The main occurrence that I feel that helped to influence the rampant homophobia we now see was a horrible case of carnal abuse/murder of a young boy in the early nineties where he was found to have been sodomized as well as was reported in the autopsy report. Jamaica however was well on the way to homo hate with other dancehall acts directing more "softer" lyrics calling gay men number two etc before that. Then came Buju Banton's "Boom Bye Bye" 1992 song which openly advocated the death of gays by gunshots. This song drastically changed the mood of the nation towards gays and lesbians but as indicated before it wasn't the only one. The song was originally recorded in 1988 but re-recorded later in 1992 when he was 18 years old.
Here are some of the other negative occurrences that have influenced our homophobia to now:
Here are some of the other negative occurrences that have influenced our homophobia to now:
- The previously strong output of murder music using ever new names to stereotype gays and lesbians
- Tacit support of murder music by mainstream media in continued homo hate
- The public humiliation over the years of gays and lesbians by the state and other citizens
- Multiple cases of homophobic and lesbophobic violence that have gone for the most part unresolved
- Forced evictions and ostracism of profiled gay and lesbian persons without any recourse
- Tabloid newspapers prejudicial and stereotypical articles on male homosexuality
- Deliberate joining of paedophilia and adult male homosexuality to justify homo hate (Beenieman's BBC appearance was one such occasion)
- Use of the nation's homophobia by the political establishment to gain or maintain popularity
- Manipulation of draft legislation to keep old laws on the books such as the Charter of Rights 2010
- Media's continued negative portrayal of gays and lesbians over time
- The church's selective biblical literal-ism and manipulation of doctrine to stifle discussion on tolerance and freedoms
- Poor representations and agitations by human rights advocacy groups on behalf of LGBTQI people
- Missing support and representations from the social sciences communities and academia - psychologists, psychiatric community
- Institutional homophobia from state healthcare facilities and even advocates themselves
- Poor social and educational support for LGBTQI people in understanding their issues
- Portrayal of homosexuality as a "foreign" lifestyle and not present in the African context
- Poor examination of issues such as substitutional sex and situational homosexuality
- Inadequate discourse and education on bisexuality and clandestine homosexuality in our culture
- The belief in some quarters (notably church leaders) that gay men actively recruit young boys into homosexuality without any proper justification
- Corrective Rape used a means to "straighten" lesbian women, for e.g popular poet Stacey Ann Chin who was sexually assaulted by several male students in 1996 on the University of The West Indies Campus
- The LGBTQI poor resolve to speak out on issues openly outside of the advocates
Those are just a few I came up with just from observation this is with a view for all of us to continue the discourse on this and other related issues. Frankly I have been having second thoughts about the image portrayed about Jamaican as the gay murder state as many of the persons sadly who have been killed were known to their attackers. I am now thinking we need to refocus on clandestine homosexuality or down-low lifestyles, situational homosexuality (substitutional sex in jail-house or boys home homosexual activity), emergency homosexuality and bisexuality with the issues of secrecy and the nation's obsession of machismo, even more so with present public accusations of persons on tape in compromising positions and a supposed list of entertainers including homo hate spitting ones who are alleged to be covertly gay or bisexual.
Class of course is a primary factor as those public cases of "gay murders" have several common features present, the attackers were all from the lower socio economic parts of Jamaica or supposed thugs while those killed are usually rich powerful men. These same hyper masculine types who publicly "bun out battyman" yet will engage in sexual activity are no more shocking the nation when they hear about such cases as the down-low phenomenon is now well cemented in our culture I feel, that could explain the hunt that is now on to expose those who are alleged to be involved in same sex activities.
Thugs of course do not wish to be identified as gays as "gays" represents a man wanting to be a woman in bed (seeing gays are only looked at for how we have sex not as people) given our patriarchal society that's a big no no. In prisons for example it is well known in certain circles that same sex actions happen but usually non penetrative involving masturbation or oral sex as a form of release after all men have needs and putting alpha males together something's going to happen given time especially for those who are on very long sentences. There are also cases of commercial sex inside the confines of maximum security facilities but to avoid the possible uproar the authorities resist any references to such arguments. When the matter of condoms in prison was the hot topic at the time it caused much unease for the correctional hierarchy and the government as it was viewed as sanctioning homosexuality in lock-ups, remember these?
Here we see the clear conflicts between the issues of homosexuality vs substitutional sex, the belief to legitimatize anal sex vs preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in sections of the prison population. Let's face facts if we as LGBTQI people are going to begin to make in roads we have to demystify all the crossings of the issues that has had an adverse impact on our nation added to that are the stereotypes of the gay male lifestyle.
Meanwhile the twisting of adult male homosexuality vs paedophilia, teleiophiles (Teens who find mature persons attractive), hebephilia and ephebophilia continues here are some recent examples and more readings on the subject:
Child Sex Abuse Rampant But Hidden (2006): - "Homosexual paedophilia is one of the ways in which young people enter into homosexuality if it is done by someone of the same gender," said psychiatrist Terrence Bernard Bernard. "Boys may be molested by men and girls may be molested by women. In other words, it becomes a form of initiation into homosexuality. The victims sometimes become sexual predators themselves."
Kingston Chronicle Comment on Alleged businessman sexual advances on a 12yo at a KFC bathroom in Mandeville Jamaica - "So to all those battyman support groups and their supporters. When beenie man and buju banton sing about battyman fi dead they are not only speaking of your lifestyle but sexual predators such as this one. So once again boom bye bye fi all battyman and child rapist"
I will continue in another post soon.
Peace and tolerance.
H
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1 comments:
Interesting. I believe things will change, but not as fast as we would like. Jamaica's proximity to the United States, which is in constant ferment on the issue of gay rights, but generally moving in a more liberal direction, is bound to influence a small country like Jamaica. Dancehall is not accurately representative of all Jamaican culture, having its roots in the disposessed and oppressed ghetto neighbourhoods, but it has made the most noise in recent years. It's a pity that it is not possible as yet, for anyone to come out publically on the island. But change will come.
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