Homophobic Killings or what?

It seems every time we walk away for a little peace and seemingly a lull comes over the community in as afar as incidents are concerned there comes something and very gruesome at that. RIP my brothers/sisters as the case maybe.

Late on the weekend of October 18, 2011 reports were published on various media regarding three incidents in a short space of time and of course whenever one hears of these incidents the natural inclination is to get angry and cry homophobia but as it turns out new information that has been corroborated has come forth. First let us look at the outlets and what was said.

CVM TV October 18 news item (srcoll to 10:00 or so to see the Oshane story)

New bloggers at the Pink Report reported that:

Home Eviction Turns Deadly! Gay Man Kills attacker forces another to Flee!

Montego Bay, St. James - Reports reaching the Pink Report are that a community member is nursing severe chop wounds at a St. James Hospital after successfully fending off two attackers who had visited his rented premises to enforce an illegal eviction order. The attackers were lead by the female landlord who wanted the man off the premises because of his alleged homosexuality. Up to the time of publication there is no indication that any monies are outstanding in respect of rent, maintenance or public utilities.

The report notes that on the afternoon of Wednesday the 19th October, 2 men lead by a female landlord attempted to evict the man who was living at a premises in the parish of St. James with another man. A struggle ensued in which knives/machetes were brought into play. The man being attacked was, however, successfully able to defend himself killing one attacker in the process and forcing the other to flee.

The St. James Police are currently investigating the circumstances but have preliminarily ruled it a case of self-defense.

ENDS

The Ricardo Morgan murder story 

Then gay lawyer and AIDSFREEWORLD Consultant Maurice Tomlinson wrote a letter to the Gleaner regarding a news item carried on CVM TV on October 21, 2011 about the murder of a 16 year old youth in Western Jamaica. It read:

Are Jamaican Gays Dispensable?

THE EDITOR, Sir:
 During its evening newscast on Tuesday, October 18, CVM TV reported on the gruesome early-morning home invasion and murder of 16-year-old Oshane Gordon in the district of New England in Lilliput, St Elizabeth. According to the news report, the youngster, who had previously been threatened, was killed because of 'questionable relations with another man'.

As he tried to escape through a window, Oshane was first chopped on his foot to prevent him from going far. When Oshane's attackers caught up with their prey, they finished him off with several more chops.

His mother, who was at home with him, also received several chops and is now nursing serious injuries.
This is the second homophobic murder that CVM has reported in three months. The other occurred in Torrington Park, Kingston, on August 2.

Despite these vicious attacks and many more like them, there are still those who argue that Jamaica's deadly homophobia is a figment of the global North's gay hysteria and an agenda to smear our country's good name.

Thanks, CVM, for daring to report the truth. In the face of this carnage, the silence of our politicians on the need for tolerance towards homosexuals is both cowardly and deadly. Where is the leadership?

Or are gay Jamaicans simply dispensable? 

MAURICE TOMLINSON
 maurice_tomlinson@yahoo.com

ENDS

Sad that this is what befell both gentlemen and it is interesting how politically correct CVM TV was in saying young Oshane Gordon was in an inappropriate relationship. I am really sorry for this loss for his mother and especially his father who expressed grief at the scene on camera given the suspicious circumstances. 

The Torrington Park matter is puzzling to me as you may have noticed I held my comments from August on this matter as it puzzles me that even though the deceased Ricardo Morgan resided in an inner city community he survived for so long with little interference if the truth be told, the community knew that he was a hair stylist, a profession not practiced openly by many males from the lower socio economic quarters, also what was more puzzling was why didn't the traditional "born and grow" culture or protection chips in and protected him, this however is a fragile shield and can shatter if any proof presents itself as confirmation for them to act on the accused with sometimes harsher violence, MSM and WSW have been shielded in a sense by this community phenomenon where if one was born in a depressed area, or has family residing there for extended periods or generations then even if one was suspected or being gay or lesbian that knowledge of your roots would act as a reason not to attack and in some areas outsiders cannot enter communities and point out suspected individuals. 

Clearly even with his sister supposedly in the altercation as an intermediary it didn't stopped his attackers from killing him. New information which has been corroborated suggests the killing was made to look homophobic because of a fear by a particular gangster in the area who Mr. Morgan had a secret relationship with had gone sour and he reacted publicly to the presence of a "new babymother" whom the man moved into his house.

Ricardo in happier times

The man learned of the upset or Mr. Morgan and warned him to keep it quiet however like in most small communities the news travelled and in a bid to protect his identity and secret the thug arranged the attack so as to avoid any future issues and finger pointing. The community to this day is still tense according to my source and his sister who spoke on camera is said to know more than she revealed on camera. What is also curious is that she resides in the community with no threat to her person. 

This matter or downlow relations in inner city communities going haywire is not new, we lost several other persons in years gone by due to this phenomenon. Kitty in early 2000 from Fletcher's Land, Kelly formerly of Rollington Town is another who was shot in broad daylight in downtown Kingston as he prepared his vendor's stall to do business. Another gruesome killing was a popular figure named "Carry on" or Opal who hailed from Tivoli Gardens and who was the worse case as his body was stabbed all over, multiple gunshot wounds and was dumped on the infamous Matches Lane wrapped in barbed wire, then there was the killing of a young man in upper St. Andrew under the guise that he made the moves on one of his attackers. 

Gay Panic Defense? When these types of killings are done the ones who often commit them or accused of such are empowered in the community and praised as well so they have nothing to loose in killing a suspected person when things go wrong. Many deceased may have felt aggrieved due to possible competition as in this case a woman who is the main partner while they have to settle for second fiddle. So Mr. Morgan's murder cannot be deemed homophobic if we are to go by the new information that has come to light, this downlow issue has to be properly ventilated and brought to public as previous experience has brought to bear. The public's cynicism has always been there and the proverbial crime of passion description, here is an old star news piece from 2006 that spoke to the predictability of cases where a male is found naked with multiple stab wounds: 'Brotherhood of Knives'

Let us also not forget the supposed area leader who was to take Dudus' place in Tivoli Gardens despite his womanizing public persona rumours festered of his alleged hebephelic nature with male teens. Read More here: 

WANNABE TIVOLI DON KILLED - Was warned to reconsider his desires

Sad that in history this time of years seems to be a most violent one for LGBT people especially MSMs it was in November 30, 2005 that we lost Steve Harvey to a brutal murder after a home invasion. 

RIP my brothers/sisters as the case maybe, I hope this matter goes to the courts where it belongs and the accused are duly sentenced if the evidence can be found and the witnesses including Ricardo's sister comes forward.

Peace and tolerance

H

additional thoughts from teens on gays in Jamaica and homosexuality as a gay for pay thing and the violence is more gay on gay.