Promised (I mean suggested) Conscience vote on Buggery law not a priority right now (yet again) says Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller

So what is new now? oh yes another delay, I mean push back, I mean fear of losing another election due to giving gay rights in the eyes of some and with a church breathing down the Simpson Miller administration on flexi-work week matters, the cry for jobs from even within her party, calls for care for the poor on her part, criticisms of too much travelling  and no results to show, Goat Island shenanigans, Chinese money dangling like a carrot infront of a donkey (with no LGBT rights demands attached) I am NOT surprised at this. Forgive me if I am cynical here more than usual but please!

The PM was cornered by journalists in the house as carried on TVJ:

In my last post November 13, 2013 on the issue Promised Conscience Vote on Buggery in Jamaica was a fluke, Sexual Offences Bill to be updated 2014 says justice minister I retraced some of the dodging that has taken place since the December 2011 suggestion of a conscience vote turned promise sometime later and many other related matters, many advocates and individuals then and now to a certain extent interpreted Mrs Simpson Miller's pronouncements as a promise or a commitment to repeal or at least look at the archaic buggery law but I and a few others who spoke openly dismissed it all from day one as nothing more than hot air especially soon after in February member of parliament Damian Crawford poured cold water on the suggestion/promise and said it was not a priority as that time. and who seems to always open his mouth these days and revealing his thoughts that sometimes go against the administration's path. I knew from then that as existed before even under the previous PM P. J. Patterson (often thought to be gay by the public) also danced around the issue as this could mean votes and loss of political power. Mrs Simpson Miller in the meantime was awarded a political consultants' democracy medal as their conference concludes in Antigua, more HERE Those of us who are old enough and wise we know how politicians work here and a hot button issue such as this is too much a lightening rod as it relates to winning elections. Despite the appearance of one of her MPs on a JFLAG promotional campaign (see pic below) there has been descent from within the administration from a PNP Counselor where he made his feelings clear at a public meeting, speaking at a function in late 2013 Carlton Bailey PNP counsellor says there won’t be any support for such a move to remove or repeal the buggery law. He said “We nuh inna nuh agreement wid wah dem a come wid (we are not in agreement with what they are coming with) It is said there is going to be a conscience vote in parliament if it is ever called our member of parliament don’t have to walk around to canvass to make a decision to what the people of Milk River seh (say)”


More HERE Milk River PNP Councillor says no to buggery repeal ..............

Meanwhile

This was the same gentleman, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Western St Ann (photo above) in February 2013 got himself into a major controversy with his tweets on the Grammy win of gay artist Frank Ocean, Dr Campbell, while watching the awards ceremony, tweeted his reaction to R&B artiste Frank Ocean accepting an award. Ocean had last year disclosed that he had once been involved in a homosexual relationship.

The MP tweeted "Frank Ocean man fi have ooman pon dem mind. How di hell man end up on your mind massah?? Bob done tell you say man to man is so unjust!!!"

Dr Campbell was making reference to Ocean's hit single Thinking About You which is allegedly about his male lover.

His tweet, however, made many of his followers and other, Twitter users see red, as they felt he was insinuating negativity against homosexuals, while others argued that as a holder of a public office, he should be making more relevant comments.

"Really?? Dayton Campbell doan have NO other contribution to make to Twitter than a Frank Ocean comment? When di dollar is 95 for ONE USD?" said one Twitter user.

Another user posted, "I hope the Jamaican social media space makes this a teachable moment for a Jamaican politician. Dr Campbell, your hate will not be condoned."

While another user stated "Sista P would a shame a him. But she's busy working, working, working."

Dr Campbell said afterwards that it was a misunderstanding.

"They took a different interpretation of what was said, in my tweet I was talking about the content of the music, and the message that is being sent by the artiste. I was not attacking anyone's sexual orientation."

When asked if he thinks this blunder will affect his political future, he told a media outlet with fervour, "Absolutely not! I do not think it will have any impact at all, but if it should, my head will be bloody but unbowed." seems he has had a change of mind from some prodding somewhere.

Bear this in mind as well, after digging my archives I found the presentation by Mrs Simpson Miller in 2009 (poor audio though) where she sided wholeheartedly with the then Prime Minster Bruce Golding(his speech linked) on the banning of gay marriage, gay marriage rights by the way was never asked for by the LGBT advocacy structure at that time but it was dishonestly pushed on the agenda during the Charter of Rights debate then as a smoke screen to deny us recognition in the Charter.

The clause that had discrimination as an infraction then was also removed from the draft prior to this speech after successful lobbying by none other than the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship with support from none other than reverend Al Miller.

She said on October 20th 2009 - "Mr Speaker when we accepted the final report from the joint select committee that were looking at the bill we were completely satisfied with their recommendation of a provision to restrict marriage and like relationships to one man and one woman within Jamaica and that the provision should be specifically spelt out so that there could be no ambiguity ………. yes one man one woman (laughter in the house) and if you are Jamaican and go overseas the same applies ……….." 

additional comments via podcast I recorded 23 November 2012:

Also see these previous posts:
Mark Wignall on Buggery law review promise was a political sham

On Buggery and gays in cabinets with politics ............ some responses ............

The Line in the Sand for the JLP Part 14 ...... but vote ☐ PNP ☐ JLP ☑ Legalize Buggery/Anal Sex in private ........

JFLAG Position Statement on Upcoming Conscience Vote on Jamaica’s Buggery Law earlier released before the change of direction by the PNP.

also see the Chairman Bobby Pickersgill on the PNP's stance earlier this year, was this a hint of the change or rescinding of the proposed conscience vote being neatly announced?:

PNP’s Bobby Pickersgill differs on Conscience Vote route to decide on Buggery Law

and this older entry a day after the leadership debate 2011 bearing in mind the PNP was in opposition then.

here is the corresponding post: On Buggery and gays in cabinets with politics ............ some responses .......... 2011

More reactions have come from some voices including Maurice Tomlinson who among other wording expressed "I am bitterly ashamed that I enthusiastically supported the PM's election as representing a possibility for bold leadership on the issue of human rights for LGBT Jamaicans. 

I now realize that she is as entrapped in the bigoted tentacles of the island's powerful religious right as all her predecessors. These rich pastors and their lackeys hold the country's human rights record to ransom in pursuit of their fundamentalist ideology.
I am embarrassed by my country this morning. And I am especially humiliated that I trusted in the goodwill, vision and wisdom of our elected leaders."

finally my comment on Facebook I decided to share as I was responding to a thread and a friend's comment:

it's about winning the next election they know the right thing is to scrap the law (privately they express said sentiments) but she/PNP is not going to simply do the vote anytime soon, not with the church breathing down the PNP's neck on flexi week/moral decay etc, not with the IMF deal pressure and the powerful EPOC group, the Goat Island matter/logistics hub, not with the growing cries for jobs and other local level unease in certain key PNP strongholds plus the Kern Spencer matter residual in the mind's of the public, TIMING IS EVERYTHING here furthermore we need to be careful what we wish for this "vote"as u hinted could blow up in our faces as MPs vote to pander to their constituents to win their seats hence the next election overall, a risk I am sure she and her team is willing to take as the LGBT vote is fickle at this time despite slow growth in tolerance that can slip at a moment's notice as history has taught us two steps 4wud four steps back 

also the Pickersgill/Bunting/Robinson remarks at that press conference in 2013 after an NEC meeting their body language and slight snickering was clear on the issue of buggery as Bobby spoke to the suggested conscience vote, he said in part “I for one don’t believe in conscience votes on such matters of whether you’re a hawk or a dove, whether you are for accommodating homosexuality in terms of the law I don’t believe it should be left up to politicians it should really go to the people; and there are strong views as you know on it the same there are about abortion and capital punishment.”

He also added that Jamaica has been coming under pressure from foreign countries who advocate that homosexuality is a human right.

“A lot of developed countries who had that law before and who over time they have changed it they are now saying it’s a human right, fine but you know we need some time ........... I am not going to go the route of the former Prime Minister (Golding and his not in my Cabinet BBC comment) but we need some time to think about it and more public education; we cannot forget that the church is a very strong constituent in this country and we have to hear their views.”

don't take my word for it watch the video at the bottom of this post in its entirety

http://gayjamaicawatch.blogspot.com/.../pnps-bobby...

There is a lingering view as well that the PNP has recieved money from the gay lobbyists or allies as was raised in 2011: PNP: No election money from gay groups ............. and 

Mark Wignall ....... Gay Lobby will wait in vain from 2012 just after the election win by the PNP.
Interesting times lie ahead.

Peace and tolerance

H