A twenty three year old part time delivery man and an old LGBT party supporter found himself the brunt of anti homosexual sentiments in his community where he resided for the past seven years undisturbed, as we spoke over beers he related his encounter with a male new comer to his housing scheme and while it was not lost to him that he is the subject of many a dinner, porch,corner shop, barber chair and street corner conversation about his sexuality behind his back as in his own words "dem a try pree mi but caan guess" (they are trying to figure me out but cannot guess exactly) as he chuckled almost post triumphantly to his success after his encounter. The man who for this post I will call "Berry" is not the average or typical same gender lover as is profiled by other Jamaicans where the gage of effeminacy and stereotypical over bleached skin is used to profile percieved battyman as it were although Berry's is "rubbing" as we say in local parlance (or bleaching/skin lightening) which is also now accepted as a sign of thuggery in many inner city communities due to certain dancehall figures such as Vybz Kartel but was once used to pin point hypermasculine homosexuals or bisexuals for that matter in years gone by.
As Berry walked passed a popular community shop or house shop (where residents sell items to eek out a living) he over heard a conversation with male voices using the words battyman which was audible to him, he proceeded on his way but soon realised a few feet away from the shop that he was the intended subject of the description and the aforementioned newcomer to the commnunity began singing the infamous Buju Banton ode "Boom Bye Bye inna battyboi head" which unfortunately still available on many platforms online as evidenced below on Youtube despite the songs recommendation of finality for male Jamaican homosexuals or such persons percieved to be so inclined.
The newcomer proceeded to walk behind Berry as he continued his merry way and was egged on by the other men in the shop as this was audible to Berry as he said he heard them chuckling and saying "gwaan nuh" (go on quickly), Berry had proceeded to answer a call that came in on his cellphone and he responded via his headset, the newcomer raised the pitch of his voice as if to interrupt Berry's convo and Berry said he responded by turning sharply and in a stern voice asked what he was about (of course in our colourful patois) but the newcomer expected the diminutive Berry to either walk faster of flee from his Boom Bye Bye intimidation, as to the response from the onlookers Berry said most were silent but some other whispers in low tones that they suspected he was and that "him just a man it up" (he was being masculine or probably suggesting he plays the masculine role).
The newcomer backed off reluctantly according to Berry as he would offer unfinished threatening statements as their distances grow wider, Berry who by this time had ended the phone call just walked away proudly he said as he did not fear the man and his supposed cronies what was surprising to Berry however he said was so called friends or brethrens who he plays football with and socialize otherwise were in on the minor incident.
He ended our conversation by suggesting that he had to watch his own head and he is not taking any chances as he does not know now who to trust now following this episode despite being circumspect and discreet in his actions while residing in the area for so many years, he also said it was the first time he has ever been openly heckled and pinpointed by others in the housing scheme. He said he does not even connect with other persons whom he suspects or knows as gays in the area just as a precaution nor does he take in any strange faces to his home for hookups or socializing, yet despite all that he was targeted.
What is instructive in all this to me is how persons take time to profile persons and their perceptions of same gender loving people, I too have come in for some sort of heckling some years ago on my very avenue where I live but persons know I am a no nonsense individual but one has to still be vigilant, like Berry's case it is always the newcomers to the area who seem to feel their strength as it were in openly voicing their anti gay positions and expecting one to cower in their taunts and heckles. Now the same individual who heckled me some time ago now passes me without exchanging a word. At that time I had ignored the taunt and went my way.
Sometimes some issues require direct responses while others require a face on reaction, one has to just decide I guess where one is comfortable with in their own answer to homo-negativity.
Peace and tolerance
H
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