Friday, February 26, 2010
No Immediate Legal protection for your image captured in a public place?
There is no law under our statute that can hinder anyone to capture photographs in a public place it is a very delicate area of the law, one does not have a right to ones image if it is taken in a public space without the subjects consent, the law offers no protection from having an image of a person or thing occupying that space. If the photo is used in any way to defame the subjected person(s) involved then under common law there is recourse.
At best a letter or warning of sorts from an attorney of the complainant can be sent to the photographers or the suspected individuals advising them that any use of the photos that were taken without the permission of the subjects would lead to action without any legal recourse to them. This is an option that can be reserved. In France for example members of the public have a right to their image so the photos basically could have been ordered destroyed and the relevant actions taken against the parties involved in capturing the shots.
Jamaican citizens however have the right to protection from defamation, in a common law scenario the court will have to afford protection from being viewed in a derogatory light, one is entitled to their reputation but one cannot protect a reputation that one does not have, the common law however does not allow for others to intrude in person’s privacy.
So the only option in the initial stage is a warning letter through an attorney advising them accordingly that one is aware of the photos captured without consent and the possible legal actions if said photos are used to defame any of the subjected parties.
So much for rights eh?
So as it turns out there is a major loop hole here in terms of personal safety still, what if years down the road these photos turn up then one would have to use legal recourse to stop any defamatory action. The law needs to offer more protection to citizens’ rights and privacy than just after the fact when my image or that of my property is captured and stored somewhere and can be drawn upon to be used without my knowledge or consent or where I can’t act even under suspicion that my image is stored somewhere to have it destroyed. This is a sad state of affairs though legally.
Peace and tolerance.
H
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Discussion on Reggae music and recent conference
The discussion generalised on the actions being taken by certain European states such as Germany and Italy who have banned certain artists from Jamaica in particular because the perception of hate music specifically towards homosexuals. Reputation management and other forms of damage control were suggested by Dr. Hume Johnson said that good artists are getting blamed or suffering for the utterances of a few other artists. The recent Chris Brown beating saga with Rihanna was compared to and how he used damage control to restore his image and position the criticism that we ban music advocating gay hate but play an abusers music also hints were given to Whitney Houston’s return after her continued drug use and the use of marketing to repair her image in the public’s eye. There is a gap in public relations suggested Dr. Johnson she continued that there needs to be crisis management for reggae artists in general so good artists can get their material out.
Host Simon Crosskill criticised the Germans in particular saying that they were once haters themselves via Nazi camps suggesting that they are not in a position to judge others. The word xenophobia was used to describe a recent article hinting to Germany and Italy’s actions in cancelling shows. The perceptions that gays on the streets being abused in Jamaica on the strength of certain anti gay lyrics was rebuffed by them discounting the strength and power of the spoken word.
A snippet of a Jamaica Observer article published Sunday January 17 which spoke to the issue of banning artists in Europe written by one Charles Hamble from Germany was read by Simone Clarke Cooper following on the cancellation of an Italian reggae festival which has been moved to Spain: “ ....conditions in Jamaica have shown us the extent of the anti gay violence can be agitated by the hysterical and homophobic rantings of these crazy artists, the messages coming from the stage work people up into a frenzy to go beat up and kill gays ....as a result it is a regular occurrence in Kingston and elsewhere in the Caribbean for men who are gay or perceived to be gay to be hounded through the streets subjected to” she ended by commenting that it was not real. Simon Crosskill called it rubbish.
Clearly Simon Crosskill and Simone Clarke Cooper the show’s hosts shows their bias in this matter and how out of touch they are with reality in discounting the homophobic actions towards GLBT people or he may be ignorant as well as to the realities of these cases of beatings, attacks and murders over the years. The perception that many gays who are killed are killed by other gays themselves which may be true to a point but the real issues are usually brushed away in discussions like this which is not surprising. I would have thought JFLAG as almost powerless and ineffective as they may be would have been invited to this discussion. Of note the recent conference at the University of the West Indies on the Reggae and homophobia saw no formal representation from the GLBT community save and except for persons who attended in their private capacities to witness the conference discussions which were laced with bias as concerns were more about the music than lives or reaching some favourable compromise.
No surprise there either.
Dr. Johnson commented that there needs to be a change in perception that we (Jamaicans) disagree with homosexuality but respect the right to life. Here again this shows how out of touch persons from the intelligencia and the upper classes are far removed from the realities on the ground bearing in mind that a 17 year old male was attacked in Sav-la-mar in western Jamaica on Saturday February 20, 2010 and is presently homeless also a 23 year old male was attacked at his home in Kingston on February 22, 2010 when he attempted to get some clothes from his family after they warned him to keep a low profile seeing he has been threatened by thugs before. I will publish the details if and when permission from the respective clients has been granted to do so as I must respect their rights.
The recent Armadale inquiry report where seven girls died in a fire in May 2009 started by a tear gas canister thrown by a police officer into an overcrowded facility run by the government that was leaked to the media was juxtaposed to being more important and rightly so but gays somehow who are constantly abused and prescribed abuses in lyric are not important so once again gays get shafted but this time using genuine issues that also need attention.
How convenient?
When can we get a fair discussion without emotions clouding spirit of what needs to be achieved?
Peace and tolerance
H
Find more audio posts like this on GLBTQ Jamaica Members' LINKUP, send an email to lgbtevent@gmail.com to be approved
Scroll to the title that matches this post title double click or press play once highlighted to hear the audio response) (ignore snapvine references as they are now closed {March 31st 2010} as recorded then as my original audio hosts)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The low wearing pants issue .....
The government these days feel it can just become judge juror and lawmaker for every god damn thing these days, Jamaica in my estimation does not have a lot of men wearing low cut pants anymore that style has died from last year 2009, most jeans nowadays are straight tight jeans in brands like Gucci that have very straight cut leg lengths and maybe wider waists for hip hugging.
The jeans itself just sits at the hip not below to show butt cheeks as said by many commentators and in fact the tight jeans being worn now if they were worn in let’s say three or four years ago a man would have been beaten or attacked for being gay. The notion of a man so well put together then he is considered gay or his sexuality comes into question.
This is a social issue I think and there shouldn’t be interference by the legislators on everything. This one should just play itself out but the police are already using the public decency act to arrest men coming from dancehall events especially who are well dressed. What about the events coming up like carnival where persons are scantily dressed in tights or butt showing attire, what about the dancehall outdoor events where live sex has occurred those haven’t been deemed out of place yet or we should wait until the administration decides to go there to lock up people.
Will lesbian sisters who dress masculine in low pants as well be arrested too?
Freedom of choice I thought was a right and why is it the lawmakers must just go around and make laws for everything to drown persons’ freedoms?
There are more serious crimes out there that need the police's attention than to be looking for ass showing men, the poor cops with their job descriptions always growing and no benefits to add to their remuneration.
There are some states in the US that have laws that speak to low wearing jeans with even specified measurements but as we have seen those pants are very low but Jamaicans don’t go so far to show in some instances full butt cheeks showing. The notion that men who wear these jeans that are so low are gay is nonsense and just shows the naivety involved in the legislators and some public commentators’ utterances.
We must watch these happenings for as simple as they are, they are our rights being slowly impinged upon I fear, this administration has been in overdrive to make laws at will, in two years of being in power the parliament has been in overtime reviewing laws some needed others I feel are totally unnecessarily so.
What you think?
Peace and tolerance
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Americans more supportive of 'gay men and lesbians' than 'homosexuals'
A survey has found that the wording used when asking the public about their views on gay rights makes a substantial difference to the answers.
A recent CBS News/New York Times poll asked 1,084 American adults their view on gays serving openly in the military.
It found that respondents were far more supportive when they were asked about "gay men and lesbians", instead of "homosexuals".
Seventy per cent of respondents were supportive of gay men and lesbians serving in the military but this dropped to 59 per cent when the word "homosexuals" was used.
When respondents were asked whether they believed gay men and lesbians should be allowed to be open about their sexuality, 58 per cent agreed but only 44 per cent agreed when they were asked about homosexuals.
The noun 'homosexual' is rejected by some because of its clinical connotations, which hark back to the days when gay people were viewed as mentally ill.
It is used most often by those who disagree with homosexuality and is sometimes modified to 'homosexualists' when discussing gay rights activists.
US newspapers The New York Times and The Washington Post restrict usage of the term ' homosexual' and the Post's style guide notes that it "can be seen as a slur".
British newspapers generally accept 'gay' as a permissible alternative to 'homosexual'. The Guardian counsels that 'gay men' should be used instead of 'gays', while the Daily Telegraph states that 'homosexual' is an adjective, not a noun.
In recent years, some style guides warned against the use of the term 'practising homosexual'. This phrase has now disappeared from the majority of style guides, as it has presumably become almost obsolete in mainstream use.
High Drama as Homophobes attempt to disrupt and picket party
The host had on her employ a 5 man security detail who watched with care until they were discharged of duties just before the police arrived to defuse the situation.
The protest apparently stemmed from a party that was held the week before which at its climax had a very public altercation between several patrons of that event, that event indeed was a gay party as I was in attendance but left before the damming proceedings unfolded. The immediate neighbours said that they were upset at last week’s public brawl on the streets and demanded that no other “dutty, nasty Battyman and sodomite come bout yah” (dirty nasty gay men and sodomites come here) the leading female protester said. The host of the current event that was being picketed tried to defuse the situation several times by explaining to the protestors that she only knew of the previous week’s incident in detail on the same night of finalizing her event and couldn’t be held accountable for that. She said she was assured that all would have been well by the respective parties involved in its organizing. The protesters however went into overdrive saying that they didn’t care about that and we must move our nastiness elsewhere among other unmentionables inclusive of expletives.
Machete wielding and threats
At several points during the drama a male occupant, of the property next to the immediate neighbour made threatening assertions and wielded a machete but the party continued despite the five protesters ongoing chants and threats which grew louder over time. They then proceeded to light a bonfire just adjacent to the entrance to the venue and fuelled the fire with petrol as it was evident in the odour coming from the smoke it discharged.
Photos taken of patrons …….
Disturbingly as the impasse slowly intensified three of the protesters and other passers-by dawned digital cameras and camera phones and captured photos of patrons entering and exiting the venue specifically by face and also the license registration plates of vehicles that were parked on the road as there was no available parking inside the venue, later on during the impasse after myself and the host visited the Half Way Tree Police station to get their assistance as we thought the situation needed to be defused as soon as possible the police did turn up after a second visit by the host to the precinct. I questioned the lead officer as to the photography that was done by the protesters and their response to me was that they couldn’t do anything about it as they never saw photos being taken. It was a while after that it was also discovered that photos were being secretly taken by the very high perimeter wall (almost 8 feet in height) by one of the protesting party who turned off his camera flash. Before he had taken shots outside using a flash as the street lighting wasn’t providing a good backdrop.
I am very concerned however about the capturing and possible usage of those photos by the protesters and it is hard to say how many were actually captured and when. The answer as given to me by the officers was not satisfactory at all. I hope to investigate the legal boundaries if any are present and publish same if and where I am successful. In fact many patrons literally when into the focus of the camera totting protestors to show they weren’t afraid of them.
Party patrons tried to in turn tried to take photos as well of the protestors side of things but this was met with resistance from them and threats were hurled at the would be photographers which eventually included myself, photos were then taken of us while we were capturing the scene, it was then things almost took a turn for the worst as heated exchanges ensued this was because several other patrons who were on the inside had left the dance floor to see what was really going down and did not take kindly to their party being obstructed over simple matters. The bonfire continued to burn it had a tyre as its base and lit just on the outside of the venue was fed steady doses of fuel in the form of bushes and petrol.
The Police Action
The police arrived on the scene after myself and the host visited the Half Way Tree station to get their intervention in the matter, upon their arrival the protesters were chanting loudly and hurling homophobic remarks with their bonfire fully ablaze apparently thinking the police would have sided with them, they were ordered to immediately extinguish the fire they had started but unfortunately the party had to end as the host did not have a permit to continue after 2am, the host complied with the police’s request to discontinue. The now 7 officers on the scene maintained a presence to see to it that the patrons left and were not abused as the protesters now 10, were moved several feet away from the original scene of the action, they however occasionally hurled their remarks but the officers kept control of the situation.
Of note the language and tone of the protesters changed immediately to a calm one and the machetes and cameras were no where in sight when the officers arrived much to patrons surprise and humour.
Thanks however to the police for this intervention and cooling a possible serious situation. It shows a vast improvement on the professionalism of the force which is welcomed to bring balance and fairness.
New patrons arriving on the scene soon left without entering while others who were already there left in segments but refreshingly most stayed their ground and partied none the less until it was turned off, others stayed by the gate on the inside determined to get involved if it got ugly, cute forms of passive resistance, I was delighted to see this unity especially from the lesbian community, I surmise that it was this mass ignoring the disturbance outside that got the protestors upset thinking we would have caved in to their demands. I apologized on the host’s behalf to the patrons and cordially asked them to leave quietly without regarding the noisy protestors on the outside. They complied but a few couldn’t resist the temptation to verbally respond and poking fun while leaving. The location of the party is a semi commercial district so I am not sure as to the need for a permit to operate a monitored event over the 2am Noise Abatement Act deadline.
If the protesters had an issue with the event and after speaking directly to its host why is it that a compromise could not have been reached?
I strongly suspect that they never expected the patronage to stay their ground and basically ignore their agitation outside the precincts of the private property bearing in mind the owner was present. While we must respect the right of freedom of speech/peaceful protest, igniting a fire just at the entrance to private property is way out of place and the hurling of threats and abusive remarks dotted with plagiaristic lines to look as if they are tolerant to a point but …. That never impressed me. As one patron commented we are here and we all are going to have to learn to live together and stop this foolishness one day. The action as how it unfolded was totally uncalled for.
Peace and tolerance
H
Deacon Seeks Sex from boy says The Star
Michael Lee, STAR Writer
A deacon at a Seventh Day Adventist church in Kingston, who was taped trying to make sexual advances to a teenage boy recently, left the place of worship after he was disciplined.
Steven Benjamin*, a member of the church, told THE STAR that everyone was shocked when the tape was played for a pastor of the church. He said, however, that some persons had previously suspected the deacon was a homosexual.
possibly gay
"I normally made comments that he was possibly gay; however, it was not taken seriously by many. Although I had my speculation, I was still shock at this discovery," said the church member.
A man who attended the church and lives in the area, said that the deacon had approached the teen, admitted he was gay and that he wanted to be involved in a sexual activity with him. It is alleged that the teen then told his friends about the deacon's proposal.
It is claimed that the teen and his friends approached the deacon and acted as if they were interested in taking part in his activity, but carried a device to record the conversation. It is alleged that he admitted that he was gay during the conversation.
played the tape
The youths are said to have then told the pastor of the church and played the tape for him. The deacon is said to have admitted that he approached the teen after the recording was played.
The deacon was instructed to sit at the back of the church, however, he was reportedly not pleased about this. The church member told THE STAR that the deacon did not want anyone to pray for him, as well.
"When persons wanted to pray for him, he did not want anyone to pray for him ... He said that he wants to remain like that," said the church member.
*Name change to protect identityFriday, February 12, 2010
Gay and Lesbian Alliance to protest “hate” singer
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast (GALA) plans to protest the appearance of a Reggae singer known as “Capleton” because of his violent hate lyrics toward gays.
Capleton is scheduled to play at the San Luis Obispo Downtown Brewing Company on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. GALA is asking for the community to come together and help them picket the event.
“I do believe that disliking something and voicing your opinion is alright,” said Sheryl Flores, GALA vice president. “But to promote the killing of bisexuals and gay people is very disconcerting.”
GALA is asking supporters to meet at the GALA Center at 1060 Palm Street in San Luis Obispo at 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 to help make signs. On Feb. 17, protesters will leave the GALA Center at 5 p.m. for a peaceful march over to the Downtown Brewing Company.
“We want to stress, it is a peaceful protest,” Flores said.
Capleton is from Jamaica, a country that has made homosexuality a crime and glorifies the killing of gays. The lyrics of “Give Har” provide an example of Capleton’s anti-gay music.
“Shoulda know seh Capleton bun battyman
You should know that Capleton burns queers
“Dem same fire apply to di lesbian
The same fire applies to lesbians
“Seh mi bun everything from mi know seh dem gay
Say, I burn everything as long as I know that they’re gay
“All boogaman and sodemites fi get killed
All queers and sodomites should be killed”
Following escalating protests against Capleton’s music, which spurred a string of show cancellations including the Los Angeles House of Blues’ termination of Capleton’s scheduled 2004 performance, the controversial singer signed an agreement in which he pledged to condemn violence against the gay and bisexual communities.
However, equal rights groups contend he has continued to sing anti-gay songs, which has again prompted cancellations of many of his concerts throughout the world.
“This type of hatred is so hard to erase especially for the youth,” Flores said. “People in our community already have so much trouble coming out and being themselves. This could put the youth back in the closet.”
Calls to the Downtown Brewing Company were not returned.
also see the Petrelis blog post as well
JAMAICA HAS GAY CHURCH? says the Jamaica Star,
While THE WEEKEND STAR was not able to find out the exact location of the church, evidence of one of their worship sessions was posted on popular video sharing site Youtube.com under the title 'Gays in Jamaica worship in underground church'.
The video which appears to be a special feature done on the church, was uploaded on November 11, by Worldfocus.org. The entity identifies itself as an international news source that, among other things, reports 'on events from around the world and cover the stories that don't always make the headlines'. Since being uploaded, the video has recorded approximately 4,000 hits.
worship in secret
The close to six-minute-long clip starts with the narrative: 'Jamaica is often said to hold the world record for the most churches per-square-mile. There's a public place of worship for almost everyone, unless you're gay. If you are, you must worship in secret. Reverend Robert Griffin, a gay-American minister flies to Kingston once a month to lead this underground service ...'
Midway through this introduction, the clip shows the male members of the church and Griffin, the head, singing a song Welcome Holy Spirit with eyes closed and hands lifted as if in deep meditative worship.
Throughout the video, the males, whose faces are blurred, are seen holding hands, resting arms around each other, playing tambourine and singing lively choruses, clapping and even taking communion.
While speaking to the interviewer, Griffin said the church had to operate underground because of the "hostility towards the gay and lesbian community here in Jamaica." The minister said going public would "invite harm (and) danger to the congregation."
The pastor said that there was no physical church building or tent but that everything needed to keep the services, bible, communion condiments and tambourines, were kept in boxes until the appointed time.
During a section of pastor's sermon to his gay gathering, he was heard telling the church: "God loves us because, guess what? God created us. And God did not create us just to sit around and hate us because we chose to love someone of the same gender."
Towards the end of the video, Griffin chided local ministers for what he described as their messages of hate and violence towards gays in Jamaica and called for an end to such practices on the part of the local clergy.
Head of the Kingston-based Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre, Bishop Herro Blair, was interviewed by the news agency in the video and he spoke on the behalf of the local religious leaders.
Blair stated that Jamaica was a homophobic society that grew up to dislike homosexuals and to hate homosexuality. He said that God's concept was an Adam and an Eve for the continuity of the human race and that homosexuality in and of itself, has the potential to hinder that God-intended process.
When contacted by THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday, Blair said that he was interviewed over a year ago but he had never seen the taping since.
He said that he did not know if the gay church was still active as he never made any checks on it.
As for the request that the gay pastor made in the video for local ministers to stop preaching against homosexuality, Blair said: "To do that would be a compromise of our faith ... If they have a right to be wrong, then we have a right to be right."
The Quietus ......... The Safe House Project Closes
4) Could the project been tweaked seeing the issue was about the residents behaviour and the management?
5) Is it that the stabilization work was not properly done and can be re-introduced in the remaining time of the pilot?
That act in and of itself teaches and reinforces empowerment, self sustainability and maturity which would positively result in a stick-to-itiveness which could make the members autonomous and all that would have been needed in the long run is monitoring and evaluation with the relevant psychological and counselling support for those who need it. Let us not forget as well the continued HIV/AIDS sensitizations and adherence where required.
Allowing the members to develop their own path to growth and with the presence of a certain services would have worked if it were properly sustained. Where are the empowerment tools that can be offered to the population in a timely and measured fashion so as to tailor future activities from best practices as there will be more persons who fall under this umbrella.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The PM on the Independent Commission of Investigation’s Bill Debate
If the rights of others are breached then his own rights cannot be sacrosanct and therefore the state must ensure that the rights of all are secure.
One wonders where this thinking was during the Sexual Offences Bill Debate and is it only for police extra judicial killings being investigated that where rights are to be recognised under this another new independent investigatory arm.
Obviously LGBT people therefore are not seen or to be recognised then even during allegations of abuse by police to gays and lesbians, the lack of proper police records and reports of abuse is a glaring example of the callousness and disregard for us as LGBT people. Michael Petrelis another blogger from San Francisco has been trying to get proper documentation from the respective offices of government including the Office of The Prime Minister under the Access to Information Act with very little success which is not surprising but to hear the words of the Prime Minister on his feet during the current debate is almost blasphemous as it is a turn around from the position he took on the invented gay marriage smoke screen used to justify the exclusion of gender based rights from the Charter of Rights Bill and from the Sexual Offences Bill recently passed.
(see Charter of Rights Bill and Sexual Offences Bill Tabs on GLBTQ JA and GJW blogs)
Suddenly rights are important for purposes to sell to the public an independent investigation unit when as we have seen in last few weeks the not surprisingly high levels of corruption within the ranks of the police force taking into account the large ammunition find and one of their own held for it at Mountain View area recently, refreshingly however it was a set of young cops who pointed out the infraction and they are to be commended for it, some of whom have since been promoted or received some form of commendation, I only hope their lives aren’t in any danger due to this dent made in the illegal guns trade.
So the trick is to avoid supposed rights that are unpleasant to the religious elite but champion the ones carried by other human rights bodies so as to get their support it seems, its has been some time that Jamaicans for Justice and many others have been asking for a totally independent body to investigate alleged infractions and crimes committed by agents of the state and rightly so but this seems like the Bruce Golding led Jamaica Labour Party administration is pandering to the gallery yet again on selected issues while gays can forget it in as far as basic recognition as human beings.
It’s tiresome now to see how politicians use so called interest in rights issues to gain popularity when convenient, when are we going to get real leaders who are bold enough to make the unpopular decisions without having to worry about the political fallout? It is well known that in private circles many of the politicians who publicly hit out at issues like homosexuality hum a different tune but they are aware of how explosive and manipulative this issue is and that they can be employed to their advantage.
Will the real leaders please stand up and speak out.
Stop using rights when it’s convenient to look as if you are doing something good.
We are not fools out here.
Will the real advocates please stand up and demand justice.
A wah wi a go do lawd?
Peace and tolerance
H
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Cybersex and relationships
Does this practice lead to decreases in love life if one or both partners in a relationship are practising?
Some say yes some say no, as it depends on how it’s done. If one partner for example is on a business trip or is away for a short time that maybe an excuse for cybersex with outsiders not with the at home partner. One blogger at the Lyme says he used to practice cam to cam masturbation with guys even when he was with his partner full time but he knew he loved his partner no matter what, he explained that he never showed his face only from the neck down and chose guys who did the same for one on one cam action. The experts say that one can get addicted to cybersex and tend to loose real emotional and sexual desires for another person on a one on one level because the attraction is just for instant gratification or as some call it a quick nut. Then there is the proverbial hook up dude who uses the internet to meet one night standers for just quick fun and may incorporate cybersex before the actual hook-up takes place or compensate for distance if the meeting cannot be done at that particular time.
Is that considered cheating?
Some say yes and some say no, if it’s an open relationship where both partners can go outside the union for sexual pleasures well it couldn’t be considered cheating but if the union is monogamous in nature and one steps out in this format without the others knowledge then emotionally it is cheating. I guess it depends on the grounds and boundaries set by the persons involved in the relationship. Others felt strong that it was in fact cheating and that dishonesty in any form leads to a must fail in the union as time progresses, unions must remain monogamous and lovers must be true to each other no matter what if not its just a casual “spirit tek” mess that’s doomed to fail. There are those who also engage in orgies by allowing a third or fourth partner into a session for sex but emotionally the two original members of the couple know they are tied together and share a bond.
Cybersex as a safer sex method
Others in the HIV/AIDS advocacy world do encourage the use of cybersex as a means to safe sex. Many experts encourage its use to avoid risky behaviour and also to examine ones possible partner while on camera to literally look for signs of sexually transmitted infections around ones genitalia and so on before the actual hook-up takes place. Self masturbation was already recommended as a form of safer sex practices but camming has now been added in the digital age of instant video streaming and live chats. How repetitive one employs this form of sexual play is questionable as again I draw on the notion of getting addicted to emotionless sex.
meanwhile here is a treat:
Public comments please
Peace and tolerance
H
Coming out or outed
Many homosexuals or MSMs in Jamaica end up being outed after the above issues go on for a protracted period and when the family membership, friends or nosy neighbours don’t see the partner of the opposite sex forthcoming then the all too familiar rumour and whispers increases usually unbeknown to the subject. There have been cases as well where the desire to prove their suspicions leads to searching personal effects such as cell phone message inboxes or emails if they get access to those communication areas. I distinctly recall a case a couple years ago where a young man was rebuffed by his family and thrown out of the house with his belongings after his mother instructed his younger brother to search his phone for suspicious gay activity, her suspicious were confirmed when several private messages were discovered, she proceeded to hold on to the phone as proof and showed the damming messages between himself and alleged male counterparts to his father and other neighbours thus occasioning their demand for his exit. He eventually moved out of the community under some police protection.
Our socialization is much more closely nit as neighbours are more friendly than other jurisdictions so people tend to (“Fass”) pry into affairs of the heart if needs be, if a single man for example lives alone and has no female companions visiting or over nighting then he is watched closely for suspicious clues of his sexuality. Disturbingly sometimes other undercover gay and bisexual persons participate in this rumour mill of sorts to cover their own tracks especially if they have no visible clues of gayness for e.g. effeminate aesthetics, metro sexual attire or association with the subjected individual(s) in question. Certainly over time many gay men who had suffered this forced outing process have complained that other gay men have outed them by pointing them out to the prying audience and with very little way of defending oneself at this point the outed person(s) usually for their own safety quietly and quickly relocate to avoid problems.
There are more positive accounts however of persons coming out to more tolerant family members and friend but usually these accounts come from persons who are travelled and exposed to other cultures predominantly the United States and the UK. Social class has a lot to do with this as well as many of these accounts come from upper middle income earning households who have a different take on the coming out process almost mimicking a North American approach but sometimes the negative impacts include exclusion from a will (loss of access to the trust fund), ostracism from the home, malice, loss of privileges and family breakups.
I doubt if there is anything on record at JFLAG that properly documents this phenomenon or track the persons involved most of what I have garnered is from memory or my own tracking of past cases I am aware of.
Another tragic outing process is through the mass media when sometimes embellished stories make front page news like the recent Barbie episodes or persons forcibly evicted from their homes and the actions justified in some sense by the writers of the respective articles. Who can forget the very public outing of two gay men in western Jamaica several years ago when they were allegedly escorted by police to the station on foot in the nude after neighbours called the cops under suspicion that the men were gay and having sex in their home. The police were said to have entered the home and ordered the men to undress then told them to follow them to the station much to the jeering and laughter of the public looking on. Respect for the precinct or sanctity of the threshold of ones home is usually smashed when invaders be they arms of the law or rowdy members of the public seem to think they have a right to mame alleged gay individuals anywhere and anytime.
Probably a set of programs or courses need too be implemented to aid experts in human sexuality gays, lesbians and their families about the coming out processes, its implications and tolerance that could include the tenets of the law where privacy, freedom of choice, sexuality and basic rights are concerned.
Mi a wonda a who a go dweet doh ? As di people dem who fi dweet nah seh nuttin.
Public comments please.
Peace and tolerance
H
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Real Advocacy or not?
So there are advocates and there are advocates and the never ended quest to produce proposals, abstracts and budgets continue in the grand scheme of things. One wonders if the present set of circumstances really are in a honest bid to tackle the problems we have in our GLBTQ communities.
The main organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender needs is a joke to say the least, this a criticism I have always had of JFLAG, they can do and ought to do a lot more, there are so many persons who need not just only crisis intervention typed assistance but also hotline counselling services that have been woefully lacking for several years, consultative forumatic sessions between the groups aforementioned are also urgently required to arrive at sensible and workable solutions to growth with tolerance from the mainstream.
With so many persons still having serious issues directly related to homophobia such as ostracism, displacement, religious bias and violent attacks and the transgender community clamoring for visibility within a transphobic gay and lesbian setting, who will really stand up and honestly, patiently and directly deal with the issues at hand without having to worry about reputations and criticisms from observers who just want to point out the right things and what else can be done? The present systems, organizations and persons involved do not seem to be getting the job done properly, we have a Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica, Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays all of whom on paper have HIV/AIDS interventions and Social Support programs directed at the mainstream, gay, lesbian and queer communities but can’t seem to get their acts together not even if they were combined into one. Without stepping on the toes of those who have tried over the years there maybe a time when a new set of persons and organizations may have to come forward with new out of the box ideas and programs to deal with the new faces of MSM out there and associated tough issues.
HIV infection rates have increased despite best efforts over the years by NGOs and the respective national programs plagued however by the alleged politics involved in the power play between private and public sector interests dealing with the controversial MSM community. On one hand the government’s health arm through the Ministry of Health wants to reach this community but cannot do so publicly because of the sensitivities involved chief among them the buggery law, public perception of male homosexuality and the real threat of political fallout for the respective ruling administrations, then there are the serious mistrust issues in the form of criticisms levied at the same Ministry basically accusing them of using the MSM community to make up testing numbers and studies with no lasting outreach efforts in place to stop or contain the HIV spread in this marginalized grouping. Private groups and NGOs want to hold on to the intervention strategies and programs they already have been carrying out for years with no obstruction or dictation from the Ministry of Health and so the vicious cycle continues while gay men suffer, most of them in silence and precious funding is jostled for behind closed doors. The NGOs themselves have their share of mistrust issues from the very MSM community they are to serve just take a look at the homeless MSM tab on here to see for yourself. Sections of the community have long doubted the intentions of some of these NGOs, some say they are money trees for those who run them or gravy trains for large funds that are available for vulnerable populations.
Why is it for example that a certain NGO designed for social support for gays having on its list of clients, men who have been abused yet they cannot get financial assistance from the said group and have to be on the streets in one instance begging while other clients seem to get preferential treatment in own their cases?
The intentions look blurred and unclear and the concerns don’t seem genuine for some folks, when one canvasses sections of the community in large part that’s the hint you get in the answers. The recent civil disobedience action taken by a group of MSM at a local NGO is proof of the distrust and how deeply entrenched it has become. One would have thought that trust ought to be a key factor in any kind of social intervention so as to connect with the target audience involved otherwise how effective can programs and activities be if the people who really need it don’t wish to be engaged simply because they don’t see one as genuine?
Could it be burn-out that is causing the problem as well? Persons could be just tired from all the years of being there that they have become immune to issues, not ready or willing to adapt to change.
That’s not to say that there has not been progress made over the years but with the recent negative activities perceived or otherwise how can we get good results with the present set of circumstances and policies still in place, are the powers that be willing to step aside and let new blood take it?
The answer is certainly not a yes, so I guess others will have to carve their own ideas and quietly do what needs to be and can be done, its not about competition to see who is better than whom but simply aiming for and getting real results thus having a meaningful impact on the lives of people. The make up of the various organizations may be a sticky issue as well as the seeming incestuous mix between them may be a debilitating factor hence a kind of rigor mortis sets in and it’s just the same ideological principles and practices that go throughout the policies and actions carried out and no new vision seems forthcoming.
The age old problem of class has reared its head again at least in one instance when one client of a certain NGO said to me recently that he doesn't feel comfortable anymore in going to them to talk about his issues as he clearly sees the unease in the faces of the front-line staff with remarks and snickering in some instances when he speaks. He named the organization clearly and said “They gone uptown now” implying the attitude of persons involved. He feels as if he is now just being given the run around with no clear action plan to help him recover from his ordeals.
There are other critics as well who are more experienced in advocacy either through volunteering over time or were contracted employees of one or more of the NGOs implied here who now say they are not interested in engaging them in any form or if they do it’s just at a casual glance out of respect. One group in particular was described by a former volunteer as a press release factory relating to the knee jerk reactions they have on issues and the lack of a more proactive approach to LGBT advocacy.
What can we do?
Do we need to let the groups/organizations know how we feel be it good or bad?
Weh unu tink eh?
Have you noticed any of the changes mentioned?
Public comments preferred or send comments or answers to lgbtevent@gmail.com, please indicate if you wish to have your responses published in or as a post.
Peace and tolerance
H and contributors
UPDATE podcast - September 7, 2011
Monday, February 8, 2010
Clarifications on Sharia law (Observer letter)
Dear Editor,
This is a response to Anthony Gordon’s letter (published February 2, 2010) about Sharia law following the call by the head of the Jamaica Muslim League for homosexuals to be executed.
Like many Christians/Westerners, Mr Gordon fails to distinguish between Sharia law and local custom. Similar to Western law, Sharia is open to different interpretations and is administered in different degrees in Muslim societies.
So, while homosexual acts are regarded as a sin by the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the examples set by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be unto him), there is no universal application of the death penalty for homosexuals across the Muslim world.
Another glaring mistake made by Mr Gordon is his reference to Islamic executions being carried out by stoning the person to death. I think he might have got his religions muddled, as executions under Sharia are not prescribed to be carried out by this method.
As a matter of fact, even the slaughter of animals under Sharia law is to be done as swiftly and humanely as possible.
Another bone of contention is Mr Gordon’s haste to criticise what he sees as the imbalance in Islamic inheritance laws in favour of the males.
What he fails to realise is that whatever a woman gets from an inheritance is her own to do what she wishes with it, while the eldest male in the family, who gets a bigger share, is obliged to provide for the women in the household when he assumes the role of the head of the household on the death of the father.
It is also a little known fact that a Muslim wife is not under any obligation to work outside the home and her husband is supposed to provide all her material needs, including household help.
The sole “duty” of the wife is to see to the upbringing of the children and the running of the household, she does not have to do any of the “work” herself.
It is funny how non-Muslims rush to the defence of “oppressed” Muslim women when their women had to fight tooth and nail to achieve some form of equality and rights that Muslim women have had for 1,400 years.
Islam should be viewed as a religion that immensely improved the status of women and granted them many rights that the modern world has recognised only this century. Islam still has so much to offer today's woman: dignity, respect, and protection in all aspects and stages of her life, from birth until death, in addition to the recognition, balance, and means for the fulfilment of all her spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional needs.
That's why it is no surprise to find that most converts to Islam, today, in a country like Britain are women. In the US female converts to Islam outnumber male converts four to one.
Women and men are regarded as equal in the sight of God, according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and will receive the same reward in Paradise.
As for veiling and the headscarf, this is also not enshrined under Sharia, but is recommended for women as sign of their devotion to Islam.
I have never heard non-Muslims condemning a Catholic nun for wearing a head covering, or ever seen a picture of the Virgin Mary without a headscarf, so why the double standard?
What about what Paul had to say in I Corinthians 11:3-10 regarding women covering their head, is this being followed by modern-day Christians?
Some Christian denominations, such as the Amish and the Mennonites, for example, still insist that their women wear veils, as do certain Jewish sects.
Mr Gordon needs to do a little more research before he engages in any more Islam bashing.
Farruk Muhammad Abdullah
London
The drip dry boyfriend vs. the ever increasing Jamaican Metro sexual
typical tight pants or some way tighter as seen on the streets as of late with some waists way below the natural line
As we traverse the city streets here in Jamaica one wonders if we are really in a homophobic society as is often said. Gorgeous buffed muscular men attired in the once vilified tight jeans but carefully maintaining the deep voices and a “bad man attitude” to justify the masculinity with puffy or corn rowed dyed hairdos and manicured nails despite social class.
One member of the lyme group (I call him J1) said he didn’t mind his boyfriend being the metro sexual as he found it interesting and he thought it reinforced his homosexuality thus making him attractive in his eyes. The stereotype that gay men overcompensate in personal care with high maintenance which makes him stands out was an attraction factor for J1, the other guys disagreed and I wasn’t sure where I stood as I don’t have a steady boyfriend now and never really allowed it to bother me that much.
Are these brothas gay? Or is it a mix of tastes and cultures?
As we are so influenced by things from up north and elsewhere.
There may be a study available on this phenomenon I was told it would be good to see the findings (got to search for it)
Then again the converse may justify the attraction issues as some masculine (heaviots) guys really like their men queenie and deeply femme or as drag queens and it’s the feminine aspects of the behavior that becomes the basis for the hookup.
Do you think that your partner should be deeply masculine?
Or do you mind that metro sexuality is evident in your man?
Do you think that seeing the ways and idiosyncrasies of a metro sexual partner may make him seem less of a man?
Is not accepting metrosexualism these days non progressive in lgbt culture?
The effeminate behavior of ones partner may take some getting used to but when the period comes around to introduce your loved one to people you fear the reaction and have to relive the reality of it being present all over again for just that split second.
What’s on your mind about this?
(Public comments preferred) otherwise lgbtevent@gmail.com
H
Bad Man Nuh F*** Batty (Masculine Men Don't F*** Ass) (The Fear of The Feminine in JA ) 16.04.15
Listen without prejudice to this and other podcasts on one of my Soundcloud channels
hear recent pods as well:
Information & Disclaimer
Not all views expressed are those of GJW
Please use the snapshot feature (if available for your device(s) to preview by pointing the cursor at the item(s) of interest. Such item(s) have a small white dialogue box icon appearing to their top right hand side.
Other Blogs I write to:
Recent Homophobic Incidents CLICK HERE for related posts/labels from glbtqjamaica's blog & HERE for those I am aware of.
APJ Website Launch & Link
Aphrodite's P.R.I.D.E Jamaica, APJ launched their website on December 1 2015 on World AIDS Day where they hosted a docu-film and after discussions on the film Human Vol 1
visit the new APJ website HERE
The Hypocrisy of Jamaican Anti Gay Groups & Selective Actions of Societal Ills
The selectivity of the anti gay religious voices on so called societal ills is examined in this podcast as other major issues that require the "church" to have spoken up including sexual abuse by pastors in recent times yet mere silence on those matters is highlighted.
Also is the disturbing tactic of deliberately conflating paedophilia with same gender sex as if to suggest reforming the buggery law will cause an influx of buggered children when we know that is NOT TRUE.
MSM/Trans homeless - From gully to graveyard
Dr Shelly Ann Weeks on Homophobia - What are we afraid of?
Former host of Dr Sexy Live on Nationwide radio and Sexologist tackles in a simplistic but to the point style homophobia and asks the poignant question of the age, What really are we as a nation afraid of?
Jamaica has been described as a homophobic nation. The question I want to ask is: What are we afraid of? There are usually many reasons why homosexuality is such a pain in the a@. Here are some of the more popular arguments MORE HERE
also see:
Dr Shelly Ann Weeks on Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation
The Deliberate Misuse of the “Sexual Grooming” Term by Antigay Fanatics to Promote Their Hysteria
The hysteria continues from the Professor Bain so called protests to protect freedom of speech and bites at the credibility of the LGBT lobby collectively continues via Duppies Dupe UWI articles when the bigger principle of the conflict of interest in regards to the greater imperative of removing/preserving archaic buggery laws in the Caribbean dependent on which side one sits is of greater import when the professor’s court testimony in Belize went against the imperative of CHART/PANCAP goals is the more germane matter of which he was former head now temporarily reinstated via a court ex-parte injunction. The unnecessary uproar and shouting from the same hysterical uninformed quarters claiming moral concerns ....... MORE CLICK HERE
JFLAG Excludes Homeless MSM from IDAHOT Symposium on Homelessness
In a shocking move JFLAG decided not to invite or include homeless MSM in their IDAHO activity for 2013 thus leaving many in wonderment as to the reason for their existence or if the symposium was for "experts" only while offering mere tokenism to homeless persons in the reported feeding program. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ENTRY HERE sad that the activity was also named in honour of one of JFLAG's founders who joined the event via Skype only to realize the issue he held so dear in his time was treated with such disrespect and dishonor. Have LGBT NGOs lost their way and are so mainstream they have forgotten their true calling?
Steps to take when confronted by the police & your rights compromised:
a) Ask to see a lawyer or Duty Council
d) Don’t do anything to aggravate the situation
Vacant at Last! ShoemakerGully: Displaced MSM/Trans Persons were is cleared December 2014
Question is what will happen to the population now as they struggle for a roof over their heads and food etc. The Superintendent who proposed a shelter idea (that seemingly has been ignored by JFLAG et al) was the one who led the raid/eviction.
the CVM NEWS Story HERE on the eviction/raid taken by the police
also see a flashback to some of the troubling issues with the populations and the descending relationships between JASL, JFLAG and the displaced/homeless GBT youth in New Kingston: Rowdy Gays Strike - J-FLAG Abandons Raucous Homosexuals Misbehaving In New Kingston
GLBTQJA (Blogger): HERE
May 22, 2015, see: MP Seeks Solutions For Homeless Gay Youth In New Kingston
New Kingston Cop Proposes Shelter for Shoemaker Gully LGBT Homeless Population
Superintendent Murdock
The same cop who has factored in so many run-ins with the youngsters in the Shoemaker Gully (often described as a sewer by some activists) has delivered on a promise of his powerpoint presentation on a solution to the issue in New Kingston, problem is it is the same folks who abandoned the men (their predecessors) from the powerful cogs of LGBT/HIV that are in earshot of his plan.
This ugly business of LGBTQ homelessness and displacements or self imposed exile by persons has had several solutions put forth, problem is the non state actors in particular do not want to get their hands dirty as the more combative and political issues to do with buggery's decriminalization or repeal have risen to the level of importance more so than this. Let us also remember this is like the umpteenth meeting with the cops, some of the LGBT homeless persons and the advocacy structure.
Remember JFLAG's exclusion of the group from that IDAHO symposium on LGBT homelessess? See HERE, how can we ask the same people who only want to academise and editorialise the issue to also try to address their own when they do not want to get their hands dirty but publish wonderful reports as was done earlier this month, see HERE: (re)Presenting and Redressing LGBT Homelessness in Jamaica: Towards a Multifaceted Approach to Addressing Anti-Gay Related Displacement also LGBT homelessness has always been with us from the records of Gay Freedom Movement(1974) to present but the current issues started from 2009, see: The Quietus ……… The Safe House Project Closes and The Ultimatum on December 30, 2009 as carried on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch. CLICK HERE for FULL post of this story.
Gender Identity/Transgederism Radio discussion Jamaica March 2014
BUSINESS DOWNTURN FOR THE WEED-WHACKING PROJECT FOR FORMER DISPLACED ST CATHERINE MSM
Newstalk 93FM's Issues On Fire: Polygamy Should Be Legalized In Jamaica 08.04.14
Pin Interest
What to Do .....
f. Give no explanations excuses or stories: you can make your defense later in court based on what you and your lawyer decided
g. Ask the sub officer in charge of the station to grant bail once you are charged with an offence
Cases of Assault:An assault is an apprehension that someone is about to hit you
1) Call 119 or go to the station or the police arrives depending on the severity of the injuries
4) The description must be clearly stated; describing injuries directly and identifying them clearly, show the doctor the injuries clearly upon the visit it must be able to stand up under cross examination in court.
Notes on Bail & Court Appearance issues
There are two standards that must be met:
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Thanks for your Donations
thank you for your donations via Paypal in helping to keep this blog going, my limited frontline community work, temporary shelter assistance at my home and related costs. Please continue to support me and my allies in this venture that has now become a full time activity. When I first started blogging in late 2007 it was just as a pass time to highlight GLBTQ issues in Jamaica under then JFLAG's blogspot page but now clearly there is a need for more forumatic activity which I want to continue to play my part while raising more real life issues pertinent to us.
Activities & Plans: ongoing and future
- To continue this venture towards website development with an E-zine focus
- Work with other Non Governmental organizations old and new towards similar focus and objectives
- To find common ground on issues affecting GLBTQ and straight friendly persons in Jamaica towards tolerance and harmony
- Exposing homophobic activities and suggesting corrective solutions
- To formalise GLBTQ Jamaica's activities in the long term
- Continuing discussion on issues affecting GLBTQ people in Jamaica and elsewhere
- Welcoming, examining and implemeting suggestions and ideas from you the viewing public
- Present issues on HIV/AIDS related matters in a timely and accurate manner
- Assist where possible victims of homophobic violence and abuse financially, temporary shelter(my home) and otherwise
- Track human rights issues in general with a view to support for ALL
Thanks again
Mr. H or Howie
lgbtevent@gmail.com
Peace
Battle Lines Javed Jaghai versus the state & the Jamaica Buggery Law
The feature seems destined for persons who are just catching up to the issues and repositioning JFLAG in particular in the public domain as their image has taken a beating in some respects especially on the matter of the homeless MSM front. They need to be careful that an elitist perception is not held after this after some comments above simplistic discourse, the use of public agitation as beneath some folks and the obvious overlooking of the ordinary citizen who are realy the ones who need convincing to effect the mindset change needed and the national psyche's responses to homosexuality in general.