Hey readers. Recently there has been articles in our local news papers about lesbians and lesbians in high schools. The latest one being Lesbian gangs terrorise schools in today's (June 12,2011) Observer. Below is a letter I wrote to the Dear Editor section of the Gleaner let's see if they will publish this one this time. Also if any of you know how I can send letters to the Dear Editor section of the Observer I'd be grateful for that information. Leave me your comments and thoughts.
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I am a Jamaican. I am a lesbian. I am a Christian. I have values and morals. There are other lesbians just like me Christian, there are also those who are spiritual and yet still there are those who though neither spiritual, Christian nor religious; have values and morals.
Many persons within society would prefer that our high school students, lesbians, gays, heterosexual males and females, abstain from sexual activity. The reality however, is that they don’t. There is not enough discussion on sex and sexuality to counter the early sexualisation of our young people through music, television and radio shows. Parents and churches even shy away from the topic of sex referring to it in abstract terms.
On the issue of lesbian gangs and sexual assault against females perpetrated by other females, we should not be treating this any differently because the two parties are of the same sex, in this case female. What difference is there between a male sexually assaulting a female, a female sexually assaulting another female, a male sexually assaulting another male? Isn’t it a sexual assault just the same? What makes any of them worse? Is it because some persons in society view same sex relationships and activity as bad?
There has been recently, an increase in articles about lesbians in our high schools. The latest being lesbian gangs in high schools. I dare speak on behalf of the Jamaican lesbian community. We do not agree with lesbians bullying or luring others into sexual acts. It is wrong. Just as how a gentle man does not inappropriately touch a woman against her wishes, neither do respectable lesbians. It doesn’t make you any more attractive, it doesn’t make you any more respected. If you are in a clique that encourages such behaviour get out of it, you are a disgrace to the entire lesbian community, and a disgrace to the wider GLBTQ community.
There are respected and noble lesbians in society, they may not be visible in Jamaica, however they are present, behaviour such as this does not put you in that category.
I am etc.,
Alexis Jarvis
Lesbian Christian and Human Rights Activist
