Jamaican Council for Human Rights Wants Probe Into Case Of Innocent Man Jailed For Nine Years for Steve Harvey's Murder

Chairperson of the Jamaican Council for Human Rights, Arlene Harrison Henry, is calling for the Police High Command to order a probe into the case of a man held in police custody for almost nine years for a crime he did not commit.

Ryan Wilson was freed of murder last week in the Home Circuit Court after it was revealed that he was in custody at the Constant Spring Police station at the time of the alleged crime.

Steve Harvey in good times

Wilson was jointly charged with four others in relation with the 2005 murder of HIV/AIDS activist Lenford 'Steve' Harvey. 

Harrison Henry says what happened to Wilson is indicative of the dereliction of duty by agents of the State.

She further says having someone in custody almost nine years for a crime he did not commit is a gross violation of his Constitutional rights.

She says it’s not enough for the State to compensate him for the terrible ordeal, but those who did not do their jobs must be held accountable.

Attorney-at-law Ernest Davis, who is representing Wilson, says his client will be filing a lawsuit seeking damages against the Government.

You may recall for those who knew him and who follow this blog one of my original posts: On the evening of November 30, 2005, at approximately 1:00am, Harvey and his roommates were robbed at gunpoint in their home, his roommates were bound, and Harvey was abducted. A gunman reportedly yelled "We hear that you are gay" to the trio. Harvey's body was found two hours later, early the next morning, a few miles in the hills overlooking Kingston, with gunshot wounds in his head and back.

Steve Harvey's killing has resulted in a far-reaching public outcry against the government of Jamaica, which has been accused of ignoring violence against homosexuals.
Several organizations, including the United Nations have demanded a thorough investigation of the homicide.

In March 2006, four people were charged with the killing.
It was in that same year he was selected as LACCASO's (Latin America and Caribbean Council of AIDS Service Organizations) project coordinator for Jamaica and was about to launch into bigger an better things.

A Life cut short.

His work with the MSM population was EXEMPLARY (yet to be duplicated) I had the pleasure of working with him while he was a member of the GLABCOM, gay lesbian, bisexual community steering committee arm of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, JASL in the late nineties through to his death.
The pic above depicting a happier moment of him, "BIG NOSE" as some would tease him, he never liked it lol.

He lived for politics and current affairs, always debating with someone about his favourite political party and if he never agreed with you his face made it very clear lol.
We Miss You Boi!!!

October 14, 2011 Update As for the political saga that ensued he would have lived for it and also the upcoming elections constitutionally due in 2012 he would have sided with his favourite party the Peoples National Party PNP who are now in administration and who also still enjoy most of the LGBT support despite siding with government on the invented gay marriage debate as a side bar to the Charter of Rights Debate in 2008/9.

I know he would have enjoyed the "working, working working" mantra Mrs Simpson Miller has taken on these days in her public utterances although the results are entirely different matter one could argue and that we have prior to his murder on many occasions.

Another one of our strong voices taken out unjustly.

Hope this case of this innocent man will open up more information needed to solve this one that has been languishing in our court system for far too long and then we wonder why we can't feel real justice.

meanwhile The Gleaner carried a follow up:

Careless Cops, Cooked-Up Case - Man Spends Nine Years In Custody For Murder He Could Not Have Committed

"The local justice system and the police force have again come in for sharp criticism after a man was held in custody for nine years for a crime he could not have committed.

Ryan Wilson, 25, of Grants Pen, St Andrew, was arrested in 2005 and charged with the murder of Jamaica AIDS Support coordinator, 30-year-old Lenford 'Steve' Harvey.

But on the day of his arrest, Wilson told the police that he could not have been involved in the killing because he was in custody at the Constant Spring Police Station at the time that Harvey was murdered.

Investigators failed to check the station diary to determine if Wilson was indeed in custody at the time, and charged him along with Dwayne Owen, Andrew West and the lone female, Chevaughn Gibson, for the crime.

Over the next seven years, several lawyers represented Wilson before attorney-at-law Ernest Davis was assigned by the court two years ago to represent him.

Davis told The Sunday Gleaner that while interviewing Wilson some time this year, the young man again insisted that he was innocent because he was in custody at the time of the murder.

"I began to do my investigation and so I went to the Constant Spring Police Station and requested that the station diary for 2005 be checked to verify what my client told me," explained Davis.

He said he was told the diary could not be found but he made several visits to the station in the hope that it was found.

Two months ago, the police reported that the station diary was found and it was verified that Wilson was telling the truth.

Davis brought the matter to the attention of the prosecutor in the case and Wilson was freed last Monday when he appeared with his three co-accused before Justice Lloyd Hibbert in the Home Circuit Court.

According to Davis, Wilson will be filing a lawsuit seeking damages against the Government for his ordeal.

The attorney slammed the police for their failure to check on Wilson's alibi as he argued that there was no justification for keeping Wilson in custody for so long.

Davis described the case as a "cooked-up one", as he pointed out that it was one of the co-accused who gave a statement alleging that Wilson was at the murder scene.

Wilson also has the support of several members of the local legal fraternity who described his case as a horrific travesty of justice.

"This makes a mockery of the Constitution, that a trial should take place without delay irrespective of the charge," charged attorney-at-law Bert Samuels.

"One of the amendments to the law that the prosecution has been seeking is that a defendant should give notice of his alibi. The police, in balancing their duty to the defendant or the complainant, is duty bound to check on the alibi given by any suspect, but more so where that alibi places him in the custody of the police themselves," argued Samuels.

According to attorney-at-law Tom Tavares-Finson, once Wilson told the police that he was in custody at the time of the murder, it was incumbent on them to investigate his alibi.

"So the police were derelict in their duty," added Tavares-Finson, as he charged that the defence lawyer and the prosecutor who initially had the case should also be blamed.

In the meantime, a second accused in the Steve Harvey murder, Gibson, was also freed last Monday while the trial continued with the other two accused, Owen and West.

Attorney-at-law Tamika Harris, who represented Gibson, said her client was 16-year-old when she was arrested.

According to Harris, the Judge's Rules — a set of guidelines about police questioning and the acceptability of the resulting statements and confessions as evidence in court — were breached when Gibson gave a statement while in custody.

FEW AUTHORITIES PRESENT

Harris further explained that no lawyer, justice of the peace or adult relative was present when Gibson gave the statement, and it was on that basis she was freed after this breach was pointed and legal authorities cited.

Harris told The Sunday Gleaner that while she is happy her client was freed, she is disappointed that it took such a long time.

However, Gibson is to return to the court on another charge, of knowing about an offence and concealing it. That case is set for mention on July 25.

Harvey was abducted from his home by gunmen who robbed him of several items, including his debit card, and then shot him. Harvey's body was found on November 30, 2005. Following investigations, all four were arrested and charged with murder in the course of furtherance of robbery."

Peace and tolerance

H

AIDS/LGBT Activist Steve Harvey Murder case set for May 19 2014

Former colleague Steve Lenford Harvey who was murdered in November 2005, he was apart of GLABCOM , LACASO(Latin America and Caribbean Council of AIDS Service Organizations) Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, JASL and Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica, SCJ as the choir director at one point in the days when the Kingston chapter was fully active.

more here on GLBTQJA Wordpress

"Big Nose" at the old Jamaica AIDS Support for Life Offices back in the day prior to the demolition of the building

The Gleaner carried the latest on the matter on April 28th, forgive me for my late entry on this but been sort of busy these days.

No Further Adjournment To Be Granted In HIV/AIDS Activist Murder Case

Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator (Gleaner)

KINGSTON, Jamaica:
Senior Puisne Judge Gloria Smith says no further adjournment will be granted in the case of the three men and a woman charged with the 2005 murder of HIV/AIDS activist Lenford 'Steve' Harvey.

The case against Dwayne Owen, Andrew West, Ryan Wilson and Chevaughn Gibson was called up in the Home Circuit Court on April 28th.

However, the matter could not proceed as several outstanding documents have not yet been served on the defence.

Defence lawyers have been complaining over the years that the prosecution has been tardy in handing over relevant documents in the case.

Today the judge said the case has been before the court for too long and ordered the Director of Public Prosecutions to make full disclosure to the defence by Friday.

A trial date was then set for May 19 and the judge warned she would not grant any further adjournments.

Owen, West, and Wilson were remanded while Gibson had her bail extended.

Harvey was abducted from his home by gunmen who robbed him of several items, including his debit card, and then shot him.

Harvey's body was found on November 30, 2005.

Following investigation, the four accused were arrested and later charged with murder in the course of furtherance of robbery.

ENDS

It is hard to figure however if this case can be categorised as a homophobic killing though but let us see what comes out in court if it gets to full trial.

Peace and tolerance

H

Not enough entries for Miss LGBT World 2013/4? ............ What!

I ran into one of the main organisers of Miss LGBT World online lately and we chatted about past events we were involved in when it struck me that I had not seen any ads for the annual event this year, so I posed my query to the diva; she sadly informed me that there was not enough uptake this year for the show and anticipated entertainment package especially with regards to celebrating effeminacy or cisgender womanhood for transwomen; the diva too was puzzled as to why but it soon dawned on me the mostly youthful entrants for years this year are either scattered all over the island, some of whom are displaced or homeless in Kingston especially in the shoemaker gully in New Kingston and elsewhere.

Miss Britney: MORE HERE and TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBERANCE 2013: GULLY QUEEN, BARBIE LOVE & BRITNEY BOUDASHIOUS GONE TOO SOON

The brutal unsolved murder of the 2012 winner Miss Britney Boudashious too has affected the interest, a fact that escaped me until the matter was discussed, there has been some psychological fallout as friends of the winning diva still are down and maybe see the competition/show as intimidating and a reminder of Britney as memories seem to be fresh in the minds of prospective entrants.

Another reason posed for the postponement of the show is costs as the show ages it has to become more flamboyant and pristine in order to keep interest especially from older party goers and supporters, I have been with the show since 2005 when the previous competing package Miss GLABCOM was discontinued in 2004 for similar reasons of costs and low uptake. Then the mistrust issues towards the organisers became apparent as it was a part of targeted interventions of Jamaica AIDS Support and was run by former Programs Manager now residing overseas Gareth Henry, when the then Steering Committee of GLABCOM wanted to continue the thrust they were turned down and during my tenure on the committee as well 2007 – 2010 we were advised not to pursue it as both a fundraiser and community development work but as usual there has always been some impatience or disinterest in that kind of work especially with the lower socio-economic classes and privileged LGBT advocates. 

Club Heavens LGBT Ocar Awards statuesque 2010, alse my 2010 review of the show: HERE and the 2008 report HERE

Dancehall Queen as well has been off and on for some years and last year there was no event in that regard, the loss of Club Heavens as well the cornerstone for LGBT entertainment post Club Entourage (Brian Williamson) closure in Kingston that outfit has also never got any support from more middle class LGBTians who turn their noses on such events at times, a trend that has disturbed me for years. I would hate to see the last dispensation of Miss LGBT World simply fade into nothingness with no support from the powers that be, I would have thought that HIV prevention (where all the thrust seems to be as we are doomed to get AIDS in the minds of some) strategies would benefit from more involvement or are we just for testing and condom distribution to make up numbers and reports for funders’ reports?

Tiana Miller 2009 photo I took at the now closed Club Heavens after the sashing.

There is a hive of talent in the young divas, some make their own dresses, can perform very well and some of these activities can be cathartic in terms of whatever issues they may have and serve as a distraction if for a night to see themselves as accepted and feel such as well, take Tiana Miller for example who won both Dancehall Queen in 2008 and Miss World in 2009 who is now the leading Transgender voice taking over from Laura Garcia for a while, then the outfit was run by the legendary Macey Antibellum Grey and the Balenciaga family the franchise was shifted to Coutoure Elements in 2010/1 then after their closure it was returned to Macey et al then to Cookie Balenciaga since until now. There have been some benefits for the winners or runner-ups apart from cash prizes some have gotten scholarships, opportunities to travel to other shows in the Caribbean and so on, I think this franchise must be kept alive and Miss Balenciaga says she is trying for another year with some new thrust.

2010 Miss World winner also crowned at Club Heavens

I am looking forward to seeing the staple return and I hope I do not have to see another needed outlet go down, Miss Glamour Girl as well was a short lived franchise in 2010 that also saw Tiana Miller winning that title as well making her the only person to win across the board the competition franchises; the Glamour Girl franchise also had Macey and the late Patrick Welsh as organizers, the latter passed the same year and was posthumously awarded an LGBT Oscar award; speaking of Oscars that too has been quiet for some time since 2012 and the Grammy in 2012 as well.

Miss Glamour Girl 2010 tiara I snatched away for a second to snap it

Tiana Miller in her legendary splits again quite informally in the usually "cratches mawnin antics known at Club Heavens that usually went up til 9am in Sunday mornings.

Awards shows on the LGBT circuit seems to be on a lull overall and the complaints from some patrons are that the events have a hetero-normative feel to them as drag culture seems stifled or waiting for something as one longtimer puts it.

Mek we wait and see nuh

also see some previous related entries:

Club Heavens The Rebirth, the last time she reopened prior to the police raid that led to her doors now closed or the audio post done then:

MISS WORLD (LGBT) 2010 A QUICK LOOK and 2010 THE YEAR THAT WAS …. ENTERTAINMENT PERSPECTIVE PART 2

Western Jamaica LGBT happenings:

ATTACK AT AN LGBT PARTY IN WESTERN JAMAICA ………………

BIG BLOW FOR HOMELESS/DISPLACED MSM IN WESTERN JAMAICA …..


FORMER MISS LGBT WORLD ON BEING TRANSGENDER IN JAMAICA

Celebrate ourselves!

Peace and tolerance

H

Some good news on the homeless front ..... guarded and waiting

Unfortunately I didn't get to see the live edition of the All Angles program on October 3 (above) hosted by Dionne Jackson Miller who approached LGBT related matters quite balanced before and when compared to the CVM TV Live @ 7's coverage of the issue on September 6 this one was far more balanced and had the players who were involved in the meeting that followed the eviction of the men from Cargill Avenue of August 29th and the subsequent standoff/insurrection at the offices at Jamaica AIDS Support for Life on September 21, 2012 where the police were called in alongside the security detail on the scene after a shot was fired in the ground.

I like the previous Executive Director of JASL who formed the previously closed Safe House Project am guarded and waiting, some of these same men were apart of and redisplaced after allegations of rowdy behaviour in 2009/10.

I am more interested in the psycho social and pyscho sexual interventions that will be rolled into the mix and how sustained it will be, pity it took so much cussing out and noise to finally get to here and I hope it does not go the route of the Safe House Pilot Project in 2009 where is was closed suddenly as implied above. The forward thinking of the member of parliament for the area Julian Robinson is commendable he is thinking as I am where the counseling is needed (I hope he is not hinting to reparative therapy). Dane Lewis however seems hesitant to embrace the idea of a full time engaging program.

On her new blog the Queens Yellow Brick Road she postured her point of view and a poll that clearly suggests most persons are guarded as well as we have heard of programs and interventions happening before only for them to die due to lack of funding or other controversial circumstances suddenly appearing on the horizon.

She also went on to say:

Dionne Jackson Miller, on her show tonight, ’ALL ANGLES’ as usual went straight to the point. Whilst I didn’t get to watch the entire show, I was very glad to see that Dionne wasted absolutely no time in following up on the recently held closed meeting CALLED BY CITY OFFICIALS who became concerned about the behaviour of the clan of homeless gay men. Her programme featured the MP – Julian Robinson along with representatives from the business community, the police, JFLAG represented by Dane Lewis and AIDS Free World represented by Maurice Tomlinson, with a few interviews with the homeless gay men on the street.

Dionne dug hard to get timelines to the talks and promises:

A dedicated shelter for homeless gay men. JFLAG alluded to the fact that a steering committee consisting of partners has been instituted to guide the process. They have found a landlord that is willing to participate in the project and seem to be interested in adapting The Open Arms Shelter model. JFLAG indicates that by weekend they should know something.
The business community has pledged its support in anyway, including financial once they are able to see a justified and I think sustainable project

The show left me feeling so good, the discussion was balanced and I was very impressed with all the panelists, in particular the persons/agents responsible for calling the meeting in the first place. Initially JFLAG’s reaction at the meeting as reported by the paper had me really disappointed as it appeared we had lost the opportunity to really get the support of these major major social players, namely the police, the politician and the business community. It was heart warming and extremely encouraging to note that the conversation was evidently focused on finding a solution to what was a growing issue for the business community and security of the new kingston area. I am still disappointed that it was not JFLAG that initiated and represented the need for a solution, but very glad that we are getting somewhere. It appears now the ball is in our court…and by our I mean JFLAG, and secondarily the steering committee to ensure that this does not fall through the cracks.

I have dreams that with the backing of these critical social development agents and contributors, a sustainable solution will be the outcome of this action; that the Jamaican people will fashion those attitudes of the police, politician and business man, and will start understanding that caring for its most vulnerable will boost our economy, families, social graces and yes…propel us to a Jamaica that will make our ancestors happy by fulfilling our mantra enshrined in our National Anthem and Motto. I have dreams that when Jamaica changes its attitudes toward gay people and human rights, we will truly finalize our position as world leader…we are a great nation and a great loving people and culture

I am so damn happy!!! 

ENDS

UPDATE December 2012

On the same blog she also shared her views on the Safe House Pilot Project she was attached to and helped initiate with assistance and valuable input from the defunct GLABCOM Steering Committee of which I was apart, now you can appreciate my long standing interest in this matter and why I blog the way I have been doing since 2009 regarding the homeless MSM, eyebrows were raised from December 2009 when the ultimatum was given by JASL for the men housed at that facility to move due to uncontrollable behaviour without the possible tweaking and stabilization work being done, the building was turned into JFLAG's office soon after which has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many.

see this post from 2009: Homeless MSM to feel the pinch as JASL issues ultimatum then we started to see the early consequences of the closure: Complaint of "Freaky Gays" Harassing New Kingston .. and Homelessness still a major problem the cracks had gotten wider to the present scenarios. 

click below to see more - 

The pilot homeless shelter programme – the original truth

also see from the June 13th (non-homophobic)double murder click: 

JFLAG’s needs to accept some responsibility for the Trafalgar Murders ….. homelessness not properly addressed

UPDATE DECEMBER

After a town hall meeting on November 7 to introduce the shelter idea to us with a list of things of which included:

1)Costing of $1.5M to conduct repairs

2)A shelter manager had been hired 

3)Assessements were to be done to ascertain who could enter the facility

4)The facility/project was a pilot for a short time

5) A five year strategic plan was presented in print

6) Programmatic outline was to be prepared

Now it turns out that due to the fact that it was funded by Global Fund cash and the present cycle/round ends in March 2013 even if the project commenced it would have ended by April as the next round would have been due to July or so and the pilot would only be to prove it can be run.

As for the psycho social and psycho sexual make up of the interventions when I questioned Executive Director Dane Lewis on the matter he said he would have sent the information, to date no such information has come, typical lack of follow up.

The original shelter idea had to be scrapped as the town planning laws governing that area where it sits would have been breached plus the property has to insurance to cover certain eventualities.

also see the December 6 eviction of some of the men (yet again) from another open lot as carried on both television stations: Kingston Homeless MSM Evicted (yet again)

LGBT History Month: Allies – Posthumous Recognition ’11 Part II

See part one on GLBTQJA Wordpress HERE

An ally, friend to the community, consummate party animal, brother in law of sorts and fierce friend, Steve was taken from us and from the pain after undergoing a series of illnesses. One of those persons who assisted many homeless persons in his private capacity, shut outs, ostracized and displaced males and females, he himself went through his own period of torment and displacement, it seems only persons like us who go through the issues or displacement teetering on homeless really develop a heart and extend a hand in the informal type of crisis intervention. A volunteer for a short while with AIDS organizations and was a regular fixture at the once bi-weekly GLABCOM, Gay Lesbian Bisexual community meetings formally held on second and fourth Tuesdays of each month with the fifth month being a games night. His two sisters still are in some sort or remorse even after I mentioned my intention to highlight him in this year's LGBT history post-humous category.

He passed away in 2010. We hope his soul is resting in peace 

Diva Diva Diva the one and only Mi'Que transgender representative in this years remembrance was taken from us tragically this year after an altercation with her spouse went haywire. I only got to know her well over the past two years with her regular appearances at formerly club heavens in St. Ann. She too in some way assisted financially with the now defunct Safe House project and travelled extensively, judging by the two photos I chose out of literally hundreds her sense of style was impeccable and unique.

RIP Mi'Que   

Garfield aka Biggy first came to my attention one faithful Saturday night in 1999 when he wanted a place to stay as he was roaming the streets in Kingston NOT HOMELESS but an avid cruiser and a damned good one too, he too like many others now who are stable went through horrible family and community rejection, he frequented a certain HIV/AIDS organization as well and also attended the GLABCOM Gay Lesbian Bisexual meetings too. We never lost touch since and was referred to at one point as my "daughter" Jovial, conservative at times, overly self concious, loved dancemusic and was a voguer in the days of the popular gay club Entourage in Kingston. He too helped some of the less fortunate until a nasty incident where he was robbed hardened him but in turn as he ailed by complications from diabetes melitus and kidney disease as he was about to commence dialysis the very week after being discharged from hospital he never made it. Some say it was stubbornness that did it as he was told to rest and not to party but he couldn't tame the wild beast within him. He was laid to rest at a popular burial site with all the funeral rights accorded and well attended. 

RIP Garfield aka Biggy

Unsung heroes and names often forgotten when they leave us, let us reflect.

Peace and tolerance

H

June is Pride Month ... but sadly last year's post still seems befitting

Sadly not much has changed since last year's entry on Pride Month on my sister blog GLBTQJA, yes we have seen some silent protests from a section of the advocacy arena and the letter writing campaign is still on which are geared to the anti gay establishment, there are some other changes in regards to homelessness and our transgender sister who was mentioned in the original piece but sorry to be the bearer of bad news many are just not feeling the overall community unity and sense of worth that is needed, there is a bright spot where a new forumatic area has been helping to air some of the inter and intra community issues and social networking sites have also been widely utilized, have a read of the post from last year and see if you agree, some slight editing has been done.

So June is PRIDE Month internationally as various parts of the world will celebrate publicly in most instances their respective LGBTQ events. With new territories adding their own voices in expressing pride in themselves, Jamaica in times past has had our own set of private celebratory events, parties and lymes when the the days of JFLAG (Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays) were far more introspective in the community itself and using such activities as a part of the social support strategy to engage the community and develop an identity given the homophobia and violence meted out to persons accused of being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender as we have seen in recent times. Only some party promoters and bloggers like myself who will highlight or have events so themed in respect to the occasion still carry on, I hope that will change soon.

PRIDE presently is supposed to be a mostly American invention coming out of the Stonewall events in the late sixties, other jurisdictions have added their own historical experiences such as Brisbane, Russia, Canada and The UK. LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity. The movement has three main premises: that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity, that diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered. The use of the abbreviated gay pride and pride have since become mainstream and shorthand expressions inclusive of all individuals in various LGBT communities.

The word pride is used in this case as an antonym for shame, which has been used to control and oppress LGBT persons throughout history. Pride in this sense is an affirmation of ones self and the community as a whole. The modern "pride" movement began after the "Stonewall riots" in 1969. Instead of backing down to unconstitutional raids by New York Police, gay people in local bars fought back. While it was a violent situation it also gave the underground community the first sense of communal pride in a very well publicized incident. From the yearly parade that commemorated the anniversary of the Stonewall riots began a national grassroots movement. Today many countries around the world celebrate LGBT pride. The pride movement has furthered the cause of gay rights by lobbying politicians, registering voters and increasing visibility to educate on issues important to LGBT communities. LGBT pride advocates work for equal "rights and benefits" for LGBT people.

Symbols of LGBT pride include the LGBT rainbow flag, butterfly, the Greek lambda symbol, and the pink as well as black triangles reclaimed from their past use.

Historical Background:Advocates of gay pride have used history to point to oppression as well as differing levels of acceptance of homosexuality throughout history. The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier, as Western societies have done for the past century. Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants, but by the extent to which such desire or behavior conformed to social norms. These norms were based on gender, age and social status. "Lesbian" derives from the name of the island of Lesbos,which was famous for the poet Sappho, who wrote love poetry to female lovers. Homosexuality in the ancient Roman Empire is considered to have been widespread but was tempered by the complex social systems of the society.

During Medieval times all forms of sexuality began to be repressed by the church as the message of heaven and hell gained popularity. As technology fell behind, simple luxuries such as clean running water and proper sewage became a thing of the past. This caused horrible conditions and disease. People began to believe that they were suffering from the wrath of God, blaming immorality. Any and all forms of homosexuality became not only shameful but punishable by death.

see also:
Homosexuality in ancient Greece
and Homosexuality in ancient Rome
Symbols of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Movements
The Catholic Church and Homosexuality
Pride celebrated worldwide

In 390, the first law banning same-sex love was enacted in Rome, making it punishable by death.

Pride! but the problems on the ground still are real .......
In our most recent history though, it is disheartening that many activities that were once expected to occur during this period have died or discontinued, there were film festivals, art auctions, other forms of entertainment and forums/workshops as well that were helpful to the community to realize who we are with ordinary LGBTQ persons participating. Sad that the only advocacy group once again has failed and continue to fail us as a GLBTQ community in this regard to fuse our resolve in ourselves as proud people despite the problems we face literally on a daily basis. The closure of the MSM housing project in 2010 for example under the watch and deafening silence from JFLAG is a further indication that we are representation-less as a community as only certain issues seem to be of priority while others are cast aside for whatever reasons at the risk of violence due to displacement and even reported deaths since 2011. 

Recent attacks on a camera crew from Sweden who were interviewing MSM in a volatile community suggest we have a far way to go. Yes we may be proud as individuals as we assert ourselves as a natural survival instinct mechanism but it is sad we can't get the activities required on a larger scale to fuse the subgroups under the GLTBQ umbrella towards solving some of the inter-community issues that need urgent attention. Small cell groups however are doing what they can given their limited scope and resources available, many individuals would like to offer more but the present systems overlook or ignore such voices.

The important GLABCOM (Gay Lesbian Allsexual Community) meetings that were discontinued in Kingston in late 2008 has been meeting constant stalls in efforts by some to restart them. Frankly in my estimation there is nothing to be proud of in this vein presently given the set of circumstances that prevail. We have an advocacy system for the most part now being driven by funders who now basically dictate how those activities ought to operate as we have failed to properly carry out basic continuity of previous interventions, ideas and strategies that would have produced tangible results and a seemingly special club decides what happens on that level excluding dissenting voices like this one and others as was evidenced in the recent IDAHO event, the wider community was never made aware in a meaningful way of what IDAHO actually entails let alone a planned activity in Jamaica.

What is happening to our lesbian and bisexual women in terms of the corrective rape typed instances of violence meted out to them with very little assistance or concern from the advocacy quarters on these problem that has been on the increase since 2007 is worrying as well. Not even so much as public outcry on the matter to bring attention to it or some forumatic discourse on the issue at the community level.

The invisibility of the Transgender and bisexual communities are still a major concern for me, their issues need to be brought to the fore by main advocates and take a break from all this talk of repealing the buggery law.
Let us still celebrate PRIDE on an individual level non the less but we cannot and must not overlook these and other serious issues friends, I am sure there are many others you may know of as well in your own corners. See how best you can play however small a part in adding improvement of the lives of our brothers and sisters out there.

Peace, tolerance and PRIDE

H

click the "Homeless MSM in Jamaica" tab immediately below for previous entries on the subject

Homeless MSM to feel the pinch as JASL issues ultimatum

Anger and worry are brewing in a section of the gay community as many homeless MSM who have come to rely on the services and kindness of the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life may find themselves on the street permanently as the Board of JASL has issued an ultimatum for the men to desist from staying on the property for extended periods of time by January 2010.

Reports are that many of the MSM clients are worried that they may not have the protection of the present Executive Director who has since tendered her resignation to become effective January 25, 2010 as she is said to be also upset at the manner in which the Board has gone about handling the issue.

The homeless gay men have been using the services of the organization much by her encouragement and she has been credited for re-establishing the trust factor that was somewhat lost between the GLBTQ communities and the organization in as far as testing, counselling and behaviour change were concerned. Many persons including white collar individuals who had shun the organization at one point were re-engaging the services after hearing of the work of the intervention programs activities under her watch but with this negative news rapidly spreading throughout the community it is clear that many may go into retreat as before and the state of mistrust may once again be reinstated even more so than before bearing in mind that most MSM do not readily access general health care systems out of fear of discrimination and usually wait until their respective health conditions are really bad before doing so.

The Director has been seen at social events and gatherings actively encouraging testing and other behavior change activities but it seems that her “interest” with this group has not gone down well with the JASL Board. A recent fundraising fashion show saw good patronage from the community where funds were raised to support some of the service users and other initiatives operated by the organization. The rehabilitation program may also get scrapped many fear as classes and skills training were to commence in earnest shortly and some of the men I spoke to were waiting to join the activities.

Disciplinary issues:

The behaviour of some of their own however must not be overlooked and the men I spoke to agreed that that had a lot to do with the present situation as sometimes we are our own worst enemies. It is long known that some members of the group abuse the system and there have been serious disciplinary problems on and off the property. There have been altercations openly in front of other service users and the open display of affections with some of the men was a cause for concern at one point where they have been reprimanded and disciplinary procedures employed to manage such actions.

The board may very well have been justified in taking the decision to separate the men from the full use of the property but it is believed that they may still be able to access some services provided they leave after doing so. I am of the opinion that the Board may feel that other members of the public may resist using the services if the perception of rowdy behaviour from gay men is planted in the public domain seeing that JASL also serves the general public.

Other concerns:

One member of the group who I spoke to was very distraught he said after hearing of the developments, he was looking forward to continued support especially in the present difficult economic climate and he was also concerned about where he would lay his head at night since there were days when the men were allowed to stay on the property provided they volunteered by helping around the office in return.

As for my concern I have been following this homeless issue since my sojourn from JFLAG and the numerous accounts of men displaced, ending up on the streets from homophobic incidents (see homeless MSM tag) the men in question who were involved in the ill-fated DVD party public release footage are still struggling to this day to recoup. Many of them are not from Kingston and have to learn the scope of the land whilst avoiding possible attack. 

They have been given private donations and words of encouragement by a few concerned persons but that is not nearly enough for them to rehabilitate themselves. Others have been seen on the streets at night and have been chased on a few occasions as members of the public recognize their faces from the video footage.

Sadly it is believed that some of the men have been resorting to commercial sex work in order to stay financial afloat, a startling reality that intervention professionals must face in the behaviour change work, the men I spoke to however deny however being involved in that activity. Let us hope that a positive turn will come out of this soon, if not the men will have to fend for themselves and sadly so, in our harsh homophobic climate I fear we may yet hear some disturbing news if something meaningful is not done for them soon. In parting I also impressed on the men I managed to speak to, to try and lift themselves up and think positive, words I feel may have just passed between their ears as the realities may not give rise to those actions now.

Where are the stabilization efforts to address the behaviours before resorting to this final edict? 

Pray for them please.

Peace & Tolerance

H