Ex-Cop Jailed for Buggery in a St Catherine Court

A former member of the defunct Island Special Constabulary Force was remanded in custody on Thursday after he was found guilty of two counts of buggery in the St Catherine Circuit Court.

The mixed jury retired for 58 minutes and returned a five-to-two verdict on both counts.

He was, however, found not guilty of rape.

High Court Judge Vivene Harris then ordered the former Special Sergeant remanded until March 13, when he is to be sentenced.

A Social Enquiry report is to be done by the Probation Department before sentencing is done.

The court heard that in 2012, the accused met the complainant at a party in the Corporate Area.

He offered her a ride, and during the journey, he reportedly made sexual advances which were spurned.

The accused allegedly held her and sexually assaulted her.

A report was made to the police, and following an investigation, he was arrested and charged with buggery and rape.

He was on bail prior to the guilty verdict.

Not very many cases of what can be termed as "heterosexual" buggery make it this far to a conviction, one can recall an infamous dancehall DJ Zebra who is now serving time for buggery and rape of the same female victim, he was sent to prison for a total of thirty years. 

Dancehall DJ Zebra

In November 2010 the well publicized case was reported on in the Star News:

After completing a sentence for rape in 2008, deejay Zebra was yesterday again locked away for 30 years' hard labour for another sex-related crime.
The deejay, whose real name is Garfield Vassell, was sentenced by Justice Evan Brown in the St Catherine Circuit Court.

Justice Brown outlined that for buggery, Vassell should serve 10 years and 20 years for carnal abuse.
The entertainer, who was represented by attorney-at-law Everton Dewar, was found guilty on Tuesday by a jury which retired for less than an hour. He was found guilty of carnal abuse and buggery.
The Crown led evidence that the entertainer sexually assaulted the teenage daughter of his girlfriend.

It is said that the child had to run away from home and related her ordeal to a senior relative who reported the matter to the police.
The deejay, who is known for songs such as Redder Than Red and Rupert, was held in June of last year after eluding the police for four months. He had been released in 2008 on rape charges, after serving six years behind bars.

Peace and tolerance

H

Arrest Warrant Out For Man Charged With Dean Moriah's Murder

Dean Moriah in good times

A warrant has been issued in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court for Brandon Case, the man charged for the murder of tourism worker Dean Moriah. As at the time of this post he has not been found.

Moriah was killed at his Bogue Village home in St James last year.

When the case came up for mention recently following from September 2014, presiding magistrate Carolyn Tie was informed by attorney-at-law Martyn Thomas that his client had absconded bail.

The magistrate then indicated that she would issue an arrest warrant.

Case had been on bail after being charged in connection with the August 29, 2013 stabbing death of Dean Moriah, who had worked in the tourism industry for approximately 20 years.

Moriah, who sustained stab wounds to his neck and chest, reportedly named his attacker before dying.

The house in which the attack took place was reportedly set ablaze by the killer.

Following investigations by the police, Case was arrested on September 16, 2013 after he was reportedly found with Moriah's motor vehicle in Oracabessa, St Mary.

Dean's Funeral service in September 2013 - Haughton Grove Christian Church in Ramble, St James, he was hailed as 

PASSIONATE

Indeed, Moriah was passionate about nation building and helped in providing hope for less-fortunate youth in his community. He assisted schools in Westmoreland by helping to erect walls, build classrooms and providing furniture and computer equipment. He played an integral role in the 'Read to Achieve' and 'Motivate to Elevate' programmes geared at promoting reading and to provide role models for the youth.

"He was also a part of the Junior Tennis Association, an organisation that gets less fortunate children involved in the game of tennis," read Stephenson-Dalley.

His farewell was one of pain and celebration, and this was evident when cabaret performer Georgia Henry broke down and cried on his casket while singing 'You Light Up My Life'.

When the former Herbert Morrison High School student's friend, Ricardo Henry, spoke, his speech was filled with admiration, "Dean was an eternal dreamer, a dancer, a talker whose madness, humility and kindness made him special".

"We may not be able to match Dean's abilities or strength, but we can all strive to match his humanity, volunteerism and compassion for others," said Moriah's cousin, Arnold Kelly, while reading the eulogy.

Kelly described Moriah as a giant disguised in a skinny frame. "He was a hero to many. He brought fame to our country. We admire his achievements and the respect he earned both locally and internationally."

In her tribute, Jamaica Labour Party representative in eastern Hanover, Paula Kerr-Jarrett admitted she was forced to reschedule her flight to England, because Moriah touched her life in such a unique way.

"He was given such a short time, but he touched so many lives," she shared.

"Don't come in here with your diva attitude," says judge to crossdressers in robbery case

Stereotypical image by Jamaica Observer cartoonist Clovis ascribing it to the homeless/displaced persons in New Kingston by the Shoemaker Gully

Two men, one of whom was sporting long braids, drew the wrath of the magistrate on Friday January 20 when they allegedly strolled inside the St Andrew Resident Magistrate's Court. The men are said to be alligned to the displaced LGBT populations in New Kingston who have repeatedly found themselves in trouble as the previous post show in another court case.

"Don't come in here with your diva attitude," Magistrate Maxine Ellis shouted at the two alleged robbers. "I am not entertaining the diva attitude today.

"If you want attention, there is plenty down in the holding area and I will send you down there until there is nobody here to see you," she told the men before instructing the police officer to return them to the holding area.

"Whatever," said one of the men while shaking his head as they were being taken away to the holding area.

However, they were later brought back towards the end of the court proceedings before another magistrate, Simone Wolfe-Reece.

The accused men, Samuel Brown, otherwise called "Sereni" of Ensom City in St Catherine and Akeem Barnett, also called "Shennelle," of Payne Land in Kingston were arrested and charged with robbery with aggravation.

The men, who are both aged 20, along with another, reportedly held up the male complainant and robbed him of $9,000 and his $6,000 costume gold chain and Blu cellular phone valued at $24,000.

The incident occurred on February 10, around 11:00 pm at the intersection of Ruthven Road and Trafalgar Road in New Kingston.

According to the complainant in his statement, he was walking along the road when he saw the men whom he believed were women, as they were dressed in female attire.

However, he said that when he got close to them they approached and formed a circle around him. It was then he realised that they were men dressed as women.

The complainant said that one of them then said to him: "Big man yuh a do business, you want sex and blow job."

The complainant said he told the man that he was not interested and the accused said to him: "Yu caa gi me a money, beg yuh a money."

Following that he said the man then grabbed onto his phone and they started to struggle but he released the phone after he saw the man with a knife.

The complainant said the other men then took $9,000 from his pocket and left.

However, he said that when he was walking away he heard one of them saying: "Hi come here," and when he looked back he saw the man with his phone.

But the complainant said the man said to him: "Si me mek yuh get back yuh phone gi me a tip." The complainant said he told the man that he had no money.

But the complainant said the man insisted and told him repeatedly: "Yuh haffi gi me a tip."

Following that, the complainant said he reached for his phone and they both started struggling for the device and the man held onto his gold-looking chain and grabbed it from around his neck and left.

The complainant said he saw a police team shortly after and told the lawmen what had happened. He pointed out two of the accused men after the cops went in search of them.

The men pleaded 'not guilty with explanation' on Friday, but were told by the magistrate to save their explanations for the trial.

They were then remanded in custody and made their exit from the court in supermodel-like fashion according to one court reporter. Sadly this is the way a Judge chooses to address the accused persons.

Sad to watch the population spiralling for so long with very little meaningful interventions to even basically address the issue.

Peace and tolerance

H

Popular Homeless MSM gets six months for throwing acid on another man

recent Jamaica Observer toon stereotyping cross dressers as done by resident cartoonist Clovis

A popular gay man from our community who got angry and sprinkled acid on his friends after they reprimanded him about a robbery, was sentenced to six months in prison on Thursday 19th of February.

Shevaughn Lewis, 21, otherwise called "Batman", of a Portmore address in St Catherine was sentenced to six months each on charges of malicious destruction of property and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm by Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey. However, the sentences are to run concurrently. He has been accused of other serious crimes in the area of New Kingston over the last few years where the homeless populations resided in the Shoemaker Gully.

The Crown led evidence that on November 19 of last year, the complainants were at Shoemaker Gully in New Kingston when an argument developed between them and the accused, who sprinkled a corrosive substance on them burning one of them on his hands and feet and the other on his foot.

According to one of the complainants, a 27-year-old hairdresser, on the day in question he went to Lewis and said: "How yu fi rob de people dem whey me stay wid a New York."

The complainant said Lewis then turned to him and said: "A wha happen to yuh Kenneth, yuh live inna house and we live inna gully so we haffi hustle."

The complainant said Lewis then pushed him and he retaliated by shoving Lewis, who went inside his bag for a knife and a bottle containing the substance.

The complainant said his friend who had also spoken to Lewis about the incident then called and asked him if he could be fighting a man who had acid and he went inside his friend's car.

While they were sitting inside the car, the complainant said Lewis approached them and sprinkled the substance on them, burning them. They drove to the Andrews Memorial Hospital for treatment and then reported the matter.

The substance also damaged the car seat and the dashboard, hence Lewis was also charged for malicious destruction of property.

However, Lewis was not held until January 26 of this year and when he was cautioned he said: "A lie she tell pon me, me nuh do har nothing. Me neva mash up nutten fi di dutty gal dem.

Sad that he was a member of the original Safe House Pilot Project under JASL/JFLAG as highlighted on this blog. This what happens to persons who are left to fend for themselves and they go astray.

Scene from the Shoemaker Gully in a documentary aired late last year.

Meanwhile Dwayne's House the supposed answer to the issue is still trying to raise funds via their Facebook Page. The last time I recall seeing the men making news once again was in November 2014 via CVM TV seen below:

Hope more and better solutions can be found, it seems the suggestion by another Superintendent, see New Kingston Cop Proposes Shelter for Shoemaker Gully LGBT Homeless Population has been ignored of shelved. Meanwhile JFLAG's offices formerly of Phoenix Avenue was stoned by some of the homeless/displaced MSM/Trans persons in January as confirmed recently. Staff and other business operators on the mini-complex had to take cover as the angry group threatened them with physical violence. JFLAG was apparently being blamed for neglecting them and sending the police to pursue all of them instead of the bad eggs linked in or found in the group. Sadly history has repeated itself as it was only two years ago in February 2013 members of the group stoned their offices when located at Upper Musgrave Avenue which is now demolished.

please see:

Men in house said occupied by gays attack Jamaica Observer news team

Gays Stone J-FLAG - After Being Cleared From Gov't Property, Homosexuals Launch Assault (Gleaner)

And we continue to reap the world-wind for not addressing homelessness when it was manageable

YOUNG MSM/TRANSGENDER WANT TO BE TREATED AS CITIZENS NOT POTENTIAL HIV/AIDS VICTIMS

and

MARAUDING HOMOSEXUALS AND J-FLAG (OBSERVER EDITORIAL) ……………

Hope remains while company is true.

Peace and tolerance

H

Woman verbally attacks Masicka as homosexual

The ease at which an allegation of homosexuality real or imagined can blow up into a major challenge and embarrassment is proven in this matter. 

We know that calling someone a battyman is the easiest way to belittle any man gay or straight but when it gets to hints to the accused sexual practices in intimate private times again real or imagined is where it gets problematic.

Accuses deejay of not taking care of child

Masicka performing live

As dancehall artiste Masicka tries to find a stable footing in the music industry after leaving the Konshens-led SubKonshus Music last year, another hurdle has come in his way, as a woman is alleging that he is not taking care of their son.

On February 5, 2014, a Facebook group, 'Masicka Fi Mine Him Son' was created and already has 145 members. The description on the group says, "Encourage unu DJ fi mine him son."

On that same day, someone commented in the group and said, "go to court and tell them you want to take out a summons for him and them will deal with it from there ..., but how I don't see any pic with you and him?"

To that the person who created the group responded, "He is never around so you won't see a pic of me and him."

In addition, numerous pictures of the child were posted in the group. The same child can also be seen numerous times on Masicka's Instagram page.

But the woman did not stop there, as she also took her rant to Instagram earlier this week, where she launched an attack on the artiste, but deleted the post some hours later.

In that post, the woman accuses him of being a homosexual, as well as someone who engages in oral sex.

"Himbuss before him. Oh wow! Waste a everything. Si mi and rush mi nuh dawg a dat yuh fi do. Loud and proud ...; defend it and mek people dead now," she said, in the Instagram post that was made on Monday.

The WEEKEND STAR said they tried to get in contact with the woman who made the posts but was unsuccessful.

However, when Masicka was asked to comment on the matter, he said, "no, no time at all. Mi tek mi family thing and mi son personal."

Meanwhile, since the start of the year, Masicka has released songs like General A Road, Just Can't Do It and Waiting.

Even in the man is bisexual then why is it needed to go public with accusations to destroy someone who has a child, is this the example that is being set for the child involved, effectively training the soon to be grown up kid to hate?

Sad that this is the adult rubbish out there today. Besides he is cute gay or not:

Peace & tolerance

H

Men convicted of killing AIDS Activist Steve Harvey file appeals

The late Steve Harvey (big nose) in the good days at Jamaica AIDS Support formerly on Upper Musgrave Avenue (now demolished)

THE two men convicted in July for murder in the 2005 killing of Jamaica AIDS Support employee Steve Harvey have filed appeals against their convictions and sentences.

Andre West and Dwayne Owen were convicted on July 31 and subsequently sentenced in the Home Circuit Court to life imprisonment. Justice Lloyd Hibbert ordered that the men serve 30 years' imprisonment.

The 30-year-old Harvey was abducted from his Kingston 20 home by gunmen. He was later found dead on Pinewood Terrace on November 30, 2005. His ATM card and other items were taken, while his stolen motor car was found parked at the football field at Markland Avenue in Grant's Pen, St Andrew.

The accused are from an area called Vietnam in Grant's Pen.

Meanwhile, West and another man, Lynford Allen, are facing a charge of murder in relation to the death of financial analyst Jamie Lue.

Twenty-five-year-old Lue, who worked at Alliance Capital Limited, was abducted in December 2005 in the Constant Spring area, robbed and killed while on his way to meet his girlfriend.

Lue's body was found in the back of his Honda CR-V along Mayfair Avenue, at the foot of Beverley Hills, on December 31, 2005.

Missing him after all these years.

Luv

Peace and tolerance

H

Learnt homosexual behaviour .............. backward thinking here?

You may want to read the following article very carefully and see the old fashioned way of addressing homosexuality overall as learnt behaviour, this coming from a psychologist here in Jamaica in 2014/5.

You may also want to respond by snail mail (as the only reply method offered) to:

Lifeline,

PO Box 1731,

KGN 8

AJM

Now to the article originally published in the Star News paper and several spots online:

Dear Readers,

AA is a 23-year-old female who writes Lifeline from Mandeville. She has been sexually active since 16 and has not been impressed with guys who have been a part of her life. Mostly, they have cheated on her, and have been more concerned about their own goals, sexually and in life.

Yes, she is cheesed off by men! Recently, AA has been sticking with her girlfriends and has begun to develop close, even sexual feelings, towards one.

She has never thought of herself as bisexual but now wonders if this could be the case. She feels like her friend understands her better than any man ever did, is more caring and beautiful. She asked Lifeline why men are often such rotters. She just doesn't have any feelings towards them anymore.

Lifeline acknowledges that AA's opinion and her impending change in sexual orientation is not new to formerly heterosexual women. As men have forgetten about the old-fashioned niceties with which to treat female. They treat them instead as 'buddies' with sexual benefits can be had.

That old-fashioned standing back and allowing the female to enter a room first, getting up and giving her a seat on the bus, or getting a tired girlfriend a cup of tea and giving her a foot massage, this lost caring skill, making a woman feel cherished and special, is one reason why there are more women looking to other women for solace ... and getting it!

So, if homosexuality is not always inherited, then what kind of influences lead to homosexual desires? Life events from early childhood can manifest later as homosexuality. There may be a one event, but exposure to several such as:

An absent father

A domineering mother

With females, sexual molestation in childhood by a close male relative

Sexual molestation by a same-sex relative

Divorce in a family, which can often lead to sexual problems for both the parents, as well as the children

Lack of a religious home environment

A lifestyle which is friendly towards homosexuality makes it easier to condone homosexuality as a valid choice

Exposure to unconventional sex at home (child viewing untraditional sex )

Group sex

Girls who get involved, sexually, at a young age with adult men

Abuse in a heterosexual relationship

Strong factors in becoming a homosexual include:

Any homosexual experience in childhood, if this is with an adult and especially so if the adult, was the very first experience with the homosexual culture, such as an authority figure like a teacher.

Another factor in favouring a homosexual relationship would be exposure to pornography in childhood.

There are also cultural influences, which can remove inhibitions towards homosexuality:

Pro-homosexual sex education

Socially approved homosexual sub-cultures

Openly homosexual authority figures

Legalisation of homosexuality

Societal acceptance of homosexuality as normal behaviour

Alternatively, there is less homosexual activity among religious groups

Studies show that 67 per cent of boys, whose first sexual experience was with an adult homosexual, continued to engage in homosexual activities as adults. The same with boys whose first sexual experience was with a female. Ninety-five per cent remain heterosexual as adults. The same pattern was reported for females.

Statistics also show that black men are twice as likely to be homosexual as caucasians and four times more likely to be bisexual. This is not genetic but may well be due to the fact that black men preponderantly grow up in broken homes, with no strong male figure or a domineering female figure.

In the USA 62 per cent of Blacks versus 16 per cent of white children, are reared without fathers. These figures are not likely to be better in Jamaica.

Homosexuals do experiment a lot, sexually, and many have been sexually aroused or had sexual relationships with someone of the opposite sex. With these individuals, homosexuality may be a lifestyle choice rather than being genetically predetermined.

Several individuals have had one or two homosexual experiences and never again. Then there are individuals in committed heterosexual relationships with spouses and children, who have walked away from that relationship to move forward with a same-sex lover.

Much in these relationships is about personal choice, made with the background of previous life experiences. The truth is that in any community there are individuals considering changing their sexual orientation, in either direction, from heterosexual, to homosexual or vice-versa.

One fact is undeniable. It is that if a person is heterosexual and conflicted by homosexual attractions, if they stay within a homosexual environment they are likely to indulge. If they don't want to indulge, they should remove themselves from temptation, at least temporarily. Associations are important.

Studies measuring arousal show that when shown sexually specific material, most men were only aroused by one gender, whereas most women exhibited sexual arousal to pictures of both genders, showing that, often, sexual orientation is more gender specific in men than in women. That is, sexual orientation is usually more fluid in females.

One cannot ignore the fact, however, that biology plays its part in sexual orientation. Due to genital problems, some children in the past were raised contrary to their biological identity and were seen to reclaim their biological sexual orientation in adulthood.

Our biological nature, as male or female, does have a strong influence on our ultimate gender identity and sexual orientation.

There is some evidence to show that a relative lack of male sex hormones in the developing feotus can later influence sexual orientation, as low testosterone hormonal levels in the uterus facilitate the development of the female-type brain.

Alternatively, exposure to too-high male sex hormones in the uterus may eventually manifest a more masculine brain in a female as female homosexuality. This may account for some homosexual behaviour.

Where sexual desire and sexual attraction is concerned there is no evidence that conscious choice is a part of the equation for straight or homosexual individuals.

In the end, you like who you like. It is up to an individual to act on the emotion or not. A married man might chose to ignore a sexual attraction to his colleague at work for obvious reasons. As adults, we make our own choices in life, ultimately.

Note also, increased infections with bacterial vaginosis in female homosexuals, Hepatitis, genital herpes simplex and alcohol abuse are increased in all homosexuals, mostly occurring because of the tendency towards multiple partners. A committed single-partner relationship is always best.

ENDS

I am sorry for this woman, as she clearly needs some enlightenment here.

Peace and tolerance

H

Gays caused J'can music to suffer, war was unnecessary says entertainment manager

Iconic entertainment manger Copeland Forbes says Jamaican music lost the war against the homosexual community reported Curtis Campbell of the Star News today.

According to Forbes, the war was unnecessary and only served to set back reggae and dancehall music for decades.

The manager, who has worked with a long list of icons including Beres Hammond, Gregory Isaacs, The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Ziggy Marley, Sugar Minott and Luciano, was speaking to The STAR at the recently concluded International Reggae Conference hosted at The University of The West Indies. He believes it will take a strong level of professionalism for Jamaican music to bounce back.

courtesy of his Facebook profile

"I used to tell my artistes you don't need to go down that road, leave that alone. You don't need to go on stage and address homosexuality because it existed before you, and it will exist after you are gone. The sad thing is that our entire music industry was affected," he said.

Shabba Ranks was blacklisted by several companies in the '90s, after the deejay stated in an international interview that he did not support homosexuality. Forbes believes Jamaican genres suffered a similar fate.

Still affected

"Look pan Beenie Man, he did a duet with Janet Jackson and that went nowhere because the homosexual community was going hard against him at the time and the record label pulled away. They lost because over a million dollars was pumped into the production of that song. You don't need to address dem because a lot of them are in the record companies and you are shaking their hands and you don't even know. So leave that alone, homosexuality existed before you and it will be here when yu gone, yu don't have to bring that inna yu music," he said.

The manager further stated that recording artistes who stayed away from such topics were still affected, because Jamaican music was branded as 'hate music'.

"I see even Beres Hammond suffer the consequences of that and Beres never have any part in it. He had five shows cancelled in one year, the only person I think escaped was Luciano. Beres even lost his band that year because when his shows were being cancelled, the band members were forced to go their separate ways. The fight was not only against some artistes, but the entire genre and that was the problem. I'm sorry I never bring the signature to show you today of four prominent men who signed to say they were not going to sing against homosexuality. Many of the artistes did it secretly," he said.

The International Reggae Conference was held from February 11-13 and conveniently falls under the Reggae Month celebrations endorsed by JaRIA.

Pity that the rest of the artistes in my estimation did not stand on principle and disassociate themselves from the murder music ones who advocate death for gays, yet they complain their business has slowed while in the same breath when most of them are interviewed they say their overseas appearances have been successful, so is someone lying here?

The dancehall DJs for the most part have stopped putting out new material calling for the execution of homosexuals but older acts with songs of that nature in their repertoire every now and again do try to perform excerpts of the popular tracks on live sets to gain "a forward" or to rile the crowd as such songs though dated still pulls the audience to a full rush. The last near miss was at Rebel Salute but it was more a subtle strategy instead of repeating the offending lyrics openly so as to avoid scrutiny by vigilant activists.

Check out JFLAG's Response as appearing in the Sunday Gleaner February 22, 2015: 

Ready For Dialogue - J-FLAG Welcomes Open Discussion With Artistes

Lewis agrees that the dancehall fraternity has suffered tremendously from protests over the years to bar artistes from performing at events in a number of countries across North America and Europe. He states that it is time the artistes and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community convene a meeting to discuss these matters and chart a way forward.
"We've been trying every so often to engage the artistes in dialogue. We've seen these national displays of homo-intolerance, particularly by some artistes. The 2012 and 2013 Independence galas, for example, had some homophobic slurs, which thankfully, the Government and wider society responded to. Our efforts have consistently been getting them to see that while they have a right to freedom of expression, with that comes a level of responsibility. There is more to Jamaica and our music than hate and violence and it is incumbent on our artistes to show the world what is good about Jamaica, our people and music. We can't allow our nation to be characterised by this, because, ultimately, it's the artistes, their family and team who depend on it for their livelihood that suffer. In fact, members of the LGBT community who work in the industry, as well as other artistes who don't have such songs, are affected too," Lewis said.

Peace and tolerance 

H

Gay man gets six months for shoplifting at Megamart

A self-confessed homosexual man who claimed that he was set up by his friend during a shoplifting expedition at MegaMart Wholesale Club on Waterloo Road in St Andrew was sentenced to six months in prison on the week ending January 18th.

Everton Malcolm, 20, of Greenwich Town, in Kingston, was sentenced by RM Pusey on a charge of shoplifting after he was held outside the store with the items in a handbag on January 4.

According to the statement of the security guard who held Malcolm, on the day of the incident he was in the camera room when he saw two men pushing a trolley.

One of the men had a handbag over his shoulder while another handbag was hanging on the side of the trolley, the guard said.

The guard said that one of the men, who was later identified as Malcolm, went behind a shelf and placed some items in the bag while the other went to the cashier to cash some items.

Malcolm then exited the store with the items but was held by the guard who summoned the police.

The young man when cautioned by the police reportedly said: "Me hungry and me naa wuk."

The goods in question included Milky Way chocolate, sausages, and Nesquick Chocolate mix valued at $3,360.46

But on Friday when the matter was mentioned, Malcolm, who had a small headband over his curly hair, said that he was innocent, claiming that his "girlfriend" had set him up.

"Is not me, is me and me friend go up a MegaMart, she have a handbag and me have a handbag and she tek de things dem and put dem in deh and switch up the bag," Malcolm said.

He them complained to the court that "the police man thump me in a me eye and it did swell up and bare things."

RM Pusey was not convinced and sentenced him to serve six months in prison.

But before he left, Malcolm lodged another complaint about the police.

"Maam de police nuh stop trouble me and me nah get nuh food and me nah get fi bathe," he said. He was promised by the magistrate that she would address the matter.

Pity that cases like this where a man is said to be gay becomes material for opposers to LGBT rights as reasons for not supposedly allowing rights as it were. Last year there were a few cases similar to this one that added fuel to that no gay rights fire even as the Sexual Offences Bill was being debated in parliament and the joint select committee went off to deliberate following several submissions.

Then again the behaviour of some of our compatriots does not help any as the clip below clearly shows:

then it is no wonder there is little sympathy for homeless and displaced sections of the MSM/Trans community.

Peace and tolerance

H

Miami-based Max-Arthur Mantle debut novel BATTY BWOY taps Jamaica’s homophobia

February 2015

Miami, Florida.

Miami-based Max-Arthur Mantle debut novel BATTY BWOY taps Jamaica’s homophobia

In Jamaica, being gay is a death sentence. “Boom bye, bye inna batty bwoy head” has replaced the country’s motto “Out of many, one people.”

Time magazine noted Jamaica the worst place in the Americas for LGBT people and one of the most homophobic places in the world. 

BATTY BWOY is a semi-fiction bildungsroman set in Jamaica and America. The title is a reappropriation of the derogatory Jamaican epithet used to describe gay, bisexual and effeminate men or those presumed to be gay or bisexual.

BATTY BWOY is a chronological narrative covering the life of a gay black Jamaican as he battles harsh socio-economic conditions, overcoming some and defeated by others then finds hope.

Max-Arthur Mantle is a Jamaican-born writer. He migrated to America in 1992. He studied journalism and photography at Howard University in Washington, DC and served in the US military (Navy). For ten years, he had been an internationally published fashion photographer, garnering editorials, covers and a photo book, BEACH BOYS, published in 2012 by Bruno Gmunder Verlag GmbH (Berlin, Germany). After a three year hiatus from shooting to focus on writing, BATTY BWOY is the first of a trilogy. Max-Arthur Mantle lives in Miami, Florida.

BATTY BWOY will be published in April 2015. The autographed hardcover edition will be available exclusively at www.maxarthurmantle.net, where you can order via email at maxarthurmantle@yahoo.com. The cost is US$29.95, plus US$5.95 for shipping in the USA and additional charges for international shipping. The paperback and ebook editions will be available thereafter at Amazon. 

For additional information please visit www.maxarthurmantle.net. 

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