Jamaica’s AIDS funding fears allayed

JAMAICA’s funding fears have been allayed, even if only briefly, with a commitment from the Global Fund to continue supporting the country’s HIV response beyond the previously decided 2018 transition deadline.

Local groups expressed concerns earlier this year that the gains made in the HIV response could be hampered if the Global Fund withdraws its support because of Jamaica’s middle-income status, forcing the country to move away from donor funding to a more domestically funded health response.

The Global Fund, which provides support to countries in response to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, allocates funds to eligible countries for a three-year period, based on the country’s disease burden and income level.

Jamaica was upgraded to an upper middle-income country by the World Bank in 2009, putting it at risk of losing the grant funding.

However, Ivan Cruickshank, chairman for the country coordinating mechanism for the Global Fund, told the

Jamaica Observer Tuesday that the grant-funding institution has committed to extending its funding support for the island.

“There was a bit of uncertainty in terms of the replenishment of the Global Fund,” Cruickshank admitted.

At the launch of the institution’s fifth replenishment in September, donors pledged more than US$12.9 billion for the next three years towards ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The replenishment conference raised nearly $1 billion more than the previous one in 2013, with the amount raised expected to save eight million lives, avert 300 million infections, and help build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

The conference was only the beginning of a three-year replenishment period and the Global Fund said then that it intends to actively work to gain further contributions in the coming months and years.

“What this means for Jamaica is that, initially, it was expected that Jamaica would’ve transitioned out of global funding at the end of this grant, but the Global Fund has actually indicated in their most recent communication with us that they are extending that period,” Cruickshank told the Observer after speaking at the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life 25th anniversary media launch at the Courtleigh Hotel in St Andrew.

He explained that the country is now being prepared for the transition through a transition-readiness process.

“… So we are not going to transition at the end of this grant cycle. What we are actually doing is preparing the country in a way that the Government and all the other stakeholders are at a place that the transition can actually begin,” Cruickshank said. “Whether that is another three years down the road, we are not sure yet, but we don’t expect that we are actually going to transition at the end of this cycle which ends 2018.”

Cruickshank, whose organisation is responsible for applying for money from the Global Fund and ensuring that all targets are met and that the money is spent as intended, and as set out in the grant application, said the long-term vision is to stop receiving funds from the Global Fund for the HIV response.

He admitted that he does not know when it will happen but said he expects that it will be discussed in upcoming Global Fund meetings.

“This grant cycle actually ends in 2018 and we have a commitment from the Global Fund to continue funding after this particular grant ends; how long it will continue is to be (determined),” he said

also see:

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston?

Police Commissioner on MSM/trans in New Kingston & ongoing challenges from public concern

Dr Carl Williams Police Commissioner 

The timing of this latest episode on the problematic age old homeless MSM and transgender persons could not have been more timely as November is Homeless Awareness Month on this blog and sister blog GLBTQ Jamaica. The more things change the more they stay the same it seems or as I put it prior here we are again this old familiar place. While some of the members had moved or relocating to the previous problem area at Millsborough Avenue they were removed by police with the interventions of angry residents nearby earlier this year. Numerous robberies allegedly done by some of the men of smart phones in particular and also heterosexual culprits who make it bad by way of reputation for the MSM, it has turned out that some of the smart phones robberies are to supply a phone repair and scrapping network in downtown, Cross Roads and as far as Spanish Town and Portmore; the police has since dented that network for now as was carried on TVJ News two days ago.

Police Commissioner Dr Carl Williams speaking at a town hall meeting in the New Kingston area November 3, 2016 he sought to assure residents who are complaining of persons at the gullies and drains in the district, namely the Shoemaker gully. He said among other things that some 12 persons are already serving some jail time for atrocities but no sooner they come out they return to a life of crime; he did not mention the ongoing cases in the St Andrew parish courts for example some of which are linked to alleged lotto scamming as persons get involved outside of the troublesome areas of St James and Westmoreland; he did not qualify his point in terms of who are actually doing the robberies of residencies but hinted to the sexual orientation excuse in his mind:

“We have some peculiar problems in New Kingston, I am not going to long I’m gonna cut to the chase, the New Kingston is a special place, it’s the premier business district in Jamaica ............. people of New Kingston you have something that needs protecting .......... we have certain problems that are unique to New Kingston, unique I say because I have never seen any other place where we have such a large concentration of people who hang out in gullies, yes, and who emerge out of these gullies; sometimes swarms of them emerge from these gullies and attack the people of New Kingston whether visitors or residents, we have so many complaints about these people and we have been trying forever.

We have to find a solution for them, in fact right now as we speak we are able to control the problem a little bit because we have almost a dozen of the more prolific ones in custody in St Andrew central and so things have subsided a bit.

But still we have them in the gullies; that is a problem the police and the citizens here are going to have to work assiduously to come up with a solution.”

The Commissioner now designates the homeless persons to that of insects in such a condescending fashion says a lot to me; he never gave any indications as to the numbers and actions taken or how many official reports that have come in, he admitted that the problem is not one for just law enforcement, he says there is a need to find proper housing and employment opportunities for the persons who frequent the gullies, this so they don’t have to resort to a life of crime but disturbingly he commented that the police does not see sexual orientation but individuals who are committing crime, maybe he was side stepping laying the blame in terms of response where it needs to be placed and that sexual orientation considerations must come to hand in order to propose or craft proper responses to some of this:

“There are very violent and I tell you some of them use their sexual orientation as a cover, we as a modern police force, we don’t see sexual orientation, we see them as a band of criminals and we want to work with the people in New Kingston to get rid of this band of criminals; it is not just a law enforcement problem it is also a social problem, because I think we going to have to find a way in which we can relocate them.”

The fact that the police post on Knutsford Boulevard there since 1998 or thereabout is to be relocated yet again as the owners of the building has issues a notice to quit by the end of the year; purse snatching bandits targeting women, alleged cross dressers being aggressive to the public with resultant clashes and only a limited 23 -25 officers with some of them seconded from other precincts to provide support and some from TPDco (Tourism Development Company) as the area is also seen as a tourism spot. But didn’t a previous Superintendent propose something in a formal document and went as far as clearing the Shoemaker Gully in December 2014 which was carried on CVM TV, where is that Superintendent now since then and why has the problem been allowed to regenerate and where oh where is JFLAG or the other outfits in all of this? Silly me I forgot there is no real interest in addressing this part of the equation despite so many years of some kind of organised advocacy, as I said in another for Homeless Awareness Month 2016:

“It is indeed a sad state of affairs when after some forty plus years of some kind of organized LGBT advocacy from Gay Freedom Movement to present, to include the HIV years in the 1990s and slow periods yet with all the hard and anecdotal evidence of stigma driven displacement and homelessness there is no proper response to same. The fundamental question as to why this is so is yet to be properly and honestly answered.”

Meanwhile the Commissioner also gave assurance not convincingly though that additional police have been and will be deployed to try to rid the streets of robbers. He admitted that not enough is being done to address numerous break-ins of properties in New Kingston. Frankly I have lost count as to the numerous issues in the business district namely and by the Cholera Cemetery where the last matter that came to hand was a stabbing incident on August 3, 2016 involving a cruiser and an allegedly homeless robber, the cruiser was stabbed on the right hand with an instrument of some kind; so the tense relationship between cruiser, clients of commercial sex workers and homeless/displaced MSM/transgender continues sadly.

The Commissioner also took note of the mistrust between the police and citizens, he is spot on on that one as reports still come in of all kinds of alleged corruption to include the ongoing hot matter of the aftermath of the so called ‘X6 murder’ of 17 year Kajil Mais some five years after the fact where the accused walked free although the suspected gun is missing and a witness who back peddled destroying the prosecution’s case in court. The missing gun and or refusal to turn over a firearm case is still in court which is slated for November 18. On our side of the fence reports still surface of cops seeking to shake down LGBT persons coming from events or cops claiming to be offering security services but when the night is over they pad the demands sometimes well over the agreed amounts the party promoter was willing or able to pay, under threat of exposing the venue and or promoter(s). Dr Williams claimed the high command has dismissed some corrupt cops, introduced polygraph tests of which some persons failed recently as he says he does not want the ‘wrong types’ he also said the force is looking at revamping its disciplinary machinery.

Meanwhile:

58 persons of the Jamaica Constabulary Force were trained in how to respond to gender based violence through sensitizations and workshops the officers learned about actions they could take to reduce GBV among different categories of women, the workshops focused on violence against HIV positive women, lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, female sex workers and women living with disabilities. Dr Carolyn Gomes Executive Director of Caribbean Vulnerable Coalition said that officers should use what they have learned to sensitize other colleagues as it should be replicable. Meanwhile ED of Jamaica aids Support for Life, JASL Kandasi Levermore also spoke to the matter in the response to GBV in public clinics with psychological interventions in service delivery, they were speaking at Alambra Inn where the graduation exercise took place. Problem with this as per usual notice that nowhere was MSM (men who have sex with men) mentioned even though they also have some serious issues of intimate partner violence with some visible outcomes at times, the NGOs still it seems do not want to get their hands too dirty from direct engagement with some groups and issues. That humanitarian spark feels missing these days from some quarters and it seems more about systematic driven momentum and careers more so than anything else, who really cares? Nice social media pages with photos of ‘workshops’ but it seems to be so limited a few and puts a farce of a reality with bettered or altered versions of the actual reality.

Some private interventions are ongoing by some with what is often described as ‘couch surfing’ which is not nearly enough and mistrust issues in that department continues with an ongoing court case of a lecturer being extorted by a man who hailed from Maxfield Avenue and a suspicious murder case of a doctor recently where a 17 and a 19year old were charged yesterday for the crime, as more information comes forth more anon on this blog.

meanwhile earlier this year:

Kingston's Mayor Burke receive Death Threats... so she claims yet with all her optics with JFLAG and such claiming she is concerned she cannot deal with homelessness citywide; some over a 1000ft westwards from her Church Street Mayor's office, infront of all places the Supreme & Appeals court also seen as the hallowed halls of justice buildings as seen below.

homeless man on bench

How is she therefore going to address MSM/transgender homelessness that requires specialist interventions when the very JFLAG isn't showing any forward momentum on this for so many years?
Peace & tolerance

H

also see:  Homeless Awareness Month 2016 issues and Homeless Awareness Month 2016 issues part 2

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston 2014

HIV Positive displaced man claims he was abused by other men under the guise of assistance

Man accused of extortion tried for coning lecturer of $1.2 million........

Steve Lenford Harvey: 10 years gone

I cannot believe that it is so quickly time has passed that “Big Nose” has passed or I should say was tragically taken from us in a case that was bizarre to begin with and ended in arrests and trials of the accused. He was forced to leave his home on the night of November 30, 2005 in Patrick City by gunmen who invaded the house and robbed himself and other occupants; at which point a computer was perused alongside phones with text messages from where a profiling exercise ensued to arrive at a homophobic conclusion. 

TVJ Interview in Kingston 

at Jamaica AIDS Support former offices at Upper Musgrave Avenue Kingston 10

Steve was forced to drive away and killed elsewhere. It is now clear to many that the profiling was being done all along as the house was being staked out despite the fact the residence is on a main road and would be supposedly less targeted given also the middle class status of the area.

I came into contact with Lenford in the nineties while I volunteered for Jamaica AIDS Support then; the ‘For Life’ was added later and he was a Peer Educator and GLABCOM Steering Committee member as well. He also had a hand in the male netball team training and management. Then in 2006 onwards he was a member of the ‘gay church’ Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica, SCJ and choir member; I remember the rehearsal sessions which were funny as he was not one of the better singers then lol. 

He was also a politics man and an open if not staunch supporter of the People’s National Party, PNP and his beloved Mama P (Portia Simpson) I wonder how now he would react given the air of elections around and the strong criticisms of Mama P and her less than articulate style; coupled with the neglected suggestion promise of a conscience vote/buggery review. He was also a good friend of first time Member of Parliament Raymond Pryce well before his sojourn into politics as he was a volunteer as well in my time too of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life JASL before moving on to the Jamaica Consumers’ League. 

Harvey then took on his biggest work yet at LACASSO - 

Harvey became involved with Jamaica AIDS Support in 1997.He became the group's Kingston co-ordinator, and in this position primarily worked to ensure that the marginalised groups within the country – including prisoners, sex workers, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people – had access to information about the HIV/AIDS virus. He was selected as Jamaica's representative at the Latin America and Caribbean Council of AIDS Service Organizations. He was also a registered delegate to the conference of the People's National Party.

Jamaican police arrested four individuals whom they then committing with murder in the furtherance of a robbery. The accused remained in police custody for almost ten years before the case came to court. At that point, the police dropped their murder charges against two of the accused. The other two, Dwayne Owen and Andrew West, went on trial and were found unanimously guilty of murder by a jury. Although prosecutors had requested capital punishment in the case, the judge sentenced them to life in prison with a minimum of thirty years before becoming eligible for parole.

Following investigations, in 2005 police arrested four individuals – Dwayne Owen, Andrew West, Ryan Wilson, and Chevaughn Gibson – charging them all with committing murder in the furtherance of a robbery. Defence lawyers repeatedly complained that the prosecution had been late in handing over relevant documents to them.

The case was brought before the Home Circuit Court on April 24, 2014, however it could not proceed because important documents had not been served on the defence.The witnesses for the case, who included ten police officers and two civilians, were bound over. Senior Puisne Judge Gloria Smith stated that no further adjournments of the case would be permitted, ordering the Director of Public Prosecutions to make full disclosure to the defence, and insisting that the trial must start on May 19. In her words, "This case has been going on for far too long and has reached the point where something must happen."However, on that date the trial was postponed again due to the unavailability of a courtroom, being rescheduled for June 1. At that date it was again postponed, this time due to a shortage of available jurors, with the new date being set for July 7.

In early July 2014, the prosecution announced that they were dropping all charges against Wilson, who was declared free to go after over eight years in prison. They had determined that at the time of the murder he had been in custody at the Constant Spring Police Station.[8] The prosecution also stated that it was dropping the murder charges against Gibson, who would instead be charged with misprision of felony. After a three week trial, in late July a twelve-person jury unanimously found both Owen and West guilty of murder. The state prosecutors, Kathy Pryce and Karen Seymour Johnson, requested that Owen and West face the death penalty. However, in November Justice Lloyd Hibbert sentenced them to life in prison, stipulating that they must serve a minimum of thirty years before becoming eligible for parole. He stated that in sentencing the pair he took into account the fact that they had already spent a decade in custody. In December, both Owen and West launched appeals against their conviction.

Independently of the Harvey case, West was also charged with being involved in the murder of Jamie Lue, a financial analyst at Alliance Capital Limited, who had been abducted, robbed and killed in December 2005.

Really miss him after all these years.

Peace & tolerance

H

Homeless LGBT New Kingston Population Targeted by Cops Again ......... 3rd Anniversary of Civil Disobedience

Here we are again this old familiar place. How many more like this must we see before an answer is found?

As today is a reminder of the issue of homelessness in New Kingston with the least amongst us as the civil disobedience some of the displaced and homeless LGBT predecessors took against JFLAG and Jamaica AIDS Support back in August 2011 now we see a story in the Gleaner again as they continue to make news. So many other reports and incidents for that matter have gone unnoticed or unreported.

Police carry out an operation at a gully in New Kingston, yesterday. The police, who said they were seaching for wanted men, were met with resistance by a group of persons who passers-by described as cross-dressers, who live in the gully.-Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

The paper in part said:

Beer and rum bottles, and stones were hurled by cross-dressing men and passers-by yesterday morning, as they squared off against each other in New Kingston following a police operation to apprehend two juveniles at Shoemaker Gully. The juveniles had sought refuge in the gully after it was believed that they stole money and a tablet computer.

In the chaos, two members of the security forces - a police woman and head of the New Kingston Police, Superintendent Christopher Murdock - were injured.

"While carrying out the operation I was attacked by one of the men. He is presently in custody. I received injuries to my arm. I do not know if there are other injuries as I fell to the ground in a bid to restrain him," said Murdock.

ALLEGEDLY STOLE $100,000

It is alleged that the juveniles stole the sum of $100,000 as well as the tablet computer from a relative and sought refuge in the gully. It is unclear if the youngsters are part of the community of cross-dressers who are known to live in the gully. One of the juveniles, a 14-year-old, has been handed over to the Child Development Agency.

One of the juveniles was apprehended, but neither the money nor the tablet was recovered.

During the operation to find the juveniles, six men who are said to be responsible for a number of robberies in the New Kingston area were also apprehended and taken into custody. These men were expected to face an identification parade and were, according to police, likely to be charged with larceny.

"Other persons we are seeking include: 'Pebbles', he is the main perpetrator; one who goes by the name 'Batman'; one who goes by the name 'Morris'; and a youngster that we are trying to find now, his name is Tarique."

Murdock acknowledged that some of the men living in the gully have never turned up on police radar as troublemakers, and are simply homeless.

The senior policeman also said that the police would return to the area in short order with more equipment to dismantle sturdily built structures that have been created on the bank of the gully by the men living there.

ENDS

The superintendent who was injured has been the same gentleman who has been in fairness patient over the period of years literally and he recently submitted a power-point presentation on a possible solution which seems to have been scoffed at by JFLAG and others, lest we forget the CVCC/JFJ fiasco, so much money was spent on that children's home training yet the same folks who sit on these boards who are LGBT ignore their own community challenges all for HIV prevention money more so than LGBT developmental work that is so urgently needed.

Now that Murdock has been injured will his tolerant stance change is the question in handling this group? also see: New Kingston Cop Proposes Shelter for Shoemaker Gully LGBT Homeless Population and Funny And Framed - 'Mother' Of New Kingston Gays Says They Are Not To Be Blamed For Increase In Crime also from July Police Hunt Murder Suspect in Homeless MSM/Trans Population in New Kingston

August 23 and 24 2011 were the two days that group without the newcomers stoned JFLAG/JASL offices at 4 Upper Musgrave Avenue prior to both NGOs being evicted by the landlord in 2013. It is a part of our history some folks would rather have us bury but the lingering problems is the proof of the lack of care and real concern about this particular group of displaced and homeless GLTB Youth and the numbers are growing every month.

What is next as the toss up between public order and a place to live continues with our brothers and sisters and what press release or damage control is going to come now from groups such as JFLAG?

scenes from the latest documentary on the population from Fusion:

another in the line of documentaries persons are so eager to shoot yet no real tangible help for the group as they are paraded in the victimhood ploy, mere feeding via food in a styrofoam box is not enough for me and where have all the donations gone or why has not there been a report of some kind to show where the figures have reached?

also see:

Ist Anniversary of the 2nd Homeless MSM Civil disobedience .... and the men are still homeless

Rowdy Gays Strike - J-FLAG Abandons Raucous Homosexuals Misbehaving In New Kingston

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?

MSM employ Civil Disobedience to get Board's Attention ....

Rowdy gays banned by J-FLAG, JASL .......... (Jamaica Observer)

The Quietus ……… The Safe House Project Closes and The Original Ultimatum on December 30, 2009

And we continue to reap the world-wind for not addressing homelessness when it was manageable

Cops seek "GAY shotta" who alleged fired at New Kingston police

Displaced gay man arrested for sleeping in the Shoemaker Gully in New Kingston

MARAUDING HOMOSEXUALS AND J-FLAG (OBSERVER EDITORIAL) ………………… Feb 2013 the abandonment realization 

THE SAFE HOUSE PROJECT BACKGROUND FROM THE CONCEPTUALIZER Oct 2012

Tense stand-off between homeless MSM and Security team in New Kingston Sept 2013

Vybz Kartel Fans Upset at Use of Artist's Song in Homeless Gays Documentary

Let us see where all this leads to.

Peace and tolerance

H

Well obviously not all of them would or could be blamed as established for some time now and this blog has been clear that only a few bad eggs have been made to cause the others who really need help to suffer with agencies some of whom are mentioned turning their backs on the men in the first place thus allowing the problem to fester in New Kingston. The greater numbers of persons in the Shoemaker Gully when seen at nights are NOT homeless or even displaced but are friends of the those who are and hang out together, others are just enjoying the ride so to speak in terms of public expression often not had and socialization.

also see: Police Hunt Murder Suspect in Homeless MSM/Trans Population in New Kingston

The Safe House pilot, the ONLY residential response was made to close down by Jamaica AIDS Support for Life's Board as JFLAG stood silently by and then moved into the very space that was the house turning it into their offices in 2009/10 with the causality being the Executive Director of JASL then and the men eventually discarded in 2010 five years later here we are with deaths, in-fighting, pretentious agencies and individuals all ready and willing to parade them and gratuitous sympathy but no real help and did I mention parade them for HIV prevention purposes and as condom distribution recipients but where is the real help that these powerful well funded agencies and NGOs can more than give if they desire? 

former Jamaica AIDS Support/JFLAG office site @ 4 Upper Musgrave Avenue demolished after they were evicted due to repeated clashes with the men and staff after the Safe House closure in 2009, the present generation and some older men/transgender still use the area for sex work, podcast on their eviction can be heard HERE

All this while designated spaces for shelters lay abandoned as photoed above by government even though they promised all kinds of crap. See Some good news on the homeless MSM front ..... guarded & waiting part 2: Dwayne's House Project site opened LGBT advocates obviously do not really care about this group save and except to parade them as victims and for statistics or study with no real rehabilitation courses for them. Also see: Shelter Coming For Homeless Gays reports the Gleaner  also see from February 2013: And we continue to reap the world-wind for not addressing homelessness when it was manageable

MP Julian Robinson claims he wants help for New Kingston homeless gays

It is painful for myself and a few others having been apart of the mess and the lead up to the formation of the Safe House to watch this and other happenings most of which go unreported such as a recent attack as caused by a mistake of one of the youngsters.

Now comes today's Gleaner report:

Funny And Framed - 'Mother' Of New Kingston Gays Says They Are Not To Be Blamed For Increase In Crime

Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter

They are being accused of being the main perpetrators of crime in the once almost idyllic New Kingston area, but the mainly homosexual men who live in the Shoemaker Gully say they are being framed.

New Kingston residents and the cops who patrol the area last week toldThe Sunday Gleaner that the increase in murders, shootings, robberies, assaults, house break-ins, car break-ins and larceny reported in the area coincides with the migration of a large group of homosexuals to the gully near Trafalgar Road.

But the so-called mother of the group, who goes by the name 'Thelma', last Friday denied the allegation and charged that most of the wrongdoings are committed by persons who visit New Kingston for short spells.

"I see it in the paper that we are responsible for most of the crime in New Kingston. Some of dem that do the crimes just come around, sleep and tek weh dem self; they don't live in the gully," the 30-year-old Thelma toldThe Sunday Gleaner during an interview on the bank of the gully.

BLEACHING CREAM THEFT

"Yu have man weh come amongst wi who have dem place, but just come and stay and do dem crime. Some of dem wi deh beside di gully and all si people a pass and grab dem phone, mi nah hide nothing. Like all me now, mi lie down a sleep fi go mek my own honest bread and man weh nuh live wid wi, but just come among wi mek trouble and all last night (Thursday) dem tek weh how much phone and my bleaching cream," alleged Thelma.

But the theft of skin-lightening products pales in comparison to crimes like murder, for which the police have accused at least one of the gay men, 'Pebbles' who live in the gully.

Thelma disputed that Jevon Francis, otherwise called 'Pebbles' or 'Trina', is responsible for the May 18 fatal stabbing.

"Mi a read inna di paper say a someone name Trina (Pebbles) do di killing, but is not she do di killing. Pebbles do whole heap a thieving and robbery, but a nuh she do di killing," declared Thelma, even as he admitted that it's a member of the group who committed the murder.

According to Thelma, the killer has claimed that there was no robbery involved as the killing resulted from a long-standing feud, "but me know say that is not so".

The St Andrew Central police have reported that between December 2013 and May this year, 45 major crimes have been reported in the New Kingston area, and most of these are being attributed to the gays residing in the gully also referred to as 'Gay Bridge'.

"We have carried out several operations in the days, but in the days, the group numbers about seven or eight homeless boys. At nights, the number grows considerably and among that group are some persons who use the diverse community as an umbrella to do crimes. If you move to them, you are being seen as anti this group," argued Deputy Superintendent Christopher Murdock, who is in charge of the New Kingston Police Post.

"Persons within the group would want to say that it's a handful of persons that are committing crimes, but this is not so. They have caused an increase in crimes as it relates to the stealing of smartphones, robbing persons at knifepoint, robbing persons under menace, and then using means to extort them by saying that they will call their wives and tell their wives that they came to seek sexual favours from them. These are some of the crimes that have been reported to us," added Murdock.

Thelma does not dispute that some among them are involved in wrongdoing, but he sought to put it in perspective.

"Nuffa dem hear bout it and see it on TV that here suh brand as a b—— man spot, and nuff a dem come out here and do what dem want to do and then want to trick di people dem," argued Thelma, as he defended the stealing from some of the clients of these gay men.

But residents say the menace by these men extends way beyond just 'punishing' those who try to deny them their earnings.

"All of New Kingston is affected by this brazen crime spree and action needs to be taken now. I'm very scared of the reports I'm getting about the many attacks on my neighbours," a member of the New Kingston Citizens' Association wrote in an email to The Sunday Gleaner.

"How can any decent, law-abiding community simply allow a band of men to take over and operate illegally from a section of the road?"

But according to Thelma, this is a short-term arrangement for many of the men.

"In the next five years, I don't plan to be on the road; maybe even migrate. I don't have anywhere to go right now, because if mi go town people a buss shot after mi, because when mi walk, mi come in like the queen of town," he said. "So I want to migrate and try to get asylum somewhere."

Great health risk

He accepted that the occupants of the gully are putting themselves at great health risk, as they defecate, eat and sleep in proximity to each other.

However, Town Clerk Robert Hill told The Sunday Gleaner that steps are being taken to create somewhere to house these persons who have made the gully their home.

"We are trying to come up with some sort of social-intervention policy in partnership with other places like (Jamaica) AIDS Support and a United Nations agency, to kind of redirect the type of antisocial behaviour and see if we can now assist in finding land on which a centre may be built to offer counselling and other divergent services," said Hill.

ENDS

Here is where it all begin to go downhill from December 2009 when JASL decided to ditch the then populations from the only shelter ever designed to temporarily address displacements, as JFLAG sat quietly (same board members for the most part):

Homeless MSM to feel the pinch as JASL issues ultimatum

It was only in June as the JFJ/CVCC funded sex education fiasco was in full swing I asked: 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?

These personalities on these boards and management committees obviously do not care about these homeless men more so than parading them as victims as the clashing imperatives of the differing agencies cause a lack of pro-activity and priority in frontline responses to such matters even as more displacements continue to add to the numbers.

here is an older podcast I had done on government's role in LGBT sheltering:

Those persons who do open up their homes and let in persons despite the risks are to be commended even without any financial or logistical help from powerful advocates and NGOs which shows we may not need these folks after all. I can attest to the difficulties in offering shelter and the fallouts but only kindness matter I guess as singer Jewel says.

see: Community based crisis sheltering is still an option for the displaced

NEVER FORGET this in 2013:

JFLAG excludes homeless MSM from IDAHO Symposium on guess what? .......... HOMELESSNESS! hear the audio HERE

Please check the Homeless MSM tab immediately below for a complete list of posts from 2009 on the issue and from GLBTQ Jamaica HERE also see:

Office of the Children's Advocate, OCA's Child Justice Guidelines recognises discrimination/sexual orientation but

And we continue to reap the world-wind for not addressing homelessness when it was manageable

The Public’s separation of homo-negativity and homeless LGBT welfare issues

More MSM Homelessness Issues while agencies shift responsibilities

Children’s Advocacy & LGBT Agencies inconsistent approach to Homeless MSM Youth

JFLAG’S NEEDS TO ACCEPT SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TRAFALGAR MURDERS ….. HOMELESSNESS NOT PROPERLY ADDRESSED

Sigh! will there ever be some genuine relief to our displaced brethren and not tokenism for a change?
Peace and tolerance

H

Police Hunt Murder Suspect in Homeless MSM/Trans Population in New Kingston

Just when we thought this group had cooled here comes another major mess, so much has happened with this particular set of young displaced MSM/Trans persons of which I have not covered on this blog and as we were told that Dwayne's House was to take on the issue I waited and was guarded but it seems my wait is in vain as no real response can seem to come to deal with this our longest standing issue stemming from stigma and discrimination.

see: Some good news on the homeless MSM front ..... guarded & waiting part 2: Dwayne's House Project site opened LGBT advocates obviously do not really care about this group save and except to parade them as victims and for statistics or study with no real rehabilitation courses for them. Also see: Shelter Coming For Homeless Gays reports the Gleaner 

also see from February 2013: And we continue to reap the world-wind for not addressing homelessness when it was manageable

The Observer has once again shone a light maybe that would have gone unseen (at least they have changed their gay-baiting course some of their writers were on) but the "homosexual man" line is still problematic.

THE St Andrew Central police have intensified their search for a homosexual man known to frequent the Shoemaker Gully at Trafalgar Road in New Kingston in relation to the murder of a man in May.

The fugitive has been identified as Jevaughn Francis, also called ‘Pebbles’.

Police said that in the early hours of Sunday May 18 this year, a man was using his cellular phone while walking by the spot, now called the ‘Gay Bridge’, when he was attacked and dragged into the gully and stabbed repeatedly after he resisted being robbed.

According to Commander Christopher Murdock, who is in charge of the New Kingston Police Post, the man managed to flee through one of several tunnels in the gully before emerging on Dumfries Road where he was rescued by members of a police team.

The victim died the following day but was able to provide a description of the man who robbed and stabbed him.

“He spoke with the officers and described the man who attacked and his description of them fit Francis,” Murdock told the Jamaica Observer.

The dead man has been identified as 18-year-old Rasheed Samuda of Myers Street in Kingston 12.

Francis is also wanted for several robberies committed in the New Kingston area at nights.

The night before the fatal attack, another man who was walking past the gay bridge was also attacked and stabbed after he resisted attempts by two men to steal his cellular phone.

“The man was walking by using his phone when he felt someone hit the phone out of his hand and when he tried to resist he was stabbed in the arm. He kicked the person and was stabbed in the leg,” Murdock said.

“He almost died on us because the main vein in his arm was severed and he was bleeding heavily. His description of the men who robbed him fit a man known as Ramon Francis, also called ‘Teetus’ or ‘Ishana’,” he added.

Francis was taken into custody in connection with the incident.

Foreign media and gay lobbyists portray the men as the victims of homophobic attacks. However, the police say that the men who live and hang out at the Shoemaker Gully are responsible for serious crimes, ranging from murder, shootings, robberies, unlawful wounding, assault, house break-ins, car break-ins, larceny to malicious destruction of property.

“They are known to have lured people in their environment and robbed them. If you resist the result can be deadly,” a senior cop said.

Weeks ago an overseas-based pilot who had read about the plight of the homeless gays who were living in gully, decided to visit the area to talk with them and take pictures of the gay men, but to his surprise he was attacked by men armed with knives and other implements who relieved him of his camera and other valuables and ordered him to leave the area hastily.

The men who often dress in drag and pose as prostitutes, live subnormal lives and according to the police, pose a serious threat to the New Kingston environment.

The St Andrew Central police say that between December 2013 and May this year 45 major crimes have been reported in the New Kingston area, most of them believed to be committed by the gays who reside in the gully.

The crimes include three murders, two shootings, 24 robberies, 11 break-ins and four larcenies.

Police say that they have strong evidence that more than 90 per cent of the robberies were perpetrated by persons purported to be members of the gay community.

Residents of the nearby Trafalgar Park say they are being held under siege by some of the gay men who prey on their homes and rob them with impunity.

One resident said he suffered a broken jaw as a result of resisting robbers.

“I was walking home one evening and they tried to rob me and I resisted. They hit me in the face with a blunt object and broke my jaw. I had to undergo surgery to repair my face. It was very painful,” the man said.

Other residents said that their homes and cars were broken into regularly and the thieves seem to be targeting laptops, tablets and cellular phones although one homeowner reported losing a flat-screen television set and other appliances.

“They are a nuisance to the community. They even tried to rob a woman who was going to church with her daughter one Sunday morning. They grabbed at her handbag and when she resisted they threw acid at her. She was lucky to escape harm,” one resident said.

“One resident came here to make a report that he could not sleep as they were going through the community making all kinds of sounds and noise. Maybe it’s a diversion, a distraction and they then break into other houses,” Murdock said.

In addition to committing serious crimes, the police say they have been receiving regular reports from staff at three business places in close proximity to the bridge that they are being subjected to harassment and threats of violence.

One man who works at an established business in New Kingston recounted how he barely escaped injury from the group of rowdy gays.

“It was just getting dark and I was leaving work and walking towards Half-Way-Tree on Trafalgar Road. I never even looked at them but they were intent on getting my attention and started making calls, telling what kind of sexual favours they were willing to perform on me. I told them that they were not my type and that them fi gway. By the time I knew what was going on they started running towards me and one of them had a knife. I had to run for my life,” the man said.

Murdock said that he has received reports that the men are not only selling themselves to willing customers but are harassing passers-by, even though they know those persons are not interested in doing business with them.

Another man told the Sunday Observer that he was propositioned by the male prostitutes and given a tongue lashing when he spurned their advances.

The men are openly prostituting themselves, but the archaic nature of the law results in them being back on the street in no time if the police charge them for prostitution, loitering or indecent language as the fines are not prohibitive.

“They even laugh at us and say the money soon pay and is not them going pay the money,” one cop said.

The men, who live in the gully, number fewer than 10 but at nights their numbers can swell to almost 50, the police said.

“They say they are homeless, but if you go there in the day you only see a few. But at nights they come out in their numbers. A lot of them live in the inner city but only pose as if they are homeless,” Murdock said.

Some of their number were among several men who had captured a house at Millsborough Avenue in the upscale community of Barbican and caused untold woe for the residents, some of whom complained that they were bathing naked on the driveway and stealing their property.

The men were eventually evicted and the house demolished.

When contacted by the Sunday Observer, Jamaica Forum for All-sexuals and Gays and Lesbians (JFLAG) Executive Director Dane Lewis said that the organisation does not condone criminality and urged the police to do their jobs regardless of the sexual orientation of the person accused of committing a crime.

The men pose a serious health hazard also, as they defecate in the gully where makeshift beds are set up in one of the tunnels which lead out of the gully.

“It is just a health risk for these persons who are living under there. Should it rain suddenly, not necessarily in New Kingston, but if the water comes rushing from further up, then you know what can happen,” Murdock said.

But Murdock is not about to employ only a hard-nosed policing approach to deal with the problem of the diverse males in the Shoemaker Gully, whose presence, he says, is a disaster waiting to happen.

He has developed a Power Point presentation which has been distributed to various stakeholders with whom he plans to meet to suggest a way forward in terms of solving the problem.

Murdock said that he was planning on meeting with the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVCC), JFLAG, Jamaica Aids Support For Life, the Child Development Agency, the KSAC City Engineer, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, head of the St Andrew Central Division, Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey, Member of Parliament Julian Robinson, Mayor of Kingston Angela Brown-Burke, Councillor for the Trafalgar Park Division, Kari Douglas and representatives from USAID.

“We are trying to find a solution for these persons. It is not about transferring the problem. If you move them from the Shoemaker Gully they are going to become a problem to some other areas,” he said.

ENDS

designated homeless shelter for persons downtown under the previous JLP government left to bushes and animals on 167 King Street

The Shoemaker Gully before the overpopulation of MSM/Trans persons and substance users 

A treat by Dwayne's House persons earlier this year featuring Yvonne McCallah Sobers

Millsborough Avenue House that was destroyed by the new developers

Yes the article has its flaws but I am more concerned about the men for now as we know how the Observer and others puts a skew on things, I do not see how a meeting with the very agencies that abandoned them and their older generations from the dubiously closed Safe House in 2009 will help. Lest we forget we are still in the throws of a controversial sex education course that was bypassed by the legal authority the child development agency funded by CVCC whose board members read like a whose who of JFLAG and JASL named above.

Here is where it all begin to go downhill from December 2009 when JASL decided to ditch the then populations from the only shelter ever designed to temporarily address displacements: 

Homeless MSM to feel the pinch as JASL issues ultimatum

It was only in June as the JFJ/CVCC funded sex education fiasco was in full swing I asked: 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?

These personalities on these boards and management committees obviously do not care about these homeless men more so than parading them as victims as the clashing imperatives of the differing agencies cause a lack of pro-activity and priority in frontline responses to such matters.

Sad that here we are about to go into another set of accusations and probably movement again if this plays out as I suspect.

Peace and tolerance indeed needed

Let us remember:

Rowdy Gays Strike - J-FLAG Abandons Raucous Homosexuals Misbehaving In New Kingston

3 LGBT Forced Evictions in Clarendon a Cause for Concern July 2014

JFLAG has no moral authority to speak on homeless gay men in New Kingston says members of the public

Some good news on the homeless front ..... guarded and waiting 2012 The JFLAG shelter version which did not materialise

also see all the homelessness & displacement related posts in chronological order by date from Gay Jamaica Watch HERE and GLBTQ Jamaica HERE

GLBTQJA (Blogger): HERE

see previous entries on LGBT Homelessness from the Wordpress Blog HERE

H

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?

To think that the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, CVCC was founded by powerful LGBT voices and other advocates back in the day in 2004 but as it turns out it is just another feeding tree it seems to “experts” in the HIV/LGBT field towards HIV more so than welfare and rehabilitation work for lives interrupted. 

It cannot be just about capacity building for NGOs and civil society and the holy grail of Global Fund that leads to persons with/groups improved capacity going to nowhere while the very groups/affected populations that they serve sit in extended crisis with very little action to address some of the challenges in a real way.

The recent JFJ Sex Ed fiasco and the Professor Bain conflict of interest/affidavit UWI contract matter has lifted the lid for some persons as to what it is all about but deep mistrust now surrounds what was a well intentioned entity that has been turned into something completely different. Now we see the very own conflict of interest within the CVCC/JFJ themselves making the LGBT struggle look so discoloured and setting us back immensely, while they rightfully pointed out the conflict that obtained in Bain's testimony and his heading the CHART program.

Trouble is as part of the mistrust now emanating especially from the antigay voices is the fact that many of the board members also sit on other boards of LGBT groups thus role separation is impaired and decision making especially when it comes to frontline work is just not forthcoming as more political matters supersede those. The CVCC's own governance page tells it all, see HERE also see: Incestuous messes, poor NGO monitoring & ever deepening mistrust about "gay rights"

LGBT agencies/NGOs seem to be always shooting themselves in the foot.

It took years to get the JFJ, Jamaicans for Justice to be even on the same page in terms on dialogue on LGBT matters as its board back in the day was afraid of being labelled as a gay organization or supporting homosexuality not when several of its board members then were prominent church folk. Now that both organizations have managed to come together on such matters I would have thought with such a stronger alliance more could be done than just the typical public advocacy and more active frontline work outside of the remote assistance to displaced or homeless persons, instead JFJ seems to have been morphed into yet another press release factory with very esoteric narratives; if we notice carefully how the present Executive Director of CVCC (founder and former board member of JFJ) Ms Carolyn Gomes she has learnt the style quite quickly, the press conference recently where two “journalists” clashed with her and then walked out it was clear the prodding been done by Ivan Cruickshank (present Programs Manager & JFLAG Chairman) as what she ought to say as she spoke.

I find it remarkable and many other persons are now asking as the present impasse unfolding has opened the eyes of such and raised the spectre of the anti gay groups who are now resolved to block any moves on a supposed gay agenda why did the CVCC address homelessness all these years? ..... since they have so much money to be taking risks to bypass the Child Development Agency, CDA,and the ministry of youth & culture seeing that the relevant legislation asks for such engagement; then to allegedly pay the six private run children’s homes as reported in the Jamaica Observer June 26 2014 while the Kingston homeless LGBT population issues scream for attention especially since a Channel 4 UK documentary has exposed the issue worldwide, so much so that the Member of parliament for the area Julian Robinson has come out in some supposed call for help obviously due to embarrassment since the film’s airing.

And to think the issue of LGBT homelessness was in fact addressed only by reference by one of the CVCC’s own videos on its website with none other than the former Executive Director of Jamaica AIDS Support Miss Stacy Ann Jarrett under whose tenure prior to her forced resignation by the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life’s Board that also had key CVCC management and board members sitting on it the Safe House Pilot Project for homeless MSM/Trans youth was launched but abruptly closed prior to its three month tenure in the pilot phase. See her take on the matter HERE

Taking A Stand! from CVC 

Talk about only lip service and crisis advocacy but nothing more, a criticism I have had for some time yet we see the evidence presenting itself at every turn. The CVCC's own wording on MSM implies the violent situations leading to homelessness yet no answer from them on that just HIV prevention based activity, why so comfortable?

Pay close attention to the list of organizations @ 5:50 yet we have so much homeless LGBT youth out there and all that is done is nice public relations. Talk Talk Talk!

The organization's take on MSM:

MSM

"The Caribbean is well known for its homophobia but remains the home to a large community of men who have sex with men, some of whom identify as gay, others who identify as bisexual, and still others who accept neither label. Countries such as the Dominican Republic, Curaçao and Trinidad and Tobago are home to standing gay bars and clubs as well as NGOs serving the gay and bisexual populations.

Other countries, such as the smaller island-states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have smaller and more underground groups. In recent years, however, there has been increasing mobilisation of men who have sex with men in these territories.

Jamaica by far has earned a reputation for being the most violently homophobic country in the region. Its Dancehall music came in for much scrutiny during an international campaign in which the lyrics of some entertainers who promoted homophobic violence, including murder, was sanctioned. While many in Jamaica denied the claims of the activists throughout the Americas, Europe and the UK that the calls for the killing of gay men were intentional, the publication in 2004 of Human Rights Watch report, “Hated to Death”, laid bare the violent exclusion and extreme vulnerability faced by gay and bisexual men in Jamaica, often with the support of the judicial system, especially the police. Defenders of Jamaica’s record point to a broad culture of violence, arguing that gay men are not singled out but are caught up the waves of violence that typify Jamaican life, especially in its capital, Kingston.

The rest of the Caribbean has a much better track record in regards to homophobia, although discrimination is commonplace. Calypso music, traditionally the music of Carnival fun, has also seen its fair share of homophobic music, including a track produced by veteran Trinidadian music producer Alvin Daniel chanting “we don’t want no chi-chi man in di fete” and taken up by Barbados super group Square One. The Dutch and French Caribbean are far more tolerant that their Spanish and English counterparts.

The situation for young men who have sex with other men is particularly dangerous because of the pressure to conform to heterosexuality often combined with isolation from family and community."

I am not surprised as even when some of the men who were housed at the now defunct Safe House under JASL were evicted from Cargill Avenue in front the Green Gables theatre by the police and truck man from instructions from the land owner in 2012 the CVCC which is located just yards from the lot said nothing in regards to the issues surrounding the men, when TVJ’s All Angles shot a full length feature on the men at the same location and further northwards no word came from the CVCC. The closure of the Green Gables bar for example after several squabbles with some of the homeless men and the men crediting drinks without payment and other matters including a homophobic attack in front the building which is located beside the CVCC rented offices and ASHE yet not a word came from them or any public concern shown in addressing the challenges over the many years.

As the eviction notice came into effect in 2009 of the original residence of the Safe House Pilot located at 4 Upper Musgrave Avenue the CVCC said nothing due to the fact that its management are also on the board of Jamaica AIDS Support who eventually kicked out the men due to “rowdy behaviour” when the psycho-social component written into the project were not activated as its lifespan was shortened. Lest we forget JFLAG was also quiet and watched the very forced eviction activity that caused many of the men to be on the road in the first place actually carried out without any moral outcry from within to the men simply because of indiscipline from some of them, what is greater behaviour change by their own recognizance or proper psycho-social interventions with self efficacious activity towards the very behaviour change?

Yvonne Sobers with a hands on approach to the homeless teens in New Kingston by the Shoemaker Gully

The present Dwayne’s House proposal that is only doing remote assistance work under the chairmanship of Yvonne McCallah Sobers of Families Against State Terrorism, FAST and some other pretentious Reverend folks could have done well with some of that funding that went to JFJ and the children’s homes and for all intents and purposes has gone down the drain while damaging the hard fought gains made in the LGBT struggle over these past forty years, psychologically it feels like we are regressed some twelve years as old dormant anti gay sentiments have been reawakened as all kinds of motives are being promulgated by the way the sex education course delivery was handled yet our own (and the numbers are growing) suffer daily right before our eyes as powerful more privileged advocates as it were do work in irrelevant spheres. When the Couture Elements team and the Underlined Response outfit where launched the CVCC and JFLAG were invited to which they never came, the subsequent short lived drop in feeding program also never got any support from the more powerful and monied types such as CVCC/COIN yet they say they represent vulnerable groups.

I know the response in part will be it depends on the availability of funding and that the CVCC is a more NGO strengthening entity than a frontline intervention one or funding is based on what the funder is interested in supporting but it also is possible to create letters of intent or proposals that will ring far louder from larger agencies and these powerful groups and individuals who control the cogs of HIV/LGBT lines than new smaller LGBT entities will ever do but I guess it depends on interest and what they feel comfortable in, it cannot be this continued parading of homeless or referencing them in studies and press releases in public advocacy and no further to open some door to recovery while agencies are nearing thirty years of existence and it’s the same thing since they have been formed. More and more I am seeing on social media LGBT persons expressing deep disappointment since the CVCC/JFJ sex education fiasco and the Professor Bain UWI contract conflict of interest matter as persons question the competence of our LGBTQ leaders and the causation of these two major controversies excluding the many before.

I also found it funny today in re-watching a video with anti gay activist Betty Ann Blaine who said in all her 30 years in the NGO community she was not aware of the CVCC yet they were around working mostly in HIV when Dr Robert Carr was active prior to his death. So many others are now mistrusting the actual motive of the CVCC since its name implies it works with vulnerable persons and is a front for a gay agenda; I say play into it and help the homeless whilst showing that it really care about the genuinely vulnerable instead of lip service.

It was only yesterday I got a call from a couple of the persons in the Shoemaker Gully in New Kingston requesting phone credit and sharing some other challenges they have been going through and the whole pain of the Safe House closure and the deceptive covering up of the issue just came before me all over again.

Priorities anyone?

Either we deal with our own or the numbers will continue to spiral out of control but it seems the strategy is to pass it on to government yet they now are having fiscal challenges that even parliamentarians are complaining of short pay and wages freezes while taxes are creatively increased or snuck in to meet International Monetary Fund, IMF stipulations yet funds are found by groups such as CVCC for external population activity.

What is next?

Are more proposals being written or conceptualised towards real LGBT community development? (been asking this one for so long)

If we are to win the fight in the long run why there isn’t interest from powerful LGBT allied, managed or funded agencies in population preparation?

Why is the focus still more so on HIV prevention in vulnerable groups more so than personhood development for Jamaican LGBT people?

What does the CVCC’s “Vulnerable Community” description in their name actually means and who does it cover? (a question actually posed by anti gay voice Betty Ann Blaine as well sadly. It seems everyone else are now putting the CVCC to severe scrutiny)

Will more money be thrown at places and activities that really do not need it?

When will the hypocrisy and overlooking of the least amongst us finally stop?

Will the LGBT groups and populations who really need work done be finally looked at and not just spoken of or referred to for crisis incident reporting sake?

where the homeless LGBT populations explosion/issues all began: Homeless MSM to feel the pinch as JASL issues ultimatum in 2009 the in 2013 On homelessness, evictions, hypocrisy & now JFLAG's own displacement ..
Also see a flashback to some of the issues with the populations and the descending relationships between JASL, JFLAG and the displaced/homeless LGBT youth in New Kingston: Rowdy Gays Strike - J-FLAG Abandons Raucous Homosexuals Misbehaving In New Kingston and also see all the posts in chronological order by date from Gay Jamaica Watch HERE and GLBTQ Jamaica HERE

Think on these things.

Peace and tolerance

H