Rasta at gay party angers online viewers

Never a dull moment in the tabloids when it comes to sensationalized stories so here we go now, truth be told a few real Rastafarians have passed through the gay entertainment scene in my time as a DJ, some do come through just to see what it is like at a gay party while others just plain mischievous:

The Star News reported
A video of a Rastafarian selector performing at a gay party has evoked the anger of several viewers on Internet website YouTube and other social media platforms.

The video, 'Toronto Gay Dancehall Queens Having a Good Time on Stage' was posted on YouTube in August. However, it has recently gone viral on various social networking sites and has received more than 11,000 views in less than a week.

In the almost three-minute long video, the mostly male patrons could be seen dancing up a storm to the latest dancehall songs, including QQ's One Drop. They effortlessly performed the dance move.

passionate

Before 19 seconds into the video, the controversial DJ made his appearance by running on to a stage chasing off patrons. "Hol' on deh! Mi a do sumn yah suh! Sorry deh! Sorry deh," he said while pushing three men off the stage to create enough room.

Clad in créme pants, with grey T-shirt and matching turban, the DJ began jumping to the beat of Konshen's Walk And Whine and yelling, "whoiiiiii!! dis a nuh boring time!!" Fuelling the energy of the gyrating male patrons.

At that point, a particularly passionate male couple took the spotlight grinding on each other with one man on his head top, while his partner held him firmly by the hips 'daggering' him from behind, much to the delight of the other patrons and the spirited ras.

Men dressed in full female apparel made their presence known when Gaza Slim's Independent Ladies blared through the speakers.

The dynamic DJ, feeding off the vibes of the crowd yelled, "Weh all a di independent ladies!!" and the more effeminate patrons could be seen showing their appreciation for the hit song by bussing a whine and strutting to the middle of the dance floor.

As the video concluded, the Ras could be seen jumping on stage and yelling "All who waa party sehh party!! Party mi sehh!!" to cheers of approval from patrons.

Rastaman's efforts

Unlike the patrons in the video who were appreciative of the Rastaman's efforts, some viewers were not as kind. One commented, "I aint mad at nobody in this video but the Rasta. He don't need to be proclaiming that anymore."

Another commented, "Fire, fire, fire, an look pon di style dread. Shame to di Rasta community."

"Mi nuh kno weh mi really ah watch to neck back ... but mi kno one ting ... juss true ah man locks him hair don't mean him ah Rasta.. Meck mi tell yuh real Rasta nuh inna dem ting, no time ah tall ...," another user added.

But to the displeasure of some viewers, others were supportive of the Rastaman stating that he was only doing his job.

"The dread in the far background, leave him alone, Rasta community doesn't care, he's dancing with nobody, the man is a MC and doing his work," a user commented.

While another stated, "It's his job to make sure that people having a good time, free country dis!"

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

Gays celebrate Independence, too says Blacka Ellis

So the debate rages on about Queen Ifrika's utterances at the recent Jamaican Independence Grand Gala. Well, here's my two cents worth. I absolutely love Queen Ifrika. Yeah, I think she's a great artiste and I'm a big admirer of her work, but I have to say it how I see it. And mi nuh care who waan vex!

Hear me, nuh. I actually saw nothing wrong with her voicing support for review of the marijuana laws on that occasion. To me, marijuana legalisation is an issue that has serious socio-economic relevance for the country and one that can positively impact our national financial independence, so the ganja talk was not out of place in my book.

I strongly feel, however, that the national celebration was not an appropriate platform to introduce any issue around which our people are obviously divided and passionately polarised. As a people, we don't do arguments well. We don't usually politely agree to disagree. Instead, we have a culture that says the way to address differences is by figuratively [and sometimes literally if it comes to that] 'burning out' any dissenting voice or opposing side.

In that context, I feel it was wrong of the artiste to invite division into the national celebration. The event was for all Jamaicans - ugly and attractive, rich and poor. Gay people pay taxes, too, and gay people also celebrate Independence. Whether it's PNP versus JLP, Saints vs. Sinners, uptown versus downtown, or Gays versus Straights, no divisive issue should have been put to the people on the Grand Gala stage with any request for them to take sides ['all man who love this or bun out dat raise unnu han!']

The fallout was inevitable. So now, Queen Ifrika has been pulled from a show in Toronto. That's sad, but I'm not surprised. After all, what did she really expect? And as for the folks who're suggesting that she's being punished for 'advocating heterosexuality', I think unnu nah really talk straight! I'm sure I heard her say 'no gays 'round here' on the big stage at the National Stadium - and in dancehall parlance 'shi get a big forward fi dat'.

But if she didn't just say it to get the 'forward', then she must be serious about all the meanings inherent in that statement. And if that is so, she shouldn't really want to perform in Toronto because nuff gays round there! Yeah, Toronto is the city that hosts one of the biggest gay pride festivals in the world. And Toronto is the province of Ontario, and the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, is reported to be openly gay and has lived with her partner Jane for over 25 years.

In fact, given that many Jamaican dancehall artistes are so passionate about their abhorrence homosexuality, and since they obviously see protesting against homosexual lifestyle as a major priority of their creative mission, they should boycott those countries that support gays. Yeah man, President Obama is on record supporting gay marriage, and homosexuals are protected and embraced in the USA, so dancehall artistes should stand on principle and refuse to work in the US for their 'gay' money.

Local artistes who want to protest could do well by taking a leaf from the book of the late Peter Tosh. The stepping Razor didn't just say 'no apartheid 'round here!' Anybody can do that, especially when it's guaranteed to get a cheer. Tosh did more. He gave up lucrative financial benefits and refused to perform in Israel because that country was selling guns to the apartheid regime in South Africa. What say you?

box-mi-back@hotmail.com

ENDS

also see: Sizzla bats for Queen Ifrica as expected 

Jamaica bans movie with lesbian scenes featuring Dominican actress ..................

This came to hand thanks to our friends at Quality Citizenship Jamaica as published in the Dominican News Online today:

The paper's online edition reported that authorities in Jamaica have banned a movie ‘with strong lesbian scenes’ which featured Dominican actress, Germina Jno Baptiste and Jamaican, Caroline Brown.

The Collywood production, Hated 2 Death, is a controversial movie which was filmed two years ago in Jamaica and was due to be released in various cinemas next month but the film board on that Caribbean island has effectively shut it down.

No reason was given as to why the decision was taken to ban the film.

“I am very upset … we are supposed to be living in a democratic world,” CEO of Collywood, Junior Hart, told DNO. “What right has Jamaica got to ban this movie … Jamaica is one of the most violent places in the world.”

Hart said Hated 2 Death is a true story of two lesbians who were brutally murdered in 2006 by one the girls’ boyfriend. Their bodies were found in a cesspit toilet outside the house where the murders were committed. The matter has since drawn international attention to Jamaica since the boyfriend has not been arrested although he has given himself up to the police.

The Collywood CEO said the movie premiered in the south coast of Jamaica to “record crowds” and it has caused a stir among the authorities and the church on that island.

“I strongly believe they don’t want this movie because it will be like opening a can of worms,” he said.

Hated 2 Death hase now been placed on Collywood’s global platform where it can be seen on subscription at www.collywoodcinemas.com.

Jno Baptiste is the first Dominican actress to appear in a Jamaican movie.

More on the actress HERE

Meanwhile

It was only a few days ago Bishop Gabriel Malzaire, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Dominica, called for the elimination of criminal penalties for homosexuality and an end to “all forms of violence” against LGBT people.

Malzaire’s position, he stated in a Dominica News commentary, is consistent with the Catholic Church’s overall position:

I wish to make it clear that the Catholic Church in Dominica adheres to the call of the Holy See in its statement to the 63rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the Declaration of Human Rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, “to condemn all forms of violence against homosexual persons as well as to urge all States to take necessary measures to put an end to all criminal penalties against them. …

The Catholic Church maintains that free sexual acts between adult persons must not be treated as crimes to be punished by civil authorities.

Dominica is one of several Caribbean countries where homosexual activity is a criminal offense. The anti-homosexuality law provides for prison sentences of up to 10 years for consensual same-sex relations.

Malzaire’s statement came in response to a statement by the LGBT rights group Minority Rights Dominica, which complained that the church had not made its position clear about that law.

Two men on a gay cruise were arrested in Dominica in March 2012 after police were told they were seen engaging in sex on board their cruise ship. They were released after pleading guilty to indecent exposure.

Malzaire emphasized his support of other Roman Catholic doctrines such as opposition to (though not criminalization of):

Same-sex marriage.
Adoption of children by same-sex couples.

Homosexual activity. Malzaire said that, “according to Holy Scriptures, [it] is among many wrongs which, if not controlled, can lead to spiritual death. Among these are adultery, fornication, orgies, calumny, deep seated hatred, and the like (cf. Rom 13:13; Gal 5:16-21).”

The use of the phrase “sexual orientation and gender identity.” Malzaire said regarding the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, “The Vatican specifically objected to the declaration’s use of the term sexual orientation and gender identity, which it said had no established meaning in international law.”

For more information, read his full commentary: “Decriminalization of homosexuality – what it means for the Catholic Church in Dominica.”

2012 Year in Review ..............

Happy New Year readers and all the best for 2013

2012 was indeed a year of mixed blessings for some and horrific loss of life for others all in the paradox that is Jamaica with our brand of homo-negativity and homophobia alongside the camouflages for some that is the downlow that has affected the community’s own growth, image and perceptions in the eyes of an ever cynical public. The agitations of the religious community who in the name of God and deep ignorance are pushing hard a theocratic agenda while relegating homosexuality as a lifestyle continued in earnest homosexual orientation is considered a misnomer for some so on the strength of such beliefs we are to subscribe to reparative therapy for change or be damned to hell for refusing to do so all because some religious lawyers and influentials say so. 

I have returned to preparing a text component to this year’s entry along with a podcast to come as well, of course I will cover the issues that came to prominence via my blogs and my views from where I sit. 

ALL original posts will remain as they are when originally published for your perusal.

Media’s coverage of us

The media landscape was replete with discourse on several fronts from the suggested buggery review from the Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller following the People’s National Party’s win at the polls in December 2011 and in the 100 days of the new administration to the public relations mess that followed with the advocacy group JFLAG got themselves into by granting an interview to the POWER 106FM newsroom which was carried on Go Jamaica’s website which was interpreted as a demand by other media houses. Letters to the editors proposing or opposing homosexuality themes or topics flowed non stop probably more so than any other year in recorded history following that. Media overall seemed to have become far more friendlier than years gone by with a guaranteed prime time spot at least once per month on issues including the problematic homelessness of some of our community members in predominantly Kingston on television.

The increase in visibility of persons coming out on issues also came the commensurate opposing responses as the “keep it to yuself” mentality message that was and is still being pushed, we can be heard in a sense, watched via entertainment mediums but don’t we dare to be open about it or outward in our displays of affection as that might lead to negative outcomes as we saw in one such case in March. The first major anti gay, anti buggery march took place in September which proved that the struggle is no longer in the passive forms as the religious right stepped up their campaigns.

Younger more vocal advocates also stepped up to the plate while outing themselves for the causes they claimed to stand for chief among them was blogger turned leading gay atheist front man Javed Jaghai and female blogger turned front woman for that section of the community as well Angeline Jackson in their appearance on Television Jamaica’s Religious Hardtalk in October. While secularism took centerstage as the latest feature of the LGBT struggle in Jamaica the gay Christian groups were quiet for the most part especially the remaining active chapters of Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica thus giving our main opponents the impression that an anti-religious strategy has been pinned to the general gay rights push and the repeal or decriminalization of the buggery law, in response groups such as The Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS formalized their operation while long timers The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship aligned with other local groups and overseas anti gay cells cemented their unions to push against the supposed powerful local gay lobby. The main aims of the anti gay groups are to:

1) Block any attempt to have the suggested buggery review occur or any legal manoeuvres to have the law repealed or at least decriminalized

2) Neutralize any moves to have gay marriage rights agitation get off the ground despite no such rights or benefits have been formally requested or pushed for

3) Counter supposed normalization of homosexuality on the misguided belief that the orientation and paedophilia are linked

All kinds of strategies, suppositions without any proper basis in fact have been put forward with intellectual dishonest interpretation of facts to suit their agenda, for e.g the repeated reference by the front man for the JCHS Dr Wayne West of sexual practices by sub groups that carry out fisting, fishing, felching and others as if to suggest Jamaicans carry out such activities so we are undeserving of the buggery law being repealed as those acts will be legal, albeit sexual practices are mostly done and agreed upon in private and there are laws already that cover rape, carnal abuse, sexual assault and a precedence set for same sex activity done under duress. The awful scourge of paedophilia this year on the national front has left the msm community overall with a black eye as we have been blamed for many of the same sex paedophilia matters when the proper psychological explanations have been given to assist a cynical public on the issues also bearing in mind we have been fed a steady diet over the decades via tabloids the idea that gay adult men want children and nothing more when paedophiles are persons of a different ilk altogether and are attracted to pre-pubescent children despite their sexual orientation. 

The surprising rates at which the anti gay groups are now being funded became clear that expensive full paged ads can be taken in print media here and in other Caribbean islands have not gone unnoticed, hosting of conferences and other activities has had many wondering if their supporters are in effect exporting hate from their own territories, in which they cannot oppose the LGBT groups there as they would like to due to state protections etc. This is of course all being done ignoring the visible social ills in society. The theologian community have gone as far as to call the homosexual community "dutty" in the recently launched translated King James version to patois of the new testament: The use of Jamaican dialect to further stigmatise homosexuals in the new patois Bible

Foreign media also played a key role in the ever expanding global LGBT information platforms but several articles left some in the community wondering who vets what is written about our struggle and a rush to publish news on us especially when they look sensational in some respects, when for example one such foreign publication presented the homeless issues as if the state was the one that caused the closure of the Safe House Pilot Project in 2009 this story came on the strength of the stakeholders meeting with the New Kingston business sector, the member of parliament for the division, the mayor of Kingston, JFLAG and others after the homeless MSM matter spiralled out of control yet again between August to November. Despite repeated concerns expressed about the story as published by Gay Star News with even comments by the 09 project’s conceptualizer the news agency has ignored the constituents response and the story ran as is to date. 

Using our issues to make a buck?

This action had tacit support from one of the nations controversial gay lawyers although he was quoted in the piece as well and was contacted about the slant of the story he did not find it necessary as a matter of principle to have the piece amended to reflect the real timeline of the closure of the home. This was one of many instances where the ethical footing of our advocacy and the spokespersons thereto was tested and with each test they were found wanting.

The tabloid press was not to be quiet although a little subdued than in years past as they were forced to carry more balanced stories based on the some of the events that took centre stage in the year, such as the New York gay marriage rights passage, the public discourse on the homeless men and cross dressers in New Kingston (a favourite target of the papers, especially the Jamaica Star News) and the other matters surrounding homosexuality. However by the end of December we saw an article on supposed hebephilic behaviour allegations by some of the men at the problematic Trafalgar Park area although cleared of shrubbery that would block public viewing men were said to be allegedly showing their penises to schoolboys when in fact schools have been out for holidays since the second week in December and no time was given for these supposed shenanigans. No proof was offered to this effect.

Christmas day we saw cartoonist Clovis from the Jamaica Observer publishing a damning cartoon with an effeminate gay male and a child cowering in fear as opposed to the once feared junkanoo dance group and while it may reflect some sentiments of stereotyping and fear of the gay lobby by the public the piece has been described as homophobic from some advocates from yet another suspicious article from Gay Star News and the controversial gay attorney was once again quoted, the following truths however were subsequently observed:

1. The Observer never reported that the boys were sodomised, they quoted residents and they also reported what the police said in a previous report.

2. The Observer never alleged that the two homeless men who were murdered by one of their peers in June were lovers and were killed because of a quarrel; they simply reported that's what bystanders were saying.

3. The attitudes towards homosexuality survey reporting that 82% viewed homosexuality as immoral never concluded that this measured homophobia. There was a different scale used to measure that. There are many Jamaicans who view homosexuality as immoral and treat gay people as equals. The article from the Gay Star News makes it seem as though the Observer made that claim adding to the questioning of their motives in rushing to report on matters by this particular publication with some local advocates readily playing along in the dishonesty. If we expect to win the war on hate we can’t be using unethical and intellectually corrupt means to do so. The aforementioned story on homelessness safe house issue was also cause for concern as to the validity of the entries put out there by this same entity.

Possibly the bloodiest year on record for the population

Just by the repeated mainstream news items on the deaths of members of the community predominantly gay men left many with their hands at their jaws in shock and worry with some persons literally moving house to other countries and some contemplating such moves early next year. In my last count from the aforementioned mainstream reports plus other unreported cases and second hand information some of which has been confirmed I arrived at 19 persons who were murdered in 2012 with two lesbians among that figure. Bi-phobic mistrust was the main cause of one of the ladies to be killed in Eastern Kingston.

Homophobia or hate factored in just over half of those taken from us while intra/inter community violence aka gay on gay violence figured among the rest including serious challenges in the displaced/homeless msm community. The double murder for example in New Kingston and the throat slashing on the same day of a popular socialite as well in upper St Andrew in June were testament to that fact although the crisis communication surrounding the former gave an impression it was a homophobic killing when it turned out not to be so as the interview days after on RJR’s Beyond the Headlines where the Executive Director of JFLAG had to make an about face with interviewer Dionne Jackson Miller. That single act of what some deemed to be misleading the public on deaths involving MSM caused an avalanche of accusations from other anti gay groups and individuals such as Betty Ann Blaine who penned that damning piece called the “Big Gay Lie” published in the Observer in October and preceding her in August was the outgoing UK born Deputy Police Commissioner Les Green who poured cold water on previous claims of homophobic killings caused by hate, he interpreted them as simply jealousy among persons leading to violence almost instantly smashing the work of several advocates over the many years of the struggle.

The turmoil in that period brought into sharp focus the need to tidy up the crisis communication activity by the LGBT lobby(ists), again the efficacy of our posturing on homophobia in Jamaica, taking each case by their own merits and engaging the public on the homo-negativity in our national psyche  all factors it seems the advocacy structures have not properly taken into account by virtue of the subsequent murders that made news including the most recent surprise killing of a prominent Justice of the Peace, Roy Beckford JP, while arrests have been made no definitive statement has come on this matter so as to put forward the truth regarding his death hence conjecture has been leading to rumours then to all kinds of speculations. 

The downlow phenomenon factored greatly in some of the cases and there has not been any proper full discourse on record to my knowledge of how our version of the DL, highly valued machismo and masculinity affects the response to effeminacy, class issues in gay relationships and the repulsive nature of some men towards any feminization of their character or egos. The anthropological work in those departments are yet to be done to factor into how and why we have some of the outcomes we see in same gender male relationships be they transactional or not despite a study on attitudes towards homosexuality commissioned by JFLAG suggests more Jamaicans are tolerant of homosexuals yet the issues on the ground suggest otherwise.

Most of those persons killed died by the knife used as the weapon of choice, the victims were found with their throats slashed or multiple stab wounds, methods seemed preferred for MSM which calls into question a suggestion I made some time ago about self defence classes especially for the more docile or effeminate among us, at least five of the men were shot at close range or execution style as in the case of Eric Liscombe who was murdered on November 17 from due to 11 shots all from behind at point blank range as he was accused of being to open in his community with entertaining male company. A murder most strange in St Catherine in July that still has persons baffled as the victim was found nude in his bed, the house unperturbed so robbery was not a motive and his family has since moved from the area leaving the ancestral home vacant at first but now occupied by squatters. The story which was carried on CVM news has since been removed from their video archives which some like myself who were tracking it puzzled however on the ground leg work revealed much on the matter for me to put the pieces together, the house was allegedly spray painted with anti gay messages but quickly repainted to erase them or to remove the aura surrounding the property probably so that the new occupants could move in.

Other more non conventional methods were used to take out other persons such as the case of food poisoning by a family on a young man who was profiled by them and took matters into their own hands. Other challenges in Western Jamaica where an alleged gay higgler was also poisoned by his detractors who allegedly were jealous of his popularity and his alleged sexual orientation after what was described as months of profiling prior to his demise.

Homeless community continues to spiral

As the year began we saw challenges and almost every month since there has been some issue negatively impacting on their image in the community and the mainstream at large, almost every week there was a report of some young individual being displaced at all socio economic levels but more so at the lower end. The see- saw struggles between the agencies namely Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, JASL and Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays, JFLAG continued in 2012 as well with very tense moments in June, August, September, October and December in particular the last month as a major stoning incident at the JASL office and a fight involving a JFLAG staff member and one of the men after a World AIDS Day function at the property that has forced the agencies to re-institute the apartheid looking security measures that of armed security guards and a canine team and by the looks of it they seem as a permanent addition to the property’s feature (more precious funding). The public removal by the local authorities of the men after taking up residence in any open space they can turn into a residence in August and again in November were proof of how the issues still abound.

Members of the population who were incarcerated returned to the scenes and thus came even more challenges as well owing to their strong personalities and the related group dynamics leading to all kinds of antisocial behavioural problems and the “battyman entitlement phenomenon” raising its head with the aforementioned agencies refusing at some points to engage them as the men allegedly use the safe spaces inappropriately. The lack thereof or refusal to properly implement other social justice themed interventions outside of HIV prevention activities has been a key issue as the longer the men remain unengaged is more the challenges seem to come, an observation the relevant Programs managers seem to miss. The promised shelter idea from JFLAG hinted to via a television interview then a town hall meeting on November 7 did not materialise as it turned out the announcement was most premature, no confirmation was had with the owners of the property that was eyed to be the site for the three month pilot project, the relevant due diligence and legal work was obviously not done as the main reason for the scrapping of that idea was the zoning laws and insurance to cover certain issues.

The basic psycho social, pycho sexual interventions outlay that was promised by the J has also not been forthcoming. The men now have taken up another section of uninhabited space again while others who can find shelter have been doing so, community assistance or what little of it is left these days is very remote in some sense as old friends keep almost at arm’s length just providing enough help such as food and maybe clothes and shoes but no sustained assistance any more the overall membership of the group has gotten yet another bad rap due to the disruptive behaviour of a few at a Christmas party that had to be cancelled after a stoning event as the promoter refused to allow entry to selected members of the homeless.

Members of the displaced/homeless groups outside of Kingston have also had their fair share of challenges in 2012 from forced evictions by thugs to beatings to threats to vacate illegally inhabited premises and hunger. Some of the men who are also HIV positive have been inconsistent with adherence to their HIV regimes leading to serious health issues. Their inability to have a proper diet as well has affected a few of them with co-infections of other lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and STI’s in addition to the age lifespan index increasing as older MSM are living longer even while being positive we are seeing more problems from those diseases. In December a treat was arranged by an interfaith group in St Catherine for five of the men in continuation of a series of social interventions by them in providing temporary employment and clothing etc. Reparative therapy seemed out of the types of engagement used by the group as it seems to be purely a humanitarian effort. Displaced Montegonian MSM have been seeing their numbers grow by leaps and bounds due to mainly the penetration by the state agencies on the illegal lotto scamming which some persons indirectly benefited in addition to forced evictions by intolerant families a feature occurring repeatedly on a national scale. Several persons have migrated to other parishes or crash with friends where possible. One could expect a report every month of some young man being made displaced due to such family rejection and usually egged on by just the slightest supposed infraction.

Community housing outreach via influentials and ordinary LGBT citizenry who offer temporary shelter seemed to have fallen as persons have become either weary of the repeated challenges, deep mistrust after negative outcomes post shelter offerings, lack of financial where-it-all for extended assistance, other reports of thievery and misuse of assistance given and the behaviour of the persons. The arson attack in Waterhouse in November also has left a serious damper on community housing assistance. I have assisted persons in my home with the spare room I have available but for lack of resources and other psycho social help in the process I like other influentials can only offer limited assistance. All this barring any community assisted counselling typed interventions or street based interventions from the respective agencies with embedded diligence building exercises. At the aforementioned town hall meeting a model used in New York of financially assisting persons and building capacity for those who are willing in the community to share living space was laid on the agenda, no response has come since.

Other parishes where homelessness figured somewhat for 2012 were St Ann, St Thomas, Manchester, Westmoreland and St Andrew. The New Kingston population that has amongst its members persons from the other parishes named were made nomads literally as the local authorities evicted them repeatedly from lands they occupied and misused in some instances thus leading to repeated backlash from neighbouring residencies. The longer the men are left out there the worse it continues to get, yet the advocacy structures and superstar advocates are only interested in calling attention to themselves with challenges to foreign laws more so than our own local development. Thanks to several readers who also have been donating over the years via paypal albeit it takes a while in our banking system to clear persons have been given some financial assistance or the gifts help to offset expenses in the community housing outreach. The ideal scenario would be a proper shelter idea response to deal with this issue once and for all.

There were two attempted suicides that came to light one involving a displaced gay man with serious family rejection issues in September and another with a same gender loving sister in April. The former has since been assisted by a concerned businessman and has received counselling and residential assistance while holding down a temporary job. The young lady in the meantime is still on the mend after having to relocate due to her circumstances surrounding her case.

And advocacy

As implied above the social justice issues are still not a priority with the urgent need for rehabilitation for the displaced and homeless not just a bed, it is clear to most concerned these days that it is only buggery or the review as suggested by the Prime Minister and the limelight it gives that is of interest. Homelessness does not command soundbites so it does not get the attention it requires and is only reacted to when the media carries a story albeit for the wrong reasons. We are told repeatedly there are no resources yet we see other activities carried out with great ease for e.g. the very security detail that the agency now has to use to ‘protect itself’ from the group it claims to speak on behalf of in a paradox that is just unexplainable. We are told that spaces cannot be found by JFLAG to set up their version of a pilot housing idea because of the population’s behavioural challenges but one wonders if the proper psycho social development activities or stabilization plans for the intended residents were ever included as a main reason in approaching the owners/managers of those spaces to prove or convince them that the behaviours will be dealt with or curtailed over time via well structured activities for the men, in other words no work for idle hands. One gets the feeling the shelter idea is to incarcerate and punish the men because of their ‘rowdy behaviours’ more so than to facilitate rehabilitation ironically a similar debate exists nationally as the housing of juveniles and vulnerable persons as Jamaicans for Justice and others bat for the proper responses to such populations.

The urgency that this issue requires does not seem clear to the group or the individuals involved, the shelter idea is set to be attempted again in January 2013, if a space can be found, one hopes they learn from the premature announcement of the previous space that was identified and not confirmed on paper. It turned out that the zoning laws, lack of insurance for fire and other matters were some of the reasons why the deal did not go through. With the limited funding windows available albeit for HIV prevention and not real social issues from the global fund many are concerned even for their own jobs overall in the national systems as well. Will the shelter materialise? That is yet to be seen and if and when it does it will be in a pilot project form only to close again after maybe three months as the roll over period to convince the funders to permanently fund it is unknown.

Even with the other so called stakeholders to include child rights agencies who sit on this committee to assist the homeless men it is all about HIV prevention more so than serious rehabilitation and personal development.

The transgender, bisexual and lesbian communities continue to be overlooked and not get the visibility and public outreach needed commensurate to the legal aspects of the struggle. “LGBT” are just convenient call letters to sound good in articles and interviews by agencies and supposed spokespersons but the real work on the ground by the advocates is yet to be seen. Given the five year strategic plan as outlined by JFLAG in November which includes their intention to be the proactive leader in the struggle the bi/trans/SGL female oversight and invisibility are disturbing, who will they lead ...just MSM? Will “Allsexual” in the acronym finally mean something in 2013?

The asylum assistance seems to be the only part of the activity that seems to be functional in a sense but then again one can apply for such without any direct assistance from groups like JFLAG. A record number of Jamaicans left our shores this year to take up asylum openings in other states, the numbers are preliminary but some nearly 100 persons left us based on estimates for the US, Canada and Holland. The crisis interventions seems limited as well as the excuse continues to be the funding available for financial assistance but with the seriousness of some cases and relocation costs for persons who have been forced to change addresses is a major factor, so serious is this issue that the former Office Administrator now reside in New York due to his own issues.

The media engagement continued via the letter writing campaign, the television and radio interviews as the discourse seemed to have improved in some respects, the matter of homelessness for example got ample coverage with all the positive variables involved including the tolerant positions of the police, the member of parliament and others we thought we could have capitalised on these once problem areas impeding the struggle and the community’s development. As indicated above the ethical footing of the struggle seems shaky at the least, half truths in some areas of crisis communication is a major challenge that must be addressed, the accusations of intellectual gymnastics against certain personalities casts a cloud over the struggle with the anti gay establishment aspiring dishonesty on the “gay agenda” but such gymnastics also seem to be coming from corners or the anti gay groups themselves as well hence the continued standoff as both sides hold strain. With the added challenges to the conversations being atheism the religious right now say an anti Christ or secularist agenda is now mixed with homosexuality’s normalization is now at hand hence their stepped up campaigns to block any such actions as theocratic as it maybe. The perception of a world view that nothing is wrong and it just life is the belief some theologians say they are fighting.

The stop murder music campaign continues with a life of its own as Sizzla and Beenieman featured mostly in the year with events where both artists were involved were picketed and successfully cancelled in some respects. Sizzla seemed to have retaliated in December after a so called olive branch was offered by JFLAG to reformed murder music acts, earlier in the year his concert in Europe was cancelled after gay groups there were successful in convincing the promoters to do so based on the hate lyrics the artists still stand by although himself and others claim not to perform them. His STING 2012 Boxing Day performance in Jamaica proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is no reformed act. Beenieman’s half hearted apology which turned out to be a fake as he was made to do in order to gain a performance contract in Amsterdam, it turns out that persons like myself were not fooled and the proof of his dishonest posture came on television Jamaica’s Entertainment Prime program where the artists himself said he did not apologise to the gay community for the songs he did. So we were duped it seems.

The overseas groups have been active with some help from advocates on the ground targeting known hate music vocalists despite the cry of aged materials and their non-performance of them by the artists themselves or their managers, while the earnings of the artists dwindle due to pressure from the LGBT lobby and the poor economic times the songs remain on platforms that earn royalties for them none the less despite their non performance of them. A report in 2008 for example that ITunes had removed such artist’s material was conciliatory then but recent checks prove some of the materials are still available on compilations and in the bootleg market the cheap $100 mixed CDS reflect the songs still have a life and interest from the public.

Other dancehall acts such as Potential Kid in April saw his sponsorship from mobile giant LIME dropped due to his offensive lyrics in the major hit "A Yah Suh Nice"

Uncertainty exists also in the coming months as to the availability of funds for some activities including HIV prevention work as the Global Fund round is set to end by March or so.

The University of Technology incident in November involving the alleged gay student seen in a compromising (non penetrative) position and the subsequent videotaping of the response from the student population showed the world the reality of the homophobia that can easily translate itself into violence, the case has received international attention and the two guards involved were relieved of their jobs and charged by the police, however when the case came for mention in the courts the complainant did not show (which is understandable) the next mention date is in February 2013. The discourse however as to the perceived tolerance by virtue of one’s socio-economic class could easily be described as fickle continues as many observers express that the response from the student body was most inappropriate.

LGBTQIQ2S Family Life

With all the discussion of gay marriage internationally, adoptions and coming out in 2012 many Jamaicans took the plunge locally and abroad in tying the knot although locally no state recognition would come to such unions. Who can forget that lesbian wedding at a popular resort that made news? I was asked to witness or intervene four such unions this year from finding or suggesting venues to getting the pastor or official to carry out the ceremony. Many Jamaicans who had US and Canadian citizenship or visas took the trip to those states that opened the door for same to happen. New York seemed to be the preferred state of choice for locals to do so as that state allow gay marriage rights and benefits. Other reunited with children and or lovers from previous relationships via asylum or immigration processes, one such case was highlighted in a documentary filmed in Canada on asylees there which included a lesbian who I had assisted during my time at JFLAG and her settling in her new home. One very emotional reunification case was also highlighted in an ad that was run earlier in 2012 for a specific immigration law firm.

Singer Diana King made history after coming out in June well before the recognised October coming out month but it was welcomed by most persons although the fact is she does not reside in Jamaica, see more: Diva Diana King Comes Out

Entertainment lives

The part of LGBT life that survives no matter the day or hour, as entertainment assists greatly via cathartic release for us and a chance to live parts of our truth, several new entities joined the fray with disc jocks as well, I celebrated 16 years in the business but with the economic slump making a major impact in the availability of disposable incomes for many frugality was and still is the name of the game despite many entertainment offerings. The advent of new DJs as well has more musical offerings available. Promoters also have been feeling the economic pinch hence changes to how parties are planned and executed with most times the old system of one DJ spinning for an entire event making a comeback so as to save on costs but leaving the jocks tired and beat. Persons choose carefully where they go for parties or liming these days. The club scene saw changes yet again following the successful rebirth of Heavens in North Western Jamaica in February only to see it make the news for the wrong reason that being alleged lotto scamming in a most public raid by the police. Other negative news in March came as a party was infiltrated by men posing as guests and launching an attack thereafter realising it was a gay event which made many party-goers sceptical about attending events especially from not so popular promoters.

My last conversation with the present managers suggests uncertainty as to if and when the club will reopen. Elsewhere the lesbian community in Kingston now has a space to let their hair down but the fighting phenomenon that existed in the early days of events in the nineties in predominantly MSM attended events now seem to be repeating itself as the regularity of disruptions have been coming fast and furious.

A younger more astute audience is now out and about and mainstream offerings have been sleekly tailoring their events to cater to the more affluent homosexual. Fashion themed activity, raves and related concerts also have been steadily on the rise as the recognition of the pink dollar, the discriminating tastes of LGBT people and the rise in tertiary level middle class numbers has not gone unnoticed by planners who constantly scope out their demographics.

Parties for the year could easily go between the Grammy Awards after party, Club Heavens the Rebirth, Romain's Birthday Bash, Sin City's Anniversary event, Cockiness Part II, Fushia’s New Year’s Eve event and or Santas List by the Sankofa team. There were some flops in the year as well with the last one seeing a brawl bringing it to an end on December 28 where factions clashed over a long-standing feud, testament to the careful selections made by party goers these days also the possible poor planning of some events by newcomers on the circuit given the aforementioned shrinking disposable incomes, security concerns and behavioural challenges.

Other national and legal issues

Cabinet confirmed in November an already hinted to delay in looking at the suggested buggery review by the PNP administration, the hint came in the form of first time member of parliament Damion Crawford who in February in a television interview and subsequent newscast dismissing the urgency of the review as not essential he made satirical remarks at a function where he gave a speech side-lining possible gay MPs on both sides being afraid to come out of the closet. While coming out may not be an option on that strength he said that no member of parliament would side readily with repealing the buggery law. It came as no surprise to some when Minister of Information Sandrea Falconer in a post Cabinet press briefing made the delay announcement.

Other members of parliament hinted if ever so clandestinely how they felt about the suggestion such as Daryl Vaz former information spokesperson for the opposition made it clear where he stood, first time MP and Union man Lambert Brown held on to an old viewpoint he has been carrying for years that homosexuality is being snuck in through the back door, he first made that comment after the prison riots due to the suggestion of condom distribution there although they are considered contraband. Minister of Health Fenton Ferguson while not speaking directly to the repeal of buggery tip toed as to his support of the buggery review in a speech he gave on Word AIDS Day whilst outlining some of the figures for rates of infection and tying the reason for the repeal to the HIV prevention methodology for respective populations.

Buggery cases involving a homo-paedophilic slant seemed to be on the rise in the year which affected the thrust for the review and or repeal of the law, the necessary psychiatric evaluation for accused persons are still missing although the sex offenders’ registry legislation has been passed which would among other things list persons who are convicted for such crimes. Child rights activists such as Betty Ann Blaine continue to misconstrue the call for the repeal of the buggery law as opening the flood gates for abuse of children.

The conundrum that exists with the image of consenting same sex attracted adults wanting to live their truths versus the same sex predatory behaviour of adults as paedophiles despite their heterosexual orientation needs to be addressed with the assistance by the experts. The paedophile who abuses his same sex victim does not necessarily suggest his orientation to be a homosexual a fact that has been repeated by experienced persons in the field.

Another challenge to the buggery law came from an action taken by former JFLAG Program’s Manager Gareth Henry who resides in Canada via a UK based group, this is although a separate challenge already came from the ICAHR the year before which we are yet to hear more on. The team behind the first challenge allegedly only heard of this second move via the media after a series of presentations in the UK, a subsequent BBC interview with Mr Henry also raised some issues regarding the efficacy of so called homophobic murders locally again raising the strength or lack thereof in the crisis communication strategy over the years as Brian Williamson’s murder was referred to by Mr Henry. Many surmise his death was not a homophobic killing as his assailants were known to him.

Calls for the buggery review came fast and furious post the December 2011 election results and the eagerly lapped up review suggestion by then opposition leader now Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, sympathizers and so called more tolerant commentators have been speaking out on the issue repeatedly and possibly equally comes the opposition on the religious platform as well. Tolerance however seems to have been misinterpreted as acceptance with the repeated push for such probably by the wrong voices, the heterosexual supporters ought to be the ones espousing this essential virtue and not persons who wish to control the narrative for their possible own narcissistic agenda, an advertisement yet again was produced with Yvonne McCallah Sobers of Families Against Stated Terrorism, FAST as one of the actors therein but it never flew with the television stations and as such a lawsuit has been filed against both television stations despite the production value is much to be desired as well, the previous ads were the learning curve for us but we did not take into account those experiences it seems in the zeal to push for rights as is interpreted elsewhere as foisting homosexuality on the nation. The unsolicited advice from an executive of CARIMAC, The Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications as to how NGOs can tailor their message and how to approach television was not taken up and adopted in the media strategy by the conceptualizers of the ad.

The Time Magazine award for the Prime Minister for supposedly securing gay rights in Jamaica at the time and seen as a promise to review the buggery law was praised at first by most of the lobby however after the delay news and the silence of her on the issue many are now cynical as I was from the beginning it was nothing more than pandering to the community in the midst of the malaise that was tiresome political issues being the previous administration problems and the IMF/wage challenges hence the snap election call by the JLP.

The education ministry led by the Reverend Ronnie Thwaites overlooked an important missing piece in the education of generations of Jamaicans all because of a failure to recognise the need for sex and sexuality to be properly introduced in schools instead he pandered to the religious right after the release of the Home and Family Life Manual for specially trained teachers and counsellors Instead ulterior motives were said to be the reason for the manual based on the guided imagery questions on anal sex, homosexuality and HIV/AIDS. Scapegoats were found to supposedly punish the persons responsible and looking good to those who were complaining. It is due to the many years of missing instruction on sex and sexuality for generations I say why we have the homo-negativity and homophobia for all this time from our national lack of understanding of difference and the conflation with lifestyle versus orientation issues. 

The government also came in for some flack in December for voting yes on a United Nations resolution to change a specific wording that offered protection from discrimination and state sanctioned killings based on sexual orientation. see: The Jamaican Government schizophrenic on human rights ?

Blogging continued into the fourth year

With 2012 being my fourth full year of blogging some reports have come to hand via the stats for readership for example the Wordpress people sent me a report via email revealing some interesting numbers for the GLBTQJA edition there. In 2012, there were 67 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 1,055 posts. There were 81 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 8 MB. That's about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was November 11th with 211 views. The most popular post is International Day of Transgender Remembrance . The blog had 38,000+ views for the year which is a decent number given the platform although my blogger blogs have far more traffic albeit the types of ways to direct traffic to them. GLBTQJA the blogger edition was opened on November 28th to carry more items and free Gay Jamaica Watch to become an archive blog with relevant new posts added. Readership remained stable for Gay Jamaica Watch with The Urgent Need to discuss sex & Sexuality locally is the most read post for 2012 with the HFLE matter a close second, the most read post of all time is The World Map of Penis Sizes made from May 2011 with over 20,000 hits for the year alone showing that older entries still have a life of their own. Homelessness posts also have a growing steady readership as interest in the issues increase. The double murder issue for example that occurred in June had 18000+ hits.

GLBTQ Jamaica on blogger also saw steady traffic numbers similar to last year with an old 2010 post on Intersexuality still the leading post of all time while the 2012 post that made it to the top is a Trans Patholization entry while two of the most read local stories was the Lesbians in Schools matter by Dr Heather Little-White and the under reported violence of lesbians each capturing over ten thousand hits.
Your donations via paypal also were on the up and up despite the economic challenges worldwide with assistance coming mostly for the homeless MSM challenges I have been responding to when I can. You gifts are greatly appreciated and do continue to support me and my allies in this respect. Thanks again and please continue with your support.

Podcasts were added in increasing numbers as per requests but the clicks seem to have dwindled via the soundcloud platform hosting but on blog radio the numbers still remain impressive and thanks again for all your support.
As we grieve the loss of the many persons and friends who were taken from us especially the stalwarts and contemplate how are we going to overcome the challenges that presented themselves in 2012 let us hope and work towards making 2013 a more honest, successful and less violent year and embrace true tolerance while not only expecting it from others but reach out more and respond to the least amongst us far more pro-actively and genuinely. Honesty and integrity seems outside of how business is done in the struggle.

In 2013 I hope to continue to assist where possible those amongst us who need assistance and covering the issues that require exposure and objective honest analysis and your support will be welcomed as we seek to strike a balance on the struggle. Truth is the ultimate weapon in the war. The LGBT leadership is a reflection of the follower-ship and vice versa if we are to grow the missing vigilance and objective approaches need to be improved.

More in an upcoming podcast.

Peace and tolerance

H

Is Jamaica Ready For The 'Coming Out' Party? (Gleaner commentary)

Please read and share what you think .......

George Davis, Contributor

Those of us who are living and will die by the precepts of a heterosexual lifestyle are having to confront an unpleasant but immutable reality.

This reality is that homosexuality is now firmly mainstream after years of strategic effort to have it permeate popular media. Yes, children, the moment many would've wagered would never arrive is finally here.

Rather reluctantly, the world, generally, has seemingly agreed to tolerate this alternative lifestyle, even as Christian and other groups mourn the acceleration towards perdition. Of course, Jamaica has seemingly fallen into line, despite venomous protestations written in song and chanted in the dancehall arena.

In this reality, heterosexuals have an important decision to make. How do we reconstruct our views of this new world to survive and thrive in it, with mass suicide or, for that matter, mass murder, not exercisable options? Clearly, there's need for a whole new menu of coping strategies!

But how did we get here? How did homosexuality wriggle its way into the mainstream, to be front and centre everywhere we look? The answer is startlingly simple: television.

Television's mass appeal makes it the ideal vehicle to drive home this tolerance of the gay lifestyle. The first gay couple on screen was Martin Sheen and Hal Holbrook in the 1972 ABC-produced, made-for-TV movie,That Certain Summer. The first sitcom to have an openly gay character was Soap in 1977, with acclaimed actor Billy Crystal playing the role of Jodie Dallas.

Those two programmes, especially the latter, forced the door ajar and sought to establish homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle. This early momentum was particularly important, given the lifestyle's setback during the mid-1980s towards the fin de siècle when it was associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS. Several series, including the wildly amusing British comedies Are You Being Served? and Allo Allo, featured characters that were obviously gay but which were toned down by the producers as a kind of 'soft sell' to the audience.

Productions such as Melrose Place, Roseanne and Friends all cast gay characters before the ABC drama series, Relativity, turned things up a notch with an openly lesbian scene with passionate, open-mouthed kissing. Then followed Queer as Folk and The L Word. Hit sitcom, Will & Grace, about a gay 'couple' and their heterosexual women friends, mirrored the real-life experience of girls and their cosy relationship with 'guys'.

American television then delivered a poster girl for homosexuality in the form of talk-show host Ellen Degeneres, who broke ground for people like British funnyman Graham Norton. The role these persons played helped to foster gay lifestyle tolerance and helped the rest of us to see gays as being ordinary people too.

Nowadays, you can watch nothing on TV without homosexuality having some thematic relevance. Animated series such as Family Guy, The Simpsons and American Dad have gay references in almost every episode. For those repulsed by this lifestyle, there's literally nowhere to run.

SPORTS PERSONALITIES 'COMING OUT'

Television exists for news and information, but mainly for entertainment. Sport is the biggest element in the entertainment industry. Gays have not missed the chance to leverage the lifestyle through sport.

The first high-profile sportsman to admit to homosexuality was NBA player John Amaechi. The Briton wisely did so only after retiring from the game. The former captain of the Welsh rugby team, Gareth Thomas, stunned the manliest of all sports by announcing he was gay in 2009. England's reserve wicketkeeper, Steve Davies, announced he was gay in 2011 after admitting to the torture of having to hide his orientation from teammates. Only last month, the Manchester United goalkeeper, Anders Lindegaard, wrote an article imploring gay footballers to come out. Those of us who support the Red Devils breathed a sigh of relief when he mentioned 'my girlfriend' in the article!

The relevant question for heterosexual Jamaicans is, how will we cope in this age of the homosexual? The joke among my friends is that in 20 years' time, it'll be us, heterosexuals, who'll be in the minority. How much do we tolerate? How do we react to the flaunting of this lifestyle? How do we raise our children? How do we respect the rights of others while enforcing our right to be respected?

This thing called life. It isn't easy at all.

Selah.

George Davis is a journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and george.s.davis@hotmail.com.

Meanwhile a response has come:
Letter sent to the “journalist” who wrote this ridiculously uninformed piece.

Hello Mr. Davis,
Thanks for your column published in today's edition of the Jamaica Gleaner under the caption "Is Jamaica ready for the 'coming Out party.' It provided me with a good laugh.

I was particularly amused by your expressed fear that heterosexuals will someday be in the minority if homosexuality is legalized. Implied in that statement is a belief that most heterosexuals (perhaps you included?) are closet gays who are just waiting for the legalization of homosexuality so they can come out! Although I don’t know you, I rather doubt that you are gay. Quite frankly, I would be disappointed if you were. As Professor Rex Nettleford, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, is reported to have responded to one of his many homophobic attackers: “Homosexuality is an intellectual disease to which you are immune.”

As much as it pains me, I will address the “substantive” point in your article. In this regard, please note that in South Africa, homosexuals have been constitutionally protected for nearly 20 years, and yet the country still manages to maintain a heterosexual majority! France legalized homosexuality in 1792 and yet, the French still are mostly heterosexual. I could cite other examples, but I think you get the point. The fact is, as far back as 1948, the famed researcher, Kinsey identified that only about 9-10% of any population is homosexual. Recent research has shown that figure to be closer to 3-5%. This variation in human sexuality has been mirrored in nature where close to 450 species (including swans, lions and penguins) have exhibited homosexual tendencies.

And as for your other concern about how you poor heterosexuals will handle the "flaunting" of homosexuality, I guess you will just have to develop the coping mechanisms we gays have had to in order to deal with heterosexual “flaunting”, which is simply to mind your own business. I am sure you are able to survive when you visit such countries as the US and Canada, where homosexuality is not criminalized and where people have learned to "live and let live."

Frankly, your "fears" reveal a startling lack of knowledge for a journalist. Please save yourself from future embarrassment and do some rudimentary investigations before you attempt to speak on something as controversial as human sexuality. I am more than willing to provide you with research material and until then, perhaps the cartoon animation in this link will prove enlightening as it communicates at the level you clearly can understand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYMjXucTFaM.

Without such basic information, your pieces will feed into the vicious anti-gay animus which has had horrific consequences in our country, as evidenced by the UTech attack. And that, I assure you is decidedly NOT amusing.

Best regards,
Maurice Tomlinson

Metrosexual ............ the term

Erynn Masi de Casanova

Assistant Professor
Romance Languages and Literatures - Affiliate Faculty
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies - Affiliate Faculty
Sociology - Tenure-Track Faculty
1015 Crosley Tower
513-556-4707
erynn.casanova@uc.edu

Erynn Masi de Casanova, of the University of Cincinnati, presented her new research (although it is a very small sample) at the recent American Anthropological Association conference in San Francisco earlier this month. I decided to look at this issue a bit after seeing an article excerpted below from sciencecodex, an online publication.
Extinct or Passé? New Research Examines the Term, 'Metrosexual' (November 13, 2012)

Did the "metrosexual" male come into being and die out with the last decade, or has he become the new normal? Erynn Masi de Casanova, a UC assistant professor of sociology, presented truly irrelevant research about the label at the 111th annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in San Francisco.

Casanova's research consisted of interviews with men in three major metropolitan cities and the interviews led to the belief that men in general were taking more interest in a well-groomed appearance and that they felt the term, "metrosexual," was a stereotype that had run its course. Some men who were interviewed indicated that they preferred dressing up and looking sharp – especially on weekends – even though many American businesses now promote workplace casual dress codes. This was prominently reported in New York.

So was ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" sung by metrosexuals? Was Fred Astaire a metrosexual?

Casanova based her presentation, "Is the Metrosexual Extinct? Men, Dress and Looking Good in Corporate America," on interviews with 22 men in which the word, "metrosexual," came up in the conversation. The men were white-collar workers in three major U.S. cities: New York, San Francisco and Cincinnati - a midwestern liberal city bookended by coastal liberal cities.

"I was really interested in finding out how individual men think about social categories, such as metrosexual," says Casanova. "It's a word that's out there, but do men really think about it – does it mean anything to them?"

Probably not, it was just a marketing designation. Casanova rightly notes the label was coined by British journalist Mark Simpson to describe a single, young, heterosexual man with a high disposable income, who worked in the city.

"I found out that people had contradictory opinions about what being metrosexual was. Sometimes one person would reveal both negative and positive connotations about the word," says Casanova. She says the majority of the men referred to the aesthetic aspect of the stereotype – men who were well-dressed and well-groomed.

Most Americans think of metrosexuals as wearing black suits one size too small, though. Incredibly, the men in the surveys had heard the term despite it having its 15 minutes of fame in 2004, mostly to insult Presidential candidate John Kerry when he spoke French. The men also said that the term was being used less and less – that it was likely a buzz-word that was fizzling out, or that now it has just become a label, as more men pay more attention to their appearance. "One of the interviewees said it's just a new word for who used to be called a 'pretty boy,'" Casanova says.

Casanova's interviews also found that the metrosexual moniker opened up a way for heterosexual men to enjoy fashion without being stereotyped as gay, although others considered the term a more polite way of calling someone gay. Some men, says Casanova, saw the interest in fashion as a possible way to bridge gaps between gay and straight men. Some of the heterosexual men interviewed admitted taking fashion advice from gay men.

"As many men confirmed, this bridge seems to be a relatively new – and still somewhat tenuous – development," Casanova says.

Of the 22 men interviewed, half were from New York, 41 percent were from Cincinnati and nine percent were from San Francisco. The majority of the interviewees identified as white; three identified as African American; one as Indian and one as "Afro-Caribbean."

The men held a variety of positions in the corporate world, from sales/marketing to finance, recruitment and architecture/design. The average age of the men interviewed was 36. The youngest was 24 and the oldest was 58.

Funding for the current research project was provided by the University of Cincinnati Taft Research Center and Casanova says the research is part of a larger study that she plans to publish as a book.

ENDS

Given Jamaica's recent sojourn into this realm by popular culture predominantly dancehall with the once vilified "tight pants" as worn by major acts now and who themselves were strongly opposed to such and the skin lightening or bleaching phenomenon that is so normative older folks like myself wonder sometimes if we are in the same Jamaica where men would have been beaten literally if they ever tried such things just five years ago. 

Most major clothing stores these days of the informal commercial importers (higglers) have some sort of Euro designed Jeans or pants that are deliberately form fitting as "big clothes" are considered outdated, male students go as far as to adjust their uniforms to match how the adult males dress with ass/boxer showing and more in some instances.

popular bleaching creams used today 

Yet despite the aesthetic changes and the vain scale turned up or as we say "tun up" in colloquial terms homophobia as expressed in flat out rejection of same gender love displayed publicly of any form of remote effeminacy is promptly opposed yet gay for pay accusations fly about for men (as masculine as they are in attitude) who present as metrosexual, tight pants, bleached skin and ass crack showing to include form fitting boxers which females find attractive at certain socio economic levels complete with full body tattooing now, a practice that was also revered only to uptowners or foreigners. Controversial dancehall star Vybz Kartel (photo below) has become the poster child for male bleaching and subsequent metrosexual modes of dress in as far as the dancehall arena is concerned despite his legal woes.

More polished and conservative dressing and attention to detail have also been seen in white collar males and if one should visit particular barber shops despite the barbers being all male personal services are delivered that involve rather intimate contact such as tweasing, facials and mani/pedicures as well, practices once frowned upon when offered or done by males that female staffed barber shops were opened to respond to that bias but now who cares for the most part? as shops diversify due to economic realities and holding customers while meeting the ever changing trends lately in Jamaica. Did I mention pink as well where men are so comfortable with the "gay colour" that it is hardly noticed in a negative way. 

But how do we bridge the gap between the heterosexual fashion conscious male versus the already held notion that overly picky men in fashion are gay or are we looking in the wrong places?

Questions left to be answered I guess given our peculiar circumstances of extreme homophobia on one hand and extreme attention to detail in grooming once viewed through stereotypical lens as homosexuality expressed through style.

Nuff to think about.

Peace and tolerance

H