Dormant anti gay feelings resurface in Florida shooting aftermath

Not surprising old dormant homophobic and or antigay feelings have come front and centre yet again in light of the Pulse Orlando Florida gay club shooting incident. In previous posts on tolerance and subsequent entries I and others have warned not to believe that perceived reduction in reported homophobic matters is not a sign to judge how tolerant Jamaicans are. Even comments as done in vox pops, comments on social media appearing to be tolerant can disappear overnight as this round of expressions show quite clearly; even as persons express some surprise if not shock at the brazenness of the shooter the corresponding sentiment openly in some instances declare those impacted by the incident deserved what they got.

This disturbing narrative has been ringing out steadily on popular Jamaican Facebook groups in particular and on Snapchat; not to mention Instagram as photos from the melee are shared, with some persons literally rejoicing; persons pour vitriol in almost endless threads. Then comes the unfortunate if not deceptive tie-in of gays by way of advocates becoming too brazen (effeminacy and light public displays of affection) or the old victim-hood line of bullying religious voices linking the Professor Bain and the University of the West Indies, UWI to the local scene and how powerful LGBT lobbyists have become as they try to change the ‘buggery law’ whilst some ignorantly also conjoin paedophilia into the mix to justify their position as per usual without any proof and sheer conflation of abuse and same gender sex.

I was never one to call signs of tolerance as definitive as changing hearts and minds aint no easy feat; while hope remains towards true harmony. There is usually a lull in between matters and narratives die after the proverbial nine days only for when another major matter such as this shooting incident then the old antigay forces come out. The comments are if not only disgusting but troubling as persons are willing to declare they would have done the act if they had the means, but one also wonders if these are just barbs for social media reflective of a narcissistic complex to supposedly ‘get a fawud’ as has been happening in recent times with all kinds of offbeat matters making appearances supported by hundreds of ‘Likes’ in other words anything to get some attention; even LGBT people are guilty of this whilst decency, boundaries and just plain common sense seem to disappear in the process.

The already lengthy string of mostly antigay comments on GLBTQJA’s Youtube page especially on the Dwayne Jones video of his last appearance prior to his murder has only gotten more graphic in threats and in numbers in recent days. My email inbox is starting to look like a list of steady threats and negative responses and justifications for the shooting; even as the repressed sexuality causation comes forth in the US media some persons are now claiming that it has always been gays who kill gays locally and that the twist added in recent days proves it. The shooter is now being reported as being a regular visitor to the very club he ended up shooting. The dismissal of claims of homophobia is on the rise which only raises yet again how to tackle the so important crisis communication in advocacy and taking each case on their own merit even this very awful tragedy.

Hypocritically religious groups such as the most consistent antigay group Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship came out with some half hearted position also obligatory condemnatory sounding narrative as expressed by its puppet President and one time HIV ally Helen Coley Nicholson where she said that the LCF condemns the use of violence against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation (they finally accepted that sexual orientation is real ... oh wow!) or in disagreement over moral and religious issues. She said in part:

“Guns have never been known to kill ideas; only people, change in opinions, lifestyles and beliefs can only come with respectful dialogue which acknowledges the sanctity of life and common humanity; our weapons in the struggle for change are not carnal, those who think and act otherwise are on the wrong side and will never win the battle ..... "

The Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches also has joined to present a very pious sounding position while condemning violence specific to the shooting they did not condemn the sentiments openly expressed given rise to the very homophobia they and others fan the flames if ever so tendentiously. Jamaica CAUSE and other antigay groups/voices seemed muffed let us see if they will cough up something to seem supportive or to avoid being labelled as being silent is a sign of a serve them right stance. No statement has come to hand yet from the local Muslim community or from their radio show (unless it was missed) neither have I seen when I checked as at the preparation of this entry anything related statements from the Marcus Garvey political outfit. Prime Minister Andrew Holness had issued a message with some commiseration included but I wonder if it was just the expected statement and really not meant in principle or some obligatory condemnation. The parliamentary opposition is silent on this and seems more busy with its own internal drama for leadership positions even as when they were in power duped all of us post the 2011 leadership debate and conscience vote promise or suggestion that has not materialized.

Holness Tweet

For what it is worth the PM’s statement was statesmanlike but his appointed Attorney General Marlene Malahoo Forte also a former Foreign Affairs Minister decided to tweet on the fact that a rainbow flag being flown on the US Embassy locally has thrown a wrench in the wheel; has she forgotten that the embassy is US soil? Seeing that they are going through this issue she is upset and tries to clarify her tweet as a personal position. 

actual flag outside the US embassy in Jamaica (photo: Jermaine Barnaby)

Does the Attorney General not realize that she does not have the luxury of making personal opinions in her capacity as the attorney representing the government? And to do this after the leader of the land made a prime ministerial statement only to smoke it up. It is not the first time Mrs Forte has shown her truth colours for want of a better term, her stint as Foreign Affairs minister and the debates on the sexual offences bills reviews with overseas engagements are documented. She reported tweeted:

“I strongly condemn #OrlandoNightClubShooting but find it disrespectful of Jamaica's laws to have #RainbowFlag flown here. #MyPersonalView,” Malahoo Forte tweeted on Monday.

And the US Embassy was quick to respond.

“@mmalahooforte we're listening. Explain the legal reasoning? It was an attack of terror !! and!! hate, targeting the LGBT community,” the embassy's tweet read. She was involved in 2010 in this previous post: Jamaica votes In favor of the amendment to remove sexual orientation from the resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (79)

Other sensible folks though have been separating the issues and rightfully so and thanks to President Obama’s statesman role in addressing the public he has also helped to clear the air by distinguishing the possible motives and not only describing the event as a hate crime but one of terror as well; his address today definitely put Trump in his place and right-sided the discourse with clarity of thought and perspective of logic; it has now garnered a name of ‘The Obama blast’ oh if we had more leaders like this. Malahoo Forte would have been schooled after hearing that, I hope she took notes. Let us see when the dust settles and the narratives shifts to something else which happens so easily.

Falconer's tweet

 but didn't the goodly Falconer do a similar thing recently? as evidenced here: Homosexuality is sinful but should not be criminal says former Information Minister then she claims she is an ally, oh really!

populist indeed

But the added hypocrisy which is somewhat laughable comes from none other than the now opposition spokesperson on information Sandrea Falconer who when she was information minister side stepped the issue of the suggested (seen as promised) conscience vote of her PM at the time and claimed the timing was not right yet she comes out swinging using the Malahoo Forte's faux pas to score political points. This is the same woman who claimed homosexuality is a sin but must not be criminalized but has not acted as a member of the senate to make her position active or as Member of Parliament to raise the issue; yet she is quick to hop on controversies even as her party struggles in the political quicksand.

Think on these things

Peace & tolerance

H

Member of Parliament Lloyd B Smith on Of Buggery & Rationality

The following appeared in the Jamaica Observer today bearing in mind Mr Smith is a now sitting member of parliament and publisher of the Western Mirror paper and that JFLAG's change from a full repeal of buggery to decriminalization still seems to have gotten some notice as indicated in second to last paragraph although his take on crisis communication and indeed homophobic versus non homophobic murders is way off base, I do not think though if a conscience vote be called tomorrow we could rely upon Mr Smith to vote in the affirmative of removing or amending the law as he seems too fickle to me but you decide as politicians are nervous these days given the hysterics of some religious voices and antigay groups.

Lloyd B Smith

Jamaica CAUSE antigay rally in Half Way Tree June 29 2014

"Every dog have him day, every puss him twelve o'clock." — Jamaican proverb.

Homosexuality is not a crime in Jamaica. Anal sex, described by statute as buggery is a criminal act that can attract a maximum sentence of 10 years. Case in point, some time ago, a Montegonian resident was arrested and charged by the police after he was caught in a romantic embrace kissing another man. When the matter was brought to court, the accused was freed as the presiding judge declared that there was no legal basis or precedent on which the accused could be convicted.

Jamaica being a Christian country sees many of its citizens using the Bible as their reference point in terms of expressing their abhorrence of buggery, which is condemned as an abnormal act deserving of death. Interestingly, the Bible also condemns fornication and adultery — both of which attract similar punishment but do not attract a similar level of violent rejection by modern-day Christians.

What is also conveniently ignored is that anal sex is practised among heterosexuals; meaning that men commit buggery on women. In the meantime, Jamaican law puts buggery in the same category as bestiality. It is common for donkeys, goats and cows to be singled out for such an act. Indeed, a female goat in Jamaica is oftentimes referred to as "dem boy gal"; thus the ram goat is the much preferred meat to be curried and eaten by many sceptical Jamaicans.

The Bain/UWI saga has opened up a can of worms, as it is felt by concerned churchgoers that the 'Gay Agenda' is becoming too much in their face. The introduction of seemingly provocative and unsuitable sex education material in a number of private children's homes by a Jamaicans For Justice-led effort has added more fuel to the fire. And so, on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Half-Way-Tree Jamaicans from all walks of life and various religious persuasions took off the gloves and came out punching, insisting that the buggery law should be kept as is, and that marriage should continue to be a union between a male and a female. The reported rape (buggering) of a male jogger by two alleged thugs also got the nation into a frenzy fuelled by the national media that have sought to over-sensationalise this issue.

There is nothing wrong with the Church taking such a stance. What would be wrong is if hatred, bigotry, intolerance, and violence are the weapons used by these followers of Christ to fight the Gay Agenda. To a large extent, some sections of the gay community had become too barefaced and so were seen as wanting to overpower the heterosexual community. But this gay issue is a far more complex one than is being imagined.

To begin with, Jamaica is not a homophobic society as has been posited over these many years based on the many violent deaths that have befallen gay men— some of them high-profile and well known individuals. A careful analysis of many of these murders will reveal that the majority of the victims were killed by someone close to them; either a lover or someone who is being used and then refused. Young men who have sex with men for money also can become very violent if they are "outed" by their seducers. There are also cases where promises are made and not kept in terms of financial rewards or expensive gifts. Then there is the tragic incidence in which an individual is infected with HIV on the 'down low' and ends up giving his girlfriend or wife. All these scenarios, and other such vexing situations, can lead to a bloody end and, indeed, crimes of passion.

In the meantime, we have to be careful as a nation that we do not take extremist positions. There has to be a middle ground to be found because, as renowned philosopher Bertrand Russell once said with respect to world peace, it is either co-existence or no existence.

Jamaica or the World is not going to wake up one morning and find no homosexuals around. Like the poor, they will always be with us. Which church choir does not have at least one gay soul singing his or her heart out praising the Lord alongside his/her straight brothers and sisters? So what is needed is to establish some ground rules based on appropriate education, tolerance, and a respect for citizens' human rights as guaranteed in the Jamaican Constitution.

In this context, I am of the view that every generation and succeeding ones to come must deal with issues of sexual lifestyle and morality in a timely and rational manner. In this vein, I do not think that Jamaica, at this time, is ready to accept same-sex marriages. But I do believe that decriminalising buggery should not be seen in the narrow way as those who object to it are doing. In that the State ought not to interfere with what goes on in the private space of consenting adults. Is it that doors should be kicked down to catch persons in the act?

In the final analysis, we all need to take a deep breath and then debate this controversial matter in a way that does not make us descend into barbarism or, even worse, neo-fascism. Lest we forget, Hitler started to persecute homosexuals before turning on the Jews, who he sought to annihilate.

Finally, it ought to be posited that not all homosexuals seduce little boys in the same way that not all heterosexuals seduce little girls. Even more intriguing is that research has shown that not all gay men indulge in anal sex and not all gay men behave like a "bitch" or lesbians like a "butch". And those who help to perpetuate this myth are indeed homophobic, no doubt unsure of their own sexuality. As Bob Marley has sung, for some who scream the most, we would be amazed if their night should turn to day.

George Weinberg, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of Society and the healthy homosexual" (in which he coined the term homophobia), proposed that those who harbour prejudice against homosexuals, and not homosexuals themselves, are suffering from a psychological malady, an irrational state of mind. Weinberg, though supposedly heterosexual himself, became a leader in the ultimately successful struggle to have homosexuality removed as a diagnostic category from the DSM — the professional therapeutic handbook. Indeed, he has argued that genuinely straight men do not oftentimes react violently to homosexuals; it is those who suffer from sexual insecurity.

The bottom line is — no pun intended — that, while most Jamaicans from all indications are against same-sex marriage, a stance which should be respected and upheld by them is that it is imperative that the rights of minority groups, which include gays, should be respected and upheld as well. Let he that is without sin cast the first stone.

Lloyd B Smith is a mmember of Parliament and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the People's National Party or the Government of Jamaica. Comments: lloydbsmith@hotmail.com

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

A random search of the numerous cases of suspected sexual assaults, rape and other atrocities to under aged teens and boys as well reveals a frightening set of results yet I do not hear anti gay religious groups smarting from their little rally in Half Way Tree on Sunday June 29 harping on a 25,000 attendance yet all the speeches there none of their own was castigated for breaching their position of trust and indeed real sexual grooming and not the allegations of same of the JFJ facilitators of the sex ed course as if teaching a class can allow inappropriate preparation for abuse by the counsellors in such a setting.

My BIG question as of late of late is where are the LGBT Christian voices of those of Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica or the Interfaith participants such as those from The United Theological College, why have they not spoken up yet?

Such religious hypocrisy however MUST be pointed out repeatedly and I intend to do so at every chance I get, here are some recent stories of pastoral sexual assaults, it is only a pity it had to take the foolishness and antics from anti gay groups like Jamaica CAUSE to have to unearth such awful issues:

March 2014:
A pastor is currently in police custody since March of this year, after he allegedly threatened to kill an underage girl because she ignored his sexual advances.

Information reaching THE STAR is that the pastor, who is in his 50s, was, for weeks, sending the 14-year-old girl lewd text messages stating he wants to have sex with her and that "he wants her little body."

THE STAR understands that the child is related to someone close to the pastor.

send gunmen

According to reports, when the child dismissed the pastor's advances, he allegedly became angry and threatened to send gunmen to kill her and her family, if his demands were not met.

The terrified girl notified a member of her family about the text messages and the pastor's threats and a report was made to the Spanish Town police.

But drama unfolded on Saturday when the police went to arrest the pastor at his St Catherine residence that he shares with his wife.

According to reports, the police spent over an hour beseeching the 'man of the cloth' to exit the house, after he reportedly locked himself inside, when they arrived.

After the police failed to convince him to exit the premises, it was reported that the pastor's wife, who was not at home during the incident, was called to give the police entry to the property.

The pastor was subsequently arrested.

The Spanish Town police confirmed the incident, but stated they could not provide any details as the matter is currently being investigated. 

ENDS

February 2014 - Pastor Beats Wife:

Residents from a western Jamaica community are crying shame on a pastor who it is alleged showered some telling blows on his wife after she accused him of having an affaire with a teenager from the district.

THE STAR understands that more than two weeks ago, the wife, who shares cellular phone use with the pastor, had the phone when a text message came from the girl for her husband. It is further understood that the text was not to her liking, and the pastor was accosted and questioned.

It is alleged that the frightened pastor became angered with his wife's constant questioning about the text message and his affaire with the teenager, resulting in a heated argument and him throwing the blows on her. This, it is reported, resulted in a security guard who was passing the couple during their arguing, having to intervene.

utterly concerned

It is further understood that the situation was so ugly that the wife disappeared for a number of days from her nearby place of employment, raising several questions as to her whereabouts from her colleagues, who became concerned.

It is alleged that the security guard, who is also employed where the pastor's wife works, was ordered transferred after the wife revealed that he was responsible for spreading the news about the fracas involving the couple.

THE STAR has learnt that the incident is hot on the lips of many community residents, many of whom are calling for the pastor to be removed from being in charge of the church he leads.

ENDS

March - After getting bail ... PASTOR ON SEX CHARGE AGAIN

A Jamaican-born pastor in the United States who was last year accused of repeatedly raping a teenage girl has now been accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl while on bail.

THE STAR understands that the pastor was taken into custody last Thursday when he was making a court appearance in the previous case.

He is 40-year-old Reverend Michael Clare, the pastor of the Harvest Worship Centre International, and the principal of the Harvest Preparatory Academy in New York.

According to a www.ncbnewyork.com report, Clare has been charged with one count of rape in the second degree, one count of sexual misconduct, three counts of sexual abuse, one count of criminal sexual act in the third degree, and endangering the welfare of a child.

It is alleged that the sexual offences occurred on at least three occasions from June 22, 2009 through June 30, 2011 at the school where he serves as principal .

Further allegations are that the victim was a 14-year-old student at the Harvest Preparatory Academy at the time of the first encounter and was 16 years old when the relationship ended in June 2011.

It is reported that the judge set bail on the new case at US$350,000 ($29.75m) cash or US$200,000 ($17.4m) bond and also raised the bail on the first case to US$350,000 cash or US$200,000 bond.

He is also reportedly prohibited from being around children under 16 years old and ordered to surrender his passport.

In Clare's previous case of alleged rape, he is accused of engaging in a three-year sexual relationship with a member of his congregation which allegedly began in April 2006, several months before the victim's 13th birthday, and continued through January 2010, sometime after the victim's 16th birthday.

ENDS

March 2014 - Woman Raped by "God's Messenger"

A St Catherine man who reportedly told a female he was a messenger from God and could heal her was granted bail in the Linstead Resident Magistrate's Court on a charge of indecent assault on Tuesday.

Travis Barton of Ewarton was granted $200,000 bail with one or two sureties.

Allegations are that on December 12, last year, the complainant was walking in Ewarton when Barton, whose head was wrapped in a red turban, approached her and told her he was a revivalist and received a vision. He reportedly told her in that the vision she was having some serious problems and he was able to assist her, however, she needed to give him her telephone number.

She was later convinced to visit the accused man's house.

The court heard that the complainant became suspicious when the accused started to rub her body with olive oil and Kananga water, while tying a piece of cloth around her belly and telling her he wanted to heal her pain. She was then touched inappropriately and fled the house.

The matter was subsequently reported to the police and Barton was charged.

Barton's attorney, Earl Hamilton, made a successful bail application to Resident Magistrate Vaughn Smith. He told the court his client was a victim of circumstance as the complainant did not want people to see her coming from the accused man's home, hence she concocted a story that she was assaulted. The lawyer said that was farthest from the truth and his client will prove his innocence.

ENDS

There so many other cases including high profile ones, remember this one? - 

Former pastor convicted of raping 2 teen girls in US, faces deportation to Jamaica

or the popular Daniel Findlay matter which I carried earlier on this blog? see: Anti gay religious voices where are they? .... Pastor charged with sexual assault

Pastor Daniel Findlay, charged under the Sexual Offenses Act with three counts of sexual assault with a person under 16 years and one count of grievous sexual assault, was told his case will be tried soon.

Findlay, 36, from Lower York in St Thomas, appeared in the Morant Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. His lawyer was absent and so was the complainant. After exploring the possibility of sending a taxi for the complainant, the magistrate advised the accused to make his attorney aware of the next court date.

"Your case will start soon, as the complainant is not here. You should return to court on August 7," the magistrate advised. She also told the mother of the child to ensure that her daughter is present at the next hearing.

Findlay's bail conditions of $250,000 with stringent measure remains. The bail conditions include two sureties, reporting to the police six times each week and residing with his father. The accused has also been ordered to have no contact with persons under the age of 16 years old.

Finday was identified as a person of interest by the Morant Bay police earlier this year, and was picked up in Kingston after he made arrangement with the police to hand himself in.

ENDS

Pastor on Buggery Charge - 2008 case unresolved

A pastor accused of molesting several boys appeared in the Port Maria Resident Magistrate's court Thursday.

The case against Donald Stewart, who is facing 30 counts of indecent assault and buggery, is set for hearing on December 11.

Stewart was granted bail in July in the matter which is being heard in-camera.

Stewart who was a supervisor at a boys' home in St Mary was charged in July following allegations that he assaulted several of his charges.

The case caused outrage from rights groups when it came to light in July, with Jamaicans for Justice lamenting that enough was not being done to protect the welfare of children.

The group also heaped blame on the Child Development Agency, for not being more proactive in its duties to uphold child protection regulations.

ENDS

Clarendon pastor on sexual assault charge

The Clarendon pastor who was arrested earlier this month on allegations that he sexually assaulted a 14 year old girl will have to spend more time behind bars.

29 year old Orane Ellis who is charged with rape and grievous sexual assault was remanded when he appeared in the Clarendon Circuit Court yesterday.

He is to return to court on June 7.

The pastor was arrested on May One by personnel from the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, CISOCA.

It was reported that a complaint was filed with the police that he held the teenager and forcefully had sex with her.

ENDS

A letter today in the Gleaner claimed homosexuality is a sickness lol - 

"THE EDITOR, Sir:
Congratulations to the Church for making its voice heard in the Half-Way Tree Square mass rally two Sundays ago against what many regard as the growing menace of homosexuality in Jamaica today.

I salute those who turned out to demonstrate for what most of us call decency and to protest against men going to bed with men and women with women. And let us say it up front: The fact that many people 'in the Church' support this kind of rogue behaviour only goes to reinforce what many have long suspected. Much of 'the Church' is a big part of the challenges we face as a society. Is it any wonder that many of those we have lost at the hands of their homosexual 'lovers' were supposedly outstanding churchmen?'

Homosexuality is an aberration. Sure, in a homosexual's 'other life', he, or she, may become an outstanding artist, a seminal scientist or a university president, but that is another matter.

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

Trouble is, those who engage in it are also citizens of the State (just like those whom the medical services used to send to Bellevue Hospital) and, accordingly, have the same constitutional rights as the rest of us. What they do not have is any right to foist their strange and unnatural lifestyle on the rest of us or use it as a ploy to extract favours and concessions from us or from the State.

With every respect to all concerned, a man who lusts after, and enters the anus of, another man in an amorous embrace has to be sick somewhere. Maybe in his head!

I have no wish to take away their right to go to bed with each other, but let them do it in the privacy of their homes, cars, behind trees or wherever.

LLOYD A. VERMONT
Sirtryltd@cwjamaica.com
Stony Hill, St Andrew

ENDS

TO which my simple response was:

I suggest we bombard his email, silly letter writer. Funny too that nowhere on Jamaica CAUSE's communications does it speak to any of these concerns as to their selectivity and silence on when one of their own molest especially under aged persons.

Their statement released on June 29th is very limited in scope for a Christian group, winning souls whatever the condition for Christ is nowhere to be seen, who are they to judge and define others?

Peace and tolerance really needed in this time as the crackpots come to the fore, homosexuality is the only thing these folks see as the enemy nothing else and when they are cornered on that they search for proper explain-aways to look all concerning yet they are silent on:

Political corruption

Police excesses

Other crimes

Embracing the outcasts (wouldn't Christ do that?)

Murders

Missing Kids almost daily

Real care for minorities ...... etc.

That is what real Christians focus on and along side charity they think logically, sensible advocates and those concerned about abuse do not fan the flames of national hysteria and moral panic as those only provide more cover for abusers to continue to hide and abuse or start the process of sexual grooming unseen by those who ought to be vigilant as we are too busy arguing and distracted by the very hysteria that was created.

May God help us as theocracy is slowly shoved down our throats,

H

JFLAG Tries to Clarify its Agenda

Dane Lewis is Guest Columnist in the Gleaner today as the newspaper tries to balance out itself subsequent to some weird performances publicly and in writing by some of its senior writers and "journalists" they published a piece by the Executive Director of the J, sad that a fifteen year old organization which I was once proud of and associated with has to be trying to clarify its position when its late change to the call for decriminalization (it says 2 years ago) of the buggery law versus its original call for a full repeal has gone for the most part unheard and irrelevant as many including legal minds dismiss the change as a public relations stunt and anti gay groups and even pro-gay commentators are still stuck in the language of "repeal."

It seems JFLAG has not reached out to these voices with any meaningful effect to advise them of the change but I still hear persons such as Lloyd D'Agular on his radio show using the word "repeal" even on a CVM TV interview alongside the very Mr Lewis; he post the anti gay rally on Sunday June 29th in HWT used the word and Mr Lewis never even tried to use the opportunity to at least hint to the position change. Mr D'Agular's last letter to the Gleaner on June 30th was clear "....The buggery law must be repealed. LGBT Jamaicans must be protected against violence, stigma and bigotry. Clerical hysteria on the matter of gay rights sounds too eerily similar to the echoes of Fascism." See: Lloyd D'Aguilar on The Church Preaching Itself Out Of Relevance in Jamaica, he clearly has not gotten the message and he is an ally and a loud one too.

In June 2013 these sets of flyers were circulated on social media and in my Facebook group not by JFLAG representatives but by CARIFLAGS - Caribbean Forum for Liberation & Acceptance of Genders & Sexualities ones indicating the change in position but on the national level such a posture was not adopted it seems and now when it is too late in a sense seeing the anti gay voices have taken over the conversation on homosexuality JFLAG chooses to cough up something?

Sad that JFLAG did not listen to its own advisers and concerned voices at the time even when I was involved there to go with decriminalization but the incestuous arrangements with the leaders with other groups although networking is crucial in the NGO world cause clashing imperatives to slow down or kill pro-activity. HIV prevention always seems to get the interest and is usually made to trump LGBT interventions and decision making by the very board members and management committees.

Case in point the JFJ CVCC funded sex education ongoing fiasco, all the evidence of clashing imperatives are infront of us yet homeless LGBT people need far more attention but does JFLAG/CVCC look at them really?

Enough of me now to Dane's piece:

Those who advocate against the recognition of equal rights for sexual and gender minorities, most commonly referred to under the umbrella term 'LGBT', usually do so by using slick propaganda, unsubstantiated facts, and uncorroborated anecdotes to create a climate of fear and portray the pursuit of equality and rights for LGBT people as something sinister. A largely uncritical public makes this a relatively easy task.

The notion of a so-called 'homosexual agenda' is designed to alienate LGBT people and encourage paranoia and suspicion. This is a strategy that has been, and is still being, used in several countries, including Belize, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominica, Guyana, Nigeria, Kenya, and, most notably, Uganda.

This alienation creates an 'otherness' in the homosexual which necessitates hostility because of the ill will he is presumed to possess toward wholesome values and attitudes. In other words, the homosexual is viewed as an intrinsically antisocial and anti-Establishment rebel who cannot be allowed safe refuge lest he be given the latitude to fulfil his evil agenda.

To be clear, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are motivated by all of the same hopes, concerns and desires as every other Jamaican. We, too, want to be able to earn a living, be safe in our communities, serve our country, and take care of the ones we love. That is the Jamaican agenda, not a homosexual one.

Commitment to equality

This commitment to equality is one we are proud to share with our fellow patriotic Jamaicans.

The term 'the gay agenda' was first used in public discourse in 1992 when the Family Research Council, an American conservative Christian group, released a video series called 'The Gay Agenda' as part of a package of materials campaigning on the immorality of homosexuality and the supposed clandestine effort to re-order society in favour of the homosexual. This publication had a very specific doctrinal origin and in no way represented mainstream ideology at the time. Nonetheless, the idea took root and the demonisation of the male homosexual at the height of the HIV pandemic became widespread through political devices such as 'the gay agenda'.

Other persons have sought to use another text - 'The Homosexual Agenda: exposing the principal threat to religious freedom today' - as further proof of the existence of this sinister agenda at work. Not surprisingly, this book is a product of the Alliance Defence Fund - an organisation which is essentially the genesis of the anti-gay movement in America. Its work has spawned the export of religious intolerance into places like Uganda, which, at the moment, is whipped into a hostile, anti-gay, religious frenzy.

J-FLAG's mandate is locally owned and driven by the needs of a diverse community of LGBT Jamaicans. It has long been aimed at engaging Jamaicans at all levels in rational dialogue about the challenges faced by this community and how they can be addressed. Neither J-FLAG, nor the diverse community it represents, has ever sought to attack religious freedom to advance our human-rights goals.

Instead, we have consistently spoken to the respect for all views: political, religious and otherwise. It is this respect for and celebration of diversity that represents the realisation of our dream of a peaceful and harmonious Jamaica.

However, we must bear in mind that the freedom to express hostile and discriminatory ideas is not immunised from challenge by virtue of its iteration in the Constitution. Nor is it bolstered because of freedom of religion and the privilege certain ideologies are presumed to have. These freedoms exist in balance with each other while taking particular account of the plight of the underprivileged so as to ensure justice and equity.

WHY REVIEW BUGGERY LAW?

Sections 76 through 79 of the Offences Against The Person Act, which we collectively refer to as 'the buggery law', is a colonial-era imposition of Victorian values that was introduced to the colonies in the mid-19th century. Then, as now, it is highly problematic for several reasons, which has led to its review or repeal in several jurisdictions, including the country of its origin, Great Britain. It does not distinguish between consent, public or private acts of sexual intimacy, and lumps bestiality with buggery.

J-FLAG has consistently called for a revision of the law to exclude the private consensual intimate relationships of adults from criminalisation. In so doing, the review of the law would have to provide specific protection for our children and also put non-consensual acts of buggery on the same level as rape, without regard to gender. Additionally, in any review process, the act of bestiality should be separately and adequately criminalised.

A further necessity in this reform process would be a thorough examination of the relevant provisions in the Offences Against the Person Act and the Sexual Offences Act with the intention of promoting justice and equity. As it stands now, the maximum penalty for buggery is 10 years at hard labour, whereas by contrast, the Sexual Offences Act provides for a minimum penalty of 15 years to a maximum of life imprisonment for any person found guilty of vaginal rape.

It is, therefore, plain to see that the retention of the buggery law in its current iteration is not sufficiently protective of children, is not equitable with respect to the applicable punishments, and is injurious to the dignity of LGBT Jamaicans.

Some have argued that changes to the law will result in an increase in the number of cases of child sexual abuse. This is a baseless claim and further evidence of the desire to create hysteria.

It is important for us all to appreciate that it is not necessarily the existence or harshness of a law that prevents the abuse of our children but the surety that the perpetrator will be caught and appropriately punished. Impunity creates injustice. It is, therefore, critical that the rule of law be upheld in the interest of the preservation of equity and justice.

OUR COMMON INTEREST

We share the dream of a Jamaica where the family is strong and healthy. To this end, our family reintegration programme seeks to reunite LGBT youth with their families after they have been pushed from their homes and communities and forced to live in less-than-ideal situations. We also work to prevent displacement by sensitising and empowering family members with parenting tools for vulnerable youth in a hostile environment such as ours. This is our duty as patriotic Jamaicans.

Jamaica's Emancipation is founded on freedom and the protection of the dignity of the person. J-FLAG recognises the diversity of thought and opinion that makes up this plural democracy on which we were founded and seeks only to ensure that LGBT people are recognised as full citizens endowed with the same rights as all other Jamaicans.

Just as Jamaica's motto reads 'Out of Many, One People', we are convinced that LGBT Jamaicans ought never to be excluded from the Jamaican family.

Dane Lewis is executive director of J-FLAG, a gay-rights lobby. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and admin@jflag.org.

ENDS

So the step-n-fetchting continues even after my and others departure from the J, sadly not many folks are open like me to show our sheer disgust as to the slowness to act and lack of vision by JFLAG collectively.

Peace and tolerance

H

The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) response to anti-gay mass meeting comes late in the day (Observer Editorial)

Late in the day indeed as the Observer editorial noticed (agreeing with them on this one but the gay-baiting in recent times hell no!) but the bypassing of the CDA in the JFJ/CVCC funded Sex ed manual is obviously being used by the writer to further obfuscate the bigger discussion of the conflict of interest in the Bain matter, although in the end the CVCC/JFJ's own conflict of interest came through quite clearly; sadly our advocates have failed to properly and timely speak to current issues, I am not surprised as it is the some of the same folks who are JFLAG who also sit on the CVCC so no wonder we cannot have clear separation on decision making and various imperatives and dithering hinder pro-activity.

Two questions also come to mind:

Why isn't the JCSC statement on their or JFLAG's website in full for such an important time as this?

Why didn't the Observer just publish the damned thing in full?

The Press Association of Jamaica, PAJ released a short statement on the matter of the press conference of CVCC as well:

In light of the current public discussion surrounding the press conference convened last week by the Caribbean Coalition of Vulnerable Communities, the Press Association of Jamaica wishes to state:

1. The role of the journalist is to ask questions and seek answers on behalf of the public and to pursue the sole agenda of getting to the truth.

2. It is expected that journalists will always be respectful in the conduct of their duties as we equally demand the respect of the people we interact with on a daily basis.

3. The press is the voice of the people and cannot be shut up or shut down at will in any democracy, regardless of threats, condescending tones, remarks or any other means to belittle or denigrate.

4. The PAJ is urging journalists to operate by the agreed Code of Practice at all times as we continue the quest to serve the public.

ENDS

The Observer editorial published today read as follows:

The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) -- whose membership includes J-FLAG, the gay lobby group -- has issued a very sensible statement, spurred no doubt by Sunday's well-attended mass meeting by the church and allied groups against homosexuality.

The sentiments expressed in the JCSC statement issued on July 1, 2014, are well considered and, in our view, are a viable basis on which the Jamaican nation can conduct the social negotiations about the homosexual lifestyle, repeal of the so-called buggery law and about finding a way to ensure that we can all get along, despite our differences.

Pity, of course, that the statement came so late in the day and had to await, apparently, the flexing of its considerable muscles by the church and the many groups that massed in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew.

As we have pointed out time and again in this space, the gay leadership must accept responsibility for the manner in which it has conducted its campaign to secure rights for the homosexual constituency. We continue to believe that the society in general, including the church, had been gradually ceding space to the gay members of the Jamaican family, until the perceived bullying began, evidenced by the Professor Brendan Bain issue and latterly the infiltration of private homes for children with anal sex material.

Prior to that, there was the attempt to slip similar material into the school textbook stream, without the kind of consultation and approval that goes with the process. Assuming that J-FLAG approved the statement, we hope that some important lessons have been learnt. In this vein, we highlight and commend the following excerpts from the JCSC statement:

"The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition is deeply concerned about the manner in which the current debate about the repeal or retention of the sections of the Offences against the Person Act related to anal intercourse is being conducted. We urge all the individuals, groups and organisations involved to advocate their cause in a manner which reflects a greater spirit of mutual respect and consideration.

"Whatever our differences...Every Jamaican citizen is deserving of a hearing and of equal protection under the law of the land and under the principles of human rights to which we are signatories...We need to bring an end to inflammatory and dismissive statements and to the stigmatisation of entire groups based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, religious convictions or other difference of whatever kind. Indeed, such approaches invariably lead to social strife as well as intentional and unintentional harm...

"We, in all our diversity, share a common humanity. None of us is well served by the hard line, condemnatory or disrespectful tone of many utterances on the topic. We must exercise care that we do not create divisions so deep that we lose the potential for working together on some of the many other challenges we face as a nation. We call on all the actors in the debate to set an example of leadership grounded in a willingness to permit all voices to be heard."

ENDS

I find it ridiculous that after so many newscasts in days on the Jamaica CAUSE movement coupled with a snapshot of their press conference where their real goals which include:

1) threats to government not to repeal buggery (although JFLAG's late in the day change to decriminalization has fallen on deaf ears thus far)

2) blocking any attempts to allow legislation protecting individuals from discrimination due to sexual orientation

are quite clear it is only a short interview on CVM TV and on RJR that the agency could have done when they are known for churning out press releases from what I call the conveyor belt (even while I was there) when the J is needed they are soft in coming but otherwise they overkill.

Years of work and some gains have been lost all due to poor management again on the agencies part and conflicting imperatives while the real frontline issues that are screaming for attention get sidelined. The homeless LGBT youth in New Kingston are getting some attention again via a radio special and the defunct Safe House has not been even hinted to; yet another whitewashing of the abandonment of the older populations of homeless and displaced MSM mostly due to rowdy behaviour yet the psycho-social interventions were never even rolled out to address them.

Step-n-fetch-it advocacy once again befalls us, at least those of us who are looking for more than just mere dribble and only remote feel goodness.

Peace and tolerance indeed is needed, tolerance to continue the slowness and lack of pro-activity from JFLAG with all the incestuous obligations of its management elsewhere and from the madness out there with hysteria and paranoia ruling the day.

also see: Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston instead of the Children’s Home Fiasco

H

The Gleaner Editorial to Anti Gay Group - In Whose CAUSE?

So at least the Gleaner has been slowly redeeming itself via its editorials maybe written by external persons but a so called set of senior staff writers seem to prefer to dive into the realm of tabloid journalism, walk out of press conferences(as the material do not suit them) and near inciting of attacks of LGBT persons while seeking to discredit the crisis communication arm of the struggle and the incident listings over the years.

The Press Association of Jamaica, PAJ released a short statement on the matter of the press conference of CVCC as well:

In light of the current public discussion surrounding the press conference convened last week by the Caribbean Coalition of Vulnerable Communities, the Press Association of Jamaica wishes to state:

1. The role of the journalist is to ask questions and seek answers on behalf of the public and to pursue the sole agenda of getting to the truth.

2. It is expected that journalists will always be respectful in the conduct of their duties as we equally demand the respect of the people we interact with on a daily basis.

3. The press is the voice of the people and cannot be shut up or shut down at will in any democracy, regardless of threats, condescending tones, remarks or any other means to belittle or denigrate.

4. The PAJ is urging journalists to operate by the agreed Code of Practice at all times as we continue the quest to serve the public.

ENDS

Truth be told there are some crisis cases that have been kept alive by mainstream media that cannot stand up to scrutiny from now till eternity such as the Peter King, Brian Williamson or even the last one Bebe Stevenson matters as those have been deemed more on the line of exploitive cases and other extraordinary circumstantial causations but it does not mean that there are not genuine homophobic cases leading to serious injuries or casualties.

Here is the Gleaner's editorial firstly:

As last Sunday's anti-gay rally organised by evangelical Christians confirmed, Brendan Bain's sacking by the University of the West Indies, and its supposed implication for free speech, was merely a springboard for something more significant: the fundamentalists are continuing their transformation into a formidable political movement.

An estimated 25,000 people turned up at the rally - a number of which none of the Jamaica's political parties would be unmindful. In that context, a significant, if under-reported, message of the rally was the call for evangelicals to get themselves on the voters' register and thereby be in a position to vote in the next general election. For now, the policies they want to influence are those related to gay rights, or more specifically the retention of the law against buggery, which is the basis for the illegality of male homosexuality.

"As the church and citizens go to vote, that (any policy to remove the buggery regulations) would certainly be one of the issues that would be considered," explained Stevenson Samuels of the New Testament Church of God and the leader of the evangelically grounded group called Churches Action Uniting Society for Emancipation (CAUSE).

But gay rights are hardly the boundary of their concern. In fact, many of the persons who are at the centre of CAUSE previously campaigned for a restrictive law on abortion, in addition to their effort, with success, to have the Jamaica Constitution define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

So, while they may not be as politically battle-hardened as their American counterparts, they are not without experience - and apparently money to finance their activities. Nor is this foray on to the political battlefield by Jamaican Christian fundamentalists an entirely new phenomenon. In the 1970s, they spoke loudly against the perceived intention of Michael Manley's People's National Party (PNP) to turn Jamaica to communism.

irrelevant issues

The ideological issues of three and a half decades ago are no longer relevant. Today's Jamaican evangelical leadership, like their cousins in the United States, are fighting the so-called culture wars, intent on turning back a liberalism that sees same-sex sexual orientation not as a fundamental right, but as an intolerable aberration. Viewed through this prism, Professor Bain's affidavit to a Belizean court in favour of a church group seeking to maintain that country's anti-buggery law - even as he heads an HIV/AIDS health-delivery organisation whose mandate includes the elimination of stigma and discrimination against vulnerable groups - is understandable and right.

In the immediate circumstance, the posture of the fundamentalists is hostile to the PNP, which forms the government, whose leader, Portia Simpson Miller, has declared not merely tolerance, but inclusiveness towards gays. She promised a parliamentary conscience vote on the buggery law.

The Opposition wants to put the issue to a referendum, for which it has the support of CAUSE - quite understandable, given Jamaica's social and political dynamics. But even as it perceives immediate political gains from the current policy congruence with the evangelicals, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) should act with caution in engaging in an opportunist embrace with this constituency. We, in this regard, draw the JLP's attention to America Republican Party and its capture by radical fundamentalism/Tea Party movement, rendering it incapable of formulating a broad, inclusive agenda, worthy of a modern, functional state.

The opinions on the Gleaner's page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.

ENDS

Jamaica CAUSE's agenda is clear as shown in this clip from a press conference they had added to that as well is the intent to block any coverage under the Charter of Rights to protect persons from discrimination due to sexual orientation as done by their predecessors the Lawyer's Christian Fellowship under the leadership of Shirley Richards and aided by fugitive assisting integrity challenged Reverend Al Miller. 

Sadly as I have postured elsewhere the case file management systems and regular updates by the relevant agencies in this case JFLAG are much to be desired so the response is lacking in terms of bringing to bear the realities on the ground. It is indeed sad that a section of the religious community is up to this suppression of personal freedoms when they are pushing a false dichotomy of persecution of freedom of speech supposedly but after the last four weeks or so their own fear-mongering may become the beginning of their undoing sadly since hardened positions have been drawn.

also see:

Jamaica CAUSE issues Veiled threat to Govt to not Repeal The Buggery Law

Anti Gay Group Jamaica CAUSE told We're Not Into You! Gays No Threat To Straight Folk

Betty Ann Blaine Deliberately Conflates Same Gender Attraction & Child Abuse at Christian Anti Gay Mass Rally & in Public Advocacy

More Overreaction to the Jamaicans for Justice Sex Education Course & Media Senationalism

Betty Ann Blaine on Poverty, children and the Buggery Law .... and that awful confusion of homosexuality with paedophilia 2012

Hardened Positions by Religious Fanatics & Their LGBT Detractors Will Only Leave More Blood on the Floor

Anti Gay Voice & 'Child Rights' Advocate Betty-Ann Blaine Taken to Task on Public Advocacy

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston instead of the Children’s Home Fiasco that now obtains?

Justice Minister reiterates his personal position on the Buggery Law, Anal Intercourse, Consent & Privacy, government position

J-FLAG now advocating for decriminalisation of same-sex acts

Pastors Push Enumeration As Hedge Against Buggery Repeal (Gleaner July 1 2014) obviously the JFLAG change in the call to decriminalization has gone unheard deliberately or unnoticed. So much for pro-activity from our goodly advocates

The False Dichotomy of the religious right on the LGBT advocacy Godlessness

Espeut, West says “Homophobia” was invented to abuse Christians as hate speech

Betty Ann Blaine & foreign religious zealots continue their paranoia & misrepresentations of male homosexuality

Church claims future victimization if buggery is decriminalized in Jamaica

Spilling homosexual blood .... Observer Headline 29.11.09

Lesbians Do Have Morals 2009

More gay marriage paranoia & hijacking of the homosexual debate by fanatics 2014

Professor's Bain's Testimony Threatened Foreign Funding (Gleaner letter)

Lessons to learn from The Professor Bain Matter?

Anti Gay Voice & 'Child Rights' Advocate Betty-Ann Blaine Taken to Task on Public Advocacy

Ian Boyne: Bain exercised terribly poor strategic judgement

The Deliberate Misuse of the “Sexual Grooming” Term by Antigay Fanatics to Promote Their Hysteria

Anti gay religious voices where are they? .... Pastor charged with sexual assault

'UWI had no choice but to dismiss Prof Bain' says Professor Rosemarie Bell Antoine (OAS Rapporteur)

Pro-Bain Protesters To Meet With UWI Today

Buggery the only thing that makes church butts sore?

Betty Ann Blaine on Poverty, children and the Buggery Law .... and that awful confusion of homosexuality with paedophilia

Blaine will be her own victim (Observer Letter 11.08.10)

Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society continues its “HIV is a gay disease” campaign with more deception added

What goes on in the minds of the overly religious?

BETTY ANN BLAINE’S ARRANT NONSENSE REQUEST OF PETER KING TAPES

THAT WON’T STOP AIDS, BETTY ANN SAYS GAY LAWYER

BUY NO RINGS, YOU WON’T WED; RELIGIOUS FEAR-MONGERING ON GAY MARRIAGE & THE BUGGERY LAW CONTINUES

Comments from the PNP quarters aren't helping the situation either in some sense as there are differing views on the way forward

MP Raymond Pryce often labelled as gay gave his opinion recently at a Jamaica Observer forum.

Peace and tolerance really needed at this time as the silly season continues, hope we can ride this one out in one piece.

H

Jamaica CAUSE issues Veiled threat to Govt to not Repeal The Buggery Law

So so called Christian groups who are more interested in maintaining old laws from our former colonial masters while having emancipation as part of their acronym  have issued a veiled threat that if the law be changed or repealed they will vote against that party, I wonder if he realises that Jamaica has taken so many years to come out of the political tribalism we were once in? .......  where if one wore the wrong colour one could be dead, the political parties in Jamaica do not take kindly to being dictated to at this level and these persons better be careful what they are up to.

The paranoia crew that is Jamaica CAUSE's real intention is reparative therapy and theocracy as is it abundantly clear via a myriad of media interviews under the guise of public good or descendent while driving a wedge in the society on the selective issue of homosexuality whilst other societal ills they have been and still are silent on especially the welfare matters that require hands on attention, homelessness and the indigent comes to mind. We have seen so many stories within the last few months on television of persons living alone and starving in some instances yet these church groups were no where to be seen yet they organise demonstrations every three days at the gate of the University even as a court injunction is in effect to keep Professor Bain at CHART while not allowing the Supreme Court to rule on the issue.

JFLAG's late change in their stance on the law from repeal to decriminalization (when from 1999 they were advised to go that route) has gone nowhere it seems save and except the Justice Minister agrees with them in principle but it has been drowned out by all this mass hysteria over two issues that can be resolved quietly, frankly Professor Bain had several avenues including meetings and correspondences to address his issues and he allowed bad advice to get the best of him and now the nation is in a topsy turvy by persons who ought to know better.

for references see:
Justice Minister reiterates his personal position on the Buggery Law, Anal Intercourse, Consent & Privacy, government position

J-FLAG now advocating for decriminalisation of same-sex acts

my podcast on religious hypocrisy and selectivity on societal ills:

The Hypocrisy of Jamaican Anti Gay Groups & Selective Actions of Societal Ills 

Sad Sad Sad that the poor credibility of our lobby collectively at this juncture cannot stand on one leg to this avalanche of homophobia, where are the spin doctors now eh? now we see and are learning why ethics in advocacy is so crucial and just open truth telling, all this mistrust would not have backed up on us now.

Today's sensational headline from the Gleaner who seem to be enjoying this while selling loads of copies said "No Gay Rule" in part it read:

Gladwyn Kiddoe (with placard), evangelist of Bull Savannah Church of Christ, participating in a protest at the gate of the University of the West Indies, Mona campus.

A SENIOR member of the clergy and chief advocate for the recently established lobby group Jamaica Churches Action Uniting Society for Emancipation (CAUSE) has signalled that the church would not be shy in rallying massive support from its flock to use the ballot to punish any political organisation that rushes to repeal the buggery laws.

"We are saying to the Government of Jamaica, through our mass rally and motorcade on Sunday (today) at 5 o'clock, that we would like the buggery law to be retained. We are clear on that," declared the Reverend Dr Stevenson Samuels, chairman of CAUSE.

At a CARICOM meeting to be held in Antigua this week, heads of government from across the region will discuss, among other things, recommendations on eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

The recommendations include repealing laws criminalising consensual sexual acts between adults and making sexual orientation a protected category for non-discrimination.

But Samuels is adamant that if the Government should hold a referendum on whether provisions in the Offences Against the Person Act dealing with buggery should be repealed, the church would strongly advocate for Jamaicans to vote for the retention of the law.

The opposition Jamaica Labour Party has called for a referendum on the vexed issue.

RISKY ROAD

However, Samuels warned that if any administration take steps to change the law on buggery, that policy move would form part of a mix of issues that would influence the powerful church community as members vote in the next general elections.

"As it relates to an election, I can say that would be one of the considerations. As the church and citizens go to vote, that would certainly be one of the issues that would be considered, but obviously, an election is more than a buggery law," said Samuels.

He was supported by Dr Doreen Brady-West, spokesperson for Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS), who told The Sunday Gleanerthat the time has come for Jamaica to decide how it is going to be ordered.

She contended that such a critical decision should not be imposed on a country by external influences, but should be determined by its citizens.

"Everybody deserves to have a say in what is going to form the foundations on which public policy and laws of Jamaica are going to be made," Brady-West remarked.

The JCHS spokesperson outlined that laws do not come out of a vacuum but are grounded in some kind of philosophy and world view. Consequently, she argued that the nation must decide what is the proper moral view or philosophy upon which its laws and public policies is going to be grounded.

"If it is left on its own, we are going to see things that we don't want, like what happened in the children's homes," she added.

Addressing the political directorate, Brady-West urged them to consider the world views and the philosophies which they think would be applicable for Jamaica. She implored the leadership of Jamaica to "listen to the people of the country and not to be pressured by external forces, either international or regional".

SPURRED BY BAIN'S SACKING

Today's planned mass rally by CAUSE was initially triggered by the sacking of Professor Brendan Bain as director of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART) Network.

The university said that it had become increasingly evident that Bain had lost the confidence and support of a significant sector of the community which the CHART programme has targeted.

However, organisers of the rally said the issue has become much wider than the Bain sacking.

"We are standing up for the establish-ment of our laws on the basis of truth and rights. We are opposing injustice wherever it is, and we are asking that the nation rise up for truth and rights in this nation and that our laws be based on these premises," said Samuels.

He said a festival atmosphere is expected in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, this evening as hundreds of churches islandwide will be closing their doors to support the rally.

The clergyman pointed out that with the New Testament Church of God, the second largest denomination in Jamaica with more than 350 churches, throwing its support behind the CAUSE, buses are expected to take people from as far as Westmoreland, Hanover and Portland.

"I would say it is the first in our recent history that we have come together to support a civil issue as a church in such a sustained manner," he said.

"We have put together a specialised team just to look at our message to make sure it is properly researched and crafted to ensure that we are speaking accurately to the issue and that we are educating the public on this matter," he added.

The church protest comes despite calls from a little-known organisation - Citizens Advocacy Group International Support Initiative (CAGI) - for the revocation of United States visas issued to Jamaican government officials and citizens who violate the rights of homosexuals.

The group, which says it is affiliated with international gay-rights organisations, also wants aid supplied by the United States and Europe to Jamaica withdrawn.

According to CAGI, it will not allow members of the religious community to dictate the rights that members of the gay community are entitled to.

ENDS

CAGI intervention is so counter-productive at this time, do this fly by night group really believe that an eye for eye or other more drastic calls is going make the opposing sides slow down? Reactions to such public advocacy have to be tempered with reason not emotional outbursts and hardlined action demands, it's no wonder why the stop murder music campaign and its mishandling in recent times have only added more fury to the war.

also see
More Overreaction to the Jamaicans for Justice Sex Education Course & Media Senationalism

Hardened Positions by Religious Fanatics & Their LGBT Detractors Will Only Leave More Blood on the Floor

Anti Gay Voice & 'Child Rights' Advocate Betty-Ann Blaine Taken to Task on Public Advocacy

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston instead of the Children’s Home Fiasco that now obtains?

Peace and tolerance

UPDATE June 30 2014

The "journalist" Gary Spaulding who walked out on the CVCC press conference last week wrote his first short piece back in the Gleaner after being reprimanded allegedly for his unprofessional conduct I am told, he carried the Jamaica CAUSE march yesterday:

Backlash On Buggery: Church Leads Anti-Sodomy Rally

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

The church will not be tricked or coerced into making impulsive or emotive pronouncements in the ongoing public debate that has been sparked by the dismissal of Brendan Bain, the retired University of the West Indies professor who lost his job as the director of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART).

This sentiment was conveyed to a massive throng of flag-waving Jamaicans, clad, for the most part, in the national colours, which assembled in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, by pastor of the Calvary Gospel Assembly, Donovan Cole, last evening.

"We will not be silent when we should speak boldly, nor will we be drawn in premature speaking through clever attempts to put the Church on the defensive," asserted Cole.

It was a Sunday evening when Cole was among scores of other well-known church leaders who closed the doors of their sanctuaries to venture out with their membership into the popular public square to flex their collective muscles as debate over a possible repeal of the buggery law takes root on the island.

Hate the lifestyle

The church leaders were quick to reassert that they did not hate homosexuals but abhorred the lifestyle, in clear reference to a raging debate that has erupted after Bain got the boot from the administration of the UWI.

The profession of love, notwithstanding, Maria Harbajan, an evangelist stressed that Christians would remain steadfast and militant against what was wrong in society.

Much emphasis was clearly being placed on the value of family, as scores of men and women with small children started the motorcade from the spot where the Church had been protesting for four weeks - at the entrance to the UWI, Mona, campus to Half-Way Tree.

As the Christians leaders spoke, a group of Rastafarians, bedecked in religious paraphernalia with their own flags, were vociferous in their support of what is dubbed Jamaica CAUSE (Church Action Uniting Society for Emancipation).

ENDS

Meanwhile in case you missed it as the furore raged member of parliament Raymond Pryce spoke to the Buggery Law at the Jamaica Observer's forum last week

meanwhile their headline for June 30, 2014

As they also continue relish the hysteria as it sells papers yes! and the conflation of abuse with same gender sex was well engrained in the speeches as the deceptive Betty Ann Blaine continues her skewed public advocacy using children as bait. Thankfully the Gleaner has redeemed itself in a sense via the Gavel on: "Hypocrites riding on kid's back" article which read in part: 

"THE HYPOCRISY which has characterised the discussions about the treatment of children in state care is nauseating.

Like scorpions on the frog's back, holier-than-thou members of the society have seized the opportunity of the unauthorised and reprehensible introduction of sex education in some children's homes to proclaim love and care for these wards.

But truth be told, many of the crusaders do not love these children as much as they pretend they do.

In fact, they are the same ones who beg the police daily to do something about the boys at the stoplight or at the street corners. They are the same ones who refuse to take public transport because of the behaviour of some children, or rush out of the transport centres because they don't want to be around them.

If we think carefully, the children in state care fit the description of those at the stoplights, in the buses, at transport centres and street corners. They are the children many who are now preaching the 'love our children' doctrine would not have a meal with, or worse yet, invite to their homes.

But as was with the case of the Armadale fire, the current situation provides a platform for the nation to self-aggrandise. These children, who many of us are happy we don't have to associate with, easily become political and social ammunition. Suddenly, their human rights are of concern to us.

Ministers of government and employees of entities such as the Child Development Agency are required to be model parents, being called on to ensure that these children are properly fed, housed and educated. But one wonders, is it really that the society wants the best for these children? Could it be the case that we are happy we don't have to deal with them, and that institutionalising allows us breathing room since we don't have to encounter them as we go about our business?"

ENDS

meanwhile, As the church rallies Jamaicans against what they describe as a "homosexual agenda" yesterday, it has come in for criticism by convenor of Campaign for Social and Economic Justice, Lloyd D'aguilar. 

In an email to media houses, D'aguilar criticised the church for what he says has been its failure to fight institutional corruption and champion other human rights issues, including the State's offence against Tivoli Gardens in west Kingston in 2010 to capture then fugitive, Christopher Coke.

According to D'aguilar, there is no gay agenda in Jamaica except for a call for homosexuals to be accorded the basic human rights entrenched in the Constitution. He says the buggery law must be repealed and the lesbian gay, bi-sexual and transgender community protected from violence and bigotry.

Sadly the language or the call for a "repeal" has changed as JFLAG has espoused to "decriminalization" someone needs to inform Mass Lloyd of it so that his support does not lend to the fury with the wrong concept.

H