Gays seeking comfort in church?

Is that really so though according to a recent discussion, when it is the same 'church' who condemns us whilst forgetting that Christ came to meet with the outcasts, downtrodden and poor; or it is shame as instilled by the church that persons cannot come to accept themselves as who they are and seek the church or God to address the guilt and shame. 

Here we are again this old familiar place even when in 2016 some fanatics and religious extremists suggested that JFLAG etc should go and deal with our homeless but as I said before the old adage rings true 'liberty comes through carelessness' this latest development comes through even as more tokenism still obtains as meaningful interventions. see: NPTAJ And Anti-Gay Groups Want J-FLAG Kept Out Of Schools & deal with homelessness

Yet these church groups forget or nicely overlook the clerical abuse matters so much so that they are so overbearing now it's now that they are speaking out, talk about hypocrisy.

For many years, Christians in Jamaica have condemned homosexuals and other members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

Their condemnations have left many members of this group feeling confused about their religious beliefs, but policy and advocacy manager of The Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG), Glenroy Murray, believes that the condemnation is based on a misinterpretation of the scriptures and the belief that a person cannot be gay and Christian is false.

"The idea that someone cannot be LGBT and be Christian is false because there is nothing in the Bible that speaks to that," Murray said.

He, however, admitted that the Bible does make reference to homosexuality. Leviticus 20 verse 13 states that "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them".

Murray said that "was Mosaic laws, which were created specifically for the Jews."

No longer apply

"It was about strengthening their armies and keeping their civilisation together and because we know that when Jesus came the Mosaic rules no longer applied - not to the Gentiles at least - and since most of us aren't Jews, we can't use Leviticus to say homosexuals can't be Christians."

According to Murray, most homosexuals in Jamaica are Christians, and like other Christians who are committing sins, they have found a way to reconcile what they do with their beliefs. It would be good for Murray to prove that especially in recent years when so many of his colleagues came out as atheists. If the church is so opposed to homosexuality then many would not go to church in the first place, sometimes I wonder if some of us think carefully before we speak to media.

The Reverend Herro Blair Jr, while still declaring that homosexuality is a sin, said that homosexuals should be welcomed in the church and their sins shouldn't be treated differently from other sins.

"I would not stop a gay person from being a part of my church, and I cannot view the lifestyle any differently from how I would view a person who is fornicating or committing adultery," Blair Jr said.

Theological conservatives who believe the Bible forbids same-sex relationships have been opposed to gays being active members or leaders in the church.

Sadly the issue of sexual orientation is still seen as a 'lifestyle' by some clergy and theologians despite the plethora of information out there.

Peace & tolerance

H

You are entitled to a lawyer .................

Last week, we looked at freedom of movement as a right to each Jamaican under the Constitution. In this week's article, we look at how you can get legal representation if you are in conflict with the law. It does not matter how much money you have, legal aid is available to you.

From left Chief Justice Zaila McCalla, President of the Court of Appeal Dennis (CDM) Morrison, and Justice Hilary Phillips, leading other members of the judiciary into a church service.

Let's go through the following:

1. Every person, adult or child, taken into police custody is entitled to legal representation by an attorney. It's your right. Ask the police to call duty counsel for question-and-answer session, identification parade and application for station or court bail.

The duty counsel programme is free. The duty counsel list was recently upgraded and has more than 500 attorneys. The updated list outlines the names, contact numbers and parishes in which attorneys have been designated to assist with representation for accused persons.

2. If you have been taken into police custody and scheduled for a question-and-answer session, you are entitled to have a lawyer advise and represent you.

3. Where the police schedule identification parade for a suspect, the suspect is entitled to have an attorney present at the identification parade to ensure the process is fair and in accordance with the law.

4. An assigned counsel must take full instructions from the client, enquire into client's physical well-being, if in custody, ensure all client rights are observed and advise the client.

5. The Legal Aid Council assigns an attorney from a panel of private lawyers to represent you in a criminal matter from the first court date to the conclusion of the matter. A magistrate, judge, director of a Legal Aid Clinic or the Legal Aid Council may grant your request/application for a lawyer.

6. All attorneys to whom court cases are assigned are in private practice, and are committed to represent all clients vigorously and fearlessly.

Next week, we will continue to look at your right to legal representation.

You Can Get Help

The Legal Aid Council is located on the Ground Floo of the Air Jamaica Building at 72-76 Harbour Street, Kingston.
Telephone: 948-6999

Email: aid.legal@moj.gov.jm

Visit also:

- Kingston Legal Aid Clinic, 131 Tower Street, Kingston
Tel: 922-3792.

- Montego Bay Legal Aid Clinic, 42B Union Street, Montego Bay, St James, Tel: 952-2183.

- Norman Manley Law School Clinic, University of the West IndiesMona Campus 927-1007.

Gay, straight gang war leads to murders, May Pen mayor wants to reduce crime

According to the Star News:

Winston Maragh

A war between two rival gangs in Rocky Point, Clarendon, a division which recorded six murders last year, is said to have started over an ongoing conflict between homosexuals and straight men in the area.

Information reaching THE WEEKEND STAR is that members of the Compton and Cuban gangs have been at odds for more than three years, so much so that battle lines have been drawn in the informal settlement.

Councillor for Rocky Point and Mayor of May Pen, Winston Maragh, explained that the war started because of a murder.

"I represent the community, and over the past two years Rocky Point has had numerous murders. There are two gangs - one over on the western side and the other on the eastern side. They keep fighting and we don't know what they are fighting for," he said.

"My investigation is that it started with a gang of homosexuals against a gang of heterosexuals. You kill this one relative, then they come back and kill. Reprisal, until everybody gets involved. One of those killed was regarded a good boy, but he was the brother of a bad boy. They couldn't catch the brother, so they killed him," Maragh said.

Ghost town

The mayor also told THE WEEKEND STAR that the entire community was flooded with guns.

"The police have managed to come in and intervene, and it has now calmed down. The main players were caught and some of them killed," he said.

According to some residents and officials, the crime situation has been so bad that the area is like a ghost town after certain hours.

"The fear is still there. If I call a community meeting now, they tell me start 2 o'clock and finish by 6," Maragh said.

All hope is not lost as Maragh said he has embarked on initiatives aimed at rescuing the community.

"My community renewal programme will take care of that when fully implemented. It will be over a four-year period. It is intended to reduce crime and make life easier for everybody," he said.

Head of the Clarendon Police Division Superintendent, Gwendolyn Cameron Powell, also told THE WEEKEND STAR that she is aware of the gangs operating in Rocky Point.

"Policing Rocky Point has been an issue, however, the police have been managing the crime situation," she said.

THE WEEKEND STAR spoke with several community members who said they were aware of the two gangs. However, no one was willing to state which one of the gangs represented the gay or heterosexual side.

Parliament resumes review of sexual violence bills

A parliamentary joint select committee (JSC) had a timely resumption Wednesday of its review of four current pieces of domestic violence legislation, including the Sexual Offences Act.

The new committee, which has replaced one which last sat in 2014, is chaired by Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck, replacing former minister Mark Golding.

The committee has been assigned to review the Sexual Offences Act, and consider and review three other pieces of legislation — the Offences Against the Person Act, which includes provisions relating to acts of buggery; the Domestic Violence Act; and the Childcare and Protection Act.

When the previous committee last sat, on November 26, 2014, under the chairmanship of Senator Golding, it was discussed a presentation from the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA). At that meeting, the committee had extensive discussions on whether the age of consent should be adjusted from 16 years old to 18 years old.

The committee was contending with information, which Golding ascribed to a senior public health officer, that over 80 per cent of Jamaicans had sex by the time they were 18 years old.

Golding said then that with that kind of statistic in mind, the idea of increasing the age of consent to 18 pointed to an issue of whether the system would not be potentially criminalising “a vast majority of young persons”.

At Wednesday’s meeting of the new committee appointed on December 6, 2016, Chuck said they would focus on how they would proceed, especially in light of the fact that the 2017/18 budget would be tabled about February 9.

However, he noted that it was “absolutely clear” that the four acts to be reviewed by the committee are in “great need of revision”.

“Certainly events of the past indicate to us that we have to ensure that our women and children, in particular, are protected,” Chuck stated.

“To the extent that legislation can improve the care and protection of our women and children, then we must do what we can to improve or change the legislation, as the case may be,” he added.

Minister of Culture, Gender Affairs, Entertainment and Sport Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, whose Senate motion in 2013 on violence against women and children encouraged the Parliament to widen the scope of the JSC to include the three additional Acts, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Floyd Green joined Senator Golding and other members of the committee in welcoming the resumption of the work of the committee.

Grange said that the committee had a great responsibility, especially in light of recent acts of violence against women and children in the society. She suggested that the committee seek to expeditiously address the issues.

The committee agreed to meet again on February 1 and 8 to continue its work, after spending the next two weeks sifting through submissions and/or resubmissions from the 29 individuals and institutions involved in the initial deliberations.

Other members of the committee attending Wednesday’s meeting were: Senators Saphire Longmore and Sophia Fraser-Binns, and MPs Marisa Dalrymple Philibert and Lynvale Bloomfield.

3 cops held for alleged shake down of three men ...............

Three Constables Charged For Breaching the CPA Three Police Constables of the Hanover Division who were arrested last week by detectives from MOCA West, were subsequently charged for breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, according to MOCA.

They are Shemroy Hewitt, Andre Drummond and Conrod Clarke; all stationed at the Hanover Police Headquarters. Allegations are that on Tuesday January 3, 2017, the driver of a Toyota Corolla was travelling along a main road in Hanover when he was stopped by a team of policemen. The occupants were then ordered out of the vehicle and during a search, documents relating to lottery scamming activities were found. 

The three policemen then solicited and later accepted the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) from the driver, who subsequently reported the matter to detectives from MOCA West. Following interview sessions and an identification parade, charges were laid against the Constables. 

They were placed before the Hanover Parish Court on Monday, January 16, 2017 where they were each offered bail in the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) with sureties. 

A Stop Order was also placed on them and they are scheduled to return to court on Wednesday, February 28, 2017. MOCA wishes to remind members of the public who may have any information that could assist in any investigation to call MOCA at 754-3435 or 906-5099 or 851-0113 or 1-800-CORRUPT or by email at moca@jcf.gov.jm More information is on the MOCA.gov.jm website or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MOCAJamaica and follow MOCA on Twitter @MOCAJamaica.

The alleged scammers who said to have paraphernalia of contacts overseas and lead lists were not arrested even after the sting operation was set up and the cops nabbed. This suggests that the allegations by the cops was false it seems as their wrong is now being exposed.

They are to return to court on February 28 after being granted bail in the Hanover Parish Court. They were each offered bail in the sum of $500,000 with sureties when they appeared before the court.

The last time there was a similar case carried on this blog was: 

Cops freed of corruption charges shakedown of gay men in 2015. That case ended due to want of prosecution as the two men who made the report did not follow up for the preliminary hearing and court mention dates, even after reporting to MOCA and having them extend state resources pursuant to a successful sting operation.

More anon

Peace & tolerance

H

Justified underage sexual abuse in lieu of homosexual sex!

Lasmay's take on the matter

Yet again we see these seeping sentiments not surprisingly out there of men who go to females of whatever age seen as acceptable more so than homosexual sex. The ongoing furore involving the Moravian pastor allegedly caught in a compromising position with a fifteen year old girl in a car in bushes in St Ann has shown up this misplaced principle problem. Many comments on social media and even on radio with not only men but women also pushing this line that the pastor is justified to a certain extent as it was not a boy but a girl who he was with. Some have gone as far as to compare the clerical abuse in the catholic faith of mostly boys and the appearing cover up of it so another denomination’s representative who does it but with a girl is not so bad. This moral equivalence problem is as old as time itself and recorded history when it comes to religiosity, selectivity of atrocities, nitpicking if you will and the more strident and targeted attention on homosexuality.

One of the reports said:

Hampton Principal Seeks To Explain Presence At Pastor's Sexual Offence Hearing

Pastor Rupert Clarke is led from the St Elizabeth Parish Court Wednesday after appearing on a charge of having sex with a minor. Pictured in foreground is Hampton School principal Heather Murray.

The principal of the Hampton School, Heather Murray, has issued a statement defending her presence at the bail hearing of a Moravian minister of religion who is charged with having sex with a minor.

While outside the St Elizabeth Parish Court, Murray reportedly tried to block The Gleaner's photographer from taking a photograph of the Moravian minister, Rupert Clarke.

Since then, Murray has faced huge public backlash, particularly from persons on social media who claim that Murray's presence at the hearing was appalling, especially in light of her position as principal of an all-girls institution. In the statement last night, Murray sought "to set the record straight", stating that she went to the hearing in support of the minister's wife, who, she says, is a high-school friend of hers.

"We are both long-time educators who have been serving together for many years on several boards, committees, and commissions. We are both justices of the peace. Such is the closeness of our relationship that when the news broke, I was, naturally, the first person to whom she turned for solace and support. I have not left her side since because I know that my friend needs me. She reached out to me as a wife, mother, and friend," Murray explained in the release.

She further explained, "My presence at the court was to be there for my friend who needed my moral support. As a wife, mother of two daughters, and principal with responsibility for 1,220 young ladies, I have sought always to protect and defend them and the young children of Jamaica. That has not and will never change."

The police report that at about 9 o'clock on the night of December 28, a team was on patrol in a community near Santa Cruz when they observed a parked car that aroused their suspicion.

They went to investigate and reportedly found the pastor in a compromising position with a 15-year-old child.

He was immediately taken into custody and was charged. Clarke has been granted bail in the sum of $800,000. He must have one or two sureties and is to return to court on February 13.

meanwhile

Betty Ann Blaine head of the children’s’ groups came out swinging on Nationwide radio some days after the incident came to hand. She and other antigay activists have been accused of silence and selectivity on other atrocities and loud on the preservation of the buggery law. Blaine warned that predators if it proven to be so are everywhere and one cannot trust anyone these days as they can also be pastors, a point I agree with in a rare moment; however the previous cases as carried on this blog for example and on tabloid publications have seen no response as this one, I guess because this one is so prominent and has taken on a life of its own. The recent telephone directory cover fiasco and sexualised images lead in part by partner in crime Dr Wayne West of the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS showed up just that and how even non LGBT persons criticised their hypocrisy. They have been shopping around to find other issues to speak on hence and now this one is the latest to try to adjust their image. They have shifted their HIV is a gay disease ploy to going after young persons and premarital sex especially in the throes of World AIDS Day 2016.

What is even appearing to be more disturbing is the public support the accused has been getting by some unexpected persons. Yes he is innocent until proven guilty and the case is in the preliminary hearing stage but when school principal of a prominent girls institution and other women allegedly from the Moravian church blocking the press from taking photos of the accused as he exited the court house is disturbing, what is she in particular and others doing there is the first question in her capacity as a public figure. I can understand support if it is prayer or visiting the trial to see proceedings but to be so militant and open about it to block the press’s access to the accused is disturbing and suggests something else. A subsequent poorly produced statement came to hand via the chairman of the particular school she is principal claiming she went to give support to the wife of the accused; yet she was not there at the time for starters and the strident defence of the accused by way of blocking the media access to the accused and claiming the media should take photos of herself and the women there, that was not addressed in the statement.

A previous case involving another pastor and his attempts buy out the female victims at a hotel comes to mind, JCHS, Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship (another older anti gay group) and other Christian fanatics who make the rest of the church body look bad were effectively silent. In fairness to Betty Ann Blaine she did speak out but in her usual style. But if the justification of heterosexual or hetero normative abuse clothed in misogyny being banded about even by so called religious minded folks where’s the condemnation by Blaine and other self righteous folks towards that side of it? In other words as long as it is opposite sex the age of the CHILD does not matter, then suppose the accused buggered the girl I wonder what would these same justifying misogynists say then; he is a gay man using a girl to get to booty!

This is not the first time this has come to light but it appears this incident has shown up the dormant feelings always there. The series of abusive incidents is only evidence of what has been obviously simmering for some time and to have them come in such close succession of each other is disturbing to say the least. Intimate partner violence is not limited to the hetero-relation cases that now obtain and same gender challenges also abound but not in such known numbers as the present visibility in mainstream media. It is simply sick to justify paedophilia in such a blatant form and to even go as far as agreeing to child marriages in the eastern parts and in Europe as the way to go as men must have women. The suggestion that women are property is just plain wrong but if our dancehall culture for example has helped to legitimise and reinforce these misogynistic postures then why are we complaining? For all intents and purposes we are the authors and finishers of our fate I imagine.

Sadly the dons have simply adopted the sentiments and the old ‘buss breast’ phenomenon is ongoing, this is where young girls are watched as they go into pre-pubescent growth and development and as their breasts become apparent these thugs would literally summon them or force parents to send them to use them as sexual abuse and it is seen as justified.

The dancehall artist Zebra for example who is serving time for raping and sodomising a female victim who was his then female companion’s daughter of a previous relationship; and who was found guilty for buggery and rape and got thirty years, I wonder what would the sycophantic and misguided folks justifying hetero-normative adult minor inappropriate relations would think? But memory usually fades and historical perspectives are usually left out as persons reside in ignorance in blind opposition.

The ideal situation would be the woman’s head should have been served on a platter via the board but the board seems impotent to act accordingly, had this been a boys school perhaps with a male victim there would have been loud calls for the heads of the accused and possibly the school board though so they hetero coupling comment seems justified in the minds of some. I wonder if there a legal implications in as far as touching the camera by an intervening party when the media is carrying out its proper duties. The man is already charged so they have a right to access of him and not to be obstructed. As for the business of cheating here albeit with a minor the poor wife in whose behest this misguided principal was supposed to support, she may even have to consider divorce given the aftermath of this and ability to hold her head high especially as someone so mature.

Going to the courthouse is not the issue it’s what she did there.

Let us see where the trial leads and we are waiting for the sensible justification by the female school principal as to her public involvement by appearing to support the accused with such a serious allegation hanging over his head. One would have expected either absence from the situation as a public person (as principal) or also give most public support of the fifteen year old ‘victim’ in this matter. When pastors are seeming to be tolerated in the face of weird accusations is disturbing and the ready use of ‘easy sins’ yet have a leave me and my sins or cover ups is just as dangerous but have strength for others such as homosexuals then the ‘church’ has a lot of work to do.

Let the chips fall where they may.

Peace & tolerance

H

Male Strippers perceived as 'fish' threatened at party

So the nonsense of percieved homosexuals has reared its ugly head again, this time at a supposed heterosexual freaky party event on Boxing Day (#1) as the actual holiday was recognized afterwards.

The Promoter apologises for absence of crazy sex games.

Promoter Kevin 'Bad Xsample' Simpson said she wants to apologise to patrons at his recently held event, dubbed 'Adult Swim: The Ultimate Erotic Party', for an unfortunate ordeal which might have left some attendants disappointed.

He explained that on the night of the December 26 event, which promised crazy sex acts, a group of about 20 men that he described as thugs, entered the New Kingston venue and began hurling threats and insults at some male strippers, causing them to abandon their performance.

"I was over occupied, so I didn't get to stand up and watch fully wah a gwaan, but me see them [male strippers] performance cut short," Bad Xsample said, while explaining that the performance only lasted for about 30 minutes, as opposed to the scheduled hour.

get threats

"Me need fi make the fans know it wasn't my fault," Bad Xsample said. "After the man them come in, the male strippers a complain to me say when them did a perform, them did a get threats from the same man them."

He said he could not convince the male dancers to go on stage after the ordeal.

Klymaxxx, one of the male exotic dancers who attended the event, said he was too afraid to continue performing. Sad that this where the madness has come, did these misguided and ignorant men not expect that there would be male strippers as well and only female ones when the event is open to both sexes?

"The man dem at the party say that them nuh want no male strippers, so I couldn't get to perform that night. Them claim to say we are 'fish' [homosexuals] and all of that is based on how we try to look entertaining to the ladies with our costume and we style," Klymaxxx explained. Probably Klymaxxx needed to have worded his adverts better and clearly state the demographics that were to be entertained; many of this so called party promoters are not professionals to begin with and when they meet nonsense as this it just shows them up.

was shirtless

"I was wearing a purple costume. It was a tights material, from my things to my foot, and it has cords in it. I was shirtless, and I had on a cape. Some guys had a problem saying these men are freaky boys," the erotic dancer added. But one would image if you're already at an adult event the 'freak' element would have been there by default.

Though the event did not progress as planned, Bad Xsample said it eventually turned out well, as the male dancers continued to engage in offstage games with interested female patrons.

"At the end of the event, a lot of people were saying the show promised more than it give. But it was just a series of things that were out of my control. I want the word to spread that it wasn't really my fault" Bad Xsample said.

He added that at the next staging of Adult Swim, there will be tighter security to ensure that there are no disruptions. As suggested above proper advertising is crucial as well.

Le sigh

Peace & tolerance

H