Miss Gay Caribbean Pageant 2013 for September 28, 2013

Updates to come

Fifth Anniversary of Gay Caribbean USA Pageant

Brooklyn, New York, 8th August, 2013 - The Gay Caribbean USA Pageant celebrates its fifth year of existence with the staging of this year's pageant on Saturday, 28th September at the Restoration Plaza - 1368 Fulton Street from 8pm.

The lineup is made up of Male Impersonators and Transgender contestants who will be representing various islands in the Caribbean archipelago. The organizers are proud that the event attracts contestants who are based outside the U.S who fly in to represent their islands.

The Gay Caribbean USA Pageant has undoubtedly solidified itself as a staple on the Caribbean Brooklyn Social Calendar as it continues to help bridge the gap between the Gay and Heterosexual Communities.

Jamaica placed third in last year's competition with our rep 



Miss Detoxx

also see: Jamaica Places third in Miss Gay Caribbean 2012 competition while St Lucia won with Trinidad placing second

more to come

Sizzla bats for Queen Ifrica as expected

Says he may also record song, interesting that he too wants to make some financial mileage from all this after all the industry has been having some slow times as music sales are slow in some quarters. Queen Ifrica has already release her song titled "Freedom of Speech" on August 20th.

also see: Sizzla Rejects Olive Branch from JFLAG from December 2012

Also see: Tolerance, when the oppressed becomes the oppressor from 2009

So now that our goodly young exuberant friends up north in Canada being JAGLA decided to go on a frolic of their own (many frolics going on these days not to mention impervious behaviours) and have landed us with another unneeded layer added to the struggle that for LGBT rights and recognition and a black eye we have to contend with, we are now being labelled as the oppressed becoming the oppressor but the Rastafarian community must also recall they too have become somewhat oppressive almost forgetting their own struggles locally and ostracism by other Jamaicans, remember the old description of "dem dutty head man"

How can virtuous ideals such as tolerance being demanded for the most part not even asked and demonstrably clear in the LGBT corner resonate with an ever cynical and hardened public let alone the religious right groups speaking of which we see the Love March folks planning another march  on September 14th. 

Let's take a look firstly at a Gleaner report today on the defence by Sizzla, another artist who has been strategically targeted in the early years of the campaign.

Claudia Gardner, Assignment Co-ordinator wrote:

WESTERN BUREAU:Recording artiste Sizzla Kalonji has come out in strong defence of fellow female singer, Queen Ifrica, who is under pressure from gay rights groups in Jamaica and Canada.

The Canada-based gay rights advocacy group, Jamaica Association of Gays and Lesbians Abroad, lobbied the Canadian government and the promoters of the Rastafest International Reggae Concert which was held at Downsview Park in Canada last week, which led to Queen Ifrica being axed from the line-up of performers at the event.

Her removal had come on the heels of her performance at the national Grand Gala on Independence Day, during which she had denounced the homosexual lifestyle.

STOP TARGETING REGGAE

But in an interview with The Gleaner following his performance during the Makalon Anniversary shown in Lucea, Hanover on Saturday night, Sizzla Kalonji, said the gay community should refrain from targeting Queen Ifrica.

"Right now dem fi just go one side and leave di girl alone," Sizzla Kalonji said. "The women (of Jamaica) must speak out against it. They should get their kids and go in the streets and protest against it, because we doing Jah works, and buggerism, we nah strengthen it."

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"There is a time and a place for everything. You know you have to deal with people respectfully and you know code of conduct and choice of words. But then again we say bun fire straight fi dat lifestyle," Sizzla added.

Sizzla also hinted that he could record a song in support of Queen Ifrica.

"Anything I mind tell I fi do I jus do it in the name of the Most High. It is a girl, and you don't know what might happen, just listen out," he said.

ENDS

The whole matter was handled poorly from the get go from the very press release from our good friends at JFLAG with over intellectualized language if there is such a thing to the ridiculing of the very release by Tony Rebel and a perceived capitulation stance (the soft apology) that has not sat well with sections of the population of younger gay advocates who in some quarters are saying JFLAG has softened. When however the historical timeline of the struggle is not made clear to those same younger folk and those overseas but what do we expect but mistakes that this case screams. There are consequences for such actions and there is talk of a boycott campaign to be launched by the same foreign based groups. A pastor has come out supposedly in opposition to homosexuality since this whole fiasco today and other so called persons concerned about freedom of speech have been making use of the airwaves that is talk radio as well. It was also interesting to see how quick some narcissistic people jumped on this one and ran to meet with the Canadian authorities not caring about the implications of such action as they do not live here. 

A pastor Stewart from the Portmore Lay Covenant Missionary group is the latest to come out in opposition to homosexuality on Nationwide radio's George Davis Live show where he hinted that the powerful gay lobby must be resisted. He also suggested that such persons need counseling (reparative therapy) and as for persons in the church itself where Christians as caught in "the homosexual trap" they need to come forwards after recognizing what is wrong and how "it" came about. He claims that there are many causes of "those feelings" in the individual. As for the innate homosexual the pastor said in the interview that such person must work with God's work. That person could not stay among the other children of God. As for whether gays are children of God he dodged the issue and suggested it is after one has accepted Christ then they can be deemed such. He said any pastor who embrace such persons knowingly is destroying that church and such persons who profess that they are born gay while in the church must be put out. I was of the opinion that the church was about working with outcasts so to speak yet this man easily creates such and prefers to preach to the converted only or those he thinks is holy.

Recent news items reflect the expected spike that come with highly publicized agitations but where are the catchment or buffers to mitigate or intervene in such? I guess the folks and JAGLA et al have not factored that into their equation.

Not to mention the numerous displacements within the last four months to also include a leading transgender figure. Let us see where this goes eh.

here is my audiopost on the subject:

Peace and tolerance

H

Shirley Richards breaks silence on the Queen Ifrica fiasco

also see: Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship’s continued fear mongering on Christian persecution post buggery law amendment & re-socialization

As expected I figured the past president of the anti gay group Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, LCF Shirley Richards would have felt vindicated in her near paranoia on suppressed speech or opposition to anti gay views, maybe how this one has played out the lobby may have well played into the hands of Richards et al. What was probably thought as a good intended action may have landed us in more difficulty as a new layer has been added to the struggle that of us now been seen as the oppressed becoming the oppressor and stifling free speech. 

Here is Ms Richards' letter:

THE EDITOR, SIR

I WRITE with specific reference to Queen Ifrica's utterances at the Grand Gala supporting male/female relationships. Then came further news that she was denied entry into Canada to perform at a concert as a consequence of these words.


What has happened to Queen Ifrika is just another example of the danger that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender agenda poses to free speech. This is what Crystal Dixon discovered. In 2008, she dared to write in a local newspaper that choosing homosexual behaviour is not the same as being black or handicapped. These were some of her words:

" As a black woman, I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are 'civil rights victims.' Here's why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman.'"

For these words she lost her job as associate vice-president, University of Toledo. Or take the very recent case of Donnie Mc Clurkin Gospel. According to the Washington Post, of August 21, 2013. "Ex-gay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin was cut from a Martin Luther King Jr memorial concert Saturday because of the "potential controversy". According to the Washington Post, McClurkin believes God absolved him from the "curse" of homosexuality. This, it seems, was McClurkin's 'sin' !

Uttering words questioning the lifestyle is not even allowed on your own Facebook page! Adrian Smith, an employee of Trafford Housing Trust, England, in 2012 was disturbed to read a report that gay marriages may be permitted in church. He then posted a comment, on his own Facebook page, "An equality too far" . These and other similar words posted on his Facebook page led to a demotion at work with a 40 per cent pay cut.

We warn of a growing cultural totalitarianism - at this point, it is insisting on no criticism in speech with punishment for those who dare to disobey. Soon it will be mandatory endorsement in speech. Will it also move to mandatory endorsement in thought?

JAMAICANS WISE UP!

S Richardssprichards@cwjamaica.com

ENDS

What even surprised me more was a comment made by a sports broadcaster on Love 101FM the religious station where in ending his program yesterday said he fully supported the Homosexual Propoganda law in Russia and there must be no tolerance. He then made reference to the effect that gays should go dive into the sea, he was developing on the point of the recently concluded World Championships in Russia where an athlete made open supportive remarks to the controversial law after other athletes wore rainbow coloured nails in support of gay athletes.

So what ever tolerance gains as was espoused by the lobby itself may have been wiped out by this latest shot in the foot, how many more must be bear before real advocacy can come forth?

meanwhile 

Ralston Chamberlin, a member of JALGA said the organization will not rule out any possibility for future shows featuring Queen Ifrica.

“We will access the situation as it goes by. We are grounded in our stance and our mission which is to promote respect and human rights for all persons in Jamaica and we are guided by the mission of truth, love and respect,” he said.

Earlier this month, the Government expressed “regret” at the statements made by Queen Ifrica, during the Grand Gala.

In a statement, the Ministry of Youth and Culture said the event was used by the singer “as a platform to express her personal opinions and views on matters that may be considered controversial, rather than to perform in the agreed scripted and rehearsed manner consistent with the thematic production”.

There is some talk now of launching a boycott from Canada of all places lest we forget or learn for the uniformed we have gone down that road before, we had a near diplomatic nightmare and a major spike in homo-negative incidents at the time between 2008-9 then I was full time at JFLAG doing ADMIN/FINANCE/Crisis intervention:

1) JFLAG did not support a tourism boycott as suggested by EGALE formerly Equality for Gays And Lesbians Everywhere Canada in 2008: CLICK HERE

2) Jamaican hotels fear boycott: CLICK HERE 

3) Canadian Boycott called off: CLICK HERE 

4) Posts from the Canadian and San Francisco boycotts in 2008 on GLBTQJA Wordpress: CLICK HERE 

5) Gay rights activists clash over tackling Jamaican homophobia

6) Gays won't boycott Jamaica ..... EGALE cancels push

7) Gay rights activists clash over tackling Jamaican homophobia

Peace and tolerance

H

also see: Gov’t Hush Hush On Gay Pressure …As Promoters Forced To Pull Queen Ifrica From Canada Show

'Somebody Must Stand Up To Homosexuals' - Stewart

Queen Ifrica's "Freedom of Speech" & advocacy found wanting

So as Queen Ifrica fires back with her latest tune released two days ago in response to the firestorm well aided and abetted by none other than the faithful lobby Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays, JFLAG in a press release describing the Queen's anti homosexual rant at the recent independence day celebrations a follow up to a similar performance by her friend Tony Rebel the year before as vitriolic yet they couldn't justify it in the end. The over intellectualized press release was laughed at by the two who pigeon holed JFLAG for being dishonest and putting undue pressure on the music industry as it were via the Stop Murder Music Campaign but after hearing the disastrous performance on a Nationwide radio interview with the two aforementioned artistes earlier this month and the Executive Director of JFLAG Dane Lewis which forced the goodly gentleman to apologies for supposedly labelling the acts as homophobic, "vitriloic" and on some "anti gay animus" the snickering by the two left me feeling I wasted my time at the goodly J back in the day. Tempers flared days following as news spread that the J apologized to the Queen and by extension Tony Rebel with host Cliff Hughes the self appointed referee. Subsequent discussions on other radio stations just made me wonder if after all this calms down if we won't see a resurgence of such lyrics as the charge now being led by a female artist bearing in mind males carried the day on such materials.

JFLAG's press release read as follows:

J-FLAG notes with profound disappointment the anti-gay animus expressed by Queen Ifrica at the Grand Gala on August 6, 2013. Her sentiment is an example of the unabated divisiveness we continue to allow to take prominence on the national stage. Queen Ifrica’s remark is similar to the vitriolic sentiments which came from Tony Rebel at the celebrations last year and should have never been allowed again.
We are surprised this happened on the day the Prime Minister urged us, in her Independence Day Message, to accord respect to people so every Jamaican can feel a sense of belonging in our society.

It is regrettable that the government has not been able to guarantee non-discriminatory performances from artistes for such a high-profile function as the Grand Gala. We encourage the government to follow the example of reggae and dancehall promoters and their sponsors who consistently draft contracts proscribing penalties for the use of indecent language, discriminatory rhetoric, and incitement to violence. Independence celebrations showcase the best of Jamaica’s indigenous artistic and cultural expressions, and are held to a high standard from their inception.

As the nation passes the 50 year mark and enters a new epoch of its history, we must zealously work to protect the dignity of all Jamaicans without any distinction. We have all pledged to play our part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. These words are especially poignant in such a celebratory period of our nationhood. We are therefore compelled to reflect on these and other patriotic words of commitment found in our National Anthem and Pledge.
Jamaica cannot become the place of choice to live and raise families unless respect and dignity can be given to the entire Jamaican family. As we celebrate Jamaica’s 51st year of independence we must also celebrate the importance of peace, democracy, justice, and equality for the continuation of our prosperity as a nation.

ENDS

Yesterday's interview on radio Jamaica, RJR's Beyond the headlines hosted by Dionne Jackson Miller left me even more dazed as the intellectual masturbatory rant by the education officer of the J, Javed Jaghai had many persons asking why can't he and others from the group communicate in simple English so all can be on board and remembering at was the urbane sophisticated image of the voices in the lobby is what is being targeted and ridiculed by the anti gay voices and indeed the LGBT "community" or at least sections of it. Even as host Dionne Jackson Miller tried to steer Javed and the other guest from the new Canadian group comprising of so called Jamaican gays and allies from Canada that the SMM in its old form achieved its primary objective which was to wipe out the harsh prescriptive lyrical content of death and methods of same for perceived male homosexuals in particular he insisted however on trying to force in some new thinking in his mind which did not sit well with the Canadian based group representative who insisted that Queen Ifrica be not allowed to enter Canada in an upcoming performance she is booked so to carry out.

the station's site carried this: Gay community split on Queen Ifrica’s Canada performance

The SMM back in the day was surgical in its nature and sought to target only those artists that had directly offending lyrics such as Capleton's - Shot Him Up, Beenieman's - All Battyman Fi Dead that were clear in their description and prescription on gay men's demise in the long standing purification of the earth imperative. The victim ploy being used by the music industry to suggest that the SMM's impact over the years is not true, dancehall has always had spirals in its support in certain market and especially in Europe traditional Reggae forms still are more popular as the older artists still carry the day such as Burning Spears as they are even more popular than modern day dancehall acts and with the absence of names such as Vybz Kartel and Ninjaman who just recently has been allowed to travel as his legal woes continue the attraction to the genre is fickle. The SMM targeted mostly the US, Canadian, European and a few African States with the latter for a short time as they withdrew. The campaign took a life of its own as overseas activists in turn carried on the role as JFLAG went quiet for a while and the foreign activists became astute in deciphering the local patois dialect. Then came the so called Reggae Compassionate Act that was to act as an agreement between artists that signed and promoters in not performing such tainted materials but some artists developed a stage trick where the band would strike up a chord of the respective anti gay track then the audience would fill in the rest loudly and willingly while the artist remains mum on stage. When confronted as to the infringement they would claim that they never actually performed the song. So the campaign changed its look and feel again but slowed down somewhat, it soon picked up again when some French activists reconnected with local contacts including yours truly where again the campaign took on a new life going after two main big names, Capleton, Sizzla and then other artists such as Elephant Man, Beenieman tried daring the system as they used Sizzla's repeated opposition and well oiled PR strategy. 

see: Sizzla Rejects J-FLAG Olive Branch .......... oh really?

Also see posts on Murder Music from sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica

Over the years though the pressure rose to a pitch and hence the lyrical content changed meanwhile the public's taste also seem to commensurately decrease for such materials as newer artists came with more faster paced techno sounding tracks highlighting fashion, women (as usual) and individualism playing right into the metrosexual psyche that now pervades local culture (hence male bleaching or skin lightening etc) once frowned upon and seen as major taboos. It seems our new self appointed voices did not apprise themselves of the history of this major and successful agitation to change the output that demonized gay men. Today we still do have anti gay lyrics but more so on the perceived gay for pay phenomenon that hints on forced initiation or men who "sell out" themselves for material wealth by getting into same sex relations; for example Busy Signal's - Nuh Boi Caan Buy Mi Out (No men can't buy me out)

Meanwhile the Jamaica Observer had reported some days ago:

A poster placed on Facebook by JAGLA reads — “No Queen Ifrica roun’ here! Canada says — stop homophobic Jamaica singer from performing at ‘Rastafesta’ in Toronto on August 24.”

(photo added here only)

JAGLA has also called on the Minister of Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) to immediately withdraw a work permit issued to Queen Ifrica ahead of her performance at Rastafest.

“Ifrica's reported homophobic outburst came days after the killing of Dwayne Jones, the teenage cross dresser” said a statement from the organisation.
The group added that Ifrica's remark is not the first of its kind and reflects the mood of Jamaica, where gays and lesbians are exposed to hatred and intolerance resulting in attacks and even murder.

According to JAGLA, by allowing Queen Ifrica whose given name is Ventrice Morgan, to perform in Toronto, the government is sending a message that murder music from anti-gay profilers is welcomed in Canada.

“The Canadian government now has the opportunity to send a clear signal to groups, countries and individuals who wish to incite intolerance against gays and lesbians through various forms” the statement continued.

JAGLA describes itself as a group comprising of Jamaican gays, lesbians and allies, living in the Diaspora.
During her performance at the Grand Gala, Queen Ifrica made statements glorifying male straightness, heterosexual marriage and the legalisation of marijuana.


She defended herself against statements made in a press release by the The Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG) in which they expressed disappointment over her anti-gay statements.
The group said her sentiments are an example of the constant prejudice that is being allowed to take prominence on the national stage and that the remarks she made bears some resemblance to statements fellow reggae recording artiste Tony Rebel made at the same event last year.
But in her response, Queen Ifrica explained that she merely expressed what she had believed in, and that it was unfair for them to make her into a villain.

“I am not homophobic,” Queen Ifrica insisted.

ENDS

With sentiments from sections of the LGBT community still not favourable following the not so tidy exclusion of some homeless men from the International Day Against Homophobia symposium on May 17th then the subsequent comments and stern criticisms from other seasoned advocates and a former Programs Manager the staff of the goodly J has chosen instead to remove themselves from Facebook groups that have such persons present apparently to absolve themselves of scrutiny and queries and so it appears to some even one time staunch defenders that they are more interested in personalities, the image of JFLAG on the international stage and self congratulatory gestures that addressing the real issues out there while more and more persons are arriving at a damning conclusion that the do not care about certain socio-economic classes really and making headlines with "expert" conferences are more important.

All of this fiasco is more that just about accusations and counter accusations it shows more clearly than ever that if JFLAG and others want to convince the public on reaching some semblance of tolerance (despite the non demonstrable evidence of same - case in point the perception the homeless were abandoned) they need to make their communications overall as simple as possible to reach a wider audience and stop the over intellectualizing; they seem to be on a frolic of their own, I hope they learn the lessen in all this and as for foreign based voices they need to get with it and carefully scan the ground before launching campaigns, this reminds me too much of the EGALE mishap in 2008/9 as well where they in Canada called for a tourism boycott and we ended up with a spike in homo-negative violence towards persons on the ground and a diplomatic nightmare. There are implications for public agitations that must not be ignored when decisions are made to launch such. Persons also need to be properly prepared before eagerly jumping to go on radio or other media and sounding stupid in the end.

See the Stop Murder Music Tab immediately below for previous entries.

Peace and tolerance

H

Additional stuff/video from 2007 with some former allies Dennis Carney and Peter Tatchell:

additional reading on Stop Murder Music from 2010:
Gays Move to Ban Reggae/Dancehall in Germany says the Xtranews where German authorities including a gay MP joined the discourse as reported in the now defunct XNews tabloid.

More Murder Music posts from GLBTQJA on Wordpress

UPDATE August 26, 2013
Nationwide radio's Emily Crooks during her What's On My Mind segment of her show gave her two cents alongside Naomi Francis co-host, I am total agreement with her, JAGLA over reached in this case:

MEN IN FEMALE CLOTHES TRICK INMATES - Prisoners mistake cross-dressers for women

And as I said in the previous post the silly season continues those who are used to it know all too well it is the time of year for it especially owing to the ground well laid by the agitation by lobby on Dwayne Jone's murder and the alleged raucous behaviour of some of the homeless recently in court now comes this one.

A group of cross-dressers created quite a stir inside a police station located in the St Andrew North Division on Emancipation Day, after prisoners who were held in custody mistook them for females, THE STAR understands.

Information reaching our news desk suggests the lawmen stood watch over the group of men until they were able to depart the station unharmed. The police were forced to adopt that stance out of fear for what might have transpired after residents gathered around the station yard as news of the men's attire spread throughout the area.

Our news team gathered that in the end, the men were whisked away by an alleged taxi operator who was summoned to the station for a pickup.

A male resident told THE STAR, "Yow, mi couldn't believe it especially ina di big big holiday (Emancipation Day) di ... dem dress in skirt and lipstick with woman hairstyle and a talk up a bag a tings cause di police dem a stand guard. If di people dem did eva hold one a dem, about four a dem di car mussi broke down wid"

THE STAR was told the incident took place during the daytime and lasted for close to half an hour.

A female resident told THE STAR that the crowd that assembled at the station alerted her as to what was taking place.

She said, "Mi a go bout mi business and mi hear the commotion, so mi go look. Mi couldn't believe me eyes. Mi hear bout dem type of behaviour deh especially the likkle one weh dem kill a Mobay weh day. Mi mean di man dem hota dan all me. Jamaica gone, the people did want hold dem but the police dem wouldn't allow it."

When THE STAR contacted the police station, an officer who declined to be named told our news team that he was not on duty but he could shed some light on the matter.

THE STAR gathered that all hell broke loose when the prisoners in custody learned that the persons they were attracted to, thinking they were females, were in fact a group of men.

The police personnel said, "My understanding is that the 'men' were inside the station seated on the prisoners' bench when they attracted some responses from the unsuspecting 'straight' men who were in custody. The men in custody thought those on the bench were actual females until they were told otherwise."

The officer continued, "There was a commotion inside the station after the fact was revealed and then passers-by got wind of what was happening and joined in. The men were later released, they were not arrested and I am not certain why they were brought to the station in the first place."

ENDS

While the public may be coming down in as far as open acceptance or slow tolerance of males cross dressing in public the "gurlz" also need to understand the implications of associated unruly or distasteful behaviour but we have never had any serious community outreach to address same foe decades in terms of passing or operating in stealth the late consequences of those missing tools in navigating LGBT life out there is what we end up with.

We always seem to have to wait until something bad happens then there is talk and blog posts and barrage of articles supposedly in care for drag sisters and such when some of these same activists were most contemptuous of drag queens (especially the downtowners) in the first place. Such is the hypocrisy that exists and now we have to contend with almost monthly reports such as this regarding this populations. At least the officers according to this report took the proper action as it were.

Also see the Sally Porteous's take on the matter of cross dressing in Mandeville: CLICK HERE

Peace and tolerance

H

Gay man strips naked at courthouse - Didn't want cops to restrain him

So a section of our homeless men and their friends have made news again this time not in a positive light following a patrol by the police in New Kingston even as the men being made nomads due to the demolition earlier last month of the Barbican house that was captured by some of them and the conjoining of others from rural parts coupled with the later displacees who have joined the populations some as young as 15 years old. With more coming in as well from the lotto scam clampdown as well in western Jamaica and in Kingston there has been a fall from grace as it were of many previously monied persons who were alleged to be in the illegal activity. The arrest and charge of a major player in  Miami has not gone down well either as local links allegedly have gotten nervous and have been shedding some of the connections locally to avoid suspicion it is surmised. The Statistical Institute's report on the unemployment figures also is cause for concern as more and more qualified persons are finding themselves on the frontline exposed with little or no income so rental payments become a challenge or carrying their share of the bills with other family members is diminished hence a case of displacement from a home by parents in which they used this to justify the separation of a 21 year old added to their supposed unease with his sexual orientation. 

Other challenges regarding homelessness are just increasing at every turn with the in fighting spilling for example over in Old Harbour recently as well where one member of the St Catherine displaced MSM had an altercation with a vendor as she accused him of stealing from her stall on the road when it turned out it was another member of the group which led to a near beat down of the latter by the other men. Now comes this story from the Star News with the uncontrollable behaviour presenting itself in the walls of a courtroom.

Three homosexuals, including a 16-year-old boy, were ordered to be gagged after their boisterous behaviour almost prevented the normal proceedings at the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

One of the men who was forcefully removed from the courtroom reportedly stripped himself naked to prevent the cops from restraining him.

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey said she was not having any of what she described as lawless behaviour in her court.

All three men were allegedly a part of a group of about 50 men who stoned a police service vehicle and injured the police in New Kingston recently.

disorderly conduct

Samuel Martin, otherwise called 'Gabrielle', Omar Shaw, otherwise called 'Tite-Ma', and the 16-year-old boy were remanded after they appeared on several charges including stone throwing, disorderly conduct, and malicious destruction of property. Martin, 26, and Shaw, 27, are both unemployed, and, of unknown addresses.

All three pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct but contested the other charges. They return to court on September 23, as the medical report in the matter is outstanding.

Allegations are that on the day in question, cops got a distressed call from a group of their colleagues patrolling New Kingston that they were being attacked by a group of about 50 men, who hurled stones at their service vehicle.

It is alleged that five cops were injured in the attack and the accused men were apprehended.

"Lock wi up a Half-Way Tree, and see if wi nuh bun dung the&%$ court," one of the accused men reportedly said while being arrested.

Yesterday, the accused men were removed from the court to be gagged, however, the police had great difficulty restraining them and seemingly didn't have anything to gag the men.

ENDS

It is just so heart rending for me these days to watch all the bullshit go down and knowing we had a start to address this matter of displacements and homelessness when the signs were evident, it still begs the questions:

Where is the proactive leadership from the LGBT lobby for the least amongst us welfare issues?

Do we really care about them?

Are they waiting for more to die again so they can be used to lubricate the anti gay public relations?

Community based assisted living avenues seems to be slowly diminishing as persons consolidate their expenses given the austerity period we find ourselves in and with another report as the aforementioned the trust factor needed to extend such a hand dies with thunderous applause of serve them right for all the stuff that they got coming to them, then there is a cry for tolerance. The St Catherine bunch are still holding on but for how long one does not know as impatience sets in due to the slowness of business in the weed whacking trade as more home owners manicure their own lawns either by hand or purchasing their own machines. Recent robberies (not by the men) in residential areas also has residents deeply mistrusting of new faces offering such services hence the reticence. I hope some major breakthrough comes through while we wait for the political directorate to address the economic issues urgently but our prime minister seems more interested in making appearances at function and travelling overseas than tending to the nation's business. 

I have been spending a lot of time on the road lately and the view is not pleasant at all, to encounter the pleas for some money or place to rest for the night even from persons I do not know but apparently I am pointed out to them by those who do. I am praying for a change in the conditions, other persons have expressed similar concerns as well but I guess we got to hang in there until. 

Peace and tolerance 

H

Pickpocket victim labelled gay, crowd advances then retreats ..............

old JUTC bus park in Half Way Tree now used by Coaster buses

Well as the silly season continues at this time of the year now we see public homophobia in reverse used to incite a mob and to commit of all things a quick snatch of a man's wallet in Half Way Tree busy bus bay as persons go about their affairs, a most awful diversion. 

Coronation Market downtown Kingston on a typical day 

The age old practice of creating a diversion around an intended victim of petty theft has crept uptown in full force it seems, in days gone by this reverse psychology trick was more prevalent in downtown Kingston especially by the Coronation market, Bend down plaza or West Queens and Princess Streets (other parts too) famous for hundreds of women weekly as Saturday shoppers make good to restock their food items to serve them for the week, the usual practice would be done on a female victim since they are easier to fleece where a conversation would be conjured up to draw attention to the very victim without them knowing what they are getting themselves into; even an exaggerated scenario is created where the would be male robber would pretend he is a lover scorned or friend accusing the unsuspecting female of some household chore she did not do and by the time she realizes she is relieved of her valuables, cash or previously purchased goods she may have struggling with as she makes her way to the bus stop or taxi stand. Sometimes a female accomplice would be used as well to strike up a conversation only for the male grabber to swoop in and strike and disappearing into the crowd.

I have never heard of this tactic though where a male would be victim of a pickpocket would be labelled a battyman in public and as he panics wondering how the hell this is happening he is relieved of a wallet of cash he just withdrew from an ATM nearby in the busy thoroughfare. The young man visibly stunned according to eyewitness reports was left thanking God his live was spared as the deception was deciphered by the same persons who came to exact their brand of battyman eradication. According to him as he recounted the episode to the eager audience even as some laughed heartily he had just went to check on Friday August 3 at the ATM on his salary transfer as he had errands to run, he said he never paid attention he was being watched by the thief who committed the act and by the time he crossed the street in the center of Half Way Tree from the JUTC bus park making his way to grab a coaster bus to downtown he was suddenly surprised by a character who also tried to board the bus as he did it was then that the lone perpetrator made the alarm labeling the man as gay which earned the curious looks as if they were inspecting him for the stereotypical proof probably to justify their assault on him.

There have been several incidents as of late since the Dwayne Jones cross dresser murder in Montego Bay two weeks ago so it seems persons are on the lookout, displaced and homeless MSM also have been getting their share of verbal attacks and physical abuses to numerous to mention. It seems in the eyes of the man that upon inspection the would be attackers realized he bore no "traits" of a battyman (I suppose a cute face, tight pants and other near effeminate or full effeminate qualities) they delayed their advance and quizzed him on how he got labelled as a "fish" and if he was familair with the accuser. His answers were not in the affirmative and when it was discovered his wallet was missing it was then the motive for the labeling was unearthed leaving him penniless and stunned. He also allegedly expressed shock as how easy it was to label someone gay in public then only to see their lives flash before them as a mob approaches. I am sure he is a changed man after this incident and may just have a deeper appreciation for what we as MSM have to endure every day of our lives especially those who cannot pass in stealth as masculine or live it down.

An animated discussion allegedly continued after the bus left the scene and the young man was assisted with cash for other passengers. A similar typed incident involving a woman comes to mind for me in downtown some years ago when a man stepped to her pretending he knew her and accused her of leaving the children at home alone, he scolded here most publicly and as everyone was transfixed on her (while she was in shock at the unexplained allegation from a stranger) shame and shock was obvious based on her reaction. By the time she could regain her composure she was relieved of her high end phone and he left pretending to make a call on it still lambasting her for leaving the kids at home with the imaginary party on the other end. Right before the audience's eyes he made a heist and her late calls for "thief" was met with a roar of laughter at first and condemnation of her being a careless mother out shopping afterwards, it was after things cooled and the usual after discussion that accompanies these public robberies that the pieces were put together that it was in fact a robbery. Then came the "if we had known" period and the suggested action that would have been taken if they had caught him. It is amazing how "clever" these petty thieves think they are if only those ideas were put to good use to make an income instead of a quick buck by nefarious means.

I hope it is not one of the "rowdy gay" accused who have developed an awful reputation in recent months and accusations of robbery in New Kingston and surrounding areas since they get blamed for such ills these days.

So it guh I guess, just be careful out there folks, these days as austerity takes hold just be mindful of expensive phones and other gadgetry and handling cash in public, one just never knows where danger lurks. Half Way Tree probably needs more police patrols but is it that we have to have police everywhere? sheeks.

Peace and tolerance

H

Sexual Falsehood Top To Bottom .......................

In my original post on sister blog GLBTQJA my initial comment had a balance of perceived deception and the thine line of fulfilling Dwayne's female cisgender imperative, well I am pleased at how close Miss Carolyn Cooper is coming to examining the issue far more objectively more than even voices in the LGBT lobby. That entry read in part:

Frankly speaking young cross dressers or indeed pre-operative transwomen in their quest for the female cisgender imperative to live their truths need to be careful of the spaces they choose to do so especially in Jamaica with a general population not yet educated or sensitized enough about such issues, if deception was the deal here where the deceased was with a man who did not know "she" was a cross dresser or pre-operative transwoman that perceived deception is used as justification to attack such persons. If the partner knew he could may have to pretend he didn't in order to avoid attack on himself as well as has happened before. Older cross dressers or pre-op transwomen know all too well this business of passing or operating in stealth and know how to do so based on experience, this young one was not so lucky.

This also shows the lack of interventions towards the groups of pre-opertaive trans and cross dressers and understanding how to use stealth or passing in a public place, there are consequences (sadly death) in this case, this is not the first time in Montego Bay there has been such an incident but we always have to wait until something goes horribly wrong then the knee-jerk reaction comes. 

We MUST however remember this is NOT a homophobic incident as is promoted elsewhere whether mistakenly or deceptively. Also Effeminacy was met with a stern rebuke earlier this year during our annual carnival.

CLICK HERE for that story but here we have another case sadly ending in murder but clear effemophobic causation at work with conflated with homosexuality. Now comes this piece from the Patois doctor on the matter,

Carolyn Cooper, Contributor

I GOT several emails last week from angry people trying to persuade me that Dwayne Jones was responsible for his own murder. His crime was not cross-dressing. It was deceit. But since the whole point of cross-dressing is to deceive, this distinction really makes no sense.

Some people passionately argued that the men who were deceived into thinking that Dwayne was female were the real victims. And they had every right to take defensive action. One woman compared the deceit to rape. This is how she put it: "There is an emerging way of telling stories nowadays that lays no responsibility on the victims whatsoever and I don't get it.

"Dwayne was Jamaican. Why did he put himself at risk like that? He also put the lives of other men at risk. If no alarm had been made, some of those other men would have been labelled gay. Some of the men who were wined upon against their will may even have been traumatised for life. As my friend was when his schoolmates from a prominent high school raped him."

But the men who were 'wined upon' were quite willing to participate. Dwyane did not wine on them against their will. It was not rape. It was consensual wining. As far as the men knew, they were not dancing with a man. Dwayne had become the self-styled 'Gully Queen'. It was pure theatre.

Cross-dressing men are not necessarily gay. And dancing with a cross-dressing man doesn't automatically put a man at risk of being labelled gay. Full body contact between Jamaican men is not always taboo. It's perfectly acceptable on the sports field. Footballers passionately embrace when a goal is scored. It's a ritual of the game. I know it's not exactly the same as wining in the dancehall. But the body language is similar. It's just a different dialect.

Self-confident man

Perhaps I'm expecting too much of Jamaican men. But I think a self-confident man could have acted far differently to the outing of Dwayne. A real man could have made a joke of it. He could have just said, "BC, Di bwoy good! Im ketch mi fi true!" The profanity would have been enough of a judgement.

The so-called 'bad' word, 'B' is a perfectly good word of African origin, meaning 'vulva'. But like many other elements of African culture in Jamaica, the word has been devalued. The word shows up in Eric Partridge's 1949 Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English where it's described as "West Indian; orig[inally] a negroes' word".

Our own Dictionary of Jamaican English, published in 1967, notes that in the Zulu language there's a similar word, meaning 'pubic region'. So a cloth for the B, like a cloth for blood, is simply a 'sanitary pad'. How a clean cloth could become a very dirty word in Jamaica is a whole other story.

And talking of cleaning cloths, I got an informative email from a Jamaican living abroad: "When I first came to Asia, I noticed that many men carried a small packet of wet wipes. I asked what it was used for. I learnt only Muslims did this. I learnt that they used it in the bathrooms to wipe their penises to ensure there was no dribbling after they passed urine. Urine on clothing is considered unclean and it is avoided like the plague." So our male cross-dressers at Caribbean Fashion Week do have a point.

All of the angry email-writers stopped short of saying that Dwayne should have been put to death. They couldn't quite go there. But none of them laid any blame on the woman who let the cock out of the bag. I think she should have taken a less scandalous approach. She could have called Dwayne aside and said something like this: "Hey bwoy! Yu mad! Yu no know dem man wi kill yu if dem find out? Mind yu self!" But she didn't.

Mastering art of deceit

Dwayne's deception is an extreme version of the sexual games people play all the time. These days, women have mastered the art of deceit. They completely re-engineer themselves: false hair, false eyelashes, false nails, false breasts, false bottoms, false everything. You can actually buy panties in local stores with padded bottoms. And men have been known to stuff their briefs, especially when the contents are very brief. A most wicked falsehood!

Picking up a 'man' or 'woman' at a dance is a very risky business. You really don't know if you're going to get fish or fowl. It's a big chance you take. And as for online dating, that's a whole other kettle of fish. People just lie, out and out. I'm amazed by the statistics you hear on American television about all the marriages that dating services have arranged. I keep wondering about the divorce rates.

I got a most intriguing email about a Chinese man, Jian Feng, whose unnamed wife gave birth to a rather ugly baby, in his opinion. The child looked like neither parent. Feng assumed the child was a 'jacket' and accused his wife of adultery. But that was not her abomination. The rather plain woman had done extensive plastic surgery to make herself beautiful. Genes don't lie so the baby came out looking like the 'real' mother.

Jian Feng filed for divorce on the grounds that his wife had deceived him. He won the case and was awarded US$120,000, almost as much as the US$100,000 his wife had spent on plastic surgery. I suppose if Feng had been a certain kind of Jamaican man he would have batter-bruised his wife physically.

But divorce, in this case, is emotional abuse. Why couldn't Feng have lived with the fact that his wife simply wanted to be beautiful? In much the same way, Dwyane Jones just wanted to be the gully queen. Death is a very high price to pay for that forbidden desire.

Carolyn Cooper is a professor of literary and cultural studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Visit her bilingual blog at http://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com/. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.

ENDS

As we look at this transgender issue another popular cross dresser passed quietly, Barbie Love affectionately known as Peanut made her exit after a brief illness. You may remember this story of here in the now defunct XNews publication.

go HERE 

UPDATE August 14, 2013

Police personnel had to rescue a man dressed as a woman in Portmore, St Catherine, last Saturday after an angry mob who had seen him in the community threatened to flog him.

Reports are that about 9 p.m., the police were called to Portmore Drive in the municipality. When the team arrived, they spotted a person in an orange wig, b... rider shorts and a

blouse with brassiere showing. The Star learnt that the cross-dresser was spotted by a group of persons who attacked him. The individual ran on to a premises and the police were called.

When the team arrived, reinforcements had to be called in as the mob decided to harm him. The police managed to take him to safety.

Persons told The Star that the man's action had provoked the wrath of those who had decided to attack.

A senior police officer told The Star that last week the man had to be rescued from another section of the parish.

Just two weeks ago, a teenager was killed by a mob in St James after he dressed as a woman and danced with another man.

Unruly gays worry store owners ............................

Just when we thought this issue would die here it comes again in the mainstream media with all the other unreported matters and the distractions from the Dwayne Jones transgender murder matter that is conflated by many as a homophobic crime when it is not so; the homeless men the last time we can recall had to move as the Millsborough house they had captured was destroyed and the subsequent house they took over was also closed up and they were forced to relocate with no definitive answer yet in the form of a shelter to address their concerns. Other homeless matters abound as well where a 19 year old had to beat a hasty retreat after his father threatened him with violence if he did not, he has since been assisted by a same gender loving sister temporarily; there are six other reports that have been brought to my attention that other community influentials are addressing since May of this year. Western Jamaica is also seeing its fair share of fallouts while the St Catherine group who were being helped by an interfaith set up are still going along seeking work with the weed wackers they have access to.

Now comes this article in today's star where the men have basically returned to New Kingston as they have nowhere else to go it seems.

Unruly gays worry business men in New Kingston:

A number of businesses along the top section of Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston have been bemoaning the behaviour of some men who are said to be homosexuals who use the corridor for the hanging of clothing, sleeping, loitering and other activities.

Delroy Collington, speaking on behalf of one of the establishments along the corridor, said the men are devaluing the businesses and that they are considering closing down because of their behaviour.

"They pose a whole heap of threat. They are devaluing the businesses. I told one of them who was sleeping to get up and I had to hit him with a piece of board after he was peeing at the door. Dem bigger than the police. The hit cost me $10,000 in court. The chain line (used to separate a parking section) they use to hang up clothing. We are near closing down because of them. Believe me the police afraid of them," he said.

nuisance

Collington also added that it has become a nuisance and that people are having a hard time dealing with the men's behaviour. He said one morning he saw one of the men lying down and hugging another man.

Just a few steps away, a senior staff member at one of the money businesses also expressed concern over the way the men were behaving. While she acknowledged that the men's sexuality had nothing to do with her, it is their attitude and behaviour she cannot stand.

"There have been challenges. The clothing and the rowdy behaviour would deter anybody. We are not fighting against anyone's sexuality; it's just that the behaviour is distasteful. I have complained about it to a guy who had his clothes hanging on the chain. They are loitering and we are asking the police to do something about that," she said.

A sub-officer at the New Kingston Police Post said they have been receiving complaints from businesses with regards to the behaviour of these homosexual men.

"Several businesses are complaining about them. We have reports and it never stops. Loitering is not so much an offence you arrest them for, you just chase them away," the officer said.

ENDS

also see the Gleaner's editorial: Gay-baiting at state events

'I SPOKE FOR WHAT I BELIEVED IN' - Queen Ifrica defends Grand Gala performance after JFLAG backlash

I had decided I was going to remain mum on this one and watch carefully the discussion as I thought I have done enough posts on Queen Ifrica 

see such as :

Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel call out Jamaican government...............

"Keep it to yuself mentality" on homosexuality

but after hearing the sometimes disastrous segmented interview on nationwide radio last evening hosted by Cliff Hughes and George Davis and dying from the stitches from laughter upon hearing Tony Rebel and Queen Ifrica wiping the floor with the ED of JFLAG after he joined the extended discussion which showed up the major flaws in the public agitation and crisis communication some of us had been trying to bring to bear I decided to weigh in just a little with this article excerpted from the Star News below.

The matter of appropriateness of the space to express the hetero-sexist sentiments by Tony Rebel last year and now Queen Ifrica this year maybe were valid in a sense as she was reported as saying (as I did not see it) "weh the man dem weh love woman" "woman and man we say" "no gays round here" "man to woman me say" "weh the straight people them deh" (in English where are the men around here who love women, women and men we say together, where are the straight people?) but JFLAG went too far in my view when they described the expression as vitriolic with the usual elitist tinged tone and when confronted on the airwaves Mr Dane Lewis just crumpled on live radio, dumbfounded at intervals with no clear answer to the questions posed by Tony Rebel for the most part and the self declared Umpire host Cliff Hughes walking between the raindrops; it was embarrassing and disgusting frankly in some parts wit Tony literally laughing at the statement and the supposed over intellectualization making reggae artists to be lesser than the urbane academics in the LGBT lobby, the deception they have been accused of by generalizing on artistes etc was exposed right there with thousands listening and to think the previous press release did the damage that Tony and Ifrica complained of in public but he wants to apologize in private in a face to face meeting!

What also was made very clear several times over in the interview was the perception by some as expressed by Queen Ifrica that the agency has neglected the least amongst us namely the homeless MSM as she hinted to her own encounter with MSM and men introduced to homosexuality as it were via abuse by older men. She mentioned her work with the late Heather Little White and female commercial sex workers and male displacees. The controversial UNICEF rejection on Queen Ifrica as spokesperson for a project they had where she lamented that just when she was about to sign on to the project someone from JFLAG basically blocker her presence hence she was asked to keep it quiet and out of the public domain. Interesting that it took this interview to reveal these things. A meeting was called for the parties to discuss the issue but both sides held off it seems. Once again I am left to contend with poor public representation via radio to describe Tony Rebel's rant last year as vitriol is one thing but not able to substantiate it when Dane Lewis nominated himself for the interview which he could have declined. Lest we forget it was not the comment on stage about heterosexual marriage but the other remarks that followed that riled up the audience in the stadium at the grand gala.

Meanwhile The Star News reported:

Reggae recording artiste Queen Ifrica has defended herself against statements made in a press release by the The Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG) in which they expressed disappointment over anti-gay statements she said at the Grand Gala on Tuesday.

During Queen Ifrica's performance, statements glorifying male straightness, heterosexual marriage and the legalisation of marijuana were among those addressed during her set on stage.

The group stated in the release that her sentiments are an example of the constant prejudice that is being allowed to take prominence on the national stage. They also stated that the remarks she made bears some resemblance to statements fellow reggae recording artiste Tony Rebel made at the same event last year.

In responding to the statement issued by the lobby group, Queen Ifrica explained that she merely expressed what she had believed in, and that it was unfair for them to make her into a villain.

"Like myself, I think they are exercising their right to speak for what they believe in. However, I think it is unfair for them to incriminate me when there is no incrimination there. I simply spoke for what I believed in. They should simply speak from what they believe in but not try to tarnish my character in the process," she said.

"I never caused the beheading of anyone. If I did then there would be a problem. Until a member of the gay community can give birth from their union they should not be abrasive to heterosexuals, because they came from that union," she said.

Executive Director of J-FLAG, Dane Lewis, expressed that the use of the word 'vitriolic' in the release to describe Tony Rebel's sentiments last year was harsh but the group stood by their comments, noting Queen Ifrica's statements to be inappropriate and devoid of diplomacy.

Tony Rebel also weighed in on the matter, stating that what Queen Ifrica said was not inappropriate nor was it offensive.

"It was not offensive, it was not, it was kindly put together. She could have said it a million different ways. It was very kind," he said.

ENDS

Peace and tolerance

also see: The J-FLAGging of the Postmodern Rasta

UPDATE August 9, 2013

Culture Minister Regrets Queen Ifrica's Gala Gay Comments

The Culture Ministry has released a statement expressing regret that the Grand Gala stage was used by reggae artiste Queen Ifrica as a platform to express anti-gay comments. 

According to the Ministry, it is now reviewing the system of contractual engagement of artistes and suppliers for national events as well as improving quality control to ensure there is no recurrence.

SEE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

The Ministry of Youth and Culture expresses our regret that the Grand Gala stage was used by one artiste, Queen Ifrica as a platform to express her personal opinions and views on matters that may be considered controversial, rather than to perform in the agreed scripted and rehearsed manner consistent with the thematic production.

Furthermore, the comments by the artiste were inappropriate in the setting of a national, state-funded event with more than 20,000 persons, including children, who were in the National Stadium and thousands more watching on television and online.

Queen Ifrica was selected to be a part of the production because of her usually conscious lyrics as a reggae artiste.

There were prior discussions with all artistes about the expectation required of them during the show.

The Grand Gala was an opportunity for celebration through the artistic display of the performing arts as a vehicle to help the nation reflect not just on the many hurdles we have overcome as a nation, but also to reinforce the value of coexistence, unity and respect for one another as part of a cultural revolution in the nation.

The Ministry of Youth and Culture sought to produce and execute a Grand Gala show that traced our rich history and culture while charting the future of Jamaica as the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.

Artistes were therefore selected based on their ability to authentically recount and portray the various phases and periods of the “Emancipendence” journey of Jamaica.

The Ministry is reviewing the system of contractual engagement of artistes and suppliers for national events as well as improving quality control to ensure there is no recurrence.

UPDATE Added August 24, 2013

H

Carolyn Cooper on Dressed For Murder (The Dwayne Jones Trans murder)

also see: Female cisgender imperative thwarted: 17 year old pre-op transgender woman murdered

Carolyn Cooper of the University of the West Indies aka the Patois doctor addressed the latest sad issue surrounding the awful murder of young pre-op transwoman named Dwayne Jones, thankfully she addressed the historical context of gender expression that seems lost to all the other comments, blog posts and articles I have seen. As long as we do not have a population that is sensitized as as our Cuban neighbours where their national systems via public television (CENESEX) pass on information on sexuality we will see incidents such as this one. It read as follows:

DWAYNE JONES probably thought he was dressed to kill when he stepped out to that fateful dance. He couldn't have known he was going to be the prey. But he must have realised he was making a risky fashion statement. After all, the dance was taking place just outside 'Gyal-tego' Bay.

That's the new name for Montego Bay in the twisted vocabulary of super-sensitive Jamaican males. And Mandeville is now 'Gyal-deville'. It's not a joke. It's a very serious matter. Sexually insecure men are so fearful of appearing to be homosexual that they cannot go into a 'man' town or city. Only gyal.

It's the same 'reason' bad man don't eat guinep. Dem don't suck seed. And, despite all the bravado, they don't succeed in hiding their weakness. If you have to go to such extremes to reassure yourself that you are a real-real man, something must be fundamentally wrong.

It's the fear of being tainted by homosexuality that drives irrational males to commit acts of violence against so-called sexual deviants. In Jamaica, even cross-dressing is seen as a provocative sign of other crosses. But most male cross-dressers are not homosexual. And both men and women cross-dress for a variety of reasons. It should be nobody's business but their own.

ABOMINABLE FASHION

The diabolical mob that murdered Dwayne Jones must have been made up of men and women who believe that cross-dressing is sinful behaviour. The Bible is to blame. Deuteronomy 22:5 declares: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God."

The problem with applying the abomination rule to fashion is the indisputable fact that there is no universal standard of male and female dress. Gendered dress styles vary across cultures. In some parts of the world, men wear kilts and sarongs. They may look like skirts. But they are not 'female' dress. Many Fundamentalist Christian women don't wear pants because that "pertaineth unto a man". I suppose these pious women do wear underpants. Not to do so would certainly be an abomination.

The word 'abomination' turns up a lot in the Bible. But it's not only homosexuality and cross-dressing that are abominations. There are lots of other sins that self-righteous fanatics conveniently forget. Adultery is an abomination. But if we were to stone adulterers to death in Jamaica, there would hardly be any of us left.

Proverbs 6:16-19 gives a long list of abominations that includes shedding innocent blood: "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren". That primitive mob outside 'Gyal-tego' Bay was clearly very selective about their abominations. Their feet swiftly ran to mischief, shedding Dwyane's innocent blood.

CARIBBEAN FASHION WEEK

Most of us are much more sophisticated than those anonymous murderers. Take, for instance, the patrons at Caribbean Fashion Week. For the last several years, two male cross-dressers come to the event and no one would think of attacking them. In fact, I've seen other patrons taking pictures with them. They are part of the fashion scene.

The only judgemental response to them I've gotten is from a woman who heard one of them in the women's restroom asking for toilet paper. "Fi wipe wa?", she wondered. We have a wicked way of getting right down to the nitty-gritty. I did laugh at the observation. But laughter is a far cry from murder.

Fashion is often about transgressing boundaries. It's about role play. In 2009, the Trinidadian designer Claudia Pegus stirred up quite a bit of excitement at Caribbean Fashion Week. All her models wore masks. At the end of the set, one of the female models returned to the stage and unmasked. 

She was actually a male cross-dresser. In an article in The Gleaner, published on June 16, 2009, the reporter noted the "awe" and "in some cases disgust" that the male model's performance of female identity had provoked.

Some Jamaicans may be uncom-fortable with this kind of masquerade. But Trinidad and Tobago is the land of mas. On Carnival Monday, cross-dressing men use pillows to create big buttocks and breasts. They wear wigs and dresses. It's all playful. It's not about an identity crisis. Men play women and women play men. And they even play themselves.

JONKUNNU CROSS-DRESSING

We don't have to go all the way to Trinidad and Tobago to appreciate the arts of role play. We have our own forms of traditional masquerade and cross-dressing. Just think about jonkunnu. The Bellywoman character is usually a man dressed as a pregnant woman. And she gets a lot of laughs as she jiggles her fake belly while dancing.

There was a time when jonkunnu maquerades were seen as an abomination. They were vulgar and sinful. In 1841, the Mayor of Kingston banned the 'John Canoe' parade - as the word was then spelled. The current spelling acknowledges the African elements in the ritual. The banning of the parade caused a riot. Angry revellers clashed with the Militia and the Mayor had to run for cover. He was forced to retreat to a ship in Kingston Harbour.

It's a real tragedy that Dwayne Jones wasn't so lucky. There was no place of safety for him in 'Gyal-tego' Bay. A 17-year-old child was slaughtered because he was only trying to play himself. His murderers must be brought to justice.

A mob is made up of individuals who choose to suspend responsibility for their actions. As a society, we cannot afford to follow suit. In this season, as we celebrate Emancipation and Independence, we must liberate ourselves from those biblical 'abominations' that threaten to turn us all into truly abominable brutes.

Carolyn Cooper is a professor of literary and cultural studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Visit her bilingual blog at http://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com/. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.

ENDS

my two cents continued:

Sadly the lobby has missed out too the other historical piece to this that there are at least five other cross dressers/transwomen who have been murdered before in a street dance space and that said personalities have been going to such spaces as a rite of passage of sorts in the quest to fulfill their female cisgender imperative, trouble is one has to be careful when in such spaces and not be too outlandish or outperform the biologically identified females in the space especially when persons may suspect one is a cross dresser. Sometimes it is the over exuberance in the space that becomes the trigger point of for the attack as was the case here as new information comes forth. Young Dwayne was too inexperience here in navigating the space and did not make good his escape in time hence the fatal end to this.

Check out my older post linked above where I got into it more.

Peace and tolerance

H