20 years behind the ones & twos

I was reminded recently by an email from LinkedIn about my work anniversary for my DJ activities which I included as my work history and suddenly realised that some twenty years plus have passed since my sojourn and journey in party promotions and disc jockeying, in fact it’s twenty three years in total if I am to count my apprenticeship periods after I left high school and my short time at two radio stations as the technical operator and music librarian then who helped to pick the tunes for shows, playlists and royalty payment preparation sheets for artists behalf to collect for or from publishing companies such as BMI/ASCAP and PRS of London. It is however twenty years in as far as LGBT events since my days starting out at the main venue in Kingston, Club Entourage.

I also has a short stint at the then Trelawny Beach Hotel now known as Starfish Resorts and in that transitional period to a family type resort the offerings at the club with a more multi genre playlists feel and at Grande Puba skating rink and guest house now closed in Negril both in 2003; complete with other gigs some of which I cannot remember off hand but the old flyers tell a story. Time has indeed flown by and it never occurred to me if not for the email reminder. It has been and continued to be a pleasure to play the beats even though over time I have made some major decisions in what, where and how I play nowadays.

Certainly coming from the days of vinyl turntables through to the early days of software such as Automix now Virtual DJ through to Mac based mixers technology has certainly played a role in my growth, I was the first DJ on the LGBT circuit to move from vinyl/CDS to PC mixing then to laptops and now a Mac with Serato, I still do like Virtual DJ especially the DJ Console skin, everything is sitting right there before me and perfect for dance-music as well. Adaptation is key if one is to grow I guess.

The early years I played everything at LGBT mainly events from soca, pop, rap, dancehall, r&b, reggae and adult contemporary while privately or at special events such as commitment ceremonies or bridal showers which I still do to this date even as gay marriage is not yet legal I do light jazz, instrumentals and even as out there as the classical stuff and hosted karaoke. I did a short stint at two sound systems known as Soul Symphony Disco and Pepper seed Sound (named after a popular dancehall riddim then which was re-released some time after) prior to the larger sound that came later and used the name as the older was defunct.

My big break came soon after my release from prison in December 1996 where I was formerly introduced to the late great Brian Williamson, co founder of JFLAG, club owner of Club Entourage located in New Kingston just a couple hundred yards away from the Shoemaker Gully where the present crop of homeless MSM/transgender folks now reside. I auditioned for him alongside three other DJs and we were all selected, my first gig was on Christmas Eve, I eventually worked closely with one of the resident DJs the late Boswell as we had a similar style while DJ Ricky and DJs Whiteman (the latter who was forced to flee Jamaica after the party DVD leak to the public in 2007) and DJ Jermaine who now lives in Canada and whose sister was a rising star in dancehall but was killed by her boyfriend.

Direction/genre change

I made a crucial decision to stop playing dancehall after my work with JFLAG in its infancy years on the Stop Murder Music Campaign, it became rather conflicting to me to be spinning music from dancehall artists who on one hand have music in their repertoire calling for and legitimising the murder and violence to gays and yet on the other we are dancing to their other songs, so I placed a total block on that genre. I lost some fans but managed to recover as those days dancemusic was more acceptable then.

Here is a short trajectory from memory, apologies for little photos as in the early years there was a strict no photo policy for LGBT events, especially after an outing incident by one of the major tabloids who took photos of the Entourage inside and out and carried a headline suggesting young boys were being ‘recruited’ into homosexuality by richer gay men with no proof to boot and left the Club almost coming to a close as Mr Williamson took evasive action until things calmed, he eventually instituted an invitation only policy for starters but other heterosexual sharks tried to wade into the business offering open events to gays for a short time.

Club Entourage years

Owner Brian Williamson with Tessa in the good days

Played dance music predominantly then on Fridays mostly and then moved to the peak hour nights on Saturdays, aided in drag shows and live shows with special events for NGOs and so on. Worked with leading promoters and co manager Michael Melbourne and the staff which came to an end in 2005 after Mr Williamson was murdered in June 2004, an attempt was made to continue it even as the family gave some tacit support but the fire had died with Mr Williamson so all things had to come to an end. Other private individual promoters became more bullish and went ahead hosting events at various venues and houses; trouble was the rentals sometimes would be high given the type of party in the minds of the owners and managers of those properties.

Kling Kling Villas

A small guest house beach front outfit just on the highway leaving Runaway Bay and which was featured in the threats made by police to now Canadian living activist Gareth Henry who hosted several LGBT events including the most successful one that of Harmonica Sunbeam’s first appearance in Jamaica, memories of that one still linger, a 2006 pride event also comes to mind but the outing incident as well where a gay party held there and that was on DVD (mentioned above) was leaked to the public and exposed the DJ named and the property eventually. The property manager eventually discontinued rentals for LGBT events just for a peaceful life and by that time Club Heavens came in and filled the void.

Club Heavens

One of the longest serving clubs in Discovery Bay and which also made news in 2010 after a raid by cops looking for alleged lotto scammers, it served the community for some near ten years in total originally run by the late great Kirk Lester, the man whose funeral service was mobbed and which made international news, homophobes rained down on the service and effectively desecrated the church property. The venue saw management through many hands, from Kirk Lester to Gareth Henry, Macey Antibellum Grey, Yvonne & Narchi, Angel Talkbout, Pinky (the part owner) and myself for a short spell. After the aforementioned raid however things came to a close but not before one of the most successful event occurred which was dubbed “Club Heavens the Rebirth” as posted back then on the wordpress blog of GLBTQ Jamaica. Other traditional events were kept alive such as Grammy Awards, Dancehall Queen, Oscars LGBT Awards and the now defunct Glamour Girl competition. I remained one of the resident DJs alongside DJ Buck and other guest DJs during its long run. Only the Club Entourage has a longer time since recorded history where it lasted 12 years.

Retter Drive & Kirk

Located in Belverdere it operated as a stand in of sorts when Club Heavens was not having any major event or as an alternative for those who did not want to travel by a three hour drive to Discovery Bay, barring the completion of the highway which now shortens the journey by half. Worked with the resident DJs then as my true residency was at Club Heavens then but the fights by persons made things little problematic. The venue lasted some four years as well before the decision was made to close it by Kirk.

Club Escape (its two locations)

A club which was on the hills of upper St Andrew ran by two women with ‘Sophia’ being the more out front operative, I was not the resident DJ as DJ Ricky was still around alongside DJ Whiteman prior to his asylum to the UK. My guest appearances were great as my fans followed me there and the base was also growing given my decision to stop playing dancehall. The club then moved to another part of Stony Hill and continued for a year or so and closed effectively in 2007 after some four years.

Club Calabash

Located in Montego Bay was one of the few venues I had residency in western Jamaica, though short lived it catered to Montegonians and other rural folks who couldn’t or didn’t want to travel all the way to Kingston where most of the things were happening. It too was forced closed as ran by the late Kenrick ‘BeBe’ Stevenson as cops raided the venue, beat up a few of the homeless guys who BeBe was helping in search of alleged lotto scammers and they found none but not before thrashing the place, it closed after BeBe’s arrest and then his subsequent murder, a matter that is yet to be properly proven and presented.

Club Loft

A short lived venue smack in the middle of Half Way Tree atop a fire breathing church at that as operated then by the Sankofa team and which hosted it most memorable event the performance of Rupaul’s Drag race winner Nina Flowers for the first time in Jamaica. I was one of the resident DJs then alongside the other main spinners. It came under some pressure from police as word spread but it was eventually closed by the team as they did not see it as viable. Santa’s List became the team’s most successful franchise end of year ditty as it attracted local and overseas Jamaicans who would often fly in just for that.

Other memorable events

Hot Girls Roll Out (2010), Divas Live featuring diva Michelle Ross (2007), “Full White Affair –Gucci Birthday Bash”, September 10th, 2005, Romain's Birthday Bash 2012, Romain's Birthday Bash 2012, Sin City's Anniversary event, Cockiness Part I, II & III to name a few and there some other spots that were short lived such as ‘Cranborne’ ‘Top House’ and ‘The Hill’ which was another hillside venue on a rather steep slope hence the name. It feels good rehashing some of this

also see:

Club Heavens “The Rebirth”

Miss World (LGBT) 2010 a quick look

2010 The Year that was …. Entertainment Perspective part 2

Nauti Glam: High Seas Couture was Naughty & Nice!!!!

The Loft/Sankofa's Sea Queens: Di Fish(es) DID swim ....

Present residency Bubbles Bar

A membership only gay bar for older gay and bisexual men some loyal patrons formerly of the previous clubs notoriety and international guests via clever marketing and some AirBnB usage, music genres are mostly dancemusic if not EDM, classic house, tech-house, runway tribalism, electro-house, 2 step and related styles including vogue-femme. The atmosphere is a more relaxative one, a more listening party feel more so than all out dancing with theme nights and domino tournaments from Fridays to Sundays. I like this residency now as it affords me room to try new things, introduce songs easier as older audiences do more deeper listening, audiences are more patient and willing to go with you so long as the outcome is pleasing and brings me to a whole new market of visitors to Jamaica at the venue in the Discovery Bay area. It’s not about popularity anymore and that ever problematic hetero-normative atmosphere event framed as ‘LGBT’ by merely mimicking or importing a dancehall str8-actin’ mess to make events feel legitimate or getting a ‘forward’ frankly I have stopped doing those. After all house music and all its subsequent derivatives and sub-genres were developed by gay/bi producers/remixers, DJs, club owners and gay friendly record companies so its ours to appreciate, let there be house!

Time really flies indeed and as long as I can spin and have the impetus to do so I will continue to serve; I had thought of hanging up my stockings but the interest is still there.

Thanks for your support and on December 24, Christmas Eve I intend to mark the occasion.

Peace & tolerance

H

here are some sets:

Time really flies indeed and as long as I can spin and have the impetus to do so I will continue to serve.

Thanks for your support and on December 24, Christmas Eve I intend to mark the occasion.

Peace & tolerance

H

Oh Uncle Brian .....

 with Tessa in good times

outside his home/business (Club Entourage)

I cannot believe it’s twelve years already it feels like yesterday and so much has passed since you were forcibly taken from us by sadly of all one of us who was just too greedy, simply put.

On social media namely Facebook a recent discussion which had Brian Williamson as the subject left me stunned for a time as some older folks in the group expressed some frustrations at homophobic killings especially in recent times or other forms of murders involving LGBT victims versus inter/intra-community violence especially in the homeless fields and at least two persons now residing overseas lamented that if Brian Williamson was around some of the atrocities may have been dealt with differently (not that he could stop them). Persons are still asking what is or was the purpose of JFLAG and others if all they seem to be is being preoccupied on media and on Facebook etc.; and as one person puts it ‘patting each other on the back’ (narcissistic mirroring) as the memories of Brian Williamson and the overseas based living legend Larry Chang both co-founders of JFLAG whose legacies seems to have been muddied in some sense. It is as if everybody going out of their way in bumping over each other or crabs in barrel syndrome to see can sound more politically correct and has a nice doctored online persona than anything else; covering up the ugliness underneath. Truth is hard to find these days as visibility increases and so welcomed but yuck!

Brian’s murder though in and of itself was not a homophobic matter as the matter as it was confirmed in the subsequent court case involved the liaison and assistance of one man as a newspaper vendor to which Brian funded brought or demanded another party be assisted and hence things went downhill from there. Where the earthy active homophobia came in was when the news of Williamson’s death spread in the business district and a large crowd converged at the address on Haughton Avenue, many persons celebrated Williamson’s murder, laughing and calling out “let’s get them one at a time”, “that’s what you get for your sin”, “let’s kill all of them”, while others sang “boom bye bye”, a line from a popular Jamaican song about killing and burning gay men and words to such effect. Others in-front of the very police and investigation crew who were removing the corpse even as other activists and friends arrived to confirm the news and who were emotional were told that they should be or would be next.

Meanwhile Desmond Chambers, one of two men with whom Williamson shared the three-bedroom house, told the media at the time that he did maintenance work around the property and accused two men who had visited

the premises earlier of the murder.

According to Chambers, one of the men was a regular guest of the deceased.

“I have seen him here about six times (and) anything him want, Brian give him. Brian give him money, Brian give him food and help him to purchase (newspaper) to sell on the road,” he said. 

Then a longtimer who now lives in Amsterdam asked the banger question ‘What happened to the Brian Williamson Memorial Fund launched way back in 2004/5? An action I totally forgot which was to among other things:

Help homophobic victims recover

Assist with homeless and or displaced persons (a matter that is yet to be properly executed)

Act as a fund raising mechanism with events planned for the year in which it was launched.

Well his memory is good and only left me to lament the continuity problems of either well needed programs and successful ones that have been discontinued, what is the point of launching initiatives only to have them as nice announcements then nothing comes afterwards? And the legacy of Williamson seems just relegated to a mere memory; even as homelessness back then was such a pet peeve for him so much so as he used his own space, a drapery factory and rented office spaces by day and a drop in centre of sorts by night for selected displaced gay men by night and club central (the Entourage) on a weekend; I was a pleased admirer from afar then as one of his resident DJs and the clockwork like efficiency that obtained then in his day to day management of proceedings the machines would be wheeled away to make way for the already prepared bar area hidden from sight until revealed along with the entrance to the dance floor for the club; but some of us have become so accustomed to the initiatives announcements that we have simply stopped applauding said announcements.

The true essence of the struggle is long gone and the truthfulness nearly all gone; it feels so fake these days with well pressed suited individuals and privileged folks rubbing their very privilege in the faces of not so lucky folks and then expect them to cheer it on. Micro blogging campaigns that really do not reach down to the ground as per usual continue and activities are centred around the more comfortable folks then paraded as a general practice in all spheres; in other words ordinary battyman still are not seen as important by the more privileged. Advocacy as I and others have pointed out over years has come to be just a grand show especially with the infusion and use if not over use of social media and reliance of same to lull people into a false sense of security while real on the ground matters get overlooked. It’s more about image building on NGOs part than about real work that a question that I first saw in 2010 asked openly (yet to be answered) where do advocates/operatives find so much time to be on social media with almost hourly if not minutely status updates and tweets yet so much is happening on the ground? Then the old unapproachable paradigm is only further highlighted where impacted individuals hold on to issues in sometimes shame and embarrassment and are reluctant to make reports when urged as the belief is uptown privileged folks cannot or will not help me; perceptions is a hell of a thing I guess, not to mention the feeling by some older folks (over 40) and I tend to agree of non-interest in their age cohort even in the face of life expectancy almost doubling. Worse yet with HIV positive aging folks who do not necessarily want to interact with young wide eyed, inexperienced operatives who it is felt won’t be able to address let alone understand the issues; the customer service experience is prickly and somewhat uncomfortable. Many such older men simply do not engage NGOs or such and find others in their age cohort to confide or talk to.

Uncle Brian was the one just from memory was very passionate about the real community issues and not just the longer term goal of the buggery law but it would seem his memory apart is just left to languish or if referred to tagging homophobia to his name when as the introduction in this post showed the murder was not a homophobic matter directly. Even as the interview with a print media house a short time afterwards named Desmond who lived on the property sought to explain the truth but that seemed to have been ignored over time and the push to link Uncle Brian’s murder with a homophobic motive was more important and then we wonder why the antigay voices thrive on lambasting lobbyists as deceptive! Crisis communication is still not a tool that is sharpened that it leaves no doubt when reporting on matters.

Uncle Brian I thank you for helping in opening the door but some of the ones after you have near totally missed the reasons why, thanks for opening the door especially for me in the disc-jock, party promotion department on Christmas Eve 1996 at the very club ‘Entourage’ where you were taken from us sadly and the other DJs such as Chris Eaton, the late Boswell, DJ Ricky and the now residing overseas DJ Whiteman who had to flee Jamaica in 2008 as his life came under threat after a gay party DVD went public and the subsequent outing of those involved; Oh Uncle Brian the legendary U-Girl has left us as well and how you tried to help those young drag queens then as frustrating as it became with some limited success, U-Girl as an older patron of the club for so many years yet she was taken only yards literally from the very place; unfortunately proves that your work, your concerns are yet to be fully addressed even as your baby JFLAG is still around. I wonder sometimes how Brian would feel nowadays had he been around but that maybe a stretch. In the same breath we lost long-timer ‘Kevin’ battle queen who died of natural causes at the Kingston Public Hospital, KPH in March of this year, he is to be buried soon. Another old timer Dexter Dacres who was murdered in Falmouth Trelawny, New Haven Heights on March 9, 2016 is to be buried on June 18, 2016 at Dovecot. He was not a good dancer going from memory but appreciated the music and his critiques after a club night sensible DJs took note as he did do deep listening. Not sure if I can make it to the service though, I am not a fan of funerals as my friends know but sometimes we have to stomach it to pay our respects; especially after my experience at Kirk Lester’s service in Mandeville that made international headlines then with the mobbing at the church, thankfully the deacon was livid as to the desecration of the property and made his feelings known in no uncertain terms. When I learnt of the murder of Dacres I was not sure who it was until someone sent me a photo of him and my spirits dropped; as it is looking it seems to have been a break-in but police say they are investigating; as per usual the truth unfortunately is never found or if determined is not followed up as they ought to.

Thanks Uncle Brian and I like others miss you.

Peace & tolerance

H

Remembering Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004)

Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004) was one of our first out Jamaican Gay rights activist besides another co-founder Larry Chang's public advocacy, Brian was a businessman, philanthropist, club owner/promoter and co-founder of the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians and Gays, J-Flag. 

Also see: Larry Chang ........ a Reintroduction a post I had put together from 2008

Brian with cutie Tessa back in the day

Uncle Brian was known for personally housing and looking after gay people in Jamaica, his networking skills became legendary especially with displaced gay and bisexual men at his business property where he often used the drapery/awning factory section adjacent the club danceloor as an overnight shelter for short stays. A pleasant smile was what one would get upon entering his complex but a serious disciplinarian up until his death and he sought to it that homeless persons were assisted in what ever way he could, beneficiaries had to tow the line and abide by the guidelines for stay, which may explain my push in this regard as my early exposure to that side of on the ground advocacy and his own struggle to convince others to include that part of crisis interventions far more into the mix.

He was murdered with a machete, suffering multiple stab wounds to neck and face. Williamson's confessed murderer, Dwight Hayden,was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after fifteen years. The case raised several concerns regarding non homophobic killings, credibility in crisis communication, non-romantic same gender sexual liaisons gone bad, community based assistance with trust challenges and Jamaica's entrenched homophobia (the cheering by the public outside the murder scene as the body was taken away).

Other posts and articles on Brian:
Remembering Brian Williamson

Gleaner on Remembering Brian Williamson June 20, 2004
More related posts that named Brian: HERE
More from Gay Jamaica Watch: HERE
More from GLOBALGAYZ: HERE

Sadly missed

One of the founding members of JFLAG, Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals & Gays (worth repeating)

Brian outside his home/club in New Kingston where he was taken from us sadly.

former dancehall queen and wife of Beenieman popularly known as Carlene was the one who interviewed Brian on her talkshow back in the 90s

Owner of one of the most successful gay entertainment spots in Jamaica, The Entourage and a dedicated activist. One of the memorable moments in our GLBTQ history is an appearance on Jamaican television then known as (JBC) Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation coming out to the nation and by extension the world and putting a face to the gay community. He gave me my big break on the LGBT party scene at the time when I made my transition from the mainstream sound system sector, my nights were Fridays. Also we should remember Brian's business sidekick Michael Melbourne who also was murdered brutally in his New Kingston apartment,  long time friend, ally to the community, philanthropist, art dealer, club owner/manager and an activist in his own right, was taken from us in October 14 2001 to be precise brutally by assailants in his home. He was known as the bubbly manager of the then Entourage LGBT nightclub in Kingston as owned and operated by late activist Brian Williamson who was also murdered in 2004, a fate that seems to follow open hearted persons in the community and it begs the question were they duped into scenarios and towards persons with ulterior motives that lead to their own demise?

Michael was also known for his contributions financially and otherwise to non governmental organizations and was very active during the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Jamaica as the photo below shows he was making a donation to a popular NGO at the time.

the legendary Michael Melbourne also see more here:

LGBT HISTORY MONTH: ALLIES – POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION ’11 PART 1

GAY & BISEXUAL INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, HOMOPHOBIC INCIDENTS & CRISIS COMMUNICATION

DJ Howie's More Entourage, Heavens & Loft Favs Set 03.05.14 

DJ Howie's Entourage Memories Passed Set 23.04.14 

DJ Howie's Club Entourage Quick Review Pass Set 17.04.14 

Here are some setmixes I had done on some of the dancefloor anthems from the day.

The VHS tapes of the JBC interview should be available at JFLAG's archives in Kingston, we hope they have been stored properly and not left to go the route of the Gay Freedom Movement (GFM) archives that subsequently what was left of those were retrieved by it's founder Larry Chang and archived overseas were not in good condition due to poor handling and storage, sad as Jamaica should have been the repository for such important materials. We must preserve our past a people who do not know or respect their past cannot plan for the future.

A pity as he must be turning in his grave now to see how we still are at odds over what is to be done for the movement in totality of the LGBTQI communities instead we are left with a joke of an advocacy though very slowly changing; with criticisms of dissenting voices described as "bickering" as if the establishment are infallible when the engagement of everyone for or against should be the thrust forward in dealing with not just the repulsion of the buggery law while affixing HIV/AIDS issues which seems to be the main focus while the urgently required social interventions for certain sections of the community to uplift and rebuild their lives.

Sadly it seems more about self-aggrandizement coupled with what appears as an elitist agenda with a general intolerance for views outside the system. The ordinary LGBTQI body politic seems relegated to just followers with selected individuals given a platform. The loss of a former volunteer and contracted individual in 2011 via a gruesome murder with not so much as some formal recognition for however small his contribution was glaring to say the least.

Read more here from the Wordpress edition of GLBTQJA

All this was not the original plan when The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays when first formed and launched albeit that from the get go if I am to go from memory the signs of the aforementioned opposition to certain types of intervention ideas were knocking at the door but were not as pronounced as today.

Let us however move towards working together for the greater good of those down trodden and or displaced with a sense of hopelessness, rest assured the criticisms will not and cannot be stopped as it is by picking the meat from same and having real forumatic activities that the solutions will come.

Love always

Peace and tolerance

H

Remembering Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004)

a special post outside of the October History month but relevant non the less

the good days with his dog Tessa at home

Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004) was a Jamaican Gay rights activist and co-founder of the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians and Gays, J-Flag. He was known for personally housing and looking after gay people in Jamaica. A pleasant smile was what one would get upon entering his complex up until his death and he sought to it that homeless persons were assisted in what ever way he could, which may explain my push in this regard as my early exposure to that side of on the ground advocacy and his own struggle to convince others to include that part of crisis interventions into the mix.

He was murdered with a machete, suffering multiple stab wounds to neck and face.Williamson's confessed murderer, Dwight Hayden, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after fifteen years.

Other posts and articles on Brian:

Remembering Brian Williamson

Gleaner on Remembering Brian Williamson June 20, 2004

More related posts that named Brian: HERE

More from Gay Jamaica Watch: HERE

More from GLOBALGAYZ: HERE

Sadly missed

One of the founding members of JFLAG, Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals & Gays (worth repeating)

Owner of one of the most successful gay entertainment spots in Jamaica, The Entourage and a dedicated activist. One of the memorable moments in our GLBTQ history is an appearance on Jamaican television then known as (JBC) Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation coming out to the nation and by extension the world and putting a face to the gay community.

The VHS tapes should be available at JFLAG's archives in Kingston, we hope they have been stored properly and not left to go the route of the Gay Freedom Movement (GFM) archives that subsequently what was left of those were retrieved by it's founder Larry Chang and archived overseas were not in good condition due to poor handling and storage, sad as Jamaica should have been the repository for such important materials. We must preserve our past a people who do not know or respect their past cannot plan for the future.

A pity as he must be turning in his grave now to see how we are at odds over what is to be done for the movement in totality of the LGBTQI communities instead we are left with a joke of an advocacy with criticisms of dissenting voices described as "bickering" as if the establishment are infallible when the engagement of everyone for or against should be the thrust forward in dealing with not just the repulsion of the buggery law while affixing HIV/AIDS issues which seems to be the main focus while the urgently required social interventions for certain sections of the community to uplift and rebuild their lives. Sadly it seems more about self-aggrandizement coupled with an elitist agenda with a general intolerance for views outside the system. The ordinary LGBTQI body politic seems relegated to just followers with selected individuals given a platform. The loss of a former volunteer and contracted individual earlier this year via a gruesome murder with not so much as some formal recognition for however small his contribution was glaring to say the least.

Read more here from the Wordpress edition of GLBTQJA

All this was not the original plan when The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays was first formed and launched albeit that from the get go if I am to go from memory the signs of the aforementioned opposition to certain types of intervention ideas were knocking at the door but were not as pronounced as today.

Let us however move towards working together for the greater good of those down trodden and or displaced with a sense of hopelessness, rest assured the criticisms will not and cannot be stopped as it is by picking the meat from same and having real forumatic activities that the solutions will come.

Love always

Peace

Remembering Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004)

a special post outside of the October History month but relevant non the less

the good days with his dog Tessa at home

Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004) was a Jamaican Gay rights activist and co-founder of the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians and Gays, J-Flag. He was known for personally housing and looking after gay people in Jamaica.


He was murdered with a machete, suffering multiple stab wounds to neck and face.Williamson's confessed murderer, Dwight Hayden, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after fifteen years.

Other posts and articles on Brian:

Remembering Brian Williamson

Gleaner on Remembering Brian Williamson June 20, 2004

More related posts that named Brian: HERE

More from Gay Jamaica Watch: HERE

More from GLOBALGAYZ: HERE

Sadly missed

One of the founding members of JFLAG, Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals & Gays (worth repeating)

Owner of one of the most successful gay entertainment spots in Jamaica, The Entourage and a dedicated activist. One of the memorable moments in our GLBTQ history is an appearance on Jamaican television then known as (JBC) Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation coming out to the nation and by extension the world and putting a face to the gay community.

The tapes should be available at JFLAG's archives in Kingston.

He helped to spark my interest in advocacy and rights in general for all.

Love always


Peace

LGBTQ History Month - Entertainment despite challenges

Thanks to the oral histories, sometimes clear memories from those who shared them and the archival materials I was able to get my hands on plus my own 15 year work as a disc jock/party promoter I was able to put this list together thus far which has been updated several times over. I am still looking for any data I might have omitted or mistakenly posted so if there is anything out of place please feel free to email me: lgbtevent@gmail.com

For as long as same gender loving Jamaicans have existed in Jamaica it's safe to say there have been gay spots for entertainment for the community to unwind and de-stress, from one of the first major clubs in New Kingston at the time to house parties to other smaller joints and clubs around Kingston in some of the most unlikely of places. The hip and the elite also had their own shin-digs in uptown locations and were often held by invitation only to weed out certain types at that time. Older gays folks in their late sixties and seventies speak of two clubs on Waltham Park Road in the early seventies and other major spots in "uptown" Kingston via what oral histories we can capture from those surviving members of the community. The capital of course was the place to be except for the occasional out of town weekend retreat type event usually done on or around a major holiday. 

The Closet:
One of the first major same gender loving spots in Jamaica started in 1974 situated in the then business district and newly developed New Kingston strip and was operated by a well known business man, Peter Frazer, then the monster of homophobia was not so caustic by virtue of class of many of its patrons there were not exposed to any possible anti gay rhetoric in the very class and colour conscious seventies. It was more a bar than a dance club but the disco songs and music which was the rage at that time were spun by the resident DJs on vinyl records and dancing was in, not posing in a get together with hot clothes to see who could outdo whom. The "fighting" element was not a feature then as it was about just pure enjoyment and good music.

Cherry's:

This was a pub in the heart of Kingston near the now Central Police station on East Queen Street in the seventies when Jamaica was much more quiet and not as violent towards gays and lesbians. It was known to a certain extent what transpired at the night spot which was also frequented by music stars and straight persons as well, all round it was a meeting place of sorts. There was a motel nearby where persons would overnight if they had too much to drink or would patronise the local commercial sex workers business who were always present nearby to catch their customers. It is not clear whether male CSWs operated their at the time as CSW work was still considered a very taboo subject. The joint eventually was phased out by the eighties. The operator Miss Cherry is now abroad.

The White Lady
This was a mainstream joint in Spanish Town St. Catherine at the time that was operated by a caucasion bisexual the name was given to it by the local patrons at the time as he was said to have been somewhat effeminate and as words like "battyman" never existed at the time it was a kind of satirical jest used amongst the "sports" to identify the spot. It was deemed more a bisexual or downlow spot (even though the downlow phenomenon was not so mainstream and a matter of public discussion) as mixed crowds were seen there according to a source who used to be a fixture there, the former owner whereabouts are unknown but if one wanted a same sex hookup all one had to do was ask the right people.

Marhall's:

This was a club that was in the Hills of St. Andrew and was well supported by the community it ran for a good five plus years before the mainstream media and tabloids such as the Enquirer (now defunct) wormed their way in as guests and exposed the venue with embellished stories of sexual impropriety thus the activities came to a halt as many persons feared being seen at the venue. The owner at the time was known as Marshall (his real name) and offered the latest in music including the underground Chicago house music servings which the drag queens thoroughly enjoyed plus the then newly introduced dancehall that was taking the nation by storm. He came out to a recent discussion on February 23, 2011 during a public meeting on Black history month called Open Mic Open Soul where he  reminded older folks like myself of the early problems in the community some of which are still with us such as homelessness and gay on gay violence, his reputation though as a club promoter though was the main matter of the evening. He recalled the early days of police harrassment of his establishment and the tabloid press's hounding and putting out stories casting a cloud on his activities. He remained resolute in carrying on business as he was determined to see his patrons happy at best while making that needed pink dollar.
There were other party promoters but without the rivalry that now exists with some strange and disastrous results and he expressed his concerns about the happenings briefly. He also touched briefly on the other communities such as the lesbian and bisexual communities.

The Entourage Club:

Probably the most popular gay club in History owned and operated by the late activist and JFLAG's co-founder Brian Williamson where he turned his Office complex by day into a hip music pumping high action night spot. It was one of the few gay entertainment spots listed in the Spartacus annual publications complete with telephone number and directions at one point. Spartacus of course is the Bible of all things in gay entertainment at the time and the elite publication prided itself of being the authority on such, it was considered a plus for any club, villa or hotel to be listed in it, The Entourage was secure as Mr. Williamson had armed private security teams and cameras to see to his patrons' safety, a new phenomenon in LGBT entertainment at that time. The music servings were great as well with many DJs passing through serving reggae, house, r & b, soca and dancehall (non murder music type) as Brian insisted. DJs were suspended at one point if they violated the rule, I was one such on two occasions. The occasional fight or two did not stop proceedings and he instituted a membership only system for a while to control the bad eggs but some original patrons who were very territorial weren't happy with the mix of unruly "kidz" and a new hipper generation hooked on voguing and sassy dancehall styles. The club was exposed in the media several times with one story claiming that members of a police raid saw men kissing each other and having sex on the dance floor which turned out to be false when the Senior Superintendent Ionie Ramsey arrived one Sunday morning in the height of fevered dancing and shouting. One other Star News story carried photos of motor vehicles parked at the then Haughton Avenue address with registration plates in full view.

However Brian kept the facility opened despite pressure from the business district, church groups, the occasional prying eyes and repetitive tabloid references where the club was situated bearing in mind that offices on his property were rented by the gentleman as well. At one stage a former tabloid named the The Enquirer (a local version of the US print but much racier) carried a damning piece that he Bryan was harbouring boys there suggesting he was a paedophile. He did eventually close as competition came on stream from other house party and moving target venues and the police claiming he didn't have the proper permits to operate hosting so many persons with the requisite fire and exit stipulations. It was in the very area where the bar and dance floor was in the original floor plan where he was murdered in 2004 after he converted the area into a lovely living space. It is on the Entourage's premise and structure that nearly all other clubs and spots since then have built their products on catering to the community. Those Jamaicans who still reside here or abroad in their thirties or fourties have fond memories of that small but hip spot and often reminisce.

Club Escape:

This was the other spot that took the place of the Entourage in a sense (not to be confused with the mainstream club Escape that was in New Kingston on Knutsford Boulevard) but never filled the huge shoes that the Ento as it's sometimes referred to wore, it was well attended by the young hip crowd, University and the white collar typed folks. It lasted for almost 4 years before closing as it's location was in fact a residential area and many nights police did arrive to close the proceedings down or to cut the noise level often times working for a smalls (payola)..... they would allow the events to go till 4am rather than the 2am cut off time. It was operated then by a two friends and was reopened under the management of two females at another location carrying on the tradition.

Other short lived spots:

The Office in New Kingston was probably the only mainstream spot at that time that allowed lesbian events to take place before it folded late last year 2008. Other spots since have extended space rental for same gender loving events usually at a higher premium than the market rates. There were other private spots in the hills of St. Andrew that made them well attended as they were away from the glare of the public's gaze and folks felt safe to mingle and socialise. The original Deck was another short lived spot that lasted just under two years that attracted more white collar type patrons in the hills of St. Andrew and attracted many celebrities because of where it stood but so called ordinary folk and even members of the drag community made the occasional Saturday night treck as no other steady spot were open at the time of its operation.

Other parties have been held by gay friendly celebs or mixed parties as well where gays and str8s mingle these are usually exclusive and by invitation only. Sophies was operated by a lesbian couple who would often compete with Escape and the Entourage before they were closed, they still operate privately hosting exclusive events for her loyal fans. Halo also was a short lived spot that ended when again media intrusion by operatives posing as gays or are gays themselves who for what ever reasons seem to conspire with newspapers got wind of the spot hence the article about noisy gays sometime ago. That spot has since been rented as a party venue by respective party promoters and is known known as the "Boardfloor" due to its old time board flooring in sections of the building. 

Calabash

Calabash was one of the last ventures opened in the western part of the island and was privately managed until recently where a series of shootings have occurred thus putting a damper on things for some time, events still do occur but are low keyed. Club Heavens is the present hot spot in rural Jamaica where several events continue to date with upcoming fashion and drag queen shows and parties planned. They have developed a reputation for ending their parties at 8 or 9am on Sundays. Small rural spots have popped up as well with well coordinated network for advertising events and ticket sales where applicable. The infamous Kling Kling Villa has not been used since the trouble with the police in that part of the island and a certain JFLAG Programs Manager who now resides overseas, the unfortunate wide circulation of a private party DVD of an event that was recorded there and also the threats by those same rogue cops to the property's care taker then so the decision was taken not to rent to the community. 

All in all Same Gender Lovers in Jamaica have found ways to entertain ourselves despite the problems we have but life goes on.

Added UPDATE for 2011

The Loft, The 'New" Deck and Couture Oasis 
New spots have emerged since with the two main stayers being the Loft in Kingston and the Couture Oasis Bar which recently won the Best Hang Out Spot award at the 2011 Grammy Awards party. Both spots have been holding their own with the latter also doubling as a home for an advocacy group known as The Underlined Response. The Loft also acts as a temporary meeting spot for some advocacy issues and the occasional wake for brothers who have departed this life. The Loft will celebrate their first anniversary on October 30th with a series of events for 2011 despite the challenges and a recent Star News hint to the spot. 

The "New" Deck
A revived property situated in North East Jamaica that used to host private LGBT parties some years ago owned by an older still lively character we all know as "Indeed" as he usually ends his sentences with an elongated "Indeed!!!" the spot now carries some uber fierce events as of late but many complain as was with Club Heavens in St. Ann of the long trek to get there although the events tends to go on for long hours sometimes till five in the mornings.

O.P.E.N
An all female joint owned by a male businessman but who specifically caters to same gender loving women with a full cadre of female DJs, given its location it would make sense to house that kind of joint there as a volatile area is nearby and given the homo-negativity to male homosexuality or aesthetics women are more tolerated. They have offered some very interesting servings for their clientelle which is good in my eyes as the ladies can also have a space for themselves to party and socialize. The acronymn does not really have a meaning per say save and except for it being opened to women as the given reason by one of the managers of the club.

Other mainstream venues that I won't mention here just yet are also allowing LGBT typed events usually for a  little more than the typical market price and also with strict guidelines attached probably in fear of exposure and the risks involved. New players also have made the entry into the business and so has changed the diversity and quality of offerings to an ever expanding and younger hip LGBT audience with all identities under the umbrella making themselves visible.

Keep on.

Peace and tolerance

H

Consul's death thrusts Jamaican homophobia into the spotlight

By V King Macdona (PINK NEWS)

John Terry, a British honorary consul, was murdered at his Jamaica home in what was suspected to be a homophobic attack earlier in September.

The 65-year-old was strangled and beaten, while a note reportedly calling him a ‘batty man’ had been left at the crime scene, prompting suspicions that homophobia was the key motive for the crime.

Although Jamaican police have since claimed it is unlikely that this was a factor in the killing, the act has brought the issue of Jamaica’s culture of homophobic violence to the fore in the world’s media.

Fuelled by conservative religious beliefs, both Christian and Rastafarian, homophobia is rife and even Jamaican law can be said to support it; sex between two men carries a ten year jail sentence. The murder of John Terry, whether or not it was motivated by anti-gay sentiment, has highlighted a growing problem, and one which has been escalating in recent years.

In 2004 Brian Williamson, Jamaica’s most prominent gay rights activist and founder of J-FLAG, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays, was brutally murdered. According to reports at the time, a crowd of people gathered outside the scene of the crime, shouted abuse and celebrated his death by singing the homophobic Buju Banton song 'Boom Bye Bye'. This murder and the subsequent public reaction goes some way to indicating the level of homophobia that gay people in Jamaica face. Even popular music is underpinned by prejudice, with stars such as Bounty Killer encouraging hate crime with their lyrics. Beatings, gang violence and murder are a constant threat, and many gay men and women live in fear of their safety.

Jamaica’s latent homophobia has also affected the fight against HIV. A 2004 report by Human Rights Watch titled ‘Hated to Death: Homophobia, Violence and Jamaica’s HIV/AIDS Epidemic’ stated that it is much more difficult to get safe sex advice, information about protecting oneself against the virus and practical defences like condoms when whole issue of gay sex is completely taboo. Discrimination exists within the health service, with reports that gay patients do not receive the care they are entitled to. Some HIV-positive patients have reported that healthcare workers have refused to treat or even touch them, and have disclosed their condition to others against their wishes, increasing the risk of homophobic abuse. If the situation continues as it is, Jamaica faces an increase in the number of people contracting HIV, a disease which could be preventable were it not for the health service’s homophobia.

Amnesty International has publicly condemned anti-gay attacks which have taken place in recent years. The organisation has said it is "particularly concerned by reports of mob violence against persons perceived as homosexuals who are targeted because of their appearance or behaviour, which seems to be increasing in frequency". In a 2004 statement, Amnesty highlighted two incidents which typify this kind of violence. In one instance, people threw stones at mourners through a church window during the funeral of a man suspected to be gay, purposefully disrupting what should have been respectful ceremony. In another attack, a 30-strong mob chased and beat a group of men who had been dancing at a carnival, one of whom was hospitalised as a result of his injuries. Amnesty has said they are calling on Jamaican authorities to investigate the crimes thoroughly, though these examples constitute a minute proportion of the crimes perpetrated against gays and lesbians.

Human rights groups have been fighting Jamaica’s homophobia for years, and still the police and justice systems appear to turn a blind eye to anti-gay crime. When a gay police officer spoke out in a local newspaper in February 2008 about the fact that the police do not take violence against gays seriously enough, he was subsequently forced to leave his job and go into hiding, fearing for his life. In this climate of fear, in which victims cannot turn to the police for help, gay Jamaicans are finding it increasingly difficult to live openly.

Speaking to the New York Times last year, inspector Claude Smith, commander of Mandeville police station in Jamaica, said of gay people; “Based on the response of these mobs, people get very angry when they come across them. I don’t think they can survive in the open.”

Even with the support of external, international human rights organisations, the gay population of Jamaica faces an uncertain future. British honorary consul John Terry's murder has simply brought to the fore a problem which may take decades to resolve.

LA Gay & Lesbian's Center open letter to Buju Banton’s manager Tracii McGregor

In your open letter dated September 3, you state that you’re “setting the record straight” on “grossly inaccurate portrayals” of Buju Banton, following the recent cancellation of many of his performances. You claim, as you have in several media reports, that Banton was only 15-years-old when he wrote the song that glorifies the murder of gay men, “Boom, Bye Bye.”What you don’t mention is that he and your record label not only continue to profit from the sale of this song, still available for purchase on compilation albums, but that Banton has continued to perform it—in 2006 in Miami, and as recently as 2007 at the Guyana Music Festival.

If the song’s “not a call to violence,” as you claim, then what exactly does Banton mean when he sings: “faggots… have to die” and that he will shoot them in the head and “burn them up bad?”Though it’s disturbing someone so young could have enough rage to write those lyrics, Banton continues to perform and justify it nearly two decades later when he is clearly an adult man. This song is sadly reflective of the anti-gay culture in Jamaica… a culture that Banton helps to sustain through his music; a culture that resulted in the brutal murder of prominent gay Jamaicans in the last five years, including the gay rights campaigner Brian Williamson and the HIV educator Steve Harvey. Indeed, when Williamson’s body was discovered crowds gathered outside his house and started cheering and singing "Boom Bye Bye" in celebration of his killing. This and similar gay-bashing violence led Time magazine to recently ask if Jamaica is “the most homophobic place on Earth.”

And it was just a few days ago that a gay British diplomat was murdered in Jamaica, in what many believe was a hate-motivated homophobic killing.As you know, Banton himself was charged with a gay bashing attack just five years ago, though—under suspicious circumstances—he was acquitted.While “setting the record straight,” you didn’t mention that in 2007, when some of Banton’s European concerts were threatened with cancellation, he signed the “Reggae Compassionate Act” (under his real name: Mark Myrie) agreeing (among other things) to never perform anti-gay songs. Perhaps you neglected to mention this, because just weeks later, Banton denied he ever signed it and continued to perform “Boom, Bye Bye.”You cite, as an example of Banton’s “love for humanity,” his support for disadvantaged youth and his creation of a foundation to help HIV-positive babies.

“He has spent an entire career making amends,” you say. But curiously, you never mention what he has said or done to atone for more than 18 years of performing a song that glorifies the murder of gay people. The only quote I can find from Baton on the issue is in a Billboard.com news story from three years ago, in which he says of gay rights groups: “Fuck them. I have never bashed any gays before, and if I bashed gays, I bashed them 16 years ago.”I believe everyone has the potential to let go of whatever rage and hate they may have in their heart. If Banton is truly remorseful for performing “Boom, Bye Bye” and contributing to the anti-gay climate in Jamaica, and publicly vows to never perform the song again, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center would be happy to support an end to the boycott of his concerts. In fact, while Banton is in the U.S., we’d like to invite him to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center to meet with us and to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act again.

While here, we’d love to talk to him about the impact of hate speech and to meet with some of the homeless LGBT youth who live in our transitional-living program… youth who are victims of a homophobic culture, fostered by songs like “Boom, Bye Bye.”You say that “our war against one artist” has prevented “a more fruitful discussion that could perhaps effect real change.” The unfortunate truth is that Banton is just one Reggae singer who has glorified the murder of LGBT people and we’ve protested against the others (Capleton, Sizzla, and Beenie Man) as well. The goal, however, has never been to silence artists—it has been to put an end to music that promotes violence against LGBT people. We’d like nothing more than to have a fruitful discussion that will result in the end of such music. Will you and Buju Banton take us up on this offer, Ms. McGregor?

Lorri L. Jean,

CEO
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

LGBT History Month - Brian Williamson Remembered

Thomas Glave, Contributor, originally published Sunday June 20, 2004

"THE PIECE IS STILL POIGNANT TODAY!!!"-Admin

THIS MUCH is true: the brave, loving gay man who was murdered in Kingston last week will not be forgotten. His name was Brian R.B. Williamson. None of us who are gay, lesbian or bisexual will forget him, and neither will many others.He was a founding member of J-FLAG. I remember him from that time. That was where I first met him ­ where I first had the privilege of getting to know him. We all were meeting in great trust, scarcely knowing at that time, in the latter months of 1998, how daunting and ultimately vital our mission would be. But in 2004, six years later, J-FLAG still exists ­ proof of the importance and utter correctness of our work. Jamaica's viciousness and hatred, no matter how brutal, could not destroy us then, and will not destroy us now.I remember Brian as a laughing man: a man with 'a head of silver coins'," as I described his head of curly silver-gray hair. He loved laughing and laughter. Though it is often said of the dead even when untrue, he truly did love life, and exemplified that love in his formidable bravery where sexuality matters were concerned. He was not afraid to open, and operate from the late 1990s until only a few years ago, the gay and lesbian dance club Entourage, right in his home at .

SAFE PLACE
Entourage, a place where so many of us gays, lesbians, and bisexuals could go and dance, laugh, flirt, party, and hang out with friends and loved ones ­ a place where we could breathe freely and openly, delivered for a few hours from Jamaica's otherwise repressive, hateful anti-gay environment. At Entourage and in other places, Brian was not afraid to challenge the police, fiercely, when they attempted to harass him. He was not afraid to represent J-FLAG on the radio, using his own name, and to appear on television, representing the organisation, showing his face. He did it all with great humour and generosity, and lived, until a few weeks ago, to tell about it. In that regard, he was truly an example to all of us who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual ­ an example of just what bravery and risk can accomplish.It remains to be seen whether Brian was murdered specifically because he was gay, although given the extremely violent nature of the crime and his being so widely known as an outspoken gay man, one would be a bit naive not to wonder. These are hard times for all Jamaicans living on the island, but they're especially hard for gay men, and for men who have sexual/romantic involvements with other men, and with women, and don't call themselves 'gay'.

SHROUD OF FEAR
Many men who desire other men in Jamaica continue to live with an enormous amount of anxiety, shame and fear. Such is also the case for women who love other women. Those of us who are men, particularly after an incident such as which took Brian's life, return to that gnawing fear: will someone strike us down anytime soon because we are 'b-men'? How will it happen? With fire, machetes, pickaxes, hammers, guns, knives or simple strangling? Or will it be 'just' a beating? Or a good old-fashioned stoning? Will our father do it to us, or a neighbour? A boyfriend of ours, or a co-worker?Will everyone in our community turn on us? Will it happen in the cool, quieter hours of the night, or beneath the sun's blazing afternoon? Will people laugh after our death, as they did after Brian's or will some cry for us, as many did for Brian? Will people tell each other after our murder that we 'deserved' it, or were 'asking for' it? Will people in our families be so ashamed of us, and so embarrassed, that they'll refuse to speak about us to anyone, especially when it comes to the men we loved? Will self-hating gay men say vicious things about us - that we were nothing more than a 'sketel', nothing more than a 'butu', so what could we expect?We all have faced discrimination and bigotry from friends, family members, church members, and others; yet many of us somehow have managed to survive that bigotry, and even triumph. In that regard, we, male and female homosexuals, are truly testaments to survival and the human spirit. Jamaica would be much poorer without our talent, hard work, skills, and intelligence, and Jamaica knows it. Jamaica will be much poorer without the light of Brian Williamson, but the gay/lesbian community, and J-FLAG, will continue, and prevail, as Brian himself would have wanted us to.

EQUAL TO NAZI TYRANNY
Make no mistake ­ years from now, the world will look at Jamaica the way we do at Nazis today. Jamaica's hatred of homosexuals is the equal of Nazis' hatred of Jews. It is the equal of racist whites' hatred of blacks, is the equal of all hatred everywhere ­ just as ugly, just as destructive and self-destructive, just as ignorant and narrow. Just as evil.We are Nazis toward lesbians and gay men, but Hitler's fury didn't wipe out all the Jews, and Jamaica's rage won't kill all of us - it won't even kill those of us who hate ourselves so much because Jamaica has taught us to hate ourselves and other gay people.In our private spaces we still love and make love to each other, we still tell jokes and drink, play cards and watch T.V, nyam our curry goat and brown stew chicken, go on bad and tek bad tings mek laugh. We still dream of love, like everyone else, and, when necessary, we take care of each other. If anything, Brian's death should teach us all to do all these things even better.But it should teach us something else, even more important: it should teach us that we, and no one else, will have to make the kind of world we want our children to live in. If one of our children turns out to be gay ­ and I mean the children of any Jamaican, any person, heterosexual or homosexual, since we, too, produce children ­ are we prepared to send them out into a world that might chop them up, burn them, dash acid on them, or burn down their house? Or stone them? Or cause them to flee Jamaica in fear? Or cause them to grow up lying about themselves, lying to their parents, to spouses, children, friends, family ­ to everyone?What are we all doing right now, nearly one week after a brave man's death, to protect our children from that world? From this world?
Brian featured on the bottom of his outgoing e-mails a quote from Gandhi: "We must become the change we wish to see in the world." It's useful, but to achieve what it says requires a tremendous amount of human bravery: brave heart, brave mind, brave soul, and the courage to expand the mind beyond the prejudices that make us happy and comfortable. Are we prepared to try and live this way, if only to keep other people from being killed as Brian was killed, and to save ourselves from such a death as well?
Light a candle, then, for this man who was loved. Light many candles, and remember his name. Remember his laughter.Remember how much he loved other men, and how very much he wanted them to love him in return. Remember how much he loved his cat Jonathan and his dog Tessa - poor Tessa, who was there, at home, on the morning of his death.Remember how Brian loved his garden, especially the trailing yellow allamanda flowers on his front lawn's overhead trellis. Say a prayer for him, and say another for those terrible lost people who killed him.Remember how much power, love, and life he brought us in Jamaica. Remember, how much braver he made so many of us. Remember how he expanded our entire country. Remember, and know that he will not be forgotten.