The Loss of another community socialite ...

It's not even a month proper since we saw the tragic demise of two of our homeless brothers in the New Kingston area by the Trafalgar and Lady Musgrave Roads area coupled with the brutal slaying of another popular community socialite on the same day surprisingly on June 13th in the Havendale community, that one was overshadowed by press coverage of the homeless men's incident, now comes more awful news of another gruesome murder of an old timer in the Liguanea area which made mainstream news. Suspects have been nabbed and charged for the previous two matters and interment for the previous popular socialite is scheduled for this weekend. One of the homeless men is also slated to be interned as his mother has been trying to amass funding to offset funeral expenses, sad that is how the reunion in that regard has come of a mother and son.

Both television stations carried the story of the socialite's murder which supposedly occurred somewhere on the evening of July 3, 2012. Here is the CVM TV version of the story in which JFLAG was on the scene as the deceased was found in the Liguanea Terrace area. 

In a previous audio post covering the Trafalgar murders I lamented that I hope I didn't have to do another set of posts on the loss of community members via tragic circumstances and here I am again unfortunately, the community and those close to the person affectionately known as Mandy Moore has been plunged into mourning once again and are left baffled with a myriad of questions on their minds. 

JFLAG's Executive Director Dane Lewis was careful this time not to jump the gun as they did in the Trafalgar homeless msm matter alluding to the murders being committed allegedly by homophobes when in fact it turned out to be a complex set of issues surrounding homeless MSMs and members of the downlow communities, issues ironically the J is far removed from handling over these many years, In an interview on the radio programme Beyond the Headlines hosted by Dionne Jackson Miller a few days later on Radio Jamaica, RJR on the Trafalgar murders matter, Dane Lewis admitted that the organisation had jumped the gun to me showing clear proof of how out of touch the group is in regards to LGBT and by extension MSM homelessness and displacement, and that his later information was that the two men in question had been killed by members of the gay community, another major mistake he made hence giving the anti gay lobby ammunition to bash us with the crimes of passion rebuttal towards pro gay agitation. He said he withdrew that part of the statement and promised a corrected version. That to this day has not happened when last I checked the original release. 

Meanwhile here is the Television Jamaica, TVJ version of the story:

Once again the matter of tragic circumstances has us transfixed, I wonder for how long? as these matters tend to have a nine day shelf live and persons just move on to something else after the burial while many community members are literally in fear of their lives now based on conversations I have been having some are contemplating leaving the island due to the rapid succession of cases of deaths. Also of concern is the speculation that Mandy Moore may have been killed by a member of the hyper-masculine, DL or thug communities similar to the other socialite known as 'Ronica however the difference with 'Ronica is that she was known to be daring and a risk taker in her cruising style while the second is not. I think we should wait on the investigations to conclude. If however it is that this is the reason for Mandy's demise then it brings into sharp focus several things in my view:

1) The cross cutting issues with cruising and hyper masculine identities

2) The lack of proper leadership and interventions from the advocacy structure(s)

3) The failure of the advocacy structures and the influential cohort to guide, morph or adjust to meet the ever rapidly shifting community challenges and aesthetics with very public and final outcomes.

We must now have proper advocacy not just for the repeal or decriminalization of buggery but also inter and intra community challenges and solutions targeted towards relationships issues and the proverbial hookup challenges and other glaring issues that are screaming for attention and psycho social interventions.

Sadly some influentials have seen it fit to blame the deceased for her own demise hinting to the previous socialite's ('Ronica) tragic end and suggesting persons must desist from cruising techniques while seeking certain masculine types for pleasure or socializing, I do not think it is ethical to determine how persons should navigate their own sexual experiences we may warn or offer tips but to prescribe is going way overboard in my estimation and reaks of a kind of contempt, people are free to choose and should be allowed to make their own private decisions just as how we tell anti gay activists to stay out of our consenting matters after all most effeminate or semi effeminate men are not going to go for other men with similar disposition or aesthetic, they would much prefer a more masculine individual to act out or live out the societal set up of Jamaican masculinity. Even in the same gender loving world opposites attract it seems.

More HERE:

erratta: Hanif Fuller is the correct name and not Hanif Lindo as said in the clip

Once again I hope I do not have to do any more posts such as this, it is becoming a very troubling time in my life reflecting on all the losses to good people in our community and all this senseless killings.

Please be vigilant and be safe out there and look out for your neighbour and friends.

Here is a recent Jamaica Observer vox pop on what persons think of "gay murders" and their causes:

Peace and tolerance

H

click the "Homeless MSM in Jamaica" tab immediately below for previous entries on the subject and the other tabs/links for related matters