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

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

First here is the article

K. Dwyer, Guest Columnist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay out!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

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

also see for some additional coverage:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Church claims future victimization if buggery is decriminalized in Jamaica

Spilling homosexual blood .... Observer Headline 29.11.09

Lesbians Do Have Morals 2009

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

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

Lessons to learn from The Professor Bain Matter?

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

Ian Boyne: Bain exercised terribly poor strategic judgement

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

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

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

Pro-Bain Protesters To Meet With UWI Today

Buggery the only thing that makes church butts sore?

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

Blaine will be her own victim (Observer Letter 11.08.10)

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

What goes on in the minds of the overly religious?

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

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

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

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

H 

More podcasts on the subject

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

Buggery, Bain, Bullshit & Buffoonery in Jamaican LGBT Discourse 

Lloyd D'Aguilar on The Church Preaching Itself Out Of Relevance in Jamaica

Radio host and rights advocate with his own style of advocacy Lloyd D'Agular's letter became the letter of the day and pleasantly surprisingly so seeing that the Gleaner in recent times had sunk to a low in terms of true journalism from walkouts by award winning staff from press conferences (CVCC) to the tabloid type writing on the JFJ CVCC funded sex education course.

I am not a big fan of his per say but give unto Ceasar what is due unto to Ceasar and he has been interviewing more LGBT spokespersons since his new stint at HOT102FM's Morning Edition.

With yesterday's mass rally by a hastily formed anti gay group Jamaica CAUSE and their threats to vote out any administration that repeals buggery (when that call has since changed by JFLAG though so late to decriminalization) the deceptive conflation of same gender sex with abuse is on twinned with reparative therapy and blocking any attempt to allow coverage under law for sexual discrimination.

video clip from "For The Bible Tells Me So" that made it clear that reparative therapy can be dangerous

Lloyd's letter:

LETTER OF THE DAY - Church Preaching Itself Out Of Relevance

THE EDITOR, Sir:

It appears that the last moral lynchpin of the Jamaican Church (the fundamentalist wing at least) is hatred of homosexuals.

The Church has been forced to accept human frailties - adultery, fornication, stealing, murder, covetousness - as things which secular laws either don't regard as crimes or which the State reserves the exclusive right to punish.

The clergy cannot use biblical admonitions to advocate stoning and murder for such transgressions. To do so, they themselves could be prosecuted for criminal conduct.

But now it seems as if the clerics believe that the last moral code on which they cannot concede is homosexuality.

They are gearing up to take their last stand against the 'gay agenda', which seems also to be a referendum on their own relevance. This gay agenda, which the clerics keep fuming against is, in fact, a human-rights agenda.

Morally speaking, the State does not have the right to be involved in the bedroom affairs of consenting adults - gay or straight. Nor can the Church realistically do anything about what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms.

Modern State

The premise of the modern State is that chattel slavery is over and the State, therefore, has no business regulating personal thoughts, beliefs, morality or sexual behaviour. The last bastion of this attempt to regulate personal behaviour seems to be drugs (marijuana and coke), abortion, prostitution, and homosexuality. It is, of course legal to drink, smoke and eat yourself to death.

The United States has moved decisively on the matter of homosexuality, going so far as to recognise gay marriage. Legalising marijuana may not be too far off.

The Jamaican clergy have a mortal fear that removing the buggery law will lead to legalisation of gay marriage à la the USA. The buggery law is unenforceable in any event, unless the participants engage publicly, which is a very rare occurrence, or the police decide to come kicking down your door based on evidence!

No gay agenda

There is no gay agenda in Jamaica other than that criminalisation of gay sex is a violation of the basic tenets of the Constitution. This criminalisation has led to murder, discrimination and social ridicule.

Having lost their thunder against fornication and adultery, which is considered normal human behaviour, buggery is now the Church's new clarion call.

The clerics never challenge the State over its terrorist methods against inner-city youths, such as the 2010 Tivoli Gardens massacre. They have nothing to say about institutional corruption - indeed, they have regular prayer breakfasts with state officials who are known kleptomaniacs.

Now is therefore not the time to flinch in front of clerical irrelevance. God is dead. He seems to have died a long time ago.

The buggery law must be repealed. LGBT Jamaicans must be protected against violence, stigma and bigotry. Clerical hysteria on the matter of gay rights sounds too eerily similar to the echoes of Fascism.

Jamaica either becomes a civilised state or it further descends into barbarism and proto-Fascism.

LLOYD D'AGUILAR

Campaign for Social and Economic Justice
lgdaguilar@gmail.com

ENDS

also see and hear podcasts:
Jamaica CAUSE issues Veiled threat to Govt to not Repeal The Buggery Law

(UWI) Vice-chancellor E. Nigel Harris - UWI Didn't Bow To Gays

The Hunt for Blood Continues ..... JFJ/CVCC Children’s Homes Sex-Ed Programme Under Police Investigation part 2

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

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

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

Lessons to learn from The Professor Bain Matter?

Ian Boyne: Bain exercised terribly poor strategic judgement

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

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

Pro-Bain Protesters To Meet With UWI Today

Buggery the only thing that makes church butts sore?

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

Buggery, Bain, Bullshit & Buffoonery in Jamaican LGBT Discourse by 

Sex, Lies And Rights: The Gay Agenda/The Christian Gay Agenda

By Jaevion Nelson

There are some Christian groups that think their views on any matter, whether casino gambling, horse racing on a Sunday, bus preaching or equal rights for lesbians and gays, for example, should take precedence and be accepted as infallible. Their deafening silence on the social ills we grapple with is queer. Perhaps, they are oblivious, given their seeming preoccupation with sex, orifices, and gays.

The Love March Movement (LMM), Lawyers Christian Fellowship (LCF) and Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS) readily come to mind as groups that have been particularly vocal on the issue of gay rights in Jamaica.

These groups work tirelessly to convince us that our brothers and sisters who are lesbian and gay should not be afforded (certain?) rights. The principle of equality seems trifling in their schema, and, in fact, it would seem that for them this innocuous term is really evidence of a wider secular agenda that will first change the lexicon, then finally obliterate morality. So much so that because of their influence sexual intercourse and rape are still narrowly defined under Jamaican law to solely concern the insertion of a penis into a vagina. Therefore, the law, among other things, precludes males from pressing rape charges, instead having to seek solace in the anachronistic anti-buggery law, which limits the punishment for convicted perpetrators to 10 years' imprisonment. In addition, it 'protects' women from being charged for rape since they presumably do not possess penises (including artificial ones) with which to penetrate the single orifice which comes within the ambit of the law. Apparently, my pendulum has the monopoly on rape. Do they honestly believe that a male cannot be raped despite their incessant warnings of the phantom male paedophiles lurking in the dark awaiting any amendment to the buggery law?

These groups overwhelmingly depend on fallacies and fear-mongering to hoodwink us into believing that the anti-buggery law is the last remaining moral linchpin preventing our society from plunging into a state of anomie. They believe that any curriculum that mentions the existence of diverse family forms, including same-sex families, is representative of tacit moral acceptability and not merely a statement of scientific fact. They often cite outlandish examples of people in other countries being punished for expressing their disapproval of same-sex relationships and gender diversity, never once bearing in mind that in these jurisdictions such speech is criminal and part of the social contract that helps these societies remain peaceful, cohesive, and prosperous. I suppose Christians by virtue of their dogma are so privileged that they are not obliged to follow the law like the rest of us.

NEGATIVE RIPPLE EFFECT

In their world view, encouraging children to respect and appreciate the wonderfully diverse world this generation is so fortunate to live in is treacherous, and any amendment to laws which criminalise persons' inherent human dignity would somehow have a negative ripple effect on freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion. I am yet to fathom what they believe give them this 'right' to hold society hostage to their sophistic views on what is correct and moral. God? The Abrahamic God to the exclusion of all other belief systems (or lack of belief for that matter)?

It is rather uncanny that the JCHS produced a documentary titled Sex, Lies, and Rights - A Seduction of Medicine, Law and Politics when their arguments often run counter to what is true.

Dr Wayne West (consultant radiologist and senior lecturer at UWI) who was featured in the documentary (mis)used data from an article by Chris Beyrer et al (2012) titled The Global Epidemiology of HIV Infection among Men who have Sex with Men. The research found that HIV infection continues to increase among the population, to oppose changes to the 'buggery law'. Admittedly, while the repeal/amendment of the law is crucial in the AIDS response, it is not a panacea to reduce the rates of HIV infection. But Dr West apparently missed when Beyrer, who is professor of epidemiology, International Health and Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said "it has been with real concern and personal sadness" that he and his colleagues' work "on HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) both misunderstood and misused by professionals in Jamaica".

EMBELLISHING THE TRUTH

Even members of the clergy can be found guilty of embellishing the truth. Take, for example, Rev Peter Garth quoting the so-called 'Gay Manifesto'.

Thankfully, Tamara Scott-Williams who was scared after reading the news report did some research and responded eloquently to the ridiculous use of the satire written by Michael Swift in 1987 for a gay community magazine.

LCF has been using the example of a Jamaican born couple in England, Owen and Eunice Johns, whose application to foster a 16th child was withdrawn by the Derby City Council in 2008. What they haven't told us is that the couple said their religious belief prohibits them from talking to a child who might be gay in a way that encourages diversity. In fact, Owen, as reported by BBC, said he would try to "turn the child" to become straight. Clearly, such a couple would be deemed unfit to foster children in a country that eschews intolerance against LGBT people, right?

The judges ruled that "No one is asserting that Christians (or, for that matter, Jews or Muslims) are not 'fit and proper' persons to foster or adopt. No one is seeking to delegitimise Christianity or any other faith or belief. On the contrary, it is fundamental to our law and our way of life that everyone is equal before the law and equal as a human being ... entitled to dignity and respect."

It is undeniable that religion, and Christianity in particular, play a key role in Jamaica's human-rights discourse and socio-economic development. However, we must ensure that we carefully interrogate religious dogma and the effect it has on the welfare of marginalised groups. The Church cannot be the sole arbiters of human rights in a democratic society that claims to respect the rights of all its citizens.

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

So after last night's TV documentary on Javed Jaghai's upcoming buggery challenge in November 2014 aired on CVM TV entitled Battle Lines Javed Jaghai versus the state comes a report on the anti gay pro buggery law group The Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS and their continued fear mongering on future alleged persecution of Christians via restrictions of freedoms of speech and religion especially when pronounced against the homosexual lifestyle as the JCHS, Lawyers Christian Fellowship, LCF, The Love March and the Movement Jamaica (reparative therapy group).

'Don't Bow To Gay Pressure' - Crusaders Urge Jamaicans To Stand By Buggery Law

Jodi-Ann Gilpin, Gleaner Writer wrote:

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, speaks to the audience during a presentation at the Jamaica Conference Centre on Saturday. - Photo by Gladstone Taylor

Peter LaBarbera, president of the Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), in the United States of America (US), has encouraged Jamaicans to be grounded in their Christian beliefs and not to be lured by other countries in repealing the buggery law.

"The United States has no business lecturing anybody about sexual morality. America has rampant abortions, rampant promiscuity, and I stand wholeheartedly with Jamaicans and encourage you all to hold to your beliefs, " LaBarbera told The Gleaner.

LaBarbera made the comments Saturday following The Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society International Human Rights conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

"We are all watching Jamaica to see what happens (buggery law), and I believe if Jamaica can stand up and not bow to the pressure, you can be an example to the world. There is no need to follow anybody," LaBarbera said.

Christian lobbyist

Similarly, Andrea Williams, a Christian lobbyist in the legal public policy arena in the United Kingdom, told The Gleaner that family values should be prioritised.

"When we begin to make normal something that is contrary to proper family standards, that is social engineering, and we are in serious trouble, " she said.

"What Jamaica needs to understand is that the homosexual activists have an incremental agenda; because this is where its starts, by them asking for rights, and then our society's morals become redefined," she continued.

Several US states have lifted the stay on gay marriage, including California earlier this year and Illinois in November.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has promised to have the Parliament engage in a conscience vote on whether or not to repeal the buggery act.

Minister with responsibility for information Sandrea Falconer said the debate "will certainly be within this parliamentary year".

During a leadership debate on the eve of the December 2011 general election, then Opposition Leader Simpson Miller said her administration was committed to the protection of human rights.

Simpson Miller declared that it was time for a review of the buggery law, saying she believed the issue should be put to a conscience vote in the Parliament.

ENDS

Sadly alot of the opposition that now comes was stoked by the very lobby I fell namely JFLAG voices who are also atheists so inflaming the discourse to more than just the repeal of decriminalization of the buggery law to conflations of paedophilic behaviour by persons legal to practice same sex intimacy in private and so on. In fairness JFLAG has changed their tune though oh so late in my view as to the repeal of buggery and instead wants an amendment to the act to include consent and privacy. But as we have a saying in Jamaica "the horse done gone through the gate" and so we have to contend if not carried along with the tide until there is some enlightenment I hope.

The other challenge to all this as was alluded to in last evening's CVM footage is the fear of gay marriage rights being demanded next at buggery's decriminalization and the supposed destruction of the family when said families are already being destroyed in more ways than one, take a look at the divorce rates to include church persons, take a look at the forced evictions of perceived gay youth from their homes, the numbers are frightening and this is not being alarmist in any way.

also see:

Church claims future victimization if buggery is decriminalized in Jamaica

Is praying for homosexual change bordering on blasphemy?

Jamaica Council of Churches still not clear on the buggery law but resolute in opposing gay marriage

Lawyers' Christian Fellowship's Shirley Richards says lesbian sex should be criminalized as buggery ...........

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

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

Maurice Tomlinson challenges the LCF's Shirley Richards for a public debate on the validity of Jamaica's anti buggery law

Dr Wayne West’s continued intellectual dishonesty on fisting felching & chariot racing by homosexuals in Jamaica

Lawyer's Christian Fellowship hypocrisy from Shirley Richards: "Charter Of Rights And The Moral Divide" (2011)

President of the Senate warns against discrimination based on language, sexual orientation (2011)

A word to the reverend (anti gay Al Miller) ...... 2010 

also of interest is this discussion on separation of church and state on local TV in November 2013

click here for more

December 9, 2013:
Pastor lashes out at 'injustices' faced by gays (Jamaica Observer) 

December 12th UPDATE: Buy no rings, you won’t wed; religious fear-mongering on gay marriage & the buggery law continues

There is so much more to discuss and understand on all sides involved.

Peace and tolerance

H

JFLAG Urges More State Support For Homosexual Teens Living On Streets

also see: Some good news on the homeless MSM front ..... guarded & waiting part 2: Dwayne's House Project site opens

Nice call but JFLAG and others including individual advocates need to look within themselves and stop overlooking the real causation that led to the present overpopulation in New Kingston especially but island-wide if we are to examine the scene carefully.

Meanwhile Dwayne's House website is up in memory of murdered transgender teen who was killed by a mob earlier this year, see the site HERE my hopes were raised before when JFLAG said they were going to start a shelter in November 2012 but it never materialised. SEE: Some good news on the homeless front ..... guarded and waiting and 

Transgender Day of Rememberance 2013: Gully Queen, Barbie Love & Britney Boudashious gone too soon

The Gleaner reported today:

Jermaine Francis, Staff Reporter

With several homosexual teenagers said to be roaming the streets unattached, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) is alleging that the State has turned its back on these children.

Speaking at a Gleaner Editors' Forum yesterday, representatives of J-FLAG said many of these children were forced to leave their homes and communities because their parents have either put them out or they have been threatened by community members because of their sexual orientation.

They expressed that some of these children, mostly boys, are as young as 13 years old and are not getting any assistance from state agencies.

Latoya Nugent, J-FLAG's public education and community outreach manager, said state agencies are often afraid to assist the children because of their sexual orientation.

"When you have boys under 18 - and as young as 13 - who are on the streets, that is something that the CDA (Child Development Agency) should be responsible for. But then, nothing happens because everybody is afraid to touch them," she said.

Dane Lewis, J-FLAG's executive director, said the group has been given the runaround in its quest to get these children off the streets.

"The CDA has suggested that it is the police's responsibility first, and the police say, 'Our hands are tied'," Lewis added.

CISOCA UNAWARE OF PHENOMENON

Checks with the CDA and the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) revealed that they are not in possession of any such reports currently.

Acting CEO of the CDA, Rosalee Gage-Grey, said she was unaware of such reports and indicated that any child who turns up at any one of the CDA's 14 parish offices in need of security, the agency would assist, despite their sexual orientation.

Adding that cases of children being on the streets would have to be referred to the CDA offices and then be investigated, Gage-Grey stated: "If there are specific cases, they need to be brought to the CDA and we will deal with them accordingly."

Deputy superintendent in charge of CISOCA, Veronica Gilzene, also said her department was unaware of the phenomenon. She said her office has a representative from the CDA, and if homosexual children are being forced out of their homes and communities and the police are notified, they have a duty to call the CDA.

Meanwhile, J-FLAG is adamant that the State needs to do more to assist the children, as it is often the State's neglect that causes them to become delinquent and exhibit antisocial characteristics.

ENDS

A comment on the original page says it best in my view when it comes to perception of the lobby/community and the lack of credibility in as far as crisis reporting:

also see:On homelessness, evictions, hypocrisy & now JFLAG's own displacement ............

Kingston’s Homeless MSM challenges scream for proper attention

And we continue to reap the world-wind for not addressing homelessness when it was manageable

The Quietus ......... The Safe House Project Closes

Homeless MSM to feel the pinch as JASL issues ultimatum (where it al began to go downhill) 

The toss up between MSM homelessness & public order makes news again 2013

Homeless MSM evicted from Cargill Avenue also audio/podcast:

It is just heart rending to watch this go down this way it has over the past four years in particular aided and abetted by the agencies who ought to know better yet speak with such eloquence on this issue when they are partly responsible for the challenges in New Kingston in particular. Passing the buck to government when we know they won't directly address MSM homelessness over the general populace when this literally means votes.

also hear my other thoughts via podcast:

UPDATE
December 9, 2013:
Pastor lashes out at 'injustices' faced by gays (Jamaica Observer)

Peace and tolerance

H

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

Rights And Write-Offs - Balancing Ethics And Human Rights

Joan Grant Cummings, Guest Columnist

It wasn't even a month ago that I was lamenting with a 'sistah-activist' about the lack of both movements and governments that had values and real agendas based on a people and/or rights-driven philosophy.

There used to be a real Left and a real Right. You knew where you stood. You had something to argue and reason about. We lamented that our land of mainly peaceful revolution in the 1970s, especially, that had inspired whole countries and actors in various global spaces, seemed to have lost its voice and appetite for leadership and human rights.

In 'those times', our country was a voice that was proclaimed 'leader of the global South', a voice that many countries endeavoured to follow, not for our music but for our political attitude as it pertained to dealing with social exclusion.

We sighed with nostalgia in remembrance about the fight and victory for the minimum wage; access to education for all; the right to maternity leave with pay; pay equity; the bauxite levy; the Agricultural Marketing Corporation; my personal favourite, the incomparable National Housing Trust; and the right of inheritance for children born out of wedlock or who were deemed 'illegitimate' or 'bastards'. We spontaneously broke into song, "... No bastard nuh deh again".

We wondered how many of the young female managers in the private sector knew that their beautiful locks and other natural hairdos were once against the corporate dress code - written or unwritten. In fact, they wouldn't be allowed to apply for a job, not even at entry level.

Or how many tertiary-level students understood the importance of and/or knew the history as to how they got there. Nowadays, female students steer far from being associated with women's rights or, heaven forbid, feminism! Amid the junk science that created the male marginalisation thesis and the call at student election time for "no panty government", I wonder how many of these young men and women, largely raised by 'single mothers', knew that not long ago, this would disqualify them from accessing and controlling many spaces.

They would have been deemed 'write-offs' by some elements in the society. 'Bastards!'

And then it happened! Amid the IMF distraction to the exclusion of everything else, a bold, young female minister put back the concept of human rights, specifically women's human rights, on the public agenda. She declared that she supports a woman's right to choose. The abortion debate was back. Even The Gleaner came out in support of her and adopted a pro-choice position!

The last joint select committee on abortion chaired by the then minister of health, Rudyard Spencer, evaporated into thin air. No report has been made public, and since that time, a shower of changes in the law has been made, making it even harder to 'win' a constitutional challenge, especially one related to sex and sexuality.

As if one jolt wasn't enough, we received another. A young gay activist decided that enough was enough. Rights are rights, and he would not be treated like a disposable write-off. He took a bold move to challenge being evicted because of his sexual orientation. He has filed a constitutional challenge of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, alleging that, among other things, his rights to privacy and equality have been infringed.

Shock and awe! Immediately, the 'anti-gay Opposition', to protect the "Jamaican way of life", lined up to rebut his argument. Would the owner of the house have been 'uncomfortable' with three women living there, one openly lesbian?

It is amazing how, as Jamaicans, we canturn up or down our barometer to measure when we break the law and need to act. We have a major problem with people assisting the police in solving crimes. Yet, a whole community will organise to 'inform' on a girl who has had an abortion or a man whom they 'think' is gay!

Additionally, J-FLAG is taking on our sit-on-the-fence politicians again, about the offensive buggery law. It's ironic that the same offensive law, the 1864 slavery-driven Offences Against the Person Act, in one fell swoop has managed to deny, block, deprive the rights of women; people of different sexual orientations; and married women who are raped by their husbands.

ETHICS, THE LAW AND PEOPLE'S RIGHTS

So why bother to have the charter if we are going to make provisions through using some fancy legal gymnastics called the savings law clause to write off our rights as invalid? This move gives the State the right to use some old law to defeat and undermine the provisions in the charter.

Yet there is something more sinister afoot here, and we need to discuss this as a nation - a nation that has decided that integrity, accountability, transparency, good governance and an anti-corruption environment are necessary to assure our development; fairness in our judiciary, especially, accountability and honesty among our politicians; and the protection of people's rights.

Unless we now live in a dictatorship or a theocracy, Jamaican society is based on democratic principles, and we are supportive of people's human rights in this struggle between pro-choice and anti-choice forces and anti-gay, pro-gay, sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Jamaica has already given its commitment to protecting the human, sexual and reproductive rights of all its citizens. It is at best a failure and betrayal, and an act of cowardice at the worst, that as a State, we have not moved to protect or enshrine these laws nationally.

Next year is the 20th anniversary of the signing of the International Covenant on Population and Development which seeks to guarantee citizens' sexual and reproductive rights and health. Do we intend, as a nation, to report to the United Nations that we're moving backward or forward on this issue? Or, that we have decided that Vision 2030 and the recently signed Partnership Agreement only applies to some Jamaicans?

Further, by any definition of ethical, it is grossly unethical for any of the State's lawyers and/or judges to be active members of the same groups seeking to deny rights to some citizens. In the case of abortion rights, it is denying 51 per cent of the population their full enjoyment of their human rights, the right to bodily integrity and the God-given right of choice!

BOUND BY RELIGION

How can the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship have standing in any case regarding sexual and reproductive rights and health issues, when the solicitor general and key members of the attorney general's offices belong to this group?

Where is the fairness in such a system that would make all Jamaicans confident to rely on our judiciary to mediate justice and fairness in our society?

The dictator Pinochet was set free as one of the law lords had made a donation to Amnesty International, a group with standing in the case against him! The minister of justice and, by extension, the State, must put in place the necessary countervailing measures to right this power imbalance and even the perception of a conflict of interest.

Jamaicans who are committed to human rights for all are pro-choice and pro-life. What we are not is anti-choice. Making available the appropriate information on sex, contraceptives, abortion and sexuality is not "coerced abortion or murder".

It is disingenuous and hypocritical for anyone to claim this when their anti-choice stance actively incites communities to violate, and even murder, members of the LGBT community and cause the social exclusion of girls and women who continue to risk their lives and die because they had to choose to terminate an unintended or an unwanted pregnancy. The latter, in particular, speaks to our high rate of gender-based violence through coerced/early initiation sex, rape, including marital rape, incest or sexual exploitation.

How come there's no back door dealing with politicians to write this in law, bearing in mind the high levels of impunity with which women and girls are violated.

All of us are born with the right to bodily integrity, the right to the expression and enjoyment of our sexuality, and the safeguarding of our health. In democratic societies, where human rights are practised and respected, a key ethical principle is that the social, political and economic inequalities that exist among some segments of the society which is a disadvantage, must be used to advantage them. In other words, we must protect our 'minorities and vulnerable' groups.

While there are no explicit laws separating Church from State in Jamaica, that is not a sound reason to extend the right to some church members to control how our laws are enacted and higher offices of the judiciary, as well as politicians. We do not need a church lobby among politiciansm, and with Politicians, and other state machinery such as the judiciary. This is theocracy by stealth.

It will result in greater social exclusion towards the realisation of Vision 2030. The State needs to act to reassure ALL Jamaicans that they can have confidence in their justice system and that the State is the people's human-rights champion.

Failure to do so will create even greater schisms in the social contract and subvert the goals of the new Partnership Agreement.

Joan Grant Cummings is a gender and environmental specialist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.

Buggery law challenge: Hearing pushed back to October 4

Firstly what Javed's case seeks to do

countries that have sexual orientation protected in the constitutions

The Supreme Court has pushed back to October 4 the hearing of an application by gay rights activist Javed Jaghai who is seeking to challenge the buggery law. 

When the matter came up for mention in chambers this morning, Justice Carol Edwards gave the claimant until July 5 to amend his affidavit after it was found to contain hearsay.

It was also determined that aspects of the affidavit were not directly related to the claimant.

The Attorney General (AG), which was named as a defendant in the matter, has been given until September 16 to file and serve an affidavit response.

The AG is being represented by Solicitor General Nicole Foster Pusey and Attorney-at-Law Carlene Larmond.

Meanwhile, Justice Edwards has granted permission for several Christian denominations and advocacy group Hear the Children’s Cry to join the case as interested parties.

Jaghai, who is being represented by Maurice Tomlinson, wants the court to determine if the anti-sodomy law breaches rights guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms which he contends guarantees the right to privacy.

The gay rights activist is seeking a declaration that the private sexual activities between consenting males must be excluded from the Offences Against the Person Act.

He is also seeking an order that the Act will continue to govern non-consensual acts and those which take place with males under the age of 16.

If he is successful, it would mean that the right to privacy will include the right of two homosexual men to engage in intercourse in privacy without facing the risk of being charged with a criminal offence.

Jaghai is contending that to date the Government has not given an undertaking that it will repeal the sections of the Offences Against the Person Act under which homosexuals can be charged.

He argues that the Government continues to violate his right to privacy and equality before the law as guaranteed by the Charter of Rights.

The number now stands at eleven the number of parties joining the case in opposition to the continued constitutionality of the buggery law, 8 of which will be known as the churches and represented by Miss Coley Nicholson all the applicants were allowed in by the judge and the Marcus Garvey Movement is expected to join as well to make it twelve if successful; to make sure the matter proceeds smoothly all parties must file affidavits.

groups include:

Lawyers Christian Fellowship

Hear the Children's Cry (Betty-Ann Blaine)

Citizens for Truth and Justice (Catholics)

Love March Movement

Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society

Jamaica Association of Evangelicals

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Independent Churches (Bishop Adegold)

Holiness Christian Church

Christian Brethren Assemblies of Jamaica

Church of God in Jamaica.

There is some concern that there maybe hearsay evidence in Mr Jaghai's affidavit which is against the rules of evidence, the judge rule that a further affidavit be done to remove the offending parts before the matter is heard again on October 4, 2013.

Javed said he is in no way swayed by today's outcome and glad the matter is progressing: 

"For me it was refreshing getting the matter in court and getting the scheduling rolled out, I am super excited to be part of a really progressive movement towards equability in Jamaica and I am actually proud to be here today to be representing countless LGBT Jamaicans who deserve recognition who deserve love and who need to know they have human rights they have constitutional rights that should be protected and hopefully this case is one step to that kind of outcome." 

Shame On Church - Clergyman Charges Christians To Focus On Serious Crimes, Not Anti-Gay Protest

All I can say is HERE HERE!

Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer

On a day when segments of the local church community led protests against gay-rights activists seeking to challenge Jamaica's buggery law in the courts, one clergyman urged the Church to address its failure to make serious headway in fighting crime.

"The more churches we get is the more heinous the crimes that our people are committing. Somehow, there is a disconnect. The Church is not making any serious inroads into the nation," declared the Reverend Father Franklyn Jackson.

"There is a serious crisis in the Christian community because, up to 15 years ago, there were 366 different Christian denominations in Jamaica, and since then, I know of four more that have come," he said.

Jackson, during his sermon at St Luke's Church in Kingston yesterday, pointed to the stabbing death of a 13-year-old girl at the Anchovy High School in Montego Bay, St James, last week as testament that the country was in crisis and that the Church had lost its footing.

"From whence have we come to this place as a nation where our children turn on each other and start slaying one another? When we start slaying the mother of the nation, what are we saying about the future of Jamaica?"

He said: "Our land is under scourge, and it's not just economic plight. We would want to think it is economic plight, but if we bought all the gold and brought it to Jamaica, we'll have problems, because the white-collar person will find ways of embezzling the funds from the national purse."

Jackson pointed out that it was time the Church got rid of "our tribal Jesus, because our nation is in trouble and we need to witness to the power and the presence of Jesus in our lives".

Local gay lobbyists have long argued that the Church has been guilty of nitpicking in denouncing homosexuality. On several occasions, activists called on local clergymen to end the campaign against homosexuality and focus on issues such as crime and corruption.

Asked yesterday whether he supported the mass protests put on in Kingston and Montego Bay by the church group Prayer 2000, Jackson said: "I don't want to comment on that. [But] there is no sin that the Church needs to come out and campaign against.

"Sins that are committed, the Church should make a pastoral response. I would not support any demonstration against [any sin]; what I would ask the Church is to see people in communities that have problems of whatever kind and be there to minister to them and show them the way of God."

He used the occasion to call for the governor general to "lead the way and call us to prayer and let us ask God to lead us out of what we have fallen into".

ENDS

also from the Observer

Stop bullying non-believers

Dear Editor,

Given our obsession with policing the bodies of homosexuals, we are again debating how to regard and treat gay Jamaicans. Recently, one Christian leader proclaimed that he is willing to die for his conviction that gay Jamaicans do not deserve all the protections guaranteed by our constitution. That was when I decided that secular Christians need to speak up and be counted. It pains my heart that anti-gay Christian leaders speak as representatives of God, not because there aren't many Christians who share their limited view, but because the media insists on selling their opinion as the Christian perspective.

This offends me because my faith in God has never been predicated on my willingness to condemn other human beings as sinful, degenerate, disease vectors. Let's be clear, there is no one Christian perspective on homosexuality. Our views are as diverse and conflicting as our interpretations of the Bible.

This offends me because my faith in God has never been predicated on my willingness to condemn other human beings as sinful, degenerate, disease vectors. Let's be clear, there is no one Christian perspective on homosexuality. Our views are as diverse and conflicting as our interpretations of the Bible.

Many Jamaicans seem to have forgotten that Christianity was built on conquest and exploitation. The revered thinker Desmond Tutu once said: "When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land."

We must come to terms with this reprehensible history and stop bullying non-believers to conform to outdated and demonstrably problematic ideologies. The slippery slope, apocalyptic arguments against homosexuality — a phenomenon with us since time immemorial — have got old. Furthermore, our shameless attempts to validate our righteousness at the expense of others is absolutely unethical. 

Thankfully, more of us today believe in the notion of inherent dignity and recognise the need to protect the humanity of social groups long thought to be inherently inferior. We recognise that the citizenship of homosexuals will not hasten the second coming of Christ any more than liberating slaves accelerated his return. In our increasingly globalised world, our interactions should be guided by an abiding faith in the need for understanding, tolerance and inclusivity. Instead of promoting discrimination and strife, I believe the creator of the universe would much rather we encourage universal values of love, compassion, and charity. Jamaica's constitution places an obligation on the Government to recognise and promote the rights of every citizen, including the gay ones. Instead of honouring the theocratic ambitions of some Christians, it is time our social policies and criminal laws reflect the democratic ideals outlined in the Charter of Rights.

Benjamin Fletcher

benjie.fletcher@gmail.com

Today one of the Gleaner's headline rang like a bell here is the story firstly then my comment below that I placed on the Gleaner site which I hope they publish as the debate intensifies especially given last night's discussion on All Angles.

'We Have The Numbers' - Anti-Homosexuality Church Leaders Confident Enough Religious Jamaicans In Island To Prevent Change To Buggery Law

Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer wrote:

With some 2,050,771 Jamaicans claiming affiliation to a religion, it would appear the church community, which has been standing firm against gay-rights activists in recent days, might be able to put up a formidable defence against those seeking to have the Government repeal the country's buggery law.

Just recently, one prominent clergyman shouted from his pulpit that he was prepared to die to ensure that Jamaica does not succumb to pressure from gay rights activists.

The statement from the executive director of the Church of God in Jamaica, Reverend Lenworth Anglin, followed that of another pastor, Reverend Al Miller, who declared last week that "a group of concerned pastors and leaders" have stated their willingness to mobilise and resist any attempts to tamper with the country's Constitution as it relates to the buggery law.

"We certainly have the numbers," Anglin told The Gleaner yesterday.

Data from the latest Population and Housing Census appear to support Anglin's claim. They indicate that some 129,554 Jamaicans are affiliated with a Church of God denomination.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church alone accounts for some 322,228, making it the denomination with the highest affiliation in numbers in Jamaica.

The Rastafarian religion, which is well known for its intolerance of homosexuality, has an affiliation number of 29,026.

But as the gay community and the Church continue on what appears to be a collision course, yesterday one social commentator who refrained from saying the level of impact the who refrained from saying the level of impact the Church is likely to have in helping to prevent any repeal of the buggery law, stopped just short of saying that recent comments from some clergymen might help to fuel even greater hostility in the minds of Jamaicans towards the gay community.

"Language like 'persons willing to die for' and so on, in my view, is unnecessary language at this point," said Carol Narcisse, who stressed that her views didn't necessarily represent those of the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) of which she is the chairperson.

"This is a discussion that the country needs to have, and it is hoped that the Church will provide an honest, sober position in the public domain, recognising that there is already a tendency towards making this issue being the subject of violence and the subject of harm to Jamaicans who are homosexual."

Added Narcisse: "We live in a democracy where all views will contend; the Church is one group in the society and it has a legitimate voice in the national conversation. However, the Church is not a monolithic group, there are other views within the Church as well."

"We would hope that persons of faith, leaders in the Church community who hold other views and a different approach; an approach that's more promoting of tolerance, an approach that is more promoting of a national discussion about inclusion and the rights of consenting adults, that those voices will come forward and join in the discussion."

She said any discussion going forward must be "sensitive to the fact that we are talking about the lives of human beings."

"We can only hope that we can come through this discussion in a way that does not see greater violence, harm, intolerance and exclusion," Narcisse charged.

Head of the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society Dr Wayne West agreed that "the Church has numbers" and could successfully argue against any repeal of the buggery law, so long as it pitches its argument correctly.

"When a country makes its laws, laws are framed within some sort of philosophy and I think that the Christian theistic world view is the best performing law. I think the Church can certainly argue that the Judeo-Christian world view is better than the secular world view," West said.

"I suppose the Church could certainly argue that a large number of people in Jamaica certainly hold that view."

Gay-rights activist Maurice Tomlinson is currently awaiting a ruling after going to the Constitutional Court to seek a declaration that Television Jamaica, CVM Television and the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica had breached his constitutional right to freedom of expression when they refused to air a paid advertisement promoting tolerance for homosexuals in Jamaica.

nedburn.thaffe@gleanerjm.com
CONTINUE HERE

My response:

Interesting the fear mongering premised on sheer ignorance the fundamental question is in the very numbers of bodies, how many men with same sex desire be they gay or innately bisexual are hiding within the church? a recent radio discussion involving some prominent theologians and church representatives on "straight spouses" with unsuspecting partners suggest that inside the very church LOCALLY from whose pulpits where these pastors shout from many men (including the some clergy) hide themselves to regularize their lives. And as for sexual abuse of female members and male too and power differentials that another matter altogether for another time.

Will they come out when the time is right and declare who they really are? but given ones inability to live ones truth with convenient homophobic rhetoric we are in for some interesting times ahead. It will boil down to who will stand out and up eventually and stop the deceptions on all sides for that matter and let good sense prevail. UNDERSTANDING is what is needed here.

Besides there are Christian and Rastafarian folks who are tolerant, maybe it is their time to also start speaking up to bring some sense into the mix. The change of the law or reading down of buggery as it now stands is NOT going to suddenly create some avalanche of "Buggerers" that will simply hit every biological born male wearing a pair of pants. What are these people afraid or?

As for Rev Al Miller he has no moral authority to speak on anything for that matter these days, lest we forget his ongoing trial in aiding and abetting a known fugitive to escape the law of the land!? Albeit to a foreign power a that and using a male same gender loving and transgender form of aesthetic expression (cross-dressing) as a form of disguise in carrying out the deception at that yet he comes out swinging against homosexuality, really?!

If this were elsewhere he would be considered a traitor or even charged for treason at that.

Religious intolerance needs to STOP it makes no sense, confusing same gender sex with abuse is one of the main drivers of this as the fear is some infestation or increase in abuse of prepubescent persons when laws already exist to protect them and besides decriminalizing buggery which is what is now postured by the LGBT lobby and not necessarily a full repeal will not take away rights and protections that already exist it will only allow same sex intimacy in a private setting to occur via the all important CONSENT. Paedophilia or any attraction to a prepubescent person or child is a diagnosable deviant sexual disorder, HOMOSEXUALITY however is NOT the same and is innate.

The gender or supposed orientation of the abuser is not important when it comes to sexual abuse, ABUSE IS ABUSE and the law and psycho social responses should go into effect, just yesterday on Newstalk 93FM's Freshstart with host Sharon Hay Webster a rep from the CDA highlighted the need also for forensic psychiatrists in the system to also probe the look of perpetrators as well to avoid repeat offending.

Maybe we can follow the route of the Irish and learn from the path they took where they not only repealed buggery, removed the two ages of consent for homosexual(21) and heterosexual anal sex(18) made it 18 across the board, made privacy a cornerstone for same sex persons but they also added a child defilement clause as an amendment so as to appease the fearmongerers there as well, chaos did not break out there, instead Ireland is stable as she can be.

Some of us are lesbian/gay/bi/transgender/bisexual and everything else in between, it takes all kinds to make the world go round. Yet what is even more disturbing to me is the missing zeal in the anti homosexual campaign we see when it comes to murdered children/adults, spiraling crime and the elderly (recent cases comes to mind), the kids in state lockups with adults not to mention the umpteen missing as well yet plus the homeless on the street yet millions are spent for full paged ads and other perks for pastors for huge salaries but the moral fiber for the real issues on the ground is if not missing is very low.

One wonders if the tactic employed now to rile up a crowd (burrowed in someway from the political directorate) is not to fill collection plates too in a time when the economy is slow as well, popularity seekers at the expense of a minority group, after all it seems to be the only issue that makes a church service hot these days as most of these leaders are empty vessels, when the same congregation are themselves seemingly numb to the other societal ills.

Peace and tolerance

H

Additional materials: Miss Narcisse who was quoted above also had spoken on the issue on a radio show excerpted here ..............

Gay activists on Minority rights

Western Jamaica Clergy want buggery law to remain

Also see a letter in the Gleaner today as well: Church Biased and my post on sister blog GLBTQJA Wordpress on: Church Stands Resolute Against Buggery Backers says Al Miller ………… Love March Movement Lacks Moral Compass says LGBT voice

The problem with the LGBT lobby I have however is that just when it should matter most we are divided and are lacking several pieces of the parts to make the campaigns and messages resonate including credibility on certain fronts. Mixing a secularist agenda into the scheme of the agitation has only sought to anger the religious movement even further something I warned about some time ago and now we have added layers to the debate that have sought only to cloud the issue and extend the debate unnecessarily so.

Hear my short commentary I made on that:

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

As I ended my 2012 year in review and given recent happenings with JFLAG shooting itself in the foot - 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. Deception seems to be on all sides take this for example:Dr Wayne West’s continued intellectual dishonesty on fisting felching & chariot racing by homosexuals in Jamaica

Also see: Espeut, West says “Homophobia” was invented to abuse Christians as hate speech as they use the victim ploy here. We have a long way to go it seems barring a miracle and some good sense prevailing.