And They Say GLBTQA Jamaican's Don't Need Protections
(yeah rrrright)
On February 25, 2011 Mr. Maurice Tomlinson Attorney-at-law based in Western Jamaica, a consultant to AIDS FREE WORLD, and a former Board member of a local AIDS organization was sent an email (apparently) for his letter published in the Observer addressing a recent incident in Montego Bay where police officers raided a club and injured several persons, which was addressed by a fellow blogger and can be found here: Big Blow For Homeless/Displaced MSMs In Western Jamaica …..
The email from one Sydney Dixon stated:
listen battyman we in Jamaica wont endorse r accept you faggots no matter what the fuck u guys try 2 say r do…..get that through ur thick skulls!!!!!!!!!!!! we have different culture n upbringing fr north americans or whomever else …..you should consider moving sumwhere there……in the meantime shut the fuck up r you will fucking die!!!!!!!!
The incident was apparently reported to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the following was their response:
It is interesting that an international body has to call upon Jamaica to take measures to protect Mr. Maurice Tomlinson. The government (if they were notified of this incident) should have taken the steps without direction from said organisation.
I would like to hear though, what P.M. Golding has to say about this since he and the parliament of the land do not believe that GLBTQA Jamaicans are deserving and/or do not need 'protection under the law' as they are not 'at risk' (see Why We Need The Petition Signedwhich highlight's the P.M.'s response and incidences of violence).
2011 year marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. The day was commemorated for the first time on 19 March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, following its establishment during the Socialist International meeting the prior year. More than one million women and men attended rallies on that first commemoration.
In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Women's Day. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. The Day is traditionally marked with a message from the Secretary-General.
Theme for International Women's Day 2011:
Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women
UN observances of International Women's Day 2011 worldwide:
Today Marks the 100th anniversary that March 8th has been celebrated as International Women's Day. The lesbian and female bisexual community in Jamaica has had (in my opinion) more than their fair share of hurdles. From trivial and slightly noticeable acts of homophobia to the more blatant and vicious homophobic attacks, we women have gone through a lot this past year. Yet despite that, we have come out strong. Women supporting Women, Women encouraging Women.
On this International Women's Day I would like to call ALL the various groups which exist within our community to encourage your members to support ALL other groups. Also for the larger organizations, the female population of the GLBTQ community is often left out in the cold; yes there is some amount of support but I personally believe that ENOUGH IS NOT BEING DONE FOR THE WOMEN.
I borrow this quote (the guide and theme for 2011) from one of the groups supporting Jamaican Lesbian and Bisexual females United we Stand, Divided we Fall. Sisters remember we can be powerful together, don't tear down each other, and support each other in our businesses.
I would like to believe that there is a wind of change blowing throughout the world and that right here in Jamaica a wind of change is also blowing. For Jamaica, that change is the way in which the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer and intersex (GLBTQI) people deal with the homophobia meted out to them. The Petition: Include Sexual Orientation based anti-Discrimination in the Charter of Fundamental Rights & Freedoms, marks yet another attempt to register our disgust, at the blatant rejection of our human rights.
The following videos and links you will see, all speak to the culture that permeates our society and why it is necessary, for the rights of GLBTQI people to be protected.
In 2008, on the BBC's Hard Talk, Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding stated that, 'crimes against persons based on sexual orientation must be pursued with the same vigor as any other crime', why then does the Jamaican Parliament still refuse to include sexual orientation in the non-discriminatory laws found in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms? PM Golding then plays the values and morality card, stating that the people of the land will not allow the imposition by any foreign lobby groups on their values; I ask therefore, what about the lobby groups within Jamaica, made up of Jamaicans, fighting for the rights of Jamaicans? Are these not internal lobby groups? Why then are they not listened to? Furthermore, please explain to me why Parliament which is led by the same person who says, "I want to live in a Jamaica where persons are free to conduct their private relations", relentlessly hold onto sections 76, 77, 79 Offences Against the Persons Act? Below is the video from the talk show.
He states (in the above video) that he believes that the culture of violence towards gays and lesbians is changing, yet based on the videos and comments below, did PM Golding really believe that attitudes are changing or was that just a matter of lip service? Later in 2009, PM Golding again states "we have become quite tolerant." Mr. Golding would like the world to believe, that the international media exaggerates the incidences of homophobia in this country, and that, "homosexuals in Jamaica...live and they enjoy their relationship [sic]".
Below are comments taken from the above videos
(ALL IMAGES/COMMENTS ABOVE WERE CAPTURED ON PUBLISH DATE)
There are also incidents of hate meted out to lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people:
'A lesbian couple in south central Jamaica, had their home picketed by residents and their car tyres deflated. Later while they women proceeded to replaced the tyres, some men living nearby started jeering and mocking the females and threatened them to leave the house' (GLBTQJA)
According to one of my sources, a MTF (male to female) tansgendered person who has had a legal name change, and outwardly appears female, has not been able to find work in her chosen field. This may be as a result of her qualifications being under her previous identity and also a purposeful case of discrimination based on her being transgendered.
Corrective rapes are also increasing in Jamaica, the logic aspect of these escape me as I cannot understand how raping a woman will change her sexual orientation:
"What is illegal in Jamaica is buggery, which is in fact making homosexual acts illegal. There have been very, very few prosecutions; very, very few", (Is Jamaica Homophobic?) the fact that buggery is still on the books increases the animosity toward the gay community, and though there have been very few prosecutions, it leaves a door open that should have been closed a long time ago. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, "no one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy...Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks." The following incident below is a blatant disregard and breach of Article 12:
"On the evening of January 29, a group of men approached a house where four males lived in the central Jamaican town of Mandeville, and demanded that they leave the community because they were gay, according to human rights defenders who spoke with the victims. Later that evening, a mob returned and surrounded the house. The four men inside called the police when they saw the crowd gathering; the mob started to attack the house, shouting and throwing bottles. Those in the house called police again and were told that the police were on the way. Approximately half an hour later, 15-20 men broke down the door and began beating and slashing the inhabitants."
Other incidents of discrimination and violence, and social opinion may be found at GLAPN.
It is high time, that Jamaica, it's people and government took their heads out of the sand and look at what is going on around them. A country in which the state and church are separate, must also separate their religious views from law making. A Christian in a democratic, non-religious state should not impose upon all persons, irrespective of their religion or culture, laws that are reflective of only Christianity. Christianity is not needed to defend morality; by societal's standards it is morally wrong to murder, rape, steal etc. A law that is passed that may be against the religious views of another, does not have to be acted upon by that person. I believe that each person should exercise any and all of their rights, within the legal framework of a country and so long as it does not infringe upon the right to life of another.
Jamaica needs to wake up! The GLBTQI community needs to stand up, and the support of others will come!
Respect and tolerance is fundamental to enabling individuals, regardless of religion, gender, socio-economic status or sexual orientation, to claim and enjoy their human rights.Background (Preamble):
J-FLAG continues to observe and articulate the implications of the absence of a specific legal instrument to protect and promote the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jamaicans. While the enactment of laws alone will not change the engrained discrimination within our society, the presence of discriminatory laws coupled with the lack of specific protections continue to contribute to the high incidences of stigma, discrimination, harassment and other forms of abuse as well as death of Jamaicans who are, and in some cases perceived to be gay or lesbian.
In 2010, J-FLAG received and documented over forty incidences of human rights abuses meted out to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Jamaica. For example, there were two mob invasions of the homes of men suspected to be gay in February. On separate occasions, two females were raped by men who attempted to sexually cleanse them and make them heterosexual women. Additionally, two gay men were violently murdered including a cross-dresser known as “Charm” in December 2010, because they identify as gay.
In the majority of cases, there have been little or no thorough investigation and/or prosecutions for such inhumane acts unless the case has been labeled ‘high profile’. Jamaica’s adoption of the OAS Resolutions 2435 and 2504 on ‘Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity’ in 2008 and 2009 is in keeping with the United Nations Resolution on Extrajudicial Killings which binds Jamaica “to investigate promptly and thoroughly all killings, including… all killings committed for any discriminatory reason, including sexual orientation”. These resolutions symbolize a commitment by the Government of Jamaica to protect persons on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity from human rights abuses.
Petition:
Since Jamaica gained Independence from Britain in 1962, parliamentarians have continued to ignore the rampant breach of rights meted out to all persons, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Jamaicans. Sexuality-based oppression in Jamaica is also enforced by many entertainers, religious leaders, educators, police officers, doctors and nurses.
Since January 2007, J-FLAG recorded the homophobic murder of eight men and more than one-hundred persons who have been victim of incidents ranging from bribery to serious bodily harm. Countless others have been stigmatized and discriminated against, beaten or forced to leave their communities because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The discriminatory laws in Sections 76 and 77 referring to “Unnatural Crime” and 79 – “Outrages on Decency” of the Offences Against the Person Act that remain on the books as relics of our British colonial past are often used by persons to silence, suppress and intimidate gay Jamaicans or those offering much needed services and support.
Despite the acknowledgement that gay Jamaicans are vulnerable to stigma, discrimination and violence, this has had no effect on Jamaica.
We urge parliamentarians to recognise the effect these discriminatory laws have on our society. We urge them to remove these laws which can hinder our goal to become the place to live, work, raise families and do business.
We the undersigned believe that an important step to begin this process in the proposed Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms which in its current state does not prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender and sexual orientation.
