Anal: Should you go back there?

BY KIMBERLEY HIBBERT

IT is not much of a taboo topic anymore, and more and more couples are seemingly exploring the phenomenon of anal sex.

But are their explorations medically safe? Deviant? Or is it just a matter of how cautious you are?

According to sex therapist Dr Sidney McGill, many Jamaicans will think it is deviant behaviour because it does not fall within the status quo of religion or socialisation.

“Status quo wants to maintain what is considered to be the proper or right action, and culture is maintaining the status quo,” he said, adding that publicly many people maintain the status quo but privately they do otherwise.

He said sexual acts are governed by our cultural and religious norms, so no matter what somebody says that is scientifically informed, if a belief is strong then people will do it.

He also explained that though anal penetration or anal sex has always been associated with male homosexuality, having anal sex doesn’t mean you’re homosexual.

“There is this one guy who I know who’s been married for many years but enjoys having anal sex with his wife more than vaginal sex and she’s growing accustomed to it, but he’s not a homosexual,” Dr McGill said.

The sex therapist stated that there are a number of couples who come in and contemplate anal sex because the men complain that they no longer enjoy sex as a result of numerous vaginal births.

“So a woman who wants her partner or husband to be sexually satisfied or a couple who’s fairly liberal may consider this [anal sex] as an alternative use,” he said.

He said while the primary purpose of the anus is to expel faecal matter, and at the beginning anal sex is painful, and there may be risks involved for the receiver and the penetrator, pleasure can be had and all people need is a little counselling.

“There are nerve endings in the rectum that some people find very pleasurable. So you’d recognise that this is not the primary purpose, but that there are benefits or pleasure once you take the necessary precautions to ensure that the person receiving is not harmed in any way and the person giving does not pick up infections,” the sex therapist said.

He added: “Sex is more than science; it has to do with feelings and a lot of the time feelings are irrational, so you have to take this into consideration when making decisions. If a couple is doing it and there’s no resistance from either party I am not going to discourage them. If a couple comes to me and one partner does not want to have anal sex, I’d be willing to explore the topic with them so that they can make decisions about their sexual activity. I’m not going to come out and say that this is right or wrong. It can be right or wrong depending on whom you’re doing it with. I want to stand on the fence in a neutral position and help people to sort out their lives in terms of what’s right for them or wrong for them.”

He said that there are many variables that should, however, be considered if you are going to have anal sex.

These include being free of sexually transmitted diseases, being screened for HIV, and taking into consideration if one partner is having multisexual relations.

Meanwhile, Dr Charles Rockhead, obstetrician-gynaecologist, said from a medical standpoint he cannot dictate to people or legislate sexual activity to individuals; rather he can only advise them as to the safest route.

“What I can do if they ask me about it is to help to prevent the complications or creating any damage. My view as a scientist and a physician is to prevent complications in a patient. If a man makes up his mind and says he wants to have anal sex with his wife, I can’t stop him. I can’t tell him don’t do it. That’s not my job. My job is to tell him how to prevent complications,” he said.

“If they ask me about it I’m not there to counsel them against it. I’m there to say if you do it, this should occur — that is, proper lubrication, proper sheathing. Complications may include anal fissures, anal tears, and further complications if you have a rectal injury or tear. Also to try to avoid double dipping — anal and then straight vaginal as it cannot be healthy for the female.”

Homeless gays accused of Megamart employee murder

Here we are again this old familiar place and yet another matter that just brings the whole ugly business of homeless MSM/Trangender issues front and centre. Now that the elections are on the way this has to come to light.

A 27-year-old Megamart employee was killed while on his way home from work on Thursday, February 25 earlier today. On the morning after employees of Megamart were clearly upset as reported to me by colleagues who visited the store; staff were livid that the 'homosexuals nearby' had killed their co-worker in an over heard conversation.

Further inquiries revealed the murder and there was talk of a removal yet again by cops and the authorities with only one ended on January 9 by the Kingston & St Andrew Co-operation, KSAC alongside police.
The deceased, identified as Nicholas Beadle, is said to have taken a shortcut path in the area of West King’s House road, where it is alleged that a group of four men attacked him, stabbing him several times.

Beadle died while receiving treatment in the hospital.

Megamart director of operations, Omar Azan reportedly said that he is saddened by the death of the employee and that Megamart has been cooperating with the police.

The Half-Way Tree police are currently investigating the matter.

According to a Megamart employee, who spoke to another outlet on condition of anonymity, staff at the company’s Waterloo location have been threatened by a group of men who had been banned from the store due to their unruly and vulgar behaviour.

However, Azan said he is unaware of the alleged threat.

A candle light ceremony was held for Beadle on Wednesday night. He was remembered as being a kind-hearted person.

This case is a chicken and egg situation to me as there have been reports and a reported video footage of an unprovoked encounter with the homeless MSM who live or pass through the open lot known as the cholera cemetary; there has been a tense situation for some time now with clashes both outside and instore as well.

Previous posts such as:

Gay Men Accused of making pass at Man at Mega Mart, Police Cools Tense Standoff

Gay man gets six months for shoplifting at Megamart 

have not helped their image and as more join the group it is becoming untenable. Only January we saw a removal exercise and such on the opposite side of the area behind the Canadian embassy. 

please see: Mutabaruka: JFLAG & gov’t should do more for homeless gays, conflates abuse with homophobia and 

"DVD Reveller" still displaced? part 2 It is clear that the powerful and resourced NGOs are not interested in any meaningful way even after 7 years of the closure of the only residency albeit a pilot no proper response has come since; one wonders why we keep seeing these incidents coming to the fore.

Colour Pink training in January in Montego Bay

one suspect (top) named is a Mr. Marlando Orlando Ricketts otherwise called F*ckiesha a past student of Calabar High School. Residents complained that men reportedly stayed on the lot to terrorize, rob and prostitute themselves but did not permanently live there. They were said to come and go at intervals because they do have homes. Please help to assist the police in locating these men.

The little tokenism and workshops being shown as solutions obviously is not even close to deal with the size and scope of the problem. 

Sigh, it is really hard to watch and fathom how the least amongst us are just that the least. Condolences to the family of Mr Beadle and it is sad that this is where we are at again with the unwarranted loss of life.

This blog is replete with reports on how we have travelled on this subject from 2009; see the Homeless MSM tab immediately below or here (newer posts will appear first including this one)

Lastly the guys have relocated or at least some of them to a new spot:

Peace & tolerance

H

22-Y-O Gay Died by Electrocution After Trying to Jump a High Voltage Fence

So much stuff has been happening with our displaced and homeless MSM/transgender that it boggles the mind, here is another such matter in recent weeks in Kingston alone that has a bad ending to it.

photo from Newsbug

A 22 -year-old was electrocuted on a Tuesday morning after trying to jump a fence with high voltage access to housing , located in Ponce neighborhood of this city.

Walter David Rodriguez, a young gay man , known as Salome , apparently trying to enter the house and climb the cyclone mesh and want to cross the lines with electricity , high voltage glared , being inert over the fence .

According to the first report, the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at the Ponce neighborhood of this city, opposite a renowned restaurant selling roast .

Members of the Fire Department came to the scene to lower the lifeless body of 22 year old .

Also they reached the police and forensic medicine authorities to the recognition of Law and later handed the lifeless body to his families, who were present at the place where the accident occurred. Reasons as to why he was jumping the fence is unclear if it is that he was escaping a chase or taking a shortcut.

Other matters have seen clashes in New Kingston with some other homeless gays brethren who have been openly soliciting sexual favours in exchange for some payment which has landed them in some serious trouble; a stabbing incident as well in January which just landed on my desk is being investigated by police; a geographical change by the authorities of an old cruising haunt also has had some deleterious effect as reported thugs have been patrolling the spot supposedly looking for 'battyman'

Sad our least are still spiraling out of control after a glaring non interest in addressing such matters when they were far more manageable.

We have had announcement after announcement with sometimes thunderous applause yet no real intervention coming to address the problem especially in Kingston as the problem just rolls on and snowballs with all kinds of disastrous outcomes; even as displacements and homelessness in the LGBT (more so MSM/transgender) groups are affected more and the crisis reports are available for all to see or hear about.

Remember this big one yet no help:

MP seeks solutions for homeless gay youth (May 2015)

meanwhile:

Sadly designated sites (167 King Street) for general homeless assistance still remain unused since as evidenced above they were launched by a JLP government so continuity is not the name of the game for the benefit of the least amongst us.

Rest in peace yah man.

Peace and tolerance

H

JLP 2016 manifesto soft on human rights, mute on referenda & buggery, polls news #Javotes #Javote2016 #DecisionJa2016

Since the release of the document I have waited deliberately to see if any rebuttals would have addressed my concerns but to no avail; none has come via social media & twitter even as some questions were posed openly and messages sent privately to certain persons who are close to LGBT populations if not LGBT themselves but not out.

It is in the silence in between the campaigning on the political hustings that we must interrogate I suggest; the manifesto released on Friday last was surprisingly to me 56 pages in length when compared to their 2011 document of 134 pages, from which I quoted parts on human rights and some links to vulnerable groups. I just got a chance to read it through uninterrupted and I am left in lah lah land so to speak. The much touted referendum on buggery is missing from the document and as for the human rights component are only sentences of vagaries. 

Page 18 suggests the JLP if it wins will reform the justice system (a promise from both parties over the years) and the establishment of a human rights commission when compared to a much touted by the current PNP administration of a human rights institute which is yet to get off the ground; the PNP manifesto by the way has not mentioned any continuation of that action either which makes me wonder.

Despite the surprise and for some welcomed open support by former leader Edward Seaga at the mass meeting in Half Way Tree on Sunday 21st and his trumpeting of his baby the Charter of Rights which took 17 years to eventually come to life no mention was made of anything to do with buggery or when he hinted to his former rival P. J Patterson who also appeared at the PNP’s western Jamaica meeting of his perceived sexual orientation; everyone seems to be staying clear of that one.

While the JLP uses the Charter of Rights’ passage as bragging rights albeit it took some 15 years to get it to fruition the JLP needs to remember it sided with the PNP in many instances on the parachuted or invented futuristic gay marriage rights advocacy and the subsequent removal of the only protection regarding stigma & discrimination linked to sexual orientation. Case in point former Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s (post not in my cabinet BBC comment) during the Charter’s amendment debate in 2009 claimed no gay marriage rights when no one asked or claimed any such thrust and bearing in mind gay as defined between a man and a woman is deeply entrenched in the constitution so change cannot be a simple two thirds vote in the houses or even a high court ruling in our jurisprudence.

Interestingly former PM Seaga lamented that persons are still asking or crying ‘We want justice’ and that the Office of the Public Defender which was a creature of the Charter’s creation (a replacement for section three of the constitution) is to provide legal services for the poor who cannot afford private counsel; yet the Public Defender is swamped with cases and reports but short or deliberately starved of cash. Some of those cases frankly also include LGBT stigma & discrimination matters from my days at JFLAG’s crisis intervention desk between 2008 to 2010 as old cases were taken to the office when enacted.

Then comes the pushback on the 10 point plan and the seeming attractive tax relief on PAYE which has the very influential Economist Magazine saying the plan does not seem workable as how can 250,000 jobs be created when 178,000 are unemployed, they never stated the source of the figures. Then although the JLP has effectively reshaped the discussion of the issues and have the PNP on the offensive especially on the tax plan, when only an estimated 118,000 persons who are eligible voters will be affected by the PAYE removal which is about 6% of the total vote cohort; other issues of course will have an impact and the latest RJR commissioned Don Anderson polls show a 1% surge for the JLP supposedly based on the tax reform/PAYE removal proposal. The PNP has been chipping away at it relentlessly and it is now apparent why they refused to participate in the leadership debates outside of being forced to address obvious questions they may be unable to answer including the buggery law/conscience vote issues.

I thought that the referendum on buggery and the CCJ which had gained some traction since first mooted would have appeared prominently in the document but on page 48

 

entitled “Protecting the Vulnerable” the wording only speaks to children and not the elderly or minorities such as LGBT. The next page 49 spoke to gender issues, sexual reproductive health, men and masculinities and gender based violence. Page 18 under Human Rights it speaks only as a vague sentence “protect vulnerable groups” now what does that really mean? Or the line item “Institute a programme to remove and repeal outdated legislation.” Does that include buggery or will the referendum obtain? Under page 49 as well there is a line item:

“Review of legislation of sexual offences, domestic violence and childcare & protection.”

Given that that happens every four years and includes the problematic “Buggery Law” again uncertainty and vagueness of the documents and the pandering or not to either religious right groups or hugging up LGBT advocacies as a good image building tactic for international partners but no change in the actual legislations at all in fear of political demises. Seeing the diluted ‘Savings Law Clause’ which has opened up a door in a sense to tackling the law for amendment or legal constitutional challenges, is it that the JLP may somehow reinforce that clause so as to preserve the law and making it immune from challenges? And how would the PNP react to this although their manifesto is also silent on LGBT albeit the Justice Minister like many in the executive and elsewhere privately know that the law needs to go or be amended but the open will is just not there.

Frankly given the sequence of events this time around maybe legislatively qualified political organizations must submit or release their manifestos on the same day or time, similar to counsel in court making submissions so as to avoid one-upmanship and so on. I am just unsure and wondering what in hell am I going to put my X for? My member of parliament who I have not seen for nearly some twelve years or more has not passed by; only a bus or some thugs with the voter information card of the candidate which makes me wonder about safety of persons and who these questionable looking characters may recall.

Despite the presence of a Rastafarian gentleman who is an attorney running as a candidate and his stripes in terms of LGBT are known in certain circles I have not seen any barbs or campaign materials to give effect to LGBT considerations publicly at least, referendum or law reform regarding buggery and the CCJ. The gentleman is now crying foul that his supporters are being intimidated by PNP supporters through threats the removal or defacing of campaign posters in Gregory Park and now a push all of a sudden to remove the poling division from the oldest location to a new locale on the guise of inefficiency on a future victimhood campaign. also see: Terrelonge Says PNP Wants Polling Station Moved Out Of Desperation (Gleaner)

Good to see however that despite the pigeon holing of the JLP’s ten point plan, a certain Matalon’ malcontent on tax reform suggestions and such cost and size of houses included the public debate seems widely placed on issues for the most part but one cannot escape the wrenches thrown in the mix. But the missing specifics on both party’s front is not aiding my decision where to mark my ‘X’

Audley Shaw Finance spokesperson spoke of a so called last minute swing for the PNP looks good in his eyes and Seaga’s appearance a first since his departure are signs maybe they smell victory somewhere. February 22nd police and election day worker voting preliminary figures suggest just over a 50% turnout when compared to 2011’s just over 28% a near doubling; pundits have since suggested that if voter turnout overall is over 60% then it is a close win for the JLP as they need to win back seats lost numbered some 18 then add to that to get the majority. I am feeling a close election given more eligible voters are around now and the parameters are different this time around especially the social media and smart phone app inclusion. Young people (18 – 35) make up almost 73% of the voting public and are very vocal and included in the articulate minority online; will those persons translate their thoughts to actual votes and then be vigilant afterwards is yet to be seen. Youth unemployment is 28% yet promises are made of jobs, jobs and so on yet to have their hopes dashed. It’s about the transforming of their social existence.

Gleaner lead story HERE

There are about 21 constituencies such as East Rural and Eastern St Andrew look good for the JLP in the eyes of some but violence in Eastern St Thomas or St Andrew and the aforementioned Gregory Park matter are done to put a spoke in the momentum for the JLP. The close seats are the ones to watch on election night.

last mapping from the Gleaner

I am nervous about surprises in the future or procrastinations or some explain-away that it not a priority right now that are simply not plausible. Finally the According to the Ramsamooj poll, 62.03 per cent of respondents said ‘yes’ when asked: “Do you think the Government was able to pass the IMF tests at the expense of the citizens of Jamaica?”

Another 21.14 per cent said ‘no,’ and 12.84 per cent said they did not know. Respondents were also asked if they agreed or disagreed with the slogans of the parties — the PNP’s ‘Step up the Progress’ and the JLP’s ‘From Poverty to Prosperity’.

Some 53.47 per cent agreed with the PNP’s slogan, against 46.53 per cent who disagreed. On the other hand, 62.27 per cent were in agreement with the JLP’s slogan, and 37.73 per cent in disagreement.

The JLP, meanwhile, had 80.70 per cent of respondents endorsing its growth agenda as part of its job creation plan; 77.71 per cent endorsed its planned creation of a Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation; and 75.64 per cent backed its National Apprenticeship Programme.

“Both the PNP and the JLP have been able to motivate and mobilise core supporters, and both have demonstrated that they have been able to bring out their support base as a method of testing and reviewing their election day machinery,” Ramsamooj told the Observer yesterday.

However, he said that what is critical is the political appeal of both platforms in attracting the undecided voters. He said it was evident that the electorate is looking for leadership that will meet the IMF conditionalities, while improving their lives.

“The political rhetoric and political optics displayed, while resonating with party supporters, have a different interpretation with the undecided, first-time voters, the business community, and swing voters,” he said.

Voters, he added, would also be concerned about the benefits under a new Administration over the next five years.

Political interest, he said, has been heightened since the parties launched their manifestos last week, but noted that the public conversation is more about the JLP’s 10-point plan. More HERE: T&T pollster finds momentum leaning to JLP - Marginal seats hold key to victory, but any error could spell disaster Jamaica Observer.

Mek we see nuh.

Peace & tolerance.

H

St Ann cruiser’s near miss & a sprained arm

A longtimer in his late forties (name withheld by request) in the cruising business is now nursing a sprained arm after an encounter with one of those unsure brothers who seemingly according to the man is on the fence when it comes to men and sexual activity. I dread these kinds of men who can literally change their persona in a heartbeat especially after the fun is over (cum) and he is back to earth so to speak; it is as if he has lost all desire after ejaculation or high arousal and he probably feels ‘dirty’ and he blames the other man of inveigling him into sex or he has a guilt trip that he just did something wrong (a kind of I can’t help myself remorse) as he was trying to ‘change’ as it were from having gay feelings to heterosexual ones in terms of sex.

December 2015 was the time of the incident at a popular hunting spot nearing Ocho Rios close to the beach, in my more naughtier years lol I have had some quick encounters there; the fellow cruiser made his way there for a potential hook-up and met the man turned perpetrator, the man is also a repeat visitor and is known for his gifted endowment; both had made the move to commence some fun and the quick business was eventually dealt with; the men walked to another location and started a conversation which is not the norm in those outdoor circumstances but none the less it occurred; usually persons leave the scene and go their separate ways with a sort of ‘next time’ expectation resonated in their minds. In a radical turn around by the perpetrator in terms of his demeanor he started to accuse the not yet injured cruiser of forcing him into sex and he was not happy from the get go of their encounter and he was uncomfortable with sex with men and that it was a sin etc; this was said despite no such feelings were expressed in the heat of the moment and fun.

My cruiser colleague in his report by phone continued that he found it puzzling as to the reaction by the man; so he decided to walk him out and leave him alone as he the cruiser concluded the man was confused he could not be bothered to engage that despite the man was known by himself and others on the ‘network.’ It was at that juncture things got physical as the man felt aggrieved saying among other things (choice expletives) he felt disrespected seeing the cruiser was walking him out or not responding as he wanted him to regarding the discomfort he felt albeit after a sexual encounter. The men fought briefly and in the tussle a piece of board lying nearby was used by the ‘confused’ man to inflict blows on the victim in the case.

He sustained minor injuries and a sprained arm after all was said and done, this is not the first time I have heard reports of such clashes with men in the cruising world and subsequent physical injury. On my Wordpress blog I carried a similar story some years ago as well, funny how history seems to repeat itself and such encounters are so similar with violence factoring in most cases I am aware of.

Also see: GAY CRUISER SUFFERS BROKEN ARM AFTER TUSSLE 2011

There was similar matter nearing the old cholera cemetery in 2007 on West King’s House road when there was an active cruising group there some of whom have moved on or migrated to other lands; a man was set upon by another even after both men engaged in a partnered masturbation exercise; upon demanded payment of some kind not met the perpetrator reacted violently but the victim so to speak manage to escape.

The Sandy Gully back in the late nineties when it featured as a site for homeless MSM, commercial sex workers and cruisers sharing areas along the strip had an incident that ended up with man stabbed and hospitalized for weeks with the perpetrator set upon by other men at Springs Plaza by the KFC store when that part of town was a hangout. The victim was eventually aided by then community divo matriarch so to speak Donald Thompson aka Fay Donaway who had an apartment nearby by Gore Terrace.

The present incident continued:

Things eventually cooled after a stone throwing response from the injured cruiser so as to defend himself and chase away the perpetrator. The man has also threatened he intends to out my cruiser colleague if he is seen in the town or its environs to which the cruiser reminded him that they were both the ‘same thing’ meaning he was gay too so he should not pretend he is heterosexual in public to deflect scrutiny if and when he attempts to out the cruiser. Again I am amazed at how some brothers just can literally change in a moment’s notice.

I have had my run-ins too way back in the day when I used to feature a spot downtown; one of the longest serving haunts until the geographical changes that came to erase it. I was forced to defend myself after a guy who I just jacked off with wanted money and attempted to rob me as well of cash and such. Thankfully I am able to handle myself and put a spoke in his wheel with his intent; another time I was forced to wrestle with a thug who claimed he wanted to penetrate me at any cost to which I refused to give in and like the previous reference he was surprised at my response as I was able to inflict a few blows to his face in defence. From that day onwards he has a long term bitterness towards me and has even attempted to impugned all kinds of allegations on the street about me. That has since died down and he claims he has gone back to women as it were.

The perils of the ‘hunt’ are numerous outside of ‘confused’ or unsure men who seemingly cannot seem to resist their urge for some sexual play with a man but are conflicted with their own inner values and self awareness/acceptance. Robbery to is also a major challenge as some men use luring other men into encounters with a view to perpetrate a heist of some kind; sometimes under threat of being publicly labelled as gay so as to cause a mob to follow and such.

My cruiser brethren says he is going to be more circumspect from now on and avoid that area for now so as not to run into the ‘confused’ man.

Peace & tolerance

H

Homeless gays & PNP revellers clash after Mobay political meeting

Dump Up Beach angles, a long time hangout or pickup spot depending on where on the MSM spectrum one is at

I wondered if this was a comedy of errors of some sorts; to think some of the fellas involved in this latest round of challenges in western Jamaica involving some homeless MSM who were actually gifted with lunches and orange coloured PNP paraphernalia in anticipation of the penultimate mass meeting planned for yesterday Sunday 21, 2016 such as horns, t-shirts and stuff only to be ending up in a clash with other supporters of the party as the men were fingered as being gays and did not deserve to be associated with their party. The gifters of the materials probably expected the guys to add some spunk to the revelry given the party atmosphere that comes with these rallies.

This also on the heels of a February 4 report of another prominent gay man and alleged lotto scammer and son on veteran dancehall artist Ninjaman having to seek asylum in Holland as death threats came his way after he or his colleagues posted a video of himself and other men wearing makeup in a PNP motorcade with some supporters in the footage openly supporting them while others hurling homophobic remarks at them even as they reveled in the attention and good spirits. A follow up set of threats and intimidation has reportedly taken place with friends of ‘Ninja’ as he was affectionately called has only sought to make matters worse. There seems to be a surprise backlash from sections of the PNP support base towards persons perceived to be gay and or allegedly involved in scamming by are not ‘letting off’ a thing of money as before as police pressure make some fall from grace. The reported torching of two men in a car in 2015 for failing to deliver monies collected on behalf of a major lead scammer and who it is said the men were gay but good at what they do hence the symbiotic relationship is still on the streets as evidence that as things get tighter desperation and drastic measures are employed to protect monies and to remain active.

also see: Ninja Man's Gay Son fled Jamaica after Numerous Death Threats

typical bus heading to rally

The latest matter however stemmed from the ending of the mass meeting in Sam Sharpe Square for the PNP and despite the party leader echoing a call she made in Kingston two weeks ago at that campaign meeting of no violence or intimidation towards anyone it seems on the face of it some of her wagonists did not take the reprimand. Around 9:30pm nearing the dump up beach area was the scene of the melee as the men were followed it is now surmised as persons left the large capacity crowd meeting. The men were in a conversation according to my sources when they were approached by thugs who exchanged words to the effect that they wanted no ‘Fish’ in the election and that Portia Simpson Miller was not about to free ‘battyman’ so they ‘and their kind’ should stay away. The men did not take kindly to this as despite the anti LGBT sentiments overall the PNP continues to enjoy just by observation (difficult to quantify) support from the LGBT population more so than the JLP. The men reacted and a standoff quickly descended into an all out brawl with visiting friends from nearby parishes who also attended the mass rally coming to their aid; the friends had intended to stay the night hanging out on the strip hence their presence.

Stones, sticks and other readily materials easily doubling as materials were drawn came into play ending up with a busted lip, cuts on the face and head of two other persons and hot words exchanges. What seemed to be death threats were offered to the men as they were told they must be or would be shot if they continue to ‘bright up demself’

Sadly the homeless situation has not gotten the attention similar to their counterparts in capital city Kingston and in this case a couple longtimers were involved as well and persons who when possible migrate to that side of the island to try and turn a buck via commercial sex work. The raid by the police in a grand net-fishing exercise in January only sought to complicate matters further and a scattering of persons to the outskirts of to include the forcibly closed Calabash Club once ran by the late Kenrick Bebe Stevenson which raided by cops in 2012. Other clashes with members of the public are too numerous to itemise as intergroup dynamics play out and anti-social behaviours show up. The same can be said for our Kingston counterparts as the last matter was in New Kingston on Grenada Crescent involving men or the proverbial bikers and some of the guys who were hanging out by the parking lot adjacent to Victoria Mutual Building Society and on the piazza of the Flow Jamaica office; an old haunt.

Cruiser versus homeless individuals clashes also continue to occur as well as the battle for territory often produce issues. West King’s Rd for example was the scene of a nasty fight in late hours of February 13, according to reports of a passerby the argument was clearly about someone and man and who was in whose space.

The three injured men got some help from their friends who found a pharmacy in the heart of town and purchasing items to clean and treat the cuts such as band aids and rubbing alcohol.

also see from sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica: Weekend raid of CSWs in Mobay had homeless LGBT in dragnet

Peace & tolerance

H

Woman stabbed for gay rumours .....

Rumours of him being labelled a homosexual is what a man says got him into trouble with the law.

Oshando Hylton pleaded not guilty to unlawful wounding when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The accused told the court that the complainant had been spreading rumours in his community about his sexuality.

Hylton denied assaulting the complainant, who is his cousin-in-law, but admitted that he confronted her about the alleged rumours.

The complainant told the court that Hylton had accosted her, and shoved her to the ground where he proceeded to stab her with the screwdriver.

The accused told the court that he had only taken the screwdriver out of his pocket during their confrontation, but claimed that the complainant was lying about him using it.

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey ordered for the medical report of the complainant's injuries to be presented to her when the case returns to court on March 10.

Oh boy another case of he said she said land someone else in trouble; sometimes one has to walk it out and leave bitches alone, simply put yah man. Of course Pusey has decades of experience in this and similar cases so let us see if she will decipher the real truth behind it all.

It is a bit troubling to me with so many cases of young persons getting to altercations with others on the slightest gay rumour, profiling or suppositions.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Should we care about dancehall acts & rumours of gaydom?

Gay Men Accused of making pass at Man at Mega Mart, Police Cools Tense Standoff

Police woman charged for assault & wounding for attacking her lover 2012

Suspected lovers chopped, burnt? 2008 

Bail offered in wounding case 

See court related posts on sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica HERE

Is the pope serious about confronting child abuse? .... the question of the age

I have been watching this one on the side even as election silly season is on in full earnest; the long standing matter of child abuse by clergy has not gone unabated while Catholics locally have been opposing homosexuality and the smoke screen of futuristic gay marriage rights have been used to obfuscate the discussion if not shouting match on sexual orientation and the buggery law.

A blind eye has been turned on the issue and locally the repeated reports of inappropriate sexual abuse of pastors towards children has not been condemned with the stridency as that of the anti LGBT agenda; 

Father Holong at anti LGBT church rally in Half Way Tree

chief among them is Father Richard Holong, not to knock his work with the poor, HIV positive persons and destitute which are commendable but his association with Jamaica CAUSE and others claiming their opposition to any moves on amending or repealing the buggery law etc. The warning was issued on September 29, 2015; see the Observer report HERE. It is commendable and one thing to condemn paedophilia to conflate abuse with same gender sex leads to the constant rift between church groups, child rights groups and LGBT advocacies. 

meanwhile:
The Guardian two days ago reported:

Even by Vat
ican standards the timing is spectacularly inept. The six Oscar nominations for the movie Spotlight have refocused the attention of the world on the issue of paedophile priests inside the Catholic church – almost certainly the biggest scandal to plague the institution in the past century. And yet, with disdain or disregard for world opinion, just two weeks before the Oscars the most outspoken member of the pope’s commission to combat sex abuse has been sacked.

Pope Francis is busy elsewhere. After Friday’s historic meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church – the first for almost 1,000 years – he has been about his usual business: visiting prisoners, migrants, indigenous people and the families of victims of the violence of drug traffickers, this time in Mexico.

But in his absence a hidden civil war inside the Vatican continues. On one side are reformers who want public accountability for abuser priests and the bishops who have overseen them. On the other is the recidivist Roman old guard whose instinct for cover-up continues.

Pope Francis is reportedly wary of false accusations being made against priests. Photograph: Giulio Origlia/Getty Images

Two years ago Francis set up the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. It is made up of clerics, theologians, psychiatrists, therapists and – most significantly – two survivors of priestly sex abuse. The most vocal member was Peter Saunders, who founded the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, one of the world’s most forthright anti-abuse campaigners.

His sacking last weekend is a signal that, behind the scenes, the Catholic church is reverting to its old bad habits.


At its first meeting in May 2014, the commission’s president, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston – the man who cleaned up the mess exposed by Spotlight – startled its members by revealing that establishing the group had run into more opposition inside the Vatican than any other papal reforms, apart from the overhaul of Vatican finances.

Over the following two years the anti-abuse commission has seen attempt after attempt to undermine it. Key Vatican departments vied to take control of the body. Its decision to set up offices outside the Vatican was countermanded. Bureaucrats tried to subvert its attempt to write its own statutes. It was starved of finance.

Its press releases were doctored and diluted – as happened with the Vatican announcement on Saunders, which was presented as a fait accompli despite Saunders’ insistence he had merely been asked to consider whether his outspoken public pronouncements were compatible with his role as a papal adviser. “It was not a vote of no confidence,”another commission member, Marie Collins has since revealed.

As the story broke so did the news that the Catholic church had been running training courses for new bishops where they were told it was “not necessarily” their duty to report accusations of clerical child abuse to the police. The commission, it transpires, has been allowed no role in devising the training programme even though another member, the British psychiatrist Baroness Sheila Hollins, insisted on Friday that its brief was “to assist local churches in all parts of the world” to develop initiatives to safeguard children and vulnerable adults.

Church spin doctors rushed to the internet to suggest that removing Saunders, with his constant public lobbying on behalf of victims, would free the commission to get on with important policy work. That is the opposite of the truth.

Certainly Saunders has been an uncomfortable irritant for many in the Vatican. On the eve of this month’s meeting he told one newspaper that its previous session, in October, had been a “non-event”. He said publicly what a number of commissioners have told me privately, that the body – which meets only twice a year – is moving too slowly. “Glacial” is the word used by several members. 

the article went on:

The additional problem is that Francis appears ambivalent on the issue of clerical sex abuse. It took 10 months of private badgering by O’Malley before he agreed to set up the commission. Several of those close to Francis have told me that though he has a detestation of abuse, he is also wary of false accusations being made against priests.

That may explain why it took him over two years to accept the resignation of the US bishop Robert Finn in Kansas City after his 2012 criminal conviction for failing to report a paedophile priest to the police. Commission members called for Finn’s removal but it was almost three years after Finn’s criminal conviction before Francis authorised action.

Then, even more controversially, Francis promoted a bishop in Chile, Juan Barros, who was accused by abuse victims of covering up for a paedophile priest.

All of that sits uneasily with the policy of zero tolerance that Francis called for in 2014 – after his commissioners had repeatedly pressed him to endorse such an approach.

Rome may come to regret its judgment that Saunders is more of a nuisance inside the tent shouting out than he will be outside shouting in. Since his removal he has condemned the “Vatican system” as “essentially corrupt and unwilling to do the right thing” more HERE 

In other words the Catholic church has no moral authority in my eyes given the awful atrocities that have gone near unpunished and fairness for victims and their families; yet they are the ones who want to pronounce fire and brimstone on LGBT persons yet cannot address their internal sins.

The pope who we are now looking for to provide redress is left found wanting and most disgracefully, it hurts to watch these proceedings go down having been close to a case some years ago.

I hope there can be some start to bring closure once and for all on this as was the attempt on the near thousand year schism between Latin West and Orthodox East branches.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective Religious Anti Gay 2014

Vatican says cover-up accusations due to Pope's opposition to gay rights 2010

Two Good Letters on Gay Person-hood & Paedophile Homosexuality Conflation

No Reported cases of Paedophilia say local Catholic Diocese Representative 2010

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups?

Ephebophilia vs Paedophilia & Male Homosexuality part 2 .... the need to continue the discourse

Ninja Man's Gay Son fled Jamaica after Numerous Death Threats

Ninja Man's Gay Son fled Jamaica after Numerous Death Threats

Only on February 4 I posted (LGBT population image takes another blow ...... gay lovers held for lotto scamming) my concerns and a case involving alleged lotto scammers and how it has helped to spoil our image overall as LGBT people. Now comes this latest one involving another alleged person but this time it stems from a video he posted online.

Best of life reported:

Son of dancehall veteran Desmond Ballentine, stage name Ninja Man an friends allegedly fled Jamaica yesterday because of threats from armed thugs Best of Elite has gathered.

We understand that the “Jamaica Town” artiste has 29 kids allegedly by 28 different women, one of whom is involved in the same case he is going to court for- and another who is gay.

Ninjaman recently distances himself from his son after social media began buzzing with a video of the dancehall deejay’s gay son driving car that was a part of a political motorcade. After all it’s election season in Jamaica.

A video from the nomination motorcades showed a car with gay men clad in their orange shirts and bands, sitting on windows and gallivanting just as how the females would.

One of the persons videoing said that the driver of the motor vehicle was Ninja Man’s gay son while the others were his friends. The men were not hiding and were in line with the motorcade.

Ninja Man revealed that he has nothing to do with whether his son want to be straight or gay.

“I have nothing to do with anybody and their life,” the Gorgon said. “It’s not me who curse you its you who curse yourself. So if you condemn yourself it is not me who condemns you. I reach a stage in my life where I am just living for me, my god and my music.”

“I am not going to let what a man want to do with him life be a stress to me,” Ninja Man added.

ENDS

There is now talk of the Dutch authorities revising their asylum policy in terms of Jamaica but as at the preparation of this post it was not confirmed; the talk is cases may be reviewed far closer than usual.

Oh boi, what is next for us now?

Peace & tolerance

H 

additional coverage: listen carefully to the disbelief of homophobia in Jamaica and abuse.

Modern gay love, dating apps & deception wrapped in homophobia

As smart phones takes the place of many activities in our lives as there is an app for almost every darned thing these days from car wash services to booty call or hook-ups or even scamming where the infamous lotto scammers in trying to get serious cash also use the technology. Kinda knock some of the fun from the real deal sometimes but be that as it may I have posted before on deceptive hook-ups gone bad and fake Adam4adam profiles leading to some serious entrapment issues and even kidnapping. 

also see: Dubious Adam4Adam Profiles, Unscrupulous Sports, Gay Imposters, Robberies & Safety ..2014 and Cruising posts fro GLBTQ Jamaica (newer posts will appear first)

I am coming from the good old days of face to face links and a one off cruising jack off and or good one night stand but from a place of spontaneity which is so much the better for judging someone than using social media, online or dating apps.

Meeting through mutual friend is way better yah man.

To be armed with an industrial size fishing net that can fit in one’s pocket is ok in modern times but face to face is still the best for me and anyone can pose as a mystery date of muscular thug trying to lure one into a meeting or fuck; a reported Instagram based near miss attack last year just reminds us the dangers involved despite the wider availability and outness of young LGBT people who sometimes openly flirt on Facebook ( believe me I have had my share as recent as a couple days ago); it’s one thing to ask basic questions it’s a whole ‘nother ballgame when just by my photos or videos a total stranger can ask me if I want a one night moment or big is my dick or if I am a top or bottom or versatile. 

The biggest question I get most of all is how old am I? My birthday was on February five and at 43 I am a little tired of being told I look so young or do not look my age; yes I am flattered but sometimes it is just too much ammunition for an inappropriate approach as I am a little old fashioned in terms of intrigue and suspense or mystery thrill of the flirt. Frankly sometimes the welcome is warm and the flattery effusive.

It is easy to say things to someone behind a bubble on a screen and imaging and typerize in a sense fantasies that one will say in a face to face meeting, although the internet is a democratizing advantage it is also an echo chamber so to speak for bullshit such as profiling, fake pics, alter egos for so called felt lack or perfection, objectification issues which can sometimes lead to physical prejudice & stereotyping based on pre-conceived ideas of what one wants. One good thing at least for me as I try to navigate the newer technologies is that allows me options and I do use my photos and not a fake or pseudonyms save and except for my hookup activity. As my regular readers know by now I am not a one man’s man and relationships are not my thing despite I am asked to mediate challenges in that department for others.

also see: Sexting Basics: What You Need To Know Before You Press Send 2016

I am from the nineties days of the advent of Adam4adam to text chatrooms to WhatsApp; I can remember the good old days of phone dating services, phone sex matters and early JFLAG hotline services which I used to man and log the calls; inappropriately callers would literally call looking for a one night hookup, a jack off session outside of the main reason for the line in logging stigma & discrimination. Outlets then for release of sexual tension were far and few in between. 

Then came pages such as Rainbowvibes, my own GLBTQ Jamaica NING page (now defunct) where they were private match up groups and so on with fortunately a psychologist was part of my membership then who assisted when requested in matters and referrals for serious matters. Facebook now also has its fair share of guy to guy hook-ups and even a forward thinking bisexual group although the backlash from gay and lesbian folks to bisexuals as confused still bothers me. 

Now Gaydar is a fast rising online and dating App for Jamaicans as I tried it some time ago and nearly every taste is allowed. Grindr is doing well for now but it looks too plain to me and not exciting and covert identities can hide out and who knows what dangers lie behind hot torsos or thick dicks or a tight hairless asshole beckoning to stick your tongue or dick in it. Someone introduced me to Gay Romeo which looks cute but it’s mostly African guys who seem to populate the profiles as black men than locals or African Americans; maybe they do not know it so much yet.

Lesbians are also having some issues based on reports who also meet fakers so to speak and seems not to have caught on for that cohort as for men, I guess the spontaneity of man on man sex devoid of talk first, sex later considerations that delay hook-ups I imagine. For some women it helps it seems to monitor while using the search freedoms and allows online relationships from all accounts and cybersex used to cement the release factor. 

The aforementioned near miss Instagram case report (#gaydating) had the subject posting photos on Facebook of the matter with some minor injuries after a tussle and rightfully warning others of the ordeal and dangers involved. With some men generally still thinking male homosexuality as taboo whilst attaching money for sex and discreetness if indulged in; blackmail with a report I had not posted on my blog by request of the victim he was ambushed even as he got naked with the initial date; it turns out it was a gang of thugs posing as gays with the main actor playing the role of luring unsuspecting men at hotels or guest houses. Demands of thousands of dollars are not uncommon or several cases I have seen, worked on or heard of where motor vehicles and other valuables in the quest for untold wealth in their eyes at any cost.

I would advise to look for signs of either unstable folks, aggressiveness, inordinate demands as early warnings that something is obviously off. 

Nuff love

Peace & tolerance

H 

also see:

‘Tek yuh bomboclaat out a mi house battyman’ from Facebook fallout

Another young gay man is outed via Facebook 2013

Facebook & unintentional outings to family members .. 2012

Warning!: Fake Facebook pics and hookup dangers 2011

PNP’s 2016 manifesto silent on LGBT matters, very little on vulnerable groups #Javote2016 #DecisionJa2016

So I rushed to my PC when word came early yesterday that the eagerly anticipated People’s National Party, PNP manifesto for the upcoming February 25 election date was ready for viewing. I am been ambivalent on whether to vote or not or who to vote for or what issues that jostle for top priority in my mind; only to be perusing the rather shorter than usual document in only 72 pages a far cry from manifestos in times past from both major parties. The 2011 document came in two parts a longer version though limited available and then a subsequent 70 page condensed version.

Very little was said general with vagaries more so than anything else in this election cycle’s release. JFLAG in a sense made a sensible move by launching a petition based on the Vision 2030 goals while encouraging both parties vying to consider. Check out my post on it on sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica HERE.

And what the hell does the sentence in the PNP Manifesto saying 'Jamaica is at the intersection of hope and history’ mean?

Gleaner's Lasmay take on the debate debacle made me laugh

today's Gleaner headline: PNP promises first world country

Anyway I have to agree with the JLP affiliated Sharon Hay Webster with her views on identity politics she hinted to this morning on her Freshstart morning show on Newstalk 93FM when persons with those interests do not vote or make such matters a critical election item for to force political parties to have to address them, the so called pink vote has not really factored in many elections which was what led to the obnoxious comments and scoffing by first time MP Damian Crawford just two months into the PNP administration taking office in 2012. He dismissed the notion of any MP coming out or any conscience vote promised or otherwise happening; which was a sign of things to come in terms of deferring on the issue. Repeated sidelining persisted the years following to present led by information Minister (the worse one yet) Sandrea Falconer.

Remember these?

PNP's Damion Crawford says it's highly unlikely buggery review will happen ........ it's not important now

PNP's Damion Crawford on Homosexuality's legality .

Promised (I mean suggested) Conscience vote on Buggery law not a priority right now (yet again) says PM

The PNP seems to think that persons are supposed to automatically know what the party intends to do, even after the December run of press conferences on the Ministries’ work and the Jamaica Information Service’s JIS bordering propaganda style but then again I am not surprised that entity has always been used even in the old days when it would have been renamed to API, Agency for Public Information depending on who is in power at the time. Words such as ‘continuation’ ‘improve’ ‘extend’ and so on to suggest an extension of work over time. But seriously the sticky matters of the buggery law even while some very minor if not incremental changes mostly forced by pressure externally and locally on the ground is one thing but as for policy that’s another matter. Just take a look at the now cooled guidance counsellors’ matter and allegations of non engagement (yet to be properly proven) and discomfort by allegedly counsellors with LGBT students and continued inappropriate use of the referrals systems in the Ministry of Education.

No details on issues were present, a point made in an interview with deputy General Secretary of the PNP Julian Robinson on Radio Jamaica’s RJR Beyond the Headlines yesterday, host and Media Association President Dionne Jackson Miller mentioned the lack of depth in the document. Mr Robinson responded in the usual well rehearsed manner that it was not for the lack of thought or the gravity of the hardships faced by Jamaicans as it was more about a continuation of the policies and programs ongoing. I texted in to the show to ask so what about the new developments and or programs that have failed or not gotten off the ground? But my text like many others I imagine may have been lost in the sea of reactions and queries.

The social issues were tucked away on the far end of the document that I had to rip from the internet as a downloadable version was not made available up until the time of the preparation of this post which bothered me as well. One would think that the urgency of this as time winds down to the faithful day such a document should be more public. Bearing in mind the debate flip flopping, barbs from both parties about the opposition leader’s house, dismissal as irrelevant political debates and as frivolous and a deliberate avoidance of LGBT matters of buggery this time makes one wonder if the avoidance of the debate with obfuscations is a move to are now be seen as making promises or suggestions on same for marginalized groups. We cannot forget the CCJ baiting on the altar supposed legalization of buggery if a constitutional challenge goes to the Privy Council as done by the Justice Minister late last year.

See:
Justice Minister exploits homophobia to gain CCJ support

Despite the contents page displaying a list hinting to youth on page 34 it is on 43 and 44/5/7 that something is mentioned on psycho-social matters. It also depends on what platform you are viewing especially on ISUU. 

Then on page 51 gender is dealt with from an obvious hetero-normative construct as the image of a opposite sex couple leads into the page’s contents. 

Page 50/52 deals with the handling of the ‘plight of boys’

Then page 60 deals with the behaviour and code of conduct of parliamentarians but given recent events such as accusations of Youth Minister’s Lisa Hannah ‘battyman’ comment towards opposition JLP colleague Warmington coupled with her long winded television paid ad last evening I found myself flipping channels to US cable shows and back and still seeing this woman after some twenty minutes plus. 

also see: Vaz claims Warmington was provoked & called a B-Man in parliament

Nothing was mentioned of one of my pet peeves homelessness either from a general populations standpoint of LGBT sides as well given recent high profile matters involving the latter; bearing in mind also the aforementioned Deputy General Secretary and member of parliament of the area where the populations have featured repeatedly Julian Robinson I was looking for something specific if it was even one sentence.

The glossy pages and such is OK but as for contents I am not impressed, the 2011 document and indeed the 2007 release as well was at least stocky and worth reading through although they too lacked specifics regarding LGBTQ matters, rights & recognition and policy direction or development for same. At least in the 2011 manifesto they spoke specifically to Gender in far more clarity on page 61;

they also spoke to Gender in Development on the same page over to 62. Page 63 at the time also went into special interest groups but the family life component still was a hetero-normative based look to it with a opposite sex couple with children as the tag in the lead in.

So we have been shafted for the most part yet again in this manifesto albeit behind the scenes negotiations and such may be ongoing as they were when I was more active inside JFLAG and other efforts but the proof of the pudding is not there yet in my eyes to suggest any real impact. Then we have to contend with a push by the Jamaica Labour Party, JLP to have a referendum on Buggery & the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ obviously pandering to the religious right movements and their anti LGBT rights agenda. 

also see:

Nicholson says JLP 'crazy' for wanting referendum on buggery law .... oh boi

The Line in the Sand for the PNP ...... but vote ☐ PNP ☐ JLP ☑ Legalize Buggery in private 

Opposition leader (JLP) reiterates his call for a referendum on Buggery ...2014

Jamaican Opposition Leader says he would allow homosexuals in his cabinet ..... departing from his predecessor 2014 

Opposition Leader sides with antigay groups on Referendum on The Buggery Law 

Non Governmental Organization Consultant says JLP suggested Referendum on Buggery is not a good idea

Of note the JLP 2011 manifesto (134 pages) on page 82 spoke to human rights: 

HUMAN RIGHTS 

Although Jamaica has committed to protecting the human rights of its citizens on paper by signing treaties like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, its failure to follow through with this commitment is a moral transgression that casts a dark shadow on the nation. The JLP has taken concrete steps to address this issue by entrenching a Charter of Rights in the Jamaican Constitution and enacting legislation that holds members of the security forces and other agents of the state accountable for any human rights violations. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that we have a long way to go to fulfil our duty to protect, preserve, and respect the human rights of all Jamaica’s citizens. We are committed to the journey. 

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS 

Charter of Rights & Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Bill 

Bearing in mind they were complicit in cahoots with the PNP having remove the only protection in the draft in 1999 of discrimination due to sexual orientation.

Then the document went on to say on page 115:

“Gender Mainstreaming 

In support of the success of the priorities set out above: 

• The JLP will continue its commitment to Gender Mainstreaming in Public Sector entities, increasing the number Gender Focal Points in Ministries Departments and Agencies and ensuring that gender is integrated in to policies, plans and programmes. 

• The JLP will appoint a National Advisory Council to monitor and coordinate implementation of the National Policy for Gender Equality. 

• The JLP will continue to encourage STATIN and PIOJ to collect and analyse sex disaggregated data to enable better analysis of the needs of males and females and in so doing improve decision making in the interests of both sexes and ultimately, national development. 

The Male Desk 

The following are programmes and activities the Jamaica Labour Party has on track for implementation: • Establishment of Male mentorship Programmes in schools starting with five (5) Pilot programmes. 

• Implementation of skills training and enrolment in JFLL to respond to popular requests from consultative male workshops. 

• The hosting of a National Male Health Symposium focusing on Males Mental and Sexual Health. 

• Ongoing engagement of men and boys across the island in masculinity and gender discussions. 

National HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy 

A Green Paper on a National HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy was debated and passed in the House following discussion at a Joint Select Committee. A Voluntary Compliance Programme has been developed to assist organizations to recognise HIV/AIDS as a workplace issue and to use appropriate measures to contain its transmission. 

Then on page 131:

“HOMELESS PERSONS 

The homeless are perhaps the most neglected group of citizens. We have a duty to treat them with the utmost dignity. We must provide them with access to shelter, food, and healthcare. We must also help them to reconnect with families. We must also give them opportunities to find employment, by equipping them with the necessary tools, like proper identification, paperwork, and training. 

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS 

• The JSIF donated $65 Million for the building of a shelter for the homeless on King Street in downtown Kingston. Construction of the shelter, which will house 150 men and women, is set to begin in 2012. 

• Through the National Council on Drug Abuse and the Ministry of Health’s ‘Tek it to Dem’ Programme, the first ever health and wellness fair for more than 140 homeless persons took place in April 2011. Apart from availing themselves of medical and dental services and meals, the homeless had access to agencies like the Registrar General Department (RGD) and the NIS, which provided them with an opportunity to apply for important documents. Persons also got presentations from the HEART Trust/NTA and the Jamaica Foundation For Lifelong Learning. The ‘Tek It to Dem’ programme, targets mainly the homeless, HIV infected persons and substance abusers in the Corporate Area. The project offers services such as counselling, testing and care in addition to food, clothing and transportation to medical facilities and shelters. 

THE WAY FORWARD 

• Establish in conjunction with churches and charitable and civic organizations shelters in major towns for homeless persons. 

• Include these shelters in the routine programme of public health delivery to ensure proper medical and psychiatric evaluation and treatment. 

• Assign social workers to assist those who can be reintegrated with their families or restored to a life of dignity. 

• Assist the homeless to obtain official documents necessary for them to gain employment.” 

So more specifics were available to chew on and questioning possibilities or achievability. The PNP plans to host if not bombard us with daily press conferences and the television ads are heavy on the ear while boring to me. Social media deluge has turned me off as well as nice glossy ads, flyers and such look great and lure one into a sense of a feel good state but it is far from reality; old foot like me lol are used to political parties trying to grab me or my ancestors. Yesterday for example a JLP decorated truck/town crier passed by and it was pitiful as the men aboard obvious thugs paid for to accompany the vehicle had nothing to say and the MP was missing for questioning or engagement.

 more social media blurbs and then I am forced to swap black dog fi monkey ..... oh lawd!

Observer headline ... yet more le sigh!

Observer's voter apathy nuff, a dead heat

Bill Johnson's Gleaner commissioned poll says a lot (also see: The Line in the sand for the PNP part 6 .......Polls & die hards loyalty

I am left with several questions in my mind such as why is the PNP going out on a limb to attack the JLP (Andrew Holness) on the debate & now Holness house matters if it is that the Bill Johnson & Don Anderson polls suggest they are in the lead. There is something else bubbling that is impacting this move, the closeness seems to be the main one but could it be a nyam out (eat out) the machinery on both ends but do not vote for anyone as persons are willing to sell their votes; we know it happens if ever so discretely. Things are paid for, t-shirts are provided etc for example; or ink dipping prior to Election Day in poll divisions (pds) of the opposite party that is stronger which in turn restricts said voters from turning up on the faithful day as the ink does not wash off for days from fingers and one cannot vote by law thus reducing the impact. Oh boi!

This election is going to be close and I have to agree with Mark Wignall on this as he seem more balanced in his comments albeit he has publicly stated he has voted 4 times for the PNP and 3 for the JLP within the last 7 election cycles.

Peace & tolerance indeed required as the silly season goes on.

H