Gay Lobby May Have Lost Potential Allies (Gleaner Letter) Indeed

Indeed we have been losing some allies as evidenced by once seemingly tolerant commentators, persons on the ground and even some of my blog readers have turned on me in a sense with far more caustic responses and dismissals of any suggestion for dialogue or a truce while the dust hopefully settles. 

The talkshow circuit has been bombarded by a coordinated effort by the same groups especially POWER 106FM's "Justice" hosted by JLP senator and former judge with some anti gay sentiments Marlene Malahoo Forte, callers have been stressing the perceived stifling of freedom of speech more so than the obvious conflict of interest posed by Professor Bain's testimony when it was the imperative that is the issue not the content of his affidavit per say. Even prior to the Bain matter she hosted the anti gay group JCHS on her show where she asked among other things: 

“............Do you know what was the basis of that, what it is about anal penetration that would cause lawmakers in their wisdom of yesteryear to say this is something that we need to say not at all?” the JCHS rep dodged the direct question completely by answering from a script I dare say, using terms she couldn't bother to explain to the listening audience.

“One of the things that people confuse is that they try to suggest that anal penetration is sex and it is my understanding that the intestine is not a sex organ it can’t procreate, buggery, it is the misuse of the anus ......it can do physical harm to the recipient in terms of the sphincter muscle going, people say you’re not gonna get HIV AIDS if you use a condom but the person being penetrated has on a condom is at risk and harm because the insides of the intestine were not never meant withstand the types of friction from that type of penetration, it tears easily and then you end up with a myriad of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV which is most easily transmitted in this type of environment, it must be noted that HIV is not only an epidemic it is a pandemic ........ The buggery law must remain as a danger sign because it does harm not only to the individual but to society and the world at large ..........”

Nice run to not let Mrs Forte come in with any rejoinder while deliberately avoiding the direct question, I am shocked however that Mrs Forte allowed her such a long run but I guess fairness must be shown since “freedom of speech” is about to be quashed in the eyes of the JCHS. My mind runs to an older interview with Mrs Forte and Dane Lewis in June 2013 where the same HIV is a gay disease ploy was used in a set of trick questions, she asked for eg about containing conduct if after the buggery law in its present form what would obtain to which Mr Lewis answered “........... Does the state have a right to legislate what consenting adults do in private regardless of their sexual orientation.....If we address that first then we can begin to talk about where that threshold is and so I speak about consenting adults when we talk about threshold........... Protecting our most vulnerable which would be our young people.” He also called for the non discrimination clause that was removed in draft from the Charter of Rights.

But it seems the wind as turned into a storm as the centrepiece of the Professor Bain issue which is the conflict of interest has been lost or clouded deliberately by fanatical religious voices making the rest of the church looking stupid and selective about certain issues as crime, kidnapped kids and the indigent do not get the same kind of erratic response from these powerful voices not to mention the millions the Gleaner especially may be raking in from the groups protesting from full paged advertisements yet people are hungry.

The letter writer has echoed my point on the hardened positions now taken and there may be no end in sight for now in terms of tolerance or the state of affairs pre May 18, 2014 when the story broke.

Here is the letter in part:

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I have been in a running email debate with Jeff Cobham. He convinced me that the University of the West Indies had no other option. Now, Gordon Robinson has reopened that aspect of the case.

However, there are two other things I have been saying to Jeff. There is now a growing belief among the Jamaican man in the street that, no matter how important and learned you are, no matter how well you have served, if you say or do anything that can be interpreted as being harmful to the aims of the LGBT lobby, you can be hounded out of your job and punished in any way that they can find to punish you. I think that this is an unfortunate impression to have developed and does more harm to their cause than good.

I have been listening to persons among whom I circulate, and there is a feeling of resentment. A conviction that "de byman dem wah fi tek ova everyting! Yuh cyaan even talk de trute dat dem a de chief spredda a AIDS. Nuh care if yuh a big doctor an gi dem facks!"

This opinion is given with disgust, even loathing. It marks lost ground because the general opinion had been slowly shifting in the direction of greater tolerance, into one of "mek dem gwaan! As long as dem nuh ovado de public nuffness!"

HARDENED RESISTANCE

We have moved towards the obligatory "not in my cabinet!" To the more reasoned attitude of Portia Simpson, who, by her actions, was using her personal popularity and influence to help change attitudes.

The ultra-aggressive moves of these lobby groups seem to have hardened resistance to their agenda, including important human rights aspects.

And then there is Dr Brendan Bain, who seems to have been painted by some as a person who could not really show the necessary love and care for the patients he served because of his belief that their sexual behaviour was immoral. Which, all who know him is far from true.

In ending, I want to ask: If a coalition of prostitutes sued the Government in an effort to decriminalise their practice (a direction in which some states seem to be moving), would the new head of CHART be at risk of losing his job if he testified that the activity involved in the 'profession' was a public health hazard?

Would the human-rights organisations who have joined the LGBT lobby be as whole-hearted in their support of his removal?

KEITH NOEL
keithanoel@gmail.com

ENDS

also see:

Lessons to learn from The Professor Bain Matter (Leighton Levy's turn from a previous tolerant posture) 

Pro-Bain Protesters To Meet With UWI Today

Buggery the only thing that makes church butts sore?

Don't give up on the church, pastor tells gays (Observer)

Is Freedom Of Expression At Risk? asks JFLAG advocate

Ian Boyne: Bain exercised terribly poor strategic judgement ....

Professor's Bain's Testimony Threatened Foreign Funding (Gleaner letter) .

Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society continues its “HIV is a gay disease” campaign with more deception added

my latest podcast:

Gay Marriage Smoke Screen, False Dichotomies and Religious Fanatics 05.06.14

What kinds of strategies can be employed to extend an olive branch to persons changing their minds on tolerance altogether?

Peace and tolerance

H