Living At Risk In St James (Gleaner) MSM included

(Dwayne Jones showing his injuries prior to his death

Scores of young men are fodder for human traffickers and predators

Adrian Frater, News Editor Gleaner

Western Bureau:The St James Parish Development Committee (PDC) is calling for a structured social mechanism to address issues such as homelessness, human trafficking, child labour, behavioural problems, health and deportation - all of which is said to be negatively impacting at-risk youth.

Following its regular meeting last Wednesday, the organisation released a document stating that the inability of at-risk youth to successfully integrate into the formal sector relegates them to being ideal candidates for child labour, human trafficking, drug abuse, HIV/STI, and gang activities.

"These unaccounted for street children have created a resource pool where criminal elements and gangs can recruit youth for illicit activities such as child prostitution, robbery, drug trafficking, and keep and care of guns," said the PDC.

"These children are the primary source from which human traffickers identify their victims as there is no monitoring mechanism in place within the region."

That is a position shared by social activist and head of the Community Organisation for Management and Sustainable Development, O'Dave Allen.

He argued that the state needs to move quickly to address the situation as it needs a permanent fix.

"We now have street children sleeping in the People's Arcade, in the markets and at the Dump-up Beach; also at the back of Bay West Plaza," noted Allen.

"This is clearly a case of state agencies not addressing these issues. So due to the urgency of the situation, there is now a need for the establishment of an institution to address these needs and issues," added Allen.

SEVERAL NOT FROM PARISH

Speaking against the background of an incident last Wednesday in which a group of homosexual men, who had captured and occupied a house in the Porto Bello community, were firebombed and chased out of the community, St James Public Health Department official Everald Morgan, said many of those attacked were not from the parish.

"The situation facing some young MSMs (men having sex with men) include HIV/AIDS issues, moving from one parish to another due to their lifestyle, and the capturing of houses in areas such as Rose Mount, Westgate Hills, Brandon Hill, Ironshore, and Barrett Hall," said Morgan.

"They relocate to the Montego Bay area for the opportunity of earning a living by prostitution, street vending, child labour and other illicit acts. Some are also deportees."

Rebecca Gayle, a Citizen Security and Justice Programme officer, suggested that a public-education programme about at-risk youth and their impact on society be established.

"The first step in intervention is to do a public-education programme to educate the public on the issues and how it is affecting our youth and society, and the roles and responsibilities of each citizen," said Gayle.

In supporting Gayle's position, Allen said the literacy challenges facing young males should be quickly addressed as it was causing a serious setback in regards to their ability to access services and participate in intervention activities.

In regards to the issue of at-risk children falling prey to human trafficking, the PDC statement noted that human trafficking was just one of a myriad of antisocial activities.

"These children are the primary source from which human traffickers identify their victims as there are no monitoring mechanisms in place within the region. The presence of this pool of adolescence youth has increased the risk of tourism harassment, the contraction and transmission of HIV/STI, and anti-social behaviour," the release stated.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com

ENDS

Sadly we had to wait until a firebombing incident of the friends of the murdered Dwayne Jones before an article finally deals with homelessness in this way. Any sensible crisis intervention department handling such a case file would have taken necessary steps or extra ordinary measures to remove the men from the obvious clear and present danger seeing the house was stoned prior to the fire bombing and persons in St James and by extension the world via Youtube and otherwise we saw the house in question. 

While in Kingston:

photo used to shoe the area but the items may not be those of homeless MSM but the substance users instead who also use the area and who police also crack down on

also see: More MSM Homelessness Issues while agencies shift responsibilities and now comes more news of a police action on October 15th where their items were destroyed in yet another crack down on the men sadly while no real redress is being formulated or done, yet others only use the men for data collection and international public relations with pretentious concern. Recently a blog post by Maurice Tomlinson proved just that where he lamented that after JFLAG (who in essence failed the men) gave him a list of names and numbers of some of the homeless men in New Kingston he thought himself too big to call the men directly and engage them.

 

You decide readers

Peace and tolerance

H

Murder Music Campaign needs local leadership/ownership once again

Sigh

Whenever I read articles such as this one in today's Gleaner as penned by the present JFLAG Programs Manager it just shows up the lack of understanding the lay of the land and the real deal when it comes to the murder music campaigns and the categories of artists who were and are specifically tracked and targeted. Why hasn't the older advocates assisted the newbies to understand the issues? and to think JFLAG penned the tersely worded press release in response to Queen Ifrica's Independence Day rant with the very first sentence and indeed paragraph setting the tone for what was to come where it read prior to its editing on their website 

"J-FLAG notes with profound disappointment the anti-gay animus expressed by Queen Ifrica at the Grand Gala on August 6, 2013. Her sentiment is an example of the unabated divisiveness we continue to allow to take prominence on the national stage. Queen Ifrica’s remark is similar to the vitriolic sentiments which came from Tony Rebel at the celebrations last year and should have never been allowed again.
We are surprised this happened on the day the Prime Minister urged us, in her Independence Day Message, to accord respect to people so every Jamaican can feel a sense of belonging in our society.

It is regrettable that the government has not been able to guarantee non-discriminatory performances from artistes for such a high-profile function as the Grand Gala. We encourage the government to follow the example of reggae and dancehall promoters and their sponsors who consistently draft contracts proscribing penalties for the use of indecent language, discriminatory rhetoric, and incitement to violence. Independence celebrations showcase the best of Jamaica’s indigenous artistic and cultural expressions, and are held to a high standard from their inception.

As the nation passes the 50 year mark and enters a new epoch of its history, we must zealously work to protect the dignity of all Jamaicans without any distinction. We have all pledged to play our part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. These words are especially poignant in such a celebratory period of our nationhood. We are therefore compelled to reflect on these and other patriotic words of commitment found in our National Anthem and Pledge.
Jamaica cannot become the place of choice to live and raise families unless respect and dignity can be given to the entire Jamaican family. As we celebrate Jamaica’s 51st year of independence we must also celebrate the importance of peace, democracy, justice, and equality for the continuation of our prosperity as a nation."

ENDS

The redone release now reads as follows

J-FLAG notes with profound disappointment the anti-gay remarks expressed by Queen Ifrica at the Grand Gala on August 6, 2013. Her sentiment is an example of the unabated divisiveness we continue to allow to take prominence on the national stage. Queen Ifrica’s remark is similar to the sentiments which came from Tony Rebel at the celebrations last year and should have never been allowed again.
We are surprised this happened on the day the Prime Minister urged us, in her Independence Day Message, to accord respect to people so every Jamaican can feel a sense of belonging in our society.

It is regrettable that the government has not been able to guarantee non-discriminatory performances from artistes for such a high-profile function as the Grand Gala. We encourage the government to follow the example of reggae and dancehall promoters and their sponsors who consistently draft contracts proscribing penalties for the use of indecent language, discriminatory rhetoric, and incitement to violence. Independence celebrations showcase the best of Jamaica’s indigenous artistic and cultural expressions, and are held to a high standard from their inception.

As the nation passes the 50 year mark and enters a new epoch of its history, we must zealously work to protect the dignity of all Jamaicans without any distinction. We have all pledged to play our part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. These words are especially poignant in such a celebratory period of our nationhood. We are therefore compelled to reflect on these and other patriotic words of commitment found in our National Anthem and Pledge.
Jamaica cannot become the place of choice to live and raise families unless respect and dignity can be given to the entire Jamaican family. As we celebrate Jamaica’s 51st year of independence we must also celebrate the importance of peace, democracy, justice, and equality for the continuation of our prosperity as a nation.

ENDS

Then came the ill fated nationwide radio interview with Tony Rebel (Independence Day infraction 2012), Queen Ifrica and none other than the person of Dane Lewis the ED of JFLAG who ended up mum as to the use of the words " "vitriloic" and on some "anti gay animus" note when u go to the link you will see the edited release without the words that caused Tony Rebel especially to ridicule Mr Lewis live on air and forcing him to capitulate in a sense that has left the local as well as foreign LGBT persons up in arms, Mr Lewis could not answer a direct question asked of him by Rebel on the vitriolic description then it is no wonder why this JAGLA group came from nowhere to tackle Queen Ifrica themselves although I would have much preferred she be allowed to attend the show she was booked and commit the infraction on foreign soil as was done with other acts such as Sizzle during my time when I was involved in the SMM campaign locally. I fear JFLAG now finds itself having to defer to the calls of the populations and cannot continue to be impervious to them, one wonders if such deferring will also take place with the homeless? Obviously this one was poorly handled and they allowed ownership of the struggle to shift to not only Ifrica, Tony Rebel but also more and more disgruntled LGBT folks who are questioning the stewardship of the goodly J.

Now Mr Jaevion Nelson pens the following 

Reggae and dancehall are our brand; they're in our vein and culture. It helps in retaining dominant and widely held beliefs, norms and practices and influencing how we interact with each other.

Around 1992, when Buju Banton released Boom Bye Bye, Jamaica seemingly embarked on a trajectory where it gained international notoriety for its treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. With so many songs - apparently there are at least 200 from as early as the 1970s - it wasn't very difficult for people (foreigners?) to believe Jamaica was, indeed, the 'murder music' capital and 'most homophobic place' on earth.

Many Jamaicans are strongly opposed to these descriptions, but the number of mob attacks, murders, abuse and other forms of harassment betray efforts to contest this characterisation. There has been noted progress over the years, but anti-gay attitudes remain commonplace. The brutal murder of 16-year-old Dwayne Jones reminds us that much more needs to be done to protect the rights of LGBT people.

It is unlikely to not hear speakers belting songs endorsing anti-gay attitudes at any event. That's the Jamaica I grew up in. That's what I heard on the bus to and from school every morning and evening and that's still the reality of many Jamaicans.

Nuff artistes like Queen Ifrica still a sing seh dem 'doh waan nuh fish inna [dem] ital dish'. This 'ital dish' is the reason Queen Ifrica has been criticised by concerned Jamaicans, some of whom are human-rights defenders; and the reason why her performance at Rastafest in Toronto was cancelled.

LGBT rights activists have seemingly walked into the trap of Shirley Richards, the former president of Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF), that LGBT rights are part of an agenda to silence Christian values. Richards has been craftily (mis)using some cases where people were sanctioned for disrespecting the codes and practices of their employers. To Richards, these employees were just exercising their freedom of speech and conscience.

RESPONSIBILITY

The truth is, freedom comes with responsibilities. It isn't a licence to spew disparaging remarks about people. Furthermore, there are limitations to freedoms, and people will protest when they feel you are (mis)using your freedom to (directly or indirectly) cause harm. That's what the group of gay and lesbian Jamaicans abroad, JAGLA, did when it successfully got the organisers of Rastafest to cancel Queen Ifrica's performance.

Only time will tell whether or not JAGLA's actions will 'teach' Ifrica a lesson, mute her, or make her more respectful of the rights of LGBT people. I am anxious that this might only make her angry and cause Jamaicans to resign in their fears about gay rights and people's freedoms.

There is a fair bit of information available, such as the activist reflection on fighting 'murder music' by Colin Robinson and Akim Ade Larcher (2009), which is instructive for our analysis of what ensued recently (seehttp://sta.uwi.edu/crgs/november2009/journals/akimadelarcher.pdf). Their experiences and views are noteworthy.

At the end of the day, I am sure Queen Ifrica, as do most Jamaicans, still believes music doesn't influence our behaviour. For many, it's really just a song - it's metaphorical. Furthermore, Jamaicans do not understand activist-speak and, as a consequence, it is difficult to comprehend why saying 'no fish roun' here' is problematic.

Dr Marcia Forbes' book Media, Music and Adolescent Sexuality in Jamaica is a good case study for music and behaviour. That is why, while I am not suggesting JAGLA did not engage Ifrica, dialogue outside of polarised spaces is so important in all of this.

Noted Jamaican scholars have opined that songs such as Buju's Boom Bye Bye and TOK's Chi-chi Man are merely lyrics and not an incitement to harm any person. Arguably, this is valid, but one cannot ignore how music contributes to mainstreaming and perpetuating anti-gay attitudes and the application of these songs by Jamaicans. After all, we easily recite lyrics and Bible verses when we mete out punishment to LGBT people.

All of us are somehow complicit. No single group can be held responsible for the anti-gay attitudes replete across Jamaica. We believe that saying 'no fish inna mi ital dish' is OK as long as it didn't explicitly 'encourage' violence. That's a big problem with our culture. It's one of the reasons we ignore students bullying their peers until there is blood.Not so long ago, we shunned (through our music) people who engage in oral sex - that's now a thing of the past. I sincerely hope we can say that about 'murder music'. As Tanya Stephens said (in an interview with me in 2010), "It wouldn't hurt artistes to stop spreading messages of hate in their music."

Jaevion Nelson is a youth development, HIV and human rights advocate. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com.

ENDS

While Ifrica's words may not be out rightly inciteful given the temperature of the nation (just listen to talk radio) the slightest "push" can lead and have led to ghastly consequences, whenever the agitation becomes more pronounced and precise and public there is always a spike in homo-negative cases and challenges. Just take the cases in the last month or so that have made news post the Dwayne Jones matter and the We are Jamaicans Campaign that is interpreted in some circles as an imposition of foreign lifestyles with big money behind it. How do groups and advocates then expect most virtuous messages as tolerance (even though erroneously demanded) resonate with the ever hardened public and especially since the ifrica mishap? Early songs in the reggae genre dealt with anti gay sentiments via a biblical perspective even though voiced by Rastafarians in the form of King Sounds & The Israelites - Spend One Night inna Babylon (1978) one of the earliest homo-negative tracks in the dancehall era however was Chuckle Berry's "No Gay Man" in 1991 then his follow up "Made(ly) in Love where he frankly said he does not rub-a-dub with men. Simpleton's "See it Deh" came in 1993 that pushed the unnaturalness as it were of male homosexuality. Then in the late nineties came Capleton's Shot Him Up, Pure Sodom, Ready When You Ready and Bun Out a Chi Chi. 

The infectious kumina/revival genre sounding dancehall track done by Wickerman - Gurlz Dem Gungo Walk was released in 2001 revived the short quiet period as Buju Banton's Boom Bye Bye still reigned supreme while Beenieman was to add his voice to the long line of acts both popular and unknown with "All Battyman Fi Dead". Not to be outdone is Sizzla who was one of the first acts to be engaged during the early years of the SMM where at first attempts were made to persuade artists no to perform the offending tracks using moral sway via the promoters and influentials but that didn't work and by the time we looked tricks were used on stage to sneak in materials such as a live band striking chords of the offending song that is known verbatim by the audience who willing sing them while the artist remains mute on stage then claims they never performed them directly. Thus the campaign's strategy was changed to what it became and taking on a life of its own by the more astute overseas allies who continued the work.

Strategy is everything and each artist has to be engaged differently and not grouped as caustic as the more fervent five. Overseas allies be they local or foreigners need to take the lead from the ground before going on frolics of their own, now we are left with a new layer to penetrate in the national pysche that being the oppressed becoming the oppressor.

Peace and tolerance

H

also see:

Sizzla bats for Queen Ifrica as expected

Also see: Tolerance, when the oppressed becomes the oppressor from 2009

Shirley Richards breaks silence on the Queen Ifrica fiasco

 Gov’t Hush Hush On Gay Pressure …As Promoters Forced To Pull Queen Ifrica From Canada Show

Queen Ifrica's "Freedom of Speech" & advocacy found wanting

August 26, 2013
Nationwide radio's Emily Crooks during her What's On My Mind segment of her show gave her two cents alongside Naomi Francis co-host, I am total agreement with her, JAGLA over reached in this case:

'I SPOKE FOR WHAT I BELIEVED IN' - Queen Ifrica defends Grand Gala performance after JFLAG backlash

suggested reading: CLICK HERE

Peace and tolerance

H

JFLAG excludes homeless MSM from IDAHO Symposium on guess what? .......... HOMELESSNESS!

I am still trying to recover from all that has been happening in recent times with community challenges but now to see that on May 17, 2013 International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, IDAHOT a symposium named in the founder and general secretary of the defunct Gay Freedom Movement at the Courtleigh Hotel to discuss as the flyer above states homelessness yet the very representative group was NOT invited or present at the event. A war of words has since erupted and sadly I caught on late being involved in several other activities within the last few weeks, included interestingly in the ongoing spat are the former Program's Manager of JFLAG now residing in Canada, other stakeholders who are straight allies and JFLAG's management itself.

So heated as the rift become that a statement over the signature of the Executive Director Mr. Dane Lewis has come to hand which read as follows:

Response to lack of homeless at Larry Chang Human Rights Symposium

We appreciate the frustrations of all those who wonder why the voices and bodies of homeless individuals were absent from the panel at the inaugural Larry Chang Human Rights Symposium. This was not a matter of oversight, as the organization agrees that the voices in the homeless community are critical if we are to find solutions to the issue of high levels of homelessness among LGBT Jamaicans.

The coordinators of the symposium agonized over the potential absence of this group’s perspective and spoke at length about the need to be inclusive. Ultimately, they decided against inviting some of the men who are currently homeless to speak for ethical reasons. Many will disagree on this point, but we felt that fêting and tokenizing any of these men before returning them to the street while the rest of us returned to our homes was problematic and difficult to justify. In human and social development work, there is much criticism of groups who fetishize the suffering of vulnerable and marginalized groups—regardless of how great an organization's intentions are. Knowing fully well that the absence of homeless individuals from the panel would raise eyebrows, the organization made a principled decision that we stand by.

At the same time, even if it would be unethical to invite a homeless person to speak at the symposium, the coordinators of the program believed that including the perspectives of formerly homeless members of our community would help to shed some light on the homeless experience. During its operation, J-FLAG has supported many homeless individuals who turned to the organization soon after they were evicted from their homes and communities. Most were able to find a home in other communities, some sought asylum and now live abroad as refugees, while a few others remain homeless. Some of the most vocal individuals who have experienced high levels of displacement now live in the Diaspora and while many of them would be willing to return to Jamaica to speak about their experiences, they were unable to travel to Jamaica because of the conditions of their resident status in their adopted countries. We know this because we reached out to individuals who we felt were at the place in their journeys where they would be comfortable speaking to a public audience about intensely personal and painful experiences. Speakers were sought locally as well, but we were unable to find anyone who was willing to come out publicly. This is a concern we must wrestle with as J-FLAG seeks to move out of the shadows and increase the visibility of our work.

The Larry Chang Human Rights symposium was a public event open to our partners, members of the community and the public. Representatives from the media were invited and we also hired a photographer to cover the event. Recognizing the importance of documenting our programs for online audiences and for posterity, the event was live streamed and was recorded. We are now thinking about the best way to share the recording without jeopardizing the safety or violating the trust of the speakers and the attendants of the symposium.

J-FLAG interfaces with homeless LGBT group through its Crisis Intervention Programme. Both J-FLAG and Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) have participated in and facilitated numerous consultations with the subset of homeless in the Golden Triangle area in closed sessions as well as meetings with the New Kingston police, the Member of Parliament for the area, representatives of the business community, the mayor and the councillor. Despite efforts to collaborate with other NGO's and government institutions the task to launch a comprehensive project to house and rehabilitate these vulnerable individuals has fallen squarely on J-FLAG's lap. While we believe a collaborative effort that involves all stakeholders would be more successful, we recognize and take ownership of the responsibility that we have to respond to the needs of this segment of our community. J-FLAG expanded its programming for the homeless community and we have had up to three members of our staff working almost exclusively to support this group.

For over a year, J-FLAG sought a residential location for a safe house program. Until very recently, we also facilitated a feeding program that was suspended because of difficulties coordinating it without a main office in addition to funding constraints that we hope to resolve soon. The absence of homeless men from the symposium should not suggest that J-FLAG is not aware of and does not attend to the needs of these individuals. Without question, in the last year, they have received more of J-FLAG's resources on a per capita basis than any other subgroup in our community. We do not bemoan this fact. These men and transgender women are undeniably the most vulnerable group in our LGBT family and we continue to do all we can to support them.

Larry questioned the potential absence of homeless individuals in his presentation and Yvonne McCalla Sobers, convener of FAST (Families Against State Terrorism) noted the concern as well during the discussion segment. We are thankful that they raised the matter, because it shows that our community feels comfortable holding J-FLAG accountable to its mission. As representatives of the LGBT community in Jamaica and advocates for inclusivity, we agree that the absence of the perspectives of current or formerly homeless individuals may have reduced the quality and the impact of the symposium. We, too, are disappointed but we are content that we tried our best to bring together a cohort of speakers that could help to spur conversations about the treatment of LGBT people in Jamaica. This is one in a number of conversations that needs to be had about the issue.

As noted in our invitation, the symposium considered high levels of homelessness among Jamaican LGBT people as an outcome of the hostile cultural environment. While their unique perspective was not featured on the panel, some of the presenters spoke at length about the need to humanize the homeless in our community and to critically assess how our treatment of them betrays our self-hatred. The symposium also explored homelessness as a philosophical concept related to citizenship. Through various agents of socialization, we are taught that gender and sexual minorities do not belong in our communities. LGBT people therefore understand that they can be evicted from their communities without notice and might be forced to flee the island. LGBT

identities in Jamaica are shaped by an understanding that our sexual and gender identities do not align with our cultural and national identities. This creates angst, dissonance and ambivalence in our sense of being Jamaican.

The documented dangers of identifying and being recognized as LGBT in Jamaica led countries like Canada, the United States and the Netherlands to grant refugee status to those who can prove that there is a reasonable possibility that someone may try to hurt them. This is the first time J-FLAG hosted a forum to openly discuss the situations that lead to asylum and the process for obtaining refugee status in the United States, which is one of the major locations that LGBT Jamaicans seek refuge. The symposium also offered us an opportunity to honor the work of Larry Chang, and to situate the modern movement for LGBT equality in Jamaica as a decades-long struggle as opposed to a 21st century phenomenon.

J-FLAG welcomes feedback from our community. We will continue to develop and sustain programs that address the needs of the most vulnerable among us. We know there is much more work to be done and so we will continue to work towards a successful rehabilitation program. If anyone has any additional concerns or suggestions for how to improve our programming, not just around homelessness, we encourage you to send us an email at admin@jflag.org, send us a message on our Facebook page, or ask us a question here. Myself, Jaevion and Javed monitor this space and we are more than willing to listen and learn as we try to make J-FLAG a more effective organization.

Dane Lewis
Executive Director

ENDS

 Yvonne McCallah Sobers of Families Against State Terrorism makes a point during the symposium, apparently she was the one who asked the all important question as to the absence of the homeless men

Singer Tanya Stephens of "Do You Still Care" fame makes her presentation

Carole Narcisee of the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition makes a point 

No report has been released since the symposium or as at the preparation of this entry.

Sad that this is where we are with this issue with marked culture of secrecy continuing as open discourse on social media groups is quashed (to hide something?) and trying to justify this most egregious error in judgement of the representative population being left out on a discussion about them, I was invited to attend but never bothered and thankfully I made the right decision. Some of the comments now coming to light have reflected my concerns about the service delivery and response to a long standing problem of the lack of proper leadership and foresight coupled with an elitist corporatist mentality, for e. g.

"What you do here is exactly what an organisation like the JCF is so skilled at doing to those perceived as its critics, Twisting words, dealing with personalities rather than issues or principles, assuming that comments are intended to "wear down individuals" rather than to challenge the organisation to do better at what it was set up to do. And then there is the labelling and the name-calling that says more about the person who uses the terms - like "callous and uncaring" - than those who are the targets of the barely veiled cussing. Been there and experienced that for over a decade when people corn get mash.

Hopefully, the defensiveness can end soon, and some problem-solving can begin. Meantime, have fun!!""............... your position sounds like something I hear from politicians when I advocate accountability when police kill people's children in what the police claim to be a shootout. So good people will say something like this, to borrow from your post,"I would just love for us to keep our discussions at the level that does not tear down an entire infrastructure just to make a small point. The people who work in [the police force] have real lives and they live in a real society. When we disagree with them by attacking them and they get worn down by that pressure, we gain nothing. In fact, we all lose. One thing that marginalised people must unlearn is the division around inessentials. We have been so thoroughly schooled in divisiveness it has become difficult for us to see the essentials." In other words, don't critique in the hope of improving the work of the JCF (or J-FLAG in the present discussion) because they will see a critique as an attack on the hardworking men and women of the force." 

"It is my view that a lot of the rot in this country was caused because too many people kept quiet about things that were just not right. So those who spoke out were silenced or silenced themselves. As a result, coming generations pay the price for deterioration that could have been stopped if leaders had put their egos aside for a while, and used the criticism to grow the organisation and the country."

"As an example, I was in a meeting 20 years ago between the then Minister of Education and a group of students. One student asked the Minister what he was going to do about the violence in schools that most were not aware of at the time, it was so relatively minor. The Minister became irate and construed the concern as an attack. he said that matters like that should be raised with the police as security was not an educational matter. The Minister may well have seen the youth as trying to "tear down the infrastructure to make a small point." The lesson the youth learned that day was to mistrust his instincts and keep his opinions to himself no matter how valid he felt his concerns to be. Today, violence in Jamaican schools is close to endemic."

"Smart organisations prefer to have criticism in the open, and regard critics as friends intent on seeing the organisation improve. For the good of the LGBT community, JFLAG needs to appreciate take the criticisms as providing the organisation with evaluation that consultants would charge hefty fees to do only half as well and with none of the heart. J-FLAG needs all the help it can get. but some of the sentiments expressed on this thread suggest that J-FLAG leaders are trying to jettison those who have supported the cause before the organisation was created. I for one was trodding with Brian Williamson from the 1980s."

"The request to move the question to private e-mail does not say much for transparency. The question is not about someone's private business, but about a public event. Trust comes with transparency, and secrecy resembles fear of being found out, unless the questions relate to personal and private matters."

The best one:

Inviting the homeless to a symposium on homelessness would be relevant only it it were assumed that the topic needed the input of those actually experiencing homelessness. Just as it would have been useful to have HIV+ persons invited to a symposium on living with HIV. 

However, i am learning that the symposium was really about the homelessness of gays who are forced to migrate. However, it seems the keynote speaker, Larry Chang (gay and forced to migrate) was under the same mistaken impression. He addressed himself to the homeless gays in New Kingston, and said he hoped some of them were present in the audience. He was the only speaker to offer some kind of solution for the problems of our homeless gay men. 

The attorney who spoke confirmed what is known - that Jamaican gay men who apply for asylum have few problems getting it. So the topic of the symposium was essentially a non-issue for the LGBT community. No wonder there needed to be no "next steps" or no action such as fund-raising or deepening of partnerships to solve a problem however identified.. 

Such a pity the symposium was not used as a catalyst for addressing the challenges gay and lesbian youth face when they are thrown out of their homes and join forces to survive on Kingston's volatile streets. But that may have needed a different event with organisers making different "considered decisions" and presentations targeting different goals.

The press release factory kicks into effect again, see what you make of all this folks but it is clear what is at work here and my voice will not be closed by the establishment as a recent comment to one of my audiopost/podcast on the eviction issue of the J in the context of the homelessness matter over time from a former Management Committee member of JFLAG reflects the culture that still resides there:

I am concerned: In a homophobic society, is it fair to expect J-FLAG to easily find a home? Is it fair to compare the homelessness of these young men with the homelessness of J-FLAG? The bigger picture is being missed, I think. It seems as if there is some gloating over the officelessness of J-FLAG, as if that helps the homeless men. Officelessness is not comparable to HOMElessness! Bellyaching about the loss of a space by J-FLAG is less a problem for J-FLAG than it is for those served by the organisation!

I just saw it...and i waiting to know who is the producer and the writer and the person speaking to ask them a few questions of my own..hopefully some light will be shed soon

"We are pretending here as if J-FLAG is awash with cash to support a safe house. The thinking and introspection necessary is for us to strategise as a community to make the work being done by organisations such a J-FLAG possible."

it is obvious we have a long way yet to go on anything especially social justice issues on the ground and I am glad I saw the criticism of my audio entry as those usually are remained hidden. I am just beside myself with the clear blatant disregard for the least amongst us save and except when one of them gets really hurt or maimed then we see the PR goes into full effect crying homophobia!

more on my podcast:

Also in the Observer May 26, 2013

Youth homelessness is no joke

Residents say gays take over Barbican house

UPDATE June 5, 2013 - the video finally has arrived watch and listen carefully

Peace and tolerance

H

Another Carnival another brawl

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.

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.

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, ..........................

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

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