported with two major ones in Portmore in 2012

In April we had a robbery of a lesbian couple in the Liguanea area as they entered their flat by car, thankfully both were spared the death threat but were relived of cash and phones, both ladies have been contemplating remaining in Jamaica as fear grips them and to think this is in an upscale area not a ghetto or crime ridden part of the capital.

Other groups such as WomenforWomen (formerly Lesbians in Action, LIA) seem to have gone dead despite a representative sitting on the JFLAG management team the usual Friday night socials and discussion activity have stopped completely thus not allowing the usual venting and sharing of ideas and plans for the way forward. Several lesbian focused groups on Facebook only tap into the issues if ever so slightly and are dependent on membership's willingness to participate. The rates of attrition and reticence is also causing some concern for some administrators of FB LGBT groups overall while some advocates turn those same groups into self promoting avenues more so than sharing and discussion of ideas for the communities on a whole to move forward.

Aphrodite's Pride another lesbian focused entity with transgender awareness as well conducted a series of mentoring workshops in 2012 but financial challenges have slowed their work somewhat.

Concerns for increased lesbophobic scenarios

Several of us close to some of the issues on the ground have been concerned about the steady rise in lesbophobic typed atrocities more so on butch identified women also known as "Man royal" in colloquial terms I do wish this group all the best in their endeavours and stand ready to assist where possible, we need to move on certain social justice issues as well it is not all about just repealing buggery that affects MSM and an advocacy structure with just male dominated thinking.

Peace and tolerance

H