Gay man fears death in lock-up

A  man pleaded guilty to three offences in the St Andrew Parish Court because he is tired of being physically abused in jail. He was suspected to be one of the persons robbing cruisers and other members of the public alike in a phone stealing ring. Sadly the other homeless/displaced MSM/transgender get the blame which is why many stay away from helping them apart from the neglect altogether by the NGOs outside of the usual tokenism.

Samuel Martin pleaded guilty to larceny from a person, malicious destruction of property, and robbery with aggravation from November when he was arrested and subsequent preliminary hearings and entering his plea.

Martin said he pleaded guilty for the offences, not because he has committed the acts, but because he has sustained significant abuse at the Half-Way Tree Police Station lock-up.

"They don't like we because we are homosexuals, Your Honour," Martin said.

"Last night, a get three tump inna mi forehead," he told the judge.

The presiding judge told Martin that his reasons for pleading guilty were wrong.

"The only reason for you to plead guilty is if you do what you are accused of," the judge said.


CELL PHONE

Martin responded: "Your Honour, mi cyah tek di beating anymore. Mi just waan leave Half-Way Tree. Dem beat mi up dis morning."

As the court clerk read the charges, Martin shouted "Guilty".

He was charged for stealing a Samsung S7 Galaxy smartphone, damaging a van, and robbing a man of $10,000.

Martin said: "I'm a former hairdresser on Princess Street, downton. Dem a set mi up fi dead."

The judge remanded him until the December 2, 2018, when he will be sentenced.

"Yuh Honour, dem a go kill mi," Martin exclaimed, before being taken to lock-up.

Other incidents have come to hand and I carried a couple as well which strongly suggest something else is going on with other gay or not miscreants.

In 2011 'Gabriel' was featured in a Jamaica Observer video on men doing women's work, traditionally some jobs in Jamaica are not seen as 'men's work', but not to these men plying their trade as beauticians in downtown Kingston...

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Another phone thief held, forces victim at knifepoint to unlock phone

Man robbed of smartphone by homeless gays

Cruiser robbed of phone on Tom Redcom Avenue

Thug decoy targeting cruisers again, some take action

Dancehall music backlash in UK outside of the traditional antigay aka 'murder music' campaigns

So dancehall music has come up for scrutiny once again in regards to the violent lyrical content and subsequent episodes of outbursts. This time in merry old London but this is not the first time we have seen this kind of call for a ban of sorts in terms of stopping shows but usually it is about antigay or murder music songs from acts such as Bounty Killer, Sizzla and so on; the songs literally call for the execution of gays and lesbians.

from Lasmay's Gleaner cartoonist and appears on this 2009 post: "Murder music" further examined

I guess in this instance persons are now being forced to come to the realization that one cannot smply behave out of turn or release questionable content in other jurisdictions and expect a smooth ride.

Kevin Jackson of the Observer wrote:

Dancehall music is facing heat in the United Kingdom. Authorities there associate the genre with violence, which has caused several nightclub owners to ban it from their venues.

Rhoan ‘DJ Face’ Woolery, originally from Montego Bay, is a popular disc jockey from Stafford in East London. He confirmed the ban in an interview with Splash.

“Now promoters can’t even get a club. Once you say the word ‘bashment’ you won’t get the club. Promoters of most bashment raves are now underground and the events are being held at secret locations,” he said.

In early January, the tabloid Daily Star reported an incident which took place in Westminster, West London. The article stated that a Jamaican dancehall boat party on the River Thames descended into chaos when a reveller was stabbed.

The incident was also carried in the rival Daily Mail.

In a story aired by the BBC one year ago, the owner of a London nightclub said he was ordered to stop playing dancehall music.

Roy Seda, owner of the Dice Bar in Croydon, claimed he had been told that Jamaican music is “unacceptable” by the Metropolitan Police. He said he came under so much pressure that he now requires disc jockeys to sign contracts not to play the genre.

The report also cited police reports that the club’s licence was under review, saying it is associated with crime and disorder.

“We had a flyer which said R&B, garage, house, bashment and hip-hop and I was advised to remove the word ‘bashment’ because chart and commercial music is considered safer,” Seda told the

BBC.

DJ Face believes the ban will be far-reaching.

“A ban on dancehall music in clubs will definitely affect the growth of the music on the UK scene. The artistes will get less concerts and reggae and dancehall disc jockeys will also get less work. The music will just become underground,” he said.

TJ “Stylah” Blackwood, another club DJ, has also experienced the police clampdown. Originally from Constant Spring, he now lives in London.

“I have played at clubs in Croydon and Central London and there have been signs on the wall saying “NO BASHMENT”. Immediately my heart sunk. Dancehall is my passion, I even named my sound (system) Dancehall Syndicate, in the hope of showing people a movement that can highlight dancehall in a positive and influential way,” he said. “A member of my sound has even decided to leave the dancehall scene as he hates the way it is heading; he now plays in the commercial, alternative pop scene. He no longer collects dancehall music and it’s a huge shame.”

Blackwood is not daunted, however.

“I will never give up on dancehall. When I enter these clubs, I will play alternative and the patrons (mainly white people) will beg me to play Sean Paul, Shaggy, Bob Marley, Beres Hammond and even Vybz Kartel and Popcaan.”

Since the dancehall ban, TJ has noticed a significant decline in patronage at some venues.

“Clubs are seeing a decrease in patrons where no dancehall is allowed. Club owners think dancehall is all killing and shooting, but I have played hours of dancehall and party and love songs and it’s absolutely fine,” he said.

ENDS

With the cementing of gangster culture on the national psyche bolstered with bravado, multi-partnering with women and out of wedlock sex justified as OK with teenage girls why are we surprised. It is one of the reasons why as a DJ I do not play dancehall so much in my sets and more housemusic which is effectively our music in a sense founded by gay/str8 allied DJs/producers back in the days.

Vybz Kartel during his 'lecture' at UWI

take note of the patois doctor Carolyn Cooper

We have gone so far as hosting questionable dancehall DJs allowed to give lectures at Universities yet some folks including lecturers who did not see anything wrong as popularity trumped thinking; no wonder why they call some institutions intellectual ghettos. 

Hope some folks now learn but reading some comments elsewhere the murder music campaign is being blamed when there was no such direct intervention by any of the SMM players.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Dancehall meets house music part 2: Artistes, Producers Willing To Try EDM 

Perception of Jamaican LGBTQ lobby bullying continues 

Discrimination Stance Creates Split, Dancehall Promoters' New Rules Not Welcomed

Research suggests Murder Music is a predictor of homophobia in Jamaica ..... 

Met Police hypocrisy on homophobia - SMM London 2010

Not Impressed!!!! Beenieman ................... artist supposedly backtracks on gay stance

St Thomas Man Relocates Successfully

A St Thomas man in his forties and a labourer who had found himself in some difficulty some time in late 2016 with some problematic community members just outside of Morant Bay. The impacted man in question reached out to other friends overseas and then was routed to me and others locally via social media in early part of December; by that time things were out of control in a sense according to his account of the situation. 

Relations were getting tense not with the immediate neighbour but in fact from several houses down the cul-de-sac where he lives, the man only found out about the rumours being circulated about him from a woman who has a community shop when he went there to purchase some items and she opened up to him while asking him to be cool or at best careful given the things she was hearing; in other words the village lawyer of the area in a sense.

Thankfully the man took her advice hesitantly but was not sure if it was real what she was saying or just mischief making pursuant to a trap given how ‘country people’ can be sometimes. Living alone can be a challenge for a man speaking from personal experience in certain lower socio-economic classed communities back in the day but apparently just existence is still a problem so the whispers the man was subsequently able to ascertain was that he had ‘no woman’ a trait unfortunately that determines manhood is the multi-partnering with women as objects of display with the proverbial string of ‘yutes’ aka children as proof of virility. 

The man did not meet the pre-requisite as is and then he does not really socialise with the rest of the male populations nearby and by that I mean no marijuana smoking (rubbing hand middle), no attending of the local street dances or local events, he does not go to the local church to suggest living alone means he is Christian and so on so he became a standout as time progressed and seen to be ‘different’ from everyone else seeing how tight knit such areas can be.

In late November there was a verbal spat with one man in question who was open enough to challenge the man after he made a request for “a coin” which is the term used to ask for small change; it was to have purchased marijuana but the man’s answer claiming he had no money did not go down well with the beggar and in turn the beggar decided to launch a type of slow and sustained character assassination by way of snide remarks made whenever he sees him while referencing such terms as ‘fish’ (homophobic colloquial for gay man) and almost encouraging others to question his sexuality at one point. That information strangely came by way of the shop keeper (village lawyer) who when he visited her shop dished the latest she could glean from the streets to him; it seems according to the man was that she liked him not intimately but as a customer it seems seeing he visits the shop frequently. The impacted men became somewhat nervous according to his report and was already looking to relocate before the faithful morning of Sunday December 3, 2016.

The man came out of his home to throw away some items only to be heckled by other men who were hanging out by the end of the street by a light post. The same beggar character was literally pointing out the man to other men and by the look on their faces he knew it was not pleasant things being said. That same day but much later the man had gone to the community shop to do business only to be told by the friendly village lawyer the contents of the conversation of the men by the corner. 

They had apparently moved from the light post to the shop and were talking about the man. An implied threat of sorts was among the subject matter discussed as the group of men in the usual bravado acting attitude were hinting that they wanted no ‘battyman’ in their ‘place’ suggesting they have some ownership and license to decide who stays or goes or does as they think should happen.

The man increased his house rental seeking efforts just to avoid anymore challenges and thankfully it did not escalate to the physical as we know all too well the challenges that come with that. He was able to get a small place in Kingston for starters until otherwise successful afterwards. The man wanted to share his story in a bid to forewarn others as he had never experienced homophobia so earthy overall but more so in a rural area.

Rural areas tend to be a little behind the times usually by default as life is a little slower than in urban spaces, the lack of exposure to certain things can lead to issues when they finally present themselves I surmise. Thanks to the man for sharing his experience with this blog and this one turned out OK as opposed to others. Despite the heightened visibility of LGBT persons be they Jamaican or overseas and the influence of social media one would have expected some better sensibilities but as more and more cases as this comes through it shows there is a lot of work to be done in at best changing hearts and minds.

More anon

Be vigilant be safe an old phrase I used to use ending my posts in the early years of blogging; it may be needed now.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

St Thomas men relocate with police protection after they’re forced to move 2012

Hopeton Lee murdered in January 18 Lee was a witness to a murder and when the person was taken into custody, he backed out to say he was a Christian now,” Deputy Superintendent of Police ...

Male commercial sex worker, homeless problems & a mob

Male hooker's wig falls off during oral sex - CSW chased by angry mob

Not even a few days have passed as outlined in the immediate post to this on our homeless trans/MSM counterparts that now comes another challenge not to mention everything else before and in between. The group in New Kingston have been forced to move due to some of their own getting involved in alleged criminal activity and other miscreants who also rob persons in the business district and its environs yet the Shoemaker Gully populations get blamed as well. The populations were forced to relocate after police pressure following the comments made by a previous police commissioner at a town-hall meeting where residents in New Kingston and some business interests expressed concerns about the robberies and public disorder. Clashes with the public especially male passers-by are legendary as those who pound the pavement in a bid to make some money target anything that effectively resemble an assigned male.

The patrons at the nearby Club Escape or further on the hip strip on Knutsford Boulevard are too numerous to mention, other DJ colleagues of mine mostly heterosexuals and others keep me abreast of the drama and indeed sometimes it is embarrassing as they often ask why can’t ‘your kind’ behave better or other such remarks. The whole ugly situation of the effectively abandoned homeless populations has left a major stain on our image and affects or continue to affect the credibility of the LGBT lobby, some have seen the class differentiation as telling as it seems it is only the privileged and upper classes who are deemed worthy of such rights while the homeless or least amongst us are mere cannon fodder in the fight.

However

The Star News carried this one from St Catherine:

A male prostitute, who disguised himself as a female, had to run for his life when his wig fell off, while giving sexual favours to a man in Old Harbour, St Catherine, earlier this week.

His customer, who was being given a blow job, reportedly thought his conquest was a female, but got the shock of his life when he was approaching a climax.

"Him did a get a head (oral sex) from a sexily dressed person when it sweet him, and him grab on the long flowing wig. It drop off inna him hand and him realised that it was a man," a male resident said.

THE STAR understands that the man on the receiving end made an alarm, which alerted persons in the once sleepy fishing village that the prostitute was a male. An angry mob quickly descended on the prostitute, who reportedly made a mad dash for the Old Harbour Police Station, some 200 metres away.

Inspector Richards, sub-officer in charge of the station, confirmed that the man was rescued by the police, despite pleas from the mob that he be released for them to "deal with his case".

"This man could be a gold medallist fi Jamaica," a business operator said.

"Him really fast and move like a true athlete. Dem couldn't catch him. Only God can help this area."

Police personnel in the area also told THE STAR that the Old Harbour area is now being overrun by sex workers

ENDS

To separate the wheat from the tears is the trouble as indicated above so all get lumped as disgusting or unworthy of any interventions by an already snobbish if not careless and disinterested NGO community; despite promises made but broken, mere tokenism repeatedly, so called fundraising online yet no real results and others more interesting with image building than dealing with lives interrupted. Registration status seems more important and impressive looking social media profiles which is only more elegance than evidence. No formal response from JFLAG and company at the time of this post and I am not expecting any such. As for the recently concluded Beyond Homophobia conference at the University of the West Indies in December 2016 it just shows the contrast between the privileged who resort to escapism to ignore or gloss over homeless challenges and also starkly highlight the wide class divide so profoundly.

Hope remains while company is true however and a few individuals are looking at this with some solutions but not for the first time though.

Peace & tolerance needed indeed

H 

Forced evictions continue

bed made available for persons over the years

I found myself ending yet again and somewhat reluctantly offering shelter assistance to a labourer and a long time party fan who ran into some challenges where he was living in St Catherine in November 2016. He lived alone and was not known to be a trouble maker or having unusually high visitors to his home and apparently was being watched by his attackers who claimed in their supposed justifications that he had no woman (suggesting a romantic relations) and that they did not want no “men” in the community. The word “men” is a term used colloquially to stigmatise or as a derogatory term towards suspected gay men in songs as one-liner stigma seeing that artists cannot do complete recordings as in the old days calling for the abuse of gays also known as murder music.

The incident that caused the man to take action by leaving occurred in late November where he was confronted by some men who questioned him about his perceived sexual orientation which ended then but the verbal spats continued over time as snide remarks were continuously made until the final threats were made leading to his quick removal. Persons would pass the home for example and loudly so he could hear the homophobic comments and make what appeared to be the usual gunshots sounds which suggests he should be killed or justified violence because he is different and the usual fear of the unknown comes into question.

Things came to a head when he was told in no uncertain terms that he should leave or else with one man supposedly waving a knife to suggest violence if he does not comply; hence he took the sensible actions to avoid such. Sadly he said he tried to make a report to one of the LGBT organizations but he said he was not satisfied with the customer experience and that the person on the phone sounded inexperienced and impatient. He was reaching out to other friends some of whom have since taken in some of his furniture and so on but cannot accommodate him for extended periods. The matter was not reported to the police despite several urgings to do same, but we cannot force persons eh; I had decided to take a break from some of this kind of activity as there are costs involved and not just financial ones. The numerous reports mostly unconfirmed from mid 2016 suggests a strangeness to some of this and yet similarities as well.

Clashes with the public in as far as homeless/displaced persons in the New Kingston area continue, the crack down on lotto scamming via the task force is still impacting how homelessness plays out and moves across the island especially to capital city Kingston; tokenism is still the order of the day being raised as a credible response to a decades old problem that only limits itself to addressing immediate service needs instead of more, arrests and clashes with the police still happen especially after the comments made by the former police commissioner at a town hall meeting after complaints from businesses and residents who worry about increased crime attributed rightly or wrongly to the homeless persons in the problematic Shoemaker Gully.

At least two forced evictions that are still unconfirmed occurred in St James and Hanover with one related murder linked to lotto scamming occurred, other young gay men who would have been recruited by kingpins who like using gays as their phone voices produce results are now finding themselves caught in the cross fire of infighting, police crackdowns and the fall from grace of some powerful persons in the illicit trade. The defining silence by some LGBT outfits on this issue is telling and suggests they either do not care (as per usual) or do not see that part of the populations as important in the bigger picture. A popular transsexual who is incarcerated abroad have been blabbing on other scammers and naming them hence leading to all kinds of sidebars and reprisals to include allegedly hired thugs sent to intimidate persons.

One transgender person recently was allegedly forced to flee from Jamaica to Amsterdam after she was the recipient of death threats by men who were armed; the fallout from that is that some of the friends network and younger drag and transgender persons she was helping put through school or offering shelter assistance to are now on their own or back on the streets where they were taken from. One person is said to be missing alongside a large sum of cash which they were supposed to be in charge of for another person, a strange shooting of three persons in November where it is now confirmed that a gay man was in the group only sought to show how problematic things can get. With some eight top players in the trade either having their cases heard in court or their extradition orders being signed I am worried that more fallout is expected as the displacement that follows these things is inevitable.

We are told of all kinds of online fund raising efforts that seem to go nowhere for the most part, we see republications of articles suggesting that some NGOs are trying despite they have been sitting on decades of empirical and anecdotal data on stigma and discrimination leading towards homelessness yet no sensible residential response to homelessness, however small or struggling. We must never forget the dubious closure of the safe house pilot in 2009 that was designed to address some of this but these groups for all intents and purposes turned their back on the homeless when they needed the interventions the most. An office space for one of the NGOs was more important that keeping the shelter opened and to date the truth has not been told by some who were involved in that egregious episode.

It is just disgusting to watch some of this go down even after so many years of interventions and aging NGOs who choose not to act despite they have access to funding and so on. Let us see where some of this is going to finally end but then again if operatives of some of these NGOs can be busy defaming persons using fake Facebook profiles after unsubstantiated allegations towards the defamed without using the appropriate channels to file such reports initially then I do not expect the ethics of advocacy to attend. Who cares about the dregs of the population, they do not have currency or value for the bigger picture except to be used and preyed upon to prop up persons’ profile and legacies. That operative by the way has since been slapped with a problematic lawsuit of which the General Legal Council has sounded off on as to how it was announced by the lawyer.

Strangely shelters have had ground breaking ceremonies with respect to abused women but the very chairman of the COMET II USAID project has not seen it fit to push through a similar shelter answer for an age old problem with regards to LGBT homelessness and given his connection to one of the oldest AIDS organizations one would expect such a push. But of course the manipulation continues and who suffers the most is the homeless in this instance.

Peace & tolerance

H

Alleged Spanish Town extortionist who targeted gay vendors now on the run after shooting

A shooting incident which brought Spanish Town to a complete standstill some days ago where one extortionist was shot by another near the old popular locksmith near the crab lady over territory and the lucrative illegal trade is now on the run. He is Akeem Johnson or Jackson linked to the now in hiding kingpin Tesha Miller otherwise known as Bubba or Bobba Sparks and the police have had a strong presence since the shooting and have placed an all points bulletin for him. The inner turmoil in the Clansman gang is on in earnest as younger gangsters and extortionists fight amongst themselves for power and wealth surmised to be a ten million dollar figure per week as wholesalers, business, vendors of all types including bag juice sellers and ground provision persons from rural parts; other groups such as taxi/robot bus drives all have to contribute or else they are threatened or killed as had happened in recent weeks prior to the Christmas shopping season. 

typical handcart used to sales and transporting market goods for a small fee

In a previous post I had highlighted a friendly male heaviot bleached vendor who myself and others LGBTians do business with has gone into hiding after receiving a hostile reception by men allegedly aligned to the Clansman gang near the market who claim he should pay up or else. The strong armed agents for the gang tend to also go after perceived gay vendors as well and have been accused or ‘giving a bligh’ to such persons over the other vendors as it is well rumoured that Tesha Miller its leader and some other bleached skin characters do engage in gay sex despite they have baby-mothers and multiple female partners. Those two phone in rectum incidents involving Tesha Miller in two different lockups only has added an aura of his long perceived homosexual activity; in other words a kind of behavioural bisexuality if one were to unpack some of this. The previous post the other vendors while glad that the competition is less with the hiding vendor they are concerned about their own safety without saying too much on it.

Another popular vendor in Spanish Town proper in the old bus park where the Linstead buses and taxis are comically known as “Shelly Ann” due to his semi-effeminate demeanour which itself is comical expressed similar sentiments when I ran into him a day ago as I exited the Tastee party store, he greeted me with the usual comical “wah gwaan gal?” (what’s up girl) to which I giggled, days gone by I would have cringed at such a greeting but I really do not care anymore, it is what it is. He tried to get me to buy things from him and I did take some blank DVDs from him but he had to be careful even as despite the cops are around they are targeting mobile vendors or walkers as well and not just ones with stalls or handcarts in one place. Shelly Ann in our conversation said the character Ackeem Johnson/Jackson had been busy in the town collecting money and organizing others but there was internal strife as well in the Clansman gang.

He also referenced Tesha Miller’s absence but most persons suspect he is calling the shots wherever he is and there is fear that after the holidays things are going to get worse. But this morning the police announced their increased patrol for the very same reasons indicated by Shelly Ann which says he was on to something. Shelly Ann also said he has been targeted by both factions of the Clansman gang now in split mode for extortion fees and that the dollar amount had not been dropped but instead doubled and the other rival gangs have been trying to infiltrate that zone; they are so covert however one would never see the actions or know what is happening.

I remember a soup vendor who was killed for the same reason of non payment of extortion way back in 2000 and the outrage that ensued as members of the public reacted that a simple soup vendor needn’t have been killed as he would not turned over significant amounts to pay fees. Several vendors refused to pay any more money but soon found themselves the recipients of threats in failure to do so. Another bleached butch identified woman in the town who sell DVDs as well had reportedly found herself in trouble prior to the clearing of the vendors and the building of BASHCO on Burke Road just in front the Kentucky Fried Chicken store, it was noticeable that she was missing for a time and rumours was that she was threatened so she laid low.

With Tesha Miller and this other Bubba Sparks character now on the run many vendors are hoping they will end up with more money in their pockets for Christmas and those in hiding can come out to try and make a living; that also includes those former homeless/displaced gays who were in or often return to the income generating weed whacking project that is some four plus years old when they get jobs or calls of interest hence my reference to the bag juice sellers who have also been targeted. The now infamous voice notes issuing threats of disruption for the Christmas from as far back as October has only added more salt to the wound, the police’s initial reaction was that the tapes were a possible fabrication or mischief making on the part of the originators but in an almost about face the cops through its Constabulary Communication Unit, CCU that they have intelligence that point to so plans for some extra ordinary event as the in-fighting continues and some persons in the affected areas are threatened with possible violence if they did not switch allegiance or stop opposing the new order.

The CCU has been trying to reassure the public that all be well as they have stepped up patrols in the business district but some are not convinced and are asking then what of undercover sting operations?

This extortion business is everywhere even in the upscale business districts of New Kingston and Half Way Tree surprisingly; west Kingston is already well known for that, I had encountered indirectly some of it in my days at the Ministry of Health when I did HIV outreach, the team and I while conducting the P.L.A.C.E pilot HIV project in 2006 we had to speak to a mini-donman to gain clearance to access certain parts of the rural bus park and market district alongside the lavatory in the bus park, this ‘permission’ was outside of the formal clearances we got from the administration of the market and bus park itself; and even that part of town also had its challenges with perceived gay and lesbian vendors coming under seemingly more pressure than others.

Hope some solution can come to the crime problem but we have allowed this scourge to become so entrenched and near normative it is going to be difficult to break, hope remains while company is true.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Another phone in body cavity story .. the third in succession, what's up Star News?

Tesha Miller in younger days

PHONE FOUND IN GANGSTA, DON'S BUTT........a real battyman dis LOL

Man threatens woman for attempting to steal his woman

Phone Found in Prisoner’s Rectum for a Second Time in Lockup

'Hickey' video man murdered!

So in a follow to a previous post the man in question has been murdered according to the Star News, the first question many are asking is where was or is JFLAG in terms of assistance or asylum given the high publicity he got and exposure? another question coming to light is did he make a report of the threats to the police?

RIP Devon whatever the circumstances he never deserved this!

Devon 'Chris' Fray, the man who claimed there was a misconception about his relation with controversial Bishop Steven Ricketts, was brutally murdered on Thursday.

Fray, 20, was shot and killed by unknown assailants at his home in Commodore district, about 1:10 am.

His death comes five months after Ricketts' SUV plunged into the Rio Cobre killing him and four others.

Following the bishop's death, an old video footage resurfaced of him allegedly beating Fray.


BISHOP WIELDING A MACHETE

The 33-second clip at the centre of the controversy was initially posted online in 2014. It shows the bishop wielding a machete, while grabbing a young Fray and enquiring about three hickeys on his neck.

In a subsequent bid to clear his name from allegations that he was Bishop Ricketts' lover, Fray reached out to THE STAR and did an interview.

He told THE STAR that the controversy surrounding the video has taken a toll on his life and that of his family members, so he wants to clear the air and move on.

"People was sending pure threats to me. All some young bwoy a seh dem wah kill me. My mother trouble with pressure and it a stress her out. She nuh know wah fi do," Fray lamented.

He stressed that the bishop never made any sexual advances towards him.

"He is nice, and kind, and so forth. He has done a lot for me. We would sit and eat, and drink, and reason. I'm so sad about his death, but all now me nuh cry because of this whole video thing," Fray said.

The Linstead police yesterday said that Fray's body was found in his house with multiple gunshot wounds.

The cops said no motive has been established for the murder.

ENDS

Sad though that this is the outcome of this, here was the video that he was in where he tried to explain away the hickey issue:

Peace & tolerance

H

Handcart lovers escaped a mobbing as cruiser challenges continue

handcart examples

As parts of Kingston unravels with crime in recent months, the homeless MSM/transgender populations in New Kingston clash with cruisers and the police pressure that has intensified in recent days as hinted to in a previous post on my Homeless Awareness Month in this month November some happenings have come to a head. The tie-ins have several consequences as outcomes. The stepped up crime as recent as last night as the debate on local government elections pre-elections debate ensued much to the annoyance of many including me, there was nothing of substance and indeed homelessness citywide were nowhere present, despite the present mayor of Kingston claimed she is concerned about homelessness specific to MSM/transgender and played the victim card earlier this year that she was threatened after she expressed so called for the persons at the old Cholera Cemetery or near to it and the Shoemaker Gully which has re-emerged as home even after the clearance exercise in December 2014 by the police.

Cruisers who normally traverse those areas for hook-ups have simply stopped or slowed greatly with alternatives being employed; as the areas are crowded with not only the homeless but a sharp increase in female commercial sex workers, boys on bikes robbing high end phones and wireless Bose headsets, cash and other valuables. Outcomes for such robbery demands not being met is often greeted with knife cuts or a beating for that matter, that occurred in September by the darkened area at the Brooklyn Supermarket area on Constant Spring Road and the Kings Plaza parking lot nearing Popeye’s eatery. At least one of the accused phone robbers has been held by cops and is linked to a network of phone repairers and sellers as far as Spanish Town and May Pen. Other parts of town are also having issues; a group of 3 persons allegedly were forced out of an empty house along the stretch to the Police Officers Club on Hope Road some weeks ago as angry citizens were furious that persons were invading their otherwise peaceful middle class community.

East Kingston nearing the Jamaica Urban Transit Company, JUTC depot for example also was saw an alleged moving up of a couple persons who use the area for hook-ups catering to mobile clients looking for a unique sexual experience in the outdoors as the beach/sea is nearby to the electric company plant; an old haunt for gay men long before such geographical changes had come to be. Unconfirmed reports also suggest a stabbing incident (yet again) in October by the infamous “Boil up” affectionate named as it is the actual sewerage treatment plant nearby whose operation has a large water body tank that bubbles up, gay men from all over, of I should say men who have sex with men in some way (mostly partnered masturbation or oral sex as anal penetration may not be convenient). The interruptions of this subgroup’s sex seeking behaviour are something that requires far more study and unpacking.

Handcart man haffi run f idem life

Two shirtless men according to one eyewitness who also happens to be a cruiser and who was present nearby had to beat a hasty retreat as happened before to others at the same spot over the years. Last Saturday at around 6am at a popular spot nearing West Kingston the men reported met in the space and as per usual pass-throughs would also be there, hence the eyewitness’ ability to have seen the matter from his vantage point. The men had moved to a more secluded area and were about to get down but for some strange reason a four man group of persons entered the space and “loud up” the men.

“Bossy de man dem come in wid cutlass dawggy, mi just hide out inna the bush part deh weh nobody caan see mi.” (My friend the men came in with machete and I just hide in the bushes nearby where nobody couldn’t see me.) The angry men gave a short chase out of the spot of coverage out into the open with both targets went in opposite direction, one handcart which was parked adjacent in front the newer fish and charcoal market was identified as belonging to one of the men; the crowd gathered at that point felt justified in seizing the cart and some suggesting it should be destroyed; the handcart was preserved none the less.

The witness when pressed over the phone as I spoke to him thanks to a reliable contact said he remained hidden for some time afterwards and left the scene some time later:

“Mi wait and two other man dem did pass thru from the other side of the road dem come in, dem never know wah did a gwaan until dem hear the crowd a burn out battyman ..........” (I waited and two other guys came in but from the other direction, they did not know what was going on until they heard the loud voices with [burn out] homophobic remarks) The witness and I concur surmises that some party of the group may have entered the spot for maybe to use the place as a toilet as has happened before and may have seen suspicious behaviour, given the history of the place that is highly possible. Safety for MSM or the adventurous is a do so at your own risk issue and shows the challenges for persons in the sub-group who cannot live openly are forced to employ other pleasurable sex seeking behaviours; they attract other men who have accommodation but want something outside the box sexually as well. This is not limited to adults but also teenagers who may be experimenting as they grow into their sexuality or just curious at the time. An unconfirmed case at an irrigation waterway in St Catherine occurring in October as well had two male teens clashing with other schoolboys at a regular swimming spot after they were caught fondling each other.

Thankfully in above cases no serious violence was meted out to the parties involved but it raises safety issues, choice selection for cruisers and other issues with the psychology of human sexuality.

Peace & tolerance

H

When power differentials (of a car) attracts homophobia

When power differentials (of a car) attracts homophobia

2016 model of the car in question 

We often hear of relationships gay or straight enter into challenges due to the improvement or importation of material wealth on one party’s part and how it can lead to breakups, fights and even worse. One side can get a promotion at work and it leads to jealousy, competition, territorialism in terms of the finances, role playing, dominance in the union and retention or refusal for sex as punishment. These power differentials are not divorced from same gender unions and can get even more egregious, the same gender nature of it suggest a lesser dependency on each other especially in a more middle class setting as one can easily relocate to another apartment and move on. Class differentials on the other hand can force the lesser empowered or social strata partnered individual is sometime forced to remain in the union as they have little option to shift to single life again. Similarly the financial powered beating stick can come into play and any upset or infractions can find someone with their back on the sidewalk seeking temporary stay with someone.

A St Catherine couple in Eltham Park who have been living there for just under 7 months found themselves in a challenge recently as the issue of material wealth differentials coming to play and spilling over into the immediate neighbour’s purview; unfortunately the neighbours showed up their homophobic feelings. The talk in parts of the community continues as word spread regarding the episode. One party recently acquired a new car after a dry spell of selling the old salad and taking the bus as his other partner has been doing. But it seems with the introduction of the car things started to change as one the car-less party suggested the car owner has changed, he is very touchy, when requested to go out on the road for errands he denies such and gets cocky, he is very touchy as to the cleanliness and presentation of his new prize. The car-less partner does have a driver’s license and drove the previously sold ‘salad’ alongside his partner; there were no issues in terms of clash of use, and over protectionism.

Arguments ensued over time often getting loud which also seem to suggest issues were festering otherwise and the imposition of the car had just opened the wounds of differences; thus the differentials become more pronounced and lead to fallout. Both men woke up last Saturday to another argument this time over who would go to the market for the traditional ground produce shopping. A comment reportedly made by the car-less party that of suggesting his partner is getting too touchy in typical Jamaican parlance was what set off the quarrelling match. Decibels raised as both men projected strength in the exchange attracted unsuspecting indeed inquisitive eyes and ears.

It got to a stage where a neighbour two houses away turned on their stereo loudly, turned the speakers out to the direction of the house where the men are and deliberately playing anti gay songs such as Buju Banton’s ‘Boom Bye Bye’ and so on while singing loudly and laughing with snide remarks being made. The men ignored the nosy Parker folks at first but it was when the said nosiers came out of their houses and gathered by the back fence line as the house rears face each other and the intermittent laughter they came outside to see the audience transfixed on the matter, other comments flowed such as battyman a live like husband and wife, one get new car and gwaan pon di other one, a wat kinda mixup dis, others using the typical antigay language of the ‘burn out’ narrative, some persons suggested the men need to move out of the area as they are not prepared battyman who are too bright (too open and in your face). Given the occurrence happened in the morning hours on a weekend more than usual individuals would be at home hence larger unneeded heat and attraction.

The men occasionally reminded the nosy audience they were too fass (inquisitive) but I think the lesser terse response from said audience maybe due to the non-stereotypical look of the parties involved as they do not look or act effeminately on the fly. The conflation of effeminacy with male homosexuality on route to the wanting to be a woman imperative in the minds of homophobes is what tends to drive violent or verbal responses predicated on hate. Both men are handsome, well groomed and do not match the aesthetic look others have of us as gay men, I can speak to that with numerous examples; my own experience where after my buggery arrest and short imprisonment and my return to my address, over time I was told by others and immediate neighbours that I do not fit the bill as a gay man. So they feel I would not be attacked or face too much pressure than normal. That turned out to be not necessarily true; I did face some pressure but ignored some of it and lived it down letting time be the healer of all things.

The men have not expressed any interest in relocating right now but they have been encouraged to start looking a new place, if not a trial separation as clearly there are some other influences at work and not just the car(lessness). Sometimes we gotta be mindful of our surroundings too in how we live and operate, like everywhere else around the world not all spaces support expected enlightenment and difference.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Tops, bottoms, power differentials & restrictions in gay relations

Living & dating gay & bi Peter Pan types

The entitlement problem from hypermasculine MSM & negative outcomes

On white men as bottoms in interracial gay porn

Ground provision vendor gets death threats

An alleged gay ground provision vendor was issued death threats some two weeks ago following his supposed refusal or inability to pay up extortion ‘fees’ demanded by thugs in the Spanish Town area. His noticeable absence in recent weeks led myself and others to inquire of him as visits to the market to patronise his handcart of items but noticed he was not among the middle man vendors; he like others would by directly from the farmers/higglers from rural Jamaica wholesale and then place a mark up for resale. Extortion has been and continue to be an issue for street, market and store vendors as well as established stores such as the previously nearby located BASCHO, that has since moved to Burke road closer to the police station which was forced to close its doors due to the scourge. With all that relocation to the Burke road and the very bus park for safety I imagine, the crime has come right behind their establishment.

The bizarre shootings in the Jamaica Urban Transit, JUTC bus park in recent weeks is clear evidence of the problem as gangs clash over control of the lucrative multi-million dollar illegal activity. Vendors are afraid to report the matter fearing repercussions so some relocate to another locale or parish for a time or go into hiding, but with diminished income persons are forced to resurface to earn a living. The Clansman and ratbat gangs are responsible for the latest challenges. The vendor was others was approached by a woman with a composition book and what looks like a receipt or ticket role and collects the daily $300 up $500 fee sometimes allowed to accumulate so as to make one collection on the weekend. Two weeks ago the vendor was ruffed up by thugs who operate in stealth with the woman after an argument developed with the parties. It was then the two thugs openly threatened the vendor who for all intents and purposes is not effeminate or has any disguising feature towards same.

In fact he is the stereotypical bleached face and sometimes skin archetype with tattoos and such so when during the heated exchange according to another vendor as a witness who I spoke to, she hinted that the battyman accusation was as usual in any other male versus male argument but the men were resolute and claimed that they knew the vendor had no woman and that ‘him fuck batty’ followed up by the usual colourful parlance. Trouble with this one I have apart from the obstruction of freedom of movement in a public thoroughfare by unauthorised persons is that the gang in question, Clansman, its leader Tesha Miller has had the same gay or indeed bisexual allegations thrown at him repeatedly. Since his short incarceration in the United States and subsequent deportation to Jamaica, it has been open war within his own ranks and with the rival ratbat gang with fight for turf, even as the police has an all points bulletin of sorts out for him but it is a mystery to find him and he has not turned himself in. His attorney who ironically is anti gay attorney Bert Samuels who has been counsel for Miller for quite some time and says he is a Christian yet he has not been able to bring in Miller to the authorities for questioning.

Especially after a phone was found in his rectum alleged at a lockup some years ago the accusations of his sexuality had been swirling and this was also just around the time of the trial of another reputed gangbanger Zeeks where his trial revealed homosexual activities with the murdered victim by way of oral sex the victim was killed, this seems rather strange and curious as many including the main eyewitness vendor is questioning how would these thugs offering strong arms services know of the sexual activities of the now hiding male vendor, there is something else at work I suspect. We have had previous arrangements of this kind without the gang leader per say but it brings into to question the issues of downlow living.

also see: ZEKES TRIAL SHOCKER - Court told of oral sex act with man

Things have gotten so sublime to the ridiculous that even fast food restaurants in Spanish Town proper have once again do not use the friendly engagement term “Can I take your order?” as the ‘order’ in the term is offensive, from the point of view of those who oppose the one order gang’s reign. Most fast food joints now saw or ask “How can I help you?” or “what do you need?” this is like some serious ignorance laden regression to the dark days of wearing the wrong colour in terms of politics or the fist hitting greeting style changed to arm grabbing as fist bumping is seen as a cultural expression to West Kingston so it must be avoided.

Other vendors are circumspect these days and there is a noticeable decline of the ‘county higglers’ who would sleep in their trucks after a long journey from rural parts, do business and then return to their parishes of origins by truck, van or bus on a Sunday morning. I wonder if the dude will return soon as the other remaining vendors are glad for the spinoffs due to his absence seem to genuinely miss him as they seem to have cordial relations despite being competitors. Hope remains while company is true and we hope he comes back out soon. It has not been ascertained if a report was made to the police even as they have raised their visibility in the JUTC bus park and other parts of Spanish Town. How long will this continue is another fundamental question, criminals living big on ill gotten gains at our safety’s expense, now we are hearing of miscreants dressed as students in uniform or even legitimate park wardens either forced to become operatives or disguised as such to collect the extortion on behalf of the gangs while going undetected. The business of lotto scamming in western Jamaica is not divorced from all this as suspected and recently confirmed. Some of the extortionists have been jumping over to the illegal trade to prop up their already cash strong wealth.

The recruitment of gays even with homophobic consequences when things go sour is ongoing as the old perception of gay men especially the effeminate bright ones are said to be able to speak better by phone with intended victims hence closing the deals and ripping off persons who fall prey. Some persons have found themselves on the wrong side of some of the kingpins and their cronies and have had to relocate to other parts as well. Then the crackdown of the task force is showing up the network of already active gays quite plainly, so much so that a recent murder of a pocomania pastor has tongues wagging in St James about sexuality, obeah or necromancy and such.

Hope the vendor can ‘eat a food’ again soon.

More anon

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Another phone in body cavity story .. the third in succession, what's up Star News? 

PHONE FOUND IN GANGSTA, DON'S BUTT........a real battyman dis LOL

Phone Found in Prisoner’s Rectum for a Second Time in Lockup 

Man threatens woman for attempting to steal his woman

Florida has reached a deal to purchase the Pulse nightclub ........

The city of Orlando, Florida has reached a deal to purchase the Pulse nightclub and turn it into a memorial for the victims of what was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s office confirmed the queer nightclub’s $2.25 million purchase in an email to The Huffington Post Tuesday, pending a November 14 vote by City Council. His office added that there are no immediate plans to change the site.

“We do know that we want to maintain it for a period of time ― 12 to 18 months ― so that people from around the country and world who want to visit the site can do so,” the mayor said in a video posted to Twitter.

Since the June 12 shooting, in which 49 people were killed and 53 were wounded, the downtown site has served as a makeshift memorial that has been visited by tourists and politicians alike.

Dyer, speaking to the Orlando Sentinel, said the city’s ultimate goal will be to “create something to honor the memory of the victims that are deceased [and] those that were injured, and a testament to the resilience of our community.”

He said he will solicit ideas for the memorial from the surrounding community.

The purchase price is roughly $600,000 more than its appraised value, the Sentinel reported.

The nightclub’s owner, Barbara Poma, who owns it with her husband Posario, had previously pledged through a spokesperson to turn it into a memorial to the victims, most of whom identified as queer people of color.

Barbara Poma opened the dance venue in 2004 in honor of her late brother, John,who died from AIDS in 1991.

Back in August, it was reported that a newly established nonprofit called OnePULSE had filed plans to turn the nightclub into a memorial.

In June two Jamaicans said to be victims in Orlando mass shooting, It is possible that at least two Jamaicans were among the victims of the Orlando mass shooting on Sunday.

Foreign affairs minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith is advising that the Jamaican Consulate General in Miami has received unconfirmed reports that Jamaican nationals were casualties in the attack. However, efforts are underway to confirm these reports.

Senator Johnson Smith is overseas on official travel and has been monitoring the developments. 

Mr. Franz Hall, Jamaica’s Consul General (CG) explained that “checks are being done through the Office of Foreign Missions and also the hospitals in Orlando, in an effort to confirm these reports.”

Senator Johnson Smith has instructed the Consul General to remain in touch with the community and its leaders to provide support where possible. No serious followup came officially.

Howeve singer Shane Tomlinson was confirmed:

also see:

My heart & prayers go out to the Pulse victims & their families

Dormant anti gay feelings resurface in Florida shooting aftermath

Gay club killing unlikely in Ja .............

Rainbow flags vs Jamaicans murdered which is more important?

Ronnie Thwaites’ rubbish on flying rainbow flags grooms children into “particular lifestyle” (contains last pefomance of Shane Tomlinson's one of the Jamaicans who died)

Christians should apologise to gay people — Pope Francis

These Are the Names of the Victims of the awful incident

Peace & tolerance

H

Two sentenced for 5 year old Torrington Park homophobic murder.

The deceased in better times

Justice served indeed. Each small victory is a way to begin to right size the longstanding issue of poor results for cases involving LGBT people as victims. Although the court systems are still creaking if only we stick and stay sensible results can come forth.

Two men were sentenced to life for the murder of a gay man after a chopping incident in Torrington Park from way back in August 2011 of Ricardo Morgan; the jury retired for 21 minutes after a two week trial and returned a unanimous guilty verdict. The deceased was a hairdresser after he was attacked by two men on the day of the incident earlier that year around 9pm the two men Shermar Salmon and Richard Lindo, evidence led by the prosecution as informed by the sole witness and the sister of the deceased stated that Salmon used a machete to chop the deceased on the left side of his neck causing severe bleeding, they say that after the hair dresser fell to the ground Lindo attacked him with a pick-axe stick inflicting several blows to the head where in the deceased succumbed to his injuries after.

The original CVM story

The crown also argued that the deceased was subject to continuous assaults in a tense standoff between the two accused and other men as well as they encouraged the homophobic stance to be enforced supposedly thinking they would be absolved or untouched by their actions as it is said to be permitted since homosexuality in Jamaica is not accepted. 

Other incidents from previous reports occurred as early as January of that year 2011 and at the deceased shop he was the subject of a man who arrived to point him out to other men as to the location and perceived sexual orientation of him as well; he reported the matter to some LGBT influentials at the time; the short lived melee had a captive audience but some persons dismissed the matter and suggested he was not a trouble maker and was earning his living honestly and that the pointing out exercise would only exacerbate matters and put the hair dresser at risk.

Residents in the area at the time had suggested more than once that the deceased was a target of verbal abuse from the two men in the area and was even urged several time to relocate but he refused. Here is another case of evasive action not being employed as the sensible option to avert challenges. This matter thankfully has ended amicably in a sense as the implicated perpetrators were not only nabbed as is not often the case in other such open attacks but tried and sentenced; with a sensible jury pool who saw the case for exactly what it is, a vicious murder with strong stigma as the motive.

Gay panic defence strategy attempted and failed

Attorneys representing the perpetrators posited that it was the deceased who provoked the situation as is often used in the deceptive gay panic defence, they claimed it was the deceased who was the aggressor on the night in question and tried to paint a picture of self defence which is an almost impossibility. Bearing in mind both men were armed with weapons against one unarmed man. I am pleased this one turned out the way it did as so many other cases have fizzled in court or the accused be it murder, extortion or common assault had the accused freed in court due to want of prosecution.

Torrington Park had featured before in similar problems and in Jones Town as well as far back June 21, 2012 in the height of our homeless population challenges police were called in to sort out a matter involving some gay men in the depressed community; I had carried the story on sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica here: SGL community members attacked in Kingston .......... some of whom were displaced and were being temporarily assisted by their friends from the area. The typical profiling of persons on either gender non conformity and so on raised its ugly head and a crowd had gathered at the gate of the house.

I wish for example the UTECH student abuse matter was resolved amicably if only the implicated man who was attacked on video followed up by going to court despite the slowness of our justice/court systems and that the guards were only charged for assault. Every victory is a win if ever so small to change hearts and minds and to make would be perpetrators think twice as to the consequences of such actions.

Peace & tolerance

H