Kirk was loved by many including me as one of the resident DJs at the legendary Club Heavens in Discovery Bay; we worked for some 4 plus years up to his murder. The mobbing exercise at the church service was one of those pivotal moments in my life when I felt anything goes and if that day was the day then so be it.
Most persons ran out of the church especially after the shots were heard which was supposedly fired by copes in the air to disperse the crowd even as an officer’s gun fell to the floor and missing for a time I am told afterwards; myself and few others were still inside the church singing and the pastor rightfully condemned the desecration of God’s house after a earlier stone throwing disruption while precipitated the attack; he defended to decision to host the funeral. Thankfully the undertaker who was there was armed.
I ended up becoming an impromptu bearer of the casket alongside veterans such as Nurse Bleary as the edited version of the processional hymn was sung; frankly I came to a funeral not a fracas.
Here is the deacon in question who condemned the desecration of the church speaking in an interview on the matter from CVM TV, he still believed homosexuality is a sin but the bigger picture is that we must not judge or the physical building of the church being attacked in anyway, principle is principle I guess. Pay particular attention to the use of ‘lifestyle’ (1:30) by one of the pastors interviewed yet no addressing the persons who attacked the church which is very telling.
The bus from Kingston was stoned as the driver tried to negotiate a turn and the back glass door was hit, there no physical injuries. I stepped out into the melee looking for my ride who had parked far up the road to avoid damage but strangely I guess to my mode of dress which was the formal shirt and tie & such I was not profiled so I made my way to the vehicle; as far as the eyes could see persons were coming with a vengeance looking for ‘battyman’ others who stayed to either defend the situation as some did pulling machetes from their motor vehicles and soon ran off as the crowd was too overwhelming.
Pink News UK had carried this:
Kirk was known to offer shelter assistance in the permission of the owners of the Heavens Club at the time mostly for young drag queens and transpersons, in other words what was a shelter during the week became club central on a weekend and a church for the then Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica, SCJ where the paraphernalia would simply be brought out from a box and it’s halleluHER! He deliberately hosted drag shows for those inclined in that population as a form of escape from the challenges and his own drag character a knock off of Tina Turner was hilarious and the infamous wig throwing drama. He hosted several local, Caribbean and international drag divas at Club Heavens and was instrumental in keeping that tradition of LGBT entertainment relevant for the younger generations at the time.
He particularly liked Shirley Bassey’s ‘Hey Big Spender’ and Tina Turner’s ‘Simply The Best’ with his own animated take on it that often left us in stitches after the performance; sadly due to the no camera taking policy at LGBT events in those years, a carryover from the problems at the present mainstay Club Entourage in Kingston so I have no material to give you an idea of the good times that were had. It seems these days however we don’t have that kind of energy with the younger generations but life goes on. Kirk volunteered for several NGOs and operated a business apart from the Club and often provided temporary job opportunities for some of the housed persons and others who asked for help.
Time flies eh
Good people dat
Rest Mama Kirk you did what you could.
Peace & tolerance
H
I ended up becoming an impromptu bearer of the casket alongside veterans such as Nurse Bleary as the edited version of the processional hymn was sung; frankly I came to a funeral not a fracas.
Here is the deacon in question who condemned the desecration of the church speaking in an interview on the matter from CVM TV, he still believed homosexuality is a sin but the bigger picture is that we must not judge or the physical building of the church being attacked in anyway, principle is principle I guess. Pay particular attention to the use of ‘lifestyle’ (1:30) by one of the pastors interviewed yet no addressing the persons who attacked the church which is very telling.
The bus from Kingston was stoned as the driver tried to negotiate a turn and the back glass door was hit, there no physical injuries. I stepped out into the melee looking for my ride who had parked far up the road to avoid damage but strangely I guess to my mode of dress which was the formal shirt and tie & such I was not profiled so I made my way to the vehicle; as far as the eyes could see persons were coming with a vengeance looking for ‘battyman’ others who stayed to either defend the situation as some did pulling machetes from their motor vehicles and soon ran off as the crowd was too overwhelming.
Pink News UK had carried this:
A funeral service in the Carribean island of Jamaica has been disrupted by a mob attempting to attack a group of mourners.
The Easter Sunday funeral of Kirk Wayne Lester, a Jamaican businessman, was attended by “gay cross-dressers,” reports Real Jamaica Radio.
A mob surrounded the church and attacked people thought to be gay with knives, stones and bottles.
Missiles where thrown through the windows.
The island’s gay rights movement, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals and Gays (J-Flag), is forced to operate underground and anonymously.
It called on police to find the people who attacked the church in Mandeville.
Pressure group Jamaicans for Justice agreed that a urgent police investigation is needed.
JFJ said it is deeply disturbed by yet another incident involving mob violence against gay people latest incident is particularly daring because it occurred during a church service.
ENDS
Helping the homelessKirk was known to offer shelter assistance in the permission of the owners of the Heavens Club at the time mostly for young drag queens and transpersons, in other words what was a shelter during the week became club central on a weekend and a church for the then Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica, SCJ where the paraphernalia would simply be brought out from a box and it’s halleluHER! He deliberately hosted drag shows for those inclined in that population as a form of escape from the challenges and his own drag character a knock off of Tina Turner was hilarious and the infamous wig throwing drama. He hosted several local, Caribbean and international drag divas at Club Heavens and was instrumental in keeping that tradition of LGBT entertainment relevant for the younger generations at the time.
He particularly liked Shirley Bassey’s ‘Hey Big Spender’ and Tina Turner’s ‘Simply The Best’ with his own animated take on it that often left us in stitches after the performance; sadly due to the no camera taking policy at LGBT events in those years, a carryover from the problems at the present mainstay Club Entourage in Kingston so I have no material to give you an idea of the good times that were had. It seems these days however we don’t have that kind of energy with the younger generations but life goes on. Kirk volunteered for several NGOs and operated a business apart from the Club and often provided temporary job opportunities for some of the housed persons and others who asked for help.
Time flies eh
Good people dat
Rest Mama Kirk you did what you could.
Peace & tolerance
H
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