McLeod's mother not bothered by malicious tweet

meme from LASCO's Facebook Page

The Star News carried this one:

The new 110m hurdles Olympic champion Omar McLeod is still on a high coming after his gold-medal performance in the event at the Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday. McLeod won the event clocking a time of 13.03 to stave off a very competitive line-up.

Immediately following his superb history-making performance, social media went into a frenzy sending congratulatory messages and tweets in recognition of Jamaica earning its first gold medal in the event.

However, not too long after all the merry-making, a rather unsavoury tweet spoiled the mood and sparked much backlash in Twitter land.

The tweet, which was later deleted, appeared to have come from corporate giant Lasco's Twitter handle.

In response to the tweet, McLeod's mother, Arnella Knight Morris, said she is unbothered by it.

In a phone conversation, she said her son told her that "If you do good, people will talk and if you do bad, people will still talk. At no point in time everyone say good about you at all times, so expect it. So, it doesn't bother us," she said.

She added that Omar has not seen the tweet and neither is he interested in seeing it because he has come a far way from where he was, and he doesn't intend to focus on the negatives.

"He is a humble child. He doesn't make whatever happen around him trouble him whether negative or positive. He chooses to remain positive," she added.

The family says they will continue to take all that comes with Omar's achievement with a smile.

"We can't stop people from talk. Omar's dream was to get a gold medal at his first Olympics, and our faith in God and his hardwork has helped him to achieve it.

Lascelles Chin Chairman of LASCO Foods

Lasco has since apologised to the athlete and his family for the tweet. In a statement released by the company, it said the person who allegedly wrote the malicious tweet has been fired.

found this one on fellow bloggers KAOS

also see:

LASCO Foods' principled action on unauthorised bigoted tweet& (mis)construed views of masculinity 

Peace & tolerance

H

LASCO Foods' principled action on unauthorised bigoted tweet& (mis)construed views of masculinity

Lascelles Chin LASCO's Chairman

It was only Sunday last in one of the major dailies an article came forth about tweets, social media and online profiles and how past posts, comments and such can come back to bite persons, a case in the St Andrew Parish court today involving a police man who arrested two men for marijuana possession claimed he never met the men, yet a photo turned up as evidence of the said policeman at the home of one of the men thus the matter was dismissed by the judge and a probe launched by the police systems as to his dishonesty.

one of the awful pics being circulated

Omar McCleod the gold medal winner for the first time in the 110m hurdles for men was the subject of a bigoted tweet by a one week old employee of LASCO foods who used the word “Goldfish” with reference to #lasco in response to a request by a Gleaner journalist who was soliciting a possible headline for the achievement for the paper, while others were offering suggestions that offensive bigoted tweet was the one that led to the firestorm around 10pm on the 16th and which lasted ‘til the following morning. The ‘fish’ component of the term is what is offensive as it is the word over decades used in place of other terms such as ‘battyman’ ‘number 2’ ‘chi chi man’ and ‘faggot’ used to stigmatize gay men. The conjoining of both ‘gold’ and ‘fish’ therefore was a direct jab a McCleod’s winning the gold and he is gay; an unfortunate assumption to make in the height of feel good moment we are going through. Even crime has been reduced due to the distraction of sorts by the positive results from the Olympics and our athletes.

LASCO who is known for their exceptional corporate social responsibility quickly acted as their brand was about to be mired in a surprise bolt from the blue based on an effemophobic view of the athlete based on his emotional reaction to the win complete with memes, edited photos and homophobic darts thrown at his public persona; this just goes to show how far we have left to go in tackling sheer ignorance even in the face of mainstreaming so called metro-sexuality in the form of tight pants and or body clinging clothing, bleached faces and skin, arched eyebrows all thought as anathema for men but now entrenched; apparently the effeminate posture is the supposedly line men must not cross. Why was a one week old employee allowed to have such proxy and power to tweet on behalf of LASCO is one of the big questions being asked and where was the supervision or vetting systems to catch that tweet before it went out?

I like many sensible persons saw a Jamaican winning the race, his sexual orientation should not be of any consequence let alone whether he was too emotional or not, the moment is surreal and to achieve such as win at the highest level at his age is a major achievement. Speaking on POWER 106FM chairman of LASCAO Lascelles Chin and deputy executive Peter Chin said the acted as soon as they got wind of the infraction, Mr Chin the former is and has been a no nonsense man since his days at Henkel Chemicals to now. The previous statement issued by LASCO on claims of the account being hacked may have been an attempt by the perpetrator to cover their tracks.

Lascelles Chin went on to say among other things:

“I have zero tolerance against any discrimination but what happened, a fellow we employed about a week or two weeks ago opened a twitter account without our knowledge ...... and go ahead and do this tweet and believe you me I was so shocked because I was so happy and elated to know that Mr McCloud won as a Jamaican; and we are trying to get in touch with him to apologise because this is crazy, I mean this is not me this is not LASCO ....... for somebody to have a mind like that, unbelievable!

It’s unfortunate that some of these things do happen but I mean all Jamaicans the best and you know that even now we are fighting to reduce our costs to pass it on straight to our consumers.

We are personally trying to communicate with Omar, probably this tweet might come some good, because we are going to try and see how we can really ... we really apologise to him; the tweet was unnecessary and we are going to communicate and make amends in whatever way we can.

How can a Jamaican say that at this time when we should be all thanking Omar for really giving us this fantastic moment and a gold, unbelievable, we must all learn to appreciate good and don’t come with ‘badmind’

We don’t need a fool to try and create problems.”

This is a big lesson for all social media managers including LGBT ones as some of the crap I am seeing coming across from some outlets is disturbing to say the least where persons seem to forget the account is not for their personal hurrah. Years of work almost destroyed by one idiotic tweet. Then there is the business of sensitivity training or the lack thereof and that when individuals behind the platforms are to operate they are doing so on behalf of the entity, some supervision should have been there to vet the tweet before the send button was hit. The former employee who did this is not alone his/her immediate supervisor(s) must be accountable as well, a one week old employee cannot be free to act on their own.

LASCO’s statement also read in part:

Dear All:

Earlier this evening an unauthorized and offensive tweet was posted via our company account.

We wish to sincerely apologize to our fans, friends, customers, consumers, partners, Jamaicans and everyone for this terrible act. Most importantly, we issue our sincerest apologies to Mr. Omar McLeod.

The LASCO Affiliated Companies are also offended by such utterances which are a clear breach of our own values. Consequently, we have removed the tweet and deactivated the account. Further, we have terminated the employee who posted the tweet as this action was a violation of our code of conduct.

We, at LASCO, have the utmost respect for the remarkable achievement of Omar McLeod. We congratulate him on his gold medal victory in the Men’s 110 M Hurdles Olympic Event. We deeply regret any embarrassment or displeasure caused by the post and again offer our sincerest apologies.

Humbly,

LASCO Distributors Limited

ENDS

Meanwhile some political opportunists have jumped on this one to try to gain mileage, word has come that a tweet by the Portia Simpson Miller account claiming no hate and such while others have been eagerly creating videos claiming it was hate yet these are the same political representatives who cannot find the gumption to do the right thing in starting the process to reduce the very hate they are latching on to.

Anyway congratulations to the athletes who have been representing us and hope that McCloud and his camp can get passed this one.

Peace & tolerance

H

Top Ten Gays on Campus ........ Which One are You?

I was reminded of this via Facebook recently from a three year old thread of which I had laughed so hard (hope you will when you read it). The stereotypical views especially on tertiary institutions is as old as profiling itself. After all campuses are a mix or microcosm of general society.

I decided to re-share it partially edited with photos added for some light humour for a change given the serious entries prior.

TOP TEN GAYS ON CAMPUS....... which one is u?

1. THE DL HOMOPHOBE – 

He can spot any gay guy anywhere at anytime. He always has something negative to say to or about the gay guy, but in reality he just wants the gay boy’s attention. Homophobes are usually attracted to masculine gay men as the feminine ones will blow their cover. Also Statistics show that the HOMOPHOBES are the messiest of them all.

2. THE AVERAGE STR8 GUY - 

This is the most difficult type to detect. He’s the typical straight guy, he loves sports, he adores cars, he can fix almost everything….nothing out of the ordinary till u walk in on him doing something with a dude. We call these men TRADES. You had no clue they were gay…and chances are they can teach the OPENLY gay guys a few tricks.

3. The SUPER DL NINJA – 

This is the guy who is TERRIFIED of people having the slightest clue he is gay. He will surf gay chatlines and send people to a dozen different websites until he finally reveals himself. The kind of guy that meets you on the docks at night…you sleep with him… and if you see him in public again he will DENY your existence.

(not an actual couple but representative of the line item below)

4. THE DL COUPLE – 

Now this is the most prevalent type of gay guys on campus. Two guys that always hang out together, they maybe work out buddies, members of the same fraternity, same sports team or school organization….Chances are if you see one the other is close behind and if you see one alone…….he’s on his way to the other. THEY ARE A COUPLE. No straight guy will spent 90% of his day with another guy unless they are in Iraq and that’s a whole nother story child.

5. MR DON’T ASK DON’T TELL – 

IF YOU AINT ASKING HE AINT TELLIN…SHIT EVEN IF YOU ASK HE AINT TELLIN. This is the guy in class you always suspected but never had any concrete proof to nail him. Unfortunately for you that you cant nail him….but every other dude on campus is…….OKAAAAAAAY!!!

(I deliberately used Michael Sam and his coming out that shocked many as he bears no stereotypical imagery to suspect him)

6. THE AVERAGE GAY GUY – 

He is professional, a great friend, a honor student, your RA, that guy that’s in the ROTC. He is awesome everyone on campus knows him all the girls have a crush on him…..you invite him out one night and he comes with a dude he introduces as his BOYFRIEND………..yes your honor student is in a relationship with a man and as popular as he is he managed to keep his personal life out of the spotlight. This is what most gay people should aspire to be like.

 the overly attentive man to his look, metrosexual anyone?

7. THE PRETTY BOI – 

This is the guy that looks better than 50% of the girls on campus. He wears designer clothes, has a body to die for..usually light skinned or Hispanic, hair you wish you had has the accessories of a typical pretty boi (contacts, earrings, photoshopped). You can find them prancing around your local mall or around town. They are usually conceited and not very nice.

(typical hip dude)

8. THE TRENDSETTER – 

They are the social mecca of fashion and social rituals. They start the latest trends, know the latest songs and the matching dances, knows your business before you do, and pretty much puts you out there. Only down side is that they are either fat, darker than sin and 9/10 BUTT UGLY.

this guy had two Louis Vuitton shoulder bags ...

9. THE HALF AND HALF – 

Have you ever seen a guy with tight jeans, a purse and couldn’t be more feminine and you wonder…. Why doesn’t he be a transsexual and get over with it. He wears girl jeans, a tank top, makeup and a purse big enough to fit a piano. They are usually bitter because nobody wants to be seen with them…unless they are HALF AND HALF TOO.

u better werQ Miss Ru ..... she is not obnoxious though 

butch queen voguing like a femme queen ..... legendary Pepper from back in the day of ballrooms in New York

10. THE OBNOXIOUS QUEEN - 

He greets you with a HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY GIIIIIRRRL!!! He refers to people as MISS THANG, he is the loudest motherfucker you have ever met, flirts with anything that breathes and is a club addict. Ladies and Gentlemen…this is THE POSTERCHILD FOR GAY. You can spot him on the map, his sexuality is as big as Texas and he doesn’t care who knows. In fact he wants you to know so he can have you next… RUN CHILD RUN…..

ENDS

I am none of them lol

Does any of the 10 categories match you or anyone you know?

I am more a Willi Ninja type (for purposes of this post) as in my hayday that was the imagery and behavioural presentation I naturally came into, I can easily pass publicly and serve it fiercely on the danceloor or in a battle with another queen or so.

“Butch Queen Realness,” a walking category, is the ability to pass as a masculine, heterosexual male beyond the ballroom walls, while emulating “European Runway” . The ideal was embracing effeminacy from a fashion magazine construct and re-affirming ones identity and comfort in that identity reaching towards divadom.

Finally some related podcasts regarding stereotypes, effemophobia and national homo-negativity:

Bad Man Nuh F*** Batty (Masculine Men Don't F*** Ass) (The Fear of The Feminine in JA ) 16.04.15 

Peace and tolerance

H

Stigmatization of Effeminacy in Gay Jamaican Culture Part II

In April 2009 I had briefly touched on this issue in part 1 of masculine types complaining about effeminate men and not finding them sexually attractive but only as friends in private settings for the most part. Who knew that almost three years later this issue is still a contentious one despite the metrosexual revolution as I term it in aesthetics and attitudes nationally as well trickling into the previous hardened dancehall and male driven societal culture. It was also in January another subject linked to this question of identities under the MSM umbrella was mentioned on my sister blog GLBTQJA on Wordpress looking at role play between masculine types and so called bottoms or passive partners.

See: On Tops bottoms and hyper-masculinity ……………..

Reactions to effeminacy varies according to the space one finds oneself in or the perceptions others may have of one if seen with a girly individual in public given the stereotypes on male homosexuality in Jamaica.

International pop stars such as Prince photoed above or Caucasian eighties Icons such as David Bowie get away with some variant of effeminacy or metro-sexuality in the mainstream as men become very comfortable with either experimenting with near uni-sexual or feminine feel attire versus traditional male accoutrements. Homosexuality linked to effeminacy however has and still is in some circles viewed as a "white" thing and an European import to cultures of predominantly African descent but same gender loving men who are not so effeminate or down right hyper masculine carrying the new swagger type imagery have been getting very vocal in some quarters regarding their non transvestite yet effeminate counterparts in the MSM world. At a new waterhole of sorts in St. Catherine where many brothers hang out as of late the topic came up for mention while I happened to have been present there for the first time and my opinion was sought, I cautiously tried to be neutral and said I had no issue with effeminate persons albeit that I too can be flaming when I wanted to and very masculine almost at the same time after years of mastering the gift of stealth changing over with the greatest of ease. 

Reference was made of my DJing sessions these days at parties where I spin predominantly dancemusic, international gay club hits and vogue materials for lovers of such music forms and the drag community and have been nicknamed the "dancing DJ," a brother who remembered me from one of my sessions said in the exchage that he did not have an issue with drag queens generally but that some were ugly and did not present themselves well and he would not be caught in public with one either, he also said he would more appreciate a brother who could switch when needed to. Another more ruffian typed brother at the table where we sat said he disliked them period and that he preferred his men manly, "if mi did want a woman mi woulda go look one, not a man weh waan gwaan like gal starrr," (If I wanted a woman I would have gone after one and not a man wanting to be a woman my brother), is this brother subscribing to the stigma from the mainstream in a sense here?

After that remark nearly all the other five brothers who were around the table agreed in some form and this led me to wonder why this dislike or fear of the effeminate from same gender loving males? How easy it is to sway others thought on this issue, we may never know the others true feelings of the other men except in another space or one on one as our culture has a desire to conform attitude following what is politically correct for the group. It was refreshing however to see these new faces as far as I was concerned who were expressing themselves in this space about same sex matters, I hope the space stays safe long enough for more long term socialization and discourse. The brother who had expressed his dislike continued and agreed with the first speaker about not socializing with transvestites in public or even at parties hence his refusal to do gay parties unless they have a certain theme to them. He prefers to go to straight events as it were and find a hot brother than stomach a drag show or see them dancing mimicking the girls on their head tops in mainstream dancehall. 

The fabulous Nina Flowers, Rupaul's Drag race entrant and personality who performed in Jamaica in 2011 to a warm response as many non regulars to local LGBT events came out to see her and Jamaicans who prefer this type of entertainment but outside of Jamaica such as in New York or Miami, notably South Beach.

Even in local LGBT entertainment offerings there has been a steady decline in receptivity to effeminate typed shows with a certain tinge to them save and except for a more dancehall type presentation and more swagger typed hip hop based offering are more popular these days. Drag Queens are still a feature but they are far more looking transgender and closer to a real woman than the drag elements that made the art form popular (I still see it as an art form born out of ones personality) such as the buffed look, butch queen (mix of feminine and masculine attitude complimenting each other) overdone makeup or scary aesthetics so as to indicate it is in fact a man in women's clothes as entertainment. We continue to steadily adopt hetero-normative typed entertainment especially from dancehall culture which is the dominant feature while even drag entertainment is snubbed by the very LGBT community.

Outside of the questionable low quality sometimes of said transvestite offerings however if an overseas big named star is on the bill for events there tends to be some support from the community which may suggest a need to improve local standards in as far as drag shows are concerned. The very dancemusic or "beats" is sometimes not easily digested or accepted any more in local settings as before when the dancehall culture was openly caustic to homosexuality in general, to a certain extent dancehall has burrowed tremendously from the gay underground and ballroom scenes from the United States with sped up beats per minute (BPM) on tracks, triple drop counts, and the sampling of queer sounding voices in some tracks. But with the metrosexual revolution of sorts the aesthetic in dancehall is changing though it has been slowed down due to the absence of its leading personality and bleaching king Vybz Kartel who has been having serious legal woes, murder charges and all. Male dancers in the dancehall community especially those who bleach or lighten their skin for acceptance in the idiom have been and are still castigated as being closeted gays as the dress code in the form of tight pants, plunging neckline tees and brand name gay designer clothing abound and are markers of acceptance especially those with a hefty price tag.  

Could it be a rub off from the national effemophobic response which is embedded in the general homophobia meted out to gay men who are perceived as such with the stereotypical link to effeminate behaviour and the misconceptions of gay men wanting to "replace themselves" in the role of women that has led to the LGBT community also following suit in a sense?

There are some masculine brothers however though who prefer femininity in a guy just that they were not present at that discussion. I am aware of brothers who do not have an issue appearing in public with their spouse or friend or even in drag as many cross dressers  in recent years have presented in public as themselves and have passed easily without incident. Then there are those cases where someone figures it out which leaves a perception that it takes another gay man to recognise a gay man. 

As we evolve we may just see a change again to the widespread recognition of effeminacy again, who knows? it could all be a phase as nothing stays the same.

UPDATE: 26/01/2012
Talk about effemophobia or transphobia ? here is a planned event in the form of a lyme, with some support from guess who? JFLAG!!!!! ...... take a good look at the wording of this invitation sent around the community via various means:

‎::::::::::::::::::::NO Drag Queen are Allowed::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

On February 3rd, 2012, T.A.B.S (founded by Ashe)...will be hosting an MSM LYME titled....Attractor Factor Project Edutainment Lyme.

This lyme promises to be a fun filled event, with a bit of education and gives the option of meet and greet in a comfortable setting with ONLY MSM's. Free HIV testing will also be available for those who wish to get tested, and LIVE performance from the World Renowned...ASHE.

So come out guys, get tested, eat, drink, dance and be GAY...but be on your BEST behaviour, as violence or boisterous behavior will not be tolerated.

It is to be held at (******** ***** ****) and it set to commence at 7pm SHARP!!!!!! This event is invitation only, so if ur name is not on the list..then stay home (lol). interested persons can inbox me their CORRECT name.... Save the date. 

My response to this in one of the avenues used was: cross dressers I would imagine are not apart of the msm community? ........... oh boi, the foolishness continues ........ don't they need to be tested too, what if the persons permanently presents as a cross dresser or is a member of the transgender community pre-operatively? who do they have sex with, isnt it other men in some cases?

This shows we have long ways to go yet.

Peace and tolerance

H

Meet Gays Halfway But ... (Gleaner Letter) ........ what!, homosexuality is learnt behaviour?

Before we read this letter I have been consistent in critiquing our advocates that we have not done a good job of rebutting the widely held perception in our intelligencia and by extension the general anti gay populace that homosexuality is learnt behaviour, as these obstacles are placed in the way of an obviously intensified campaign for the decriminalization of buggery or its full repulsion we could have averted letters like this during the "slow years' so persons opposed to the perceived negatives of homosexuality would be at a different place of knowledge in the public discourse.

Have a read of this letter where the letter writer implies that homosexuality is learnt behaviour among other anti gay points yet tries to disguise her hate through this supposed tolerance.
The writer by the way is a Justice of the Peace, and a senior member of Boulevard Baptist Church

Meet Gays Halfway But ...

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Some years ago, I had the opportunity of interviewing some 50 homosexuals, of which only about five were female. Unfortunately, most, if not all, were white-collar persons aged 25-45. This research project was part of my university study, captioned 'Profile of the Jamaican homosexual'.

My hypothesis was that homosexuality was a learned behaviour, and so I set out to prove same, which I did.

Long after I completed my study, I revisited the raw data and, interestingly, I found that a fair percentage of my sample had homosexuals in their antecedent family. I hasten to say that I am not alluding that homosexuality is hereditary. It could have been picked up from the social package within the family. Like any abnormal behaviour, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc., homosexuality falls in a group of deviant behaviours.

Be that as it may, Jamaican society, for the most part, uses the Bible as its benchmark for social behaviour, and we also set our values and standards on the three Ns: normal, natural and nice.

Additionally, and ironically, we were given the buggery law by the British, and today it is the same British who are demanding that the law be repealed. David Cameron is talking tough.

I am cognisant of human rights and I would suggest that homosexuality behind closed doors, between consenting partners of legal age, should be decriminalised, and we can let God be their judge. However, we should still criminalise the flaunting of this lifestyle in public spaces. This would ban any outdoor activities, like drag parties, etc.

By extension, homosexuals should be barred from adopting children or getting married, and these strictures could be added to a revised buggery law.

We can only meet them halfway. While powerful homosexuals have successfully removed their behaviour from contemporary abnormal psychology manuals, thus promoting themselves as normal, we cannot allow the few to tear down the many and for society to embrace their behaviour.

If we do, we may as well accept bestiality, or plainly put, man and dog.
I trust that our PM will see the logic in a revised buggery law - half in favour of homosexuals and half in favour of heterosexuals.

ELVENA WILLIAMS REITTIE
elvena@cwjamaica.com

LETTER ENDS

Continued from above

This letter writer is either confused, plainly disingenuous or just thinking we will settle for bread crumbs as it relates to this matter of decriminalization of buggery, the two mouthing or flip flopping here wreaks of a kind of piecemeal tolerance or I guess we should acquiesce to this garbage. Her stupidity is even more glaring not understanding the nuances with bisexuality and that of many double gender lovers presently involved in gay relationships had children as a product of previous heterosexual unions one would have thought she would had gleaned that from her so called study. To link same gender loving rights agitation to a graduatory move to demand rights for beastiality is plain dishonest and shows a hidden agenda here in a sick minded individual.

If she has a problem with effeminate behaviour and seeks to co-relate effeminacy with homosexuality then she is an idiot plain and simple if truth be told not all effeminate males are homosexual and not all homosexual males are effeminate, in fact effemopbohia is a major LGBT community issue as well as it is.

To suggest the decriminalization of buggery while ignoring the obvious reflection of that possibly seismic change in the aesthetic of homosexual life in this country to become more pronounced and public also is an idiotic position to take in my view. As we are living in this country we are in the middle of a metrosexual and public effeminacy revolution, also to be included in the mix are transgender individuals who are presented as their desired gender i.e male to female for purposes of this response. Literally how we dress is an expression of who we are.

I may further add to this my facebook comment where I expressed in more local parlance:

"Overall this letter is plain hatred disguised but she step on my foot right harder here when she says : 


"I am cognizant of human rights and I would suggest that homosexuality behind closed doors, between consenting partners of legal age, should be decriminalised, and we can let God be their judge. However, we should still criminalise the flaunting of this lifestyle in public spaces. This would ban any outdoor activities, like drag parties, etc." 


We need some fierce drag queens to find this letter writer, dance infront of her or subject her to a cratches mawnin party and give her a heart attack ..... bright n out a order a talk bout ban my queen dem........... no sah!!!!!!!!!

.......... can u imagine, it is a line that has been coming from certain corners of our intellegencia where if gays gets rights then other deviant rights seekers are gonna turn up clearly not knowing the differences ... this two mouthing/tolerance flip flop is so typical of some of these haters under disguise .... the other day I heard Leachim Semaj echo a similar sentiment."

The public's non acceptance of displays of outward same sex affection has been an issue for decades now based on the negative perceptions of male homosexuality which supposed challenges our devoted machismo and male egos conveniently stoked by the tabloid media and with no serious rebuttal from our advocacy structure until recently but as a nation one will naturally follow the other as in a positive change in the law will mean a change in attitude and expression of the persons the positive impact the law will have. One leading blogger commented: "What concerns me is that an editor decided that this should be letter of the day. Given the editorial that was published yesterday, is the Gleaner striving for "balance"?
Now she did a study in university. Great for her. In what discipline? What was the methodology? (That's a stupid research question by the way. Is homosexuality learnt? Yes. She went about answering a question that she already had a(n) (mis)informed opinion about)

By suggeting she is a scholar she is validating an opinion that is still very much an opinion."


Another response came from an ally in St. Vincent


"Dear Elvena,
I just read your letter published in the Gleaner and as it's a public forum I feel free to comment. You are entitled to your hypothesis but interviewing 50 people doesn't make a study where you can make any real scientific conclusions. Why not leave it to the experts who have sampled thousands? I, as a homosexual, can tell you that I believe that I was born this way. I always knew as long as I could remember that I was different and later on realized what this meant.

You are not in a position to define scientifically that homosexuality is an "abnormal behaviour" as you stated. Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in the 1970's and I tend to get my information from credible sources, though my bias is self-serving, but at least it doesn't demonize people and support perpetuated violence to an entire group of people. You went on to suggest that accepting homosexuality is the same as accepting bestiality, "If we do, we may as well accept bestiality, or plainly put, man and dog.". That's just plain stupid, for want of a better word. As a University graduate you should know better. At least you didn't mention the school you went to, which I presume would be embarrassed that you are an reflection of the quality of their education. I hope it's not UWI.

You went on to write, "We can only meet them halfway". You are not even on the bridge, not even close. To have a meaningful dialogue between groups with opposing views you have to at least recognise that they are both human (bestiality references don't help) and that they are cognizant and coherent ( you wrote "Like any abnormal behaviour, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc., homosexuality falls in a group of deviant behaviours"). When you get to that point, then we can have a conversation based on mutual respect, if not agreement."

S. Macleish
St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Some people are gay ELVENA WILLIAMS REITTIE get over it.

Peace and tolerance

H

Khago's "Weh Dem a Seh?" ...........

So as the war of words continue between the upstarts (my words) Khago and I-Octane in the dancehall the stereotypical traits of metrosexuality, blurred gender lines or feminization are implied in the lyrics as each artist tries to paint each other as closeted gays. Interestingly Khago in this song talks about "gender confusion" when he alludes that rival DJ I-Octane is using makeup and shaving his eyebrows via his contract he is forced to wear particular types of clothing that makes him out to be on the DL at best. In a previous post where I highlighted I-Octane's "Dream Bout Boi" track which also lambasts Khago but also percieved modes of dress that hint at gay life.

I-Octane

Nuh Dream Bout Boi Here:

NUH DREAM BOUT BOY - I-OCTANE by khoolray

and

also see or hear above "Woman Wi Seh" by I-Octane as well.

Why are Jamaican men so insecure about their own masculinity? so much so to the point that anything that involves other men closely or deemed too close is also deemed as something sexual or cohersively so as if in the same way Jamaican men hit on or try to coherse women is somehow the same way another man in this perceived "too close for comfort" position will also try to do. And to think Khago himself is hot in the eyes of many MSMs here.

Khago

The Lyrics from "Weh Dem a Seh?" among other things contend:

"Sister locks wi nuh wear nor bredda locks"

(referring to a particular style of artificial hair interwoven into real hair for locking)

"No lip gloss ...." (suggesting other artists may wear such type make up)

"shaved eyebrows, wi nuh follow fags" (shaved eyebrows we don't follow fags/gays) [the first direct anti gay sentiment associated with perceived gay aesthetics]

"Wi nuh wear turtle neck cause wi nuh drifters" (we don't wear turtle necks as we are not drifters) [turtle neck clothes here suggesting a gay style of dress]

"No makeup to mi face dat a fi mi sisters" (no makeup to my face that's for my sisters) [suggesting feminine mode of dress by rival DJs]

"Wi locks real wi nuh wear fusion, we nuh join the gender confusion" (our locks are real we don't wear fusion {suggesting twisting fake hair and real to get the lengthy look} we don't join the gender confusion) [all this suggesting men who dress otherwise are confused about their gender

"Man str8 like 12 o'clock" ( Man is straight {orientation} like 12 o'clock) [suggesting comparison with the hands of the clock)

"no contract caan mek me over" (no contract can't make me over) [suggesting other artists maybe forced to use perceived feminized modes of dress and aesthetics in their public persona)

In the middle of the Jamaican metro-sexual revolution as I see it there is this back and forth between two possible great artists while instead of producing wonderful hits as we have seen they can, are distracted by this weirdness of perceived blurred gender lines but the real leader in all this metro-change is pushing on none the less despite some haemorrhaging from his Gaza camp and a major loss of support from a marketing guru Vybz Kartel pushes on despite his controversial lightened appearance and rumours of his HIV status. We are in interesting times people.

UPDATE:

Controversial DJ Tony Matterhorn with a new song critiquing other DJs for not calling names when bashing each other called "Dancehall Duppy (Ghost)" says that both Octane and Khago are tracing or quarreling like girls:

Here Khago tries to set the record straight but it seems the attempt only make matters worse and confusing for the viewing public:

Peace and tolerance

H

I-Octane's "Nuh Dream Bout Boy"

NUH DREAM BOUT BOY - I-OCTANE by khoolray

I-Octane

So we are all entitled to our opinions and rightfully so but there are times when opinions passes the stage of such and lead to subtle homophobia which also must be pointed out and criticised for just that. According to reports from listeners of a particular radio station this week where the former rising Star contestant's above titled song was played, the host of the particular program proceeded to add his own views (as if anyone asked when his job is to host professionally) by saying "Not even mi fadda" (not even my father) clearly suggesting some sort of homophobic insinuations.

Why are Jamaican men so insecure about their own masculinity? so much so to the point that anything that involves other men closely or deemed too close is also deemed as something sexual or cohersively so as if in the same way Jamaican men hit on or try to coherse women is somehow the same way another man in this perceived "too close for comfort" position will also try to do.

This kind of fear comes from the bigger belief that homosexual males are predatory and are somehow trying to change everyone else into homos or gays for pay usually. This incessant need to be hyper or hegemonically masculine causes all kinds of paranoia and fear amongst young men, the pressure to not have anything trace of effeminacy behaviourally speaking but very limited feminized or metro-sexualised aesthetics are allowed given the nation's increasing tolerance of such looks, i.e. tight pants, bleached faces, close fitted brand named tops, man purses, flip floppers with manicured nails, powdered faces in some instances similar to the Frenchmen in the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries and other similar typed expressions once held in taboo by dancehall and by extension the public. This smoother style of homophobic tinged lyrics slid under the guise of carefully worded tracks has been in the doing for a long time before the Stop Murder Music Campaigns were on in earnest worldwide especially with the US leg being the last to catch on somewhat. Other ways of sliding in the perceptions were used by other offending artists where one-liners are used containing phrases or words like "number two, "too many men" "fish in the sea" "funny man" "child molester" and others.

The artist also has another song "Woman Wi Seh" which was at the centre of some controversy over it's release see it here:

The song was said to be unauthorised and was released without the proper channels followed, see more on this HERE .

He has also had a rumoured beef with a fellow sinjay names Khago over the "hair issue" as since another dancehall heavyweight Vybz Kartel apparently dawned hair extensions he has been bearing the brunt of what amounts to a backlash from other artists old and young in the business alike. According to the Star News and other blogs:

Singjay Khago (above) has refused to comment on the rumours and speculations as to whether or not there is brewing tension between himself and I-Octane.
Over the past couple weeks there have been speculations that the two artiste are at odds since the release of Khago's song Blood A Boil, which seems to be some sort of counteraction to I-Octane's Nuh Ramp Wid Wi. direct hit In Nuh Ramp Wid Wi that was released in January on Cashflow's 'Bus Stop' rhythm, I-Octane said, "Nuh bwoy pon Earth can put dem hand inna mi natty/ Nuh bwoy caan draw mi locks when mi wash it and a flash it."
On Sunday, Khago's song surfaced on the Internet seeming to be a direct hit at I-Octane. In his song he says, "Mi sure seh woman alone wash dem hair and flash it/ Mi a nuh sissy man a road/ Nuh bwoy caan dream see mi/ Anything mi put on a haffi fi mi/ Mi nuh beg fren from enemy/ Talk bout the chart tekka/ Mi nuh pay a cent fi dat/ Through all a dat mi still manage fi remain black mi nah run lef mi block."
Although it seems like the song was directed at I-Octane, Khago was rather silent on the issue. "You know mi don't want talk bout dem ting deh though. A mix-up, nuh true," he said when contacted yesterday. There was no comment coming from I-Octane either as the artiste is in the United States doing a series of shows.
However, his manager, Ray Alexander, said I-Octane will not be responding to the song. He also said he is not sure if the song is being directed at his artiste or Rastas in general. ignorancy "Di artiste not even responding to it 'cause there is nothing to respond to.
To me is just ignorancy 'cause every Rasta flash dem locks fi get out di excess water," Alexander told THE STAR, noting that hair dryers damage the locks. "I am not sure if it's Octane him going after 'cause every Rasta flash dem locks. To me it's an insult to every Rasta weh flash dem hair."
Meanwhile, the public has also been engaging in the discussion. "Mi rate the two artistes dem enuh. Love the type a music dem usually sing but mi neva know seh dem did have problems with each other?
The clash ting nuh good fi every artiste still enuh," one person commented on YouTube. Another said, "Clash is good for dancehall, that's where dancehall came from. Good to be competitive, just keep it lyrical and non-violent."

Nuh Ramp Wid Wi BY I-OCTANE by khoolray

The song which basically suggests that another man cannot be in his hair apparently men with any additional hair or hair extensions are gay. Pity that this is how foolish the entire phobia becomes sometimes.

"Nuh boi caan ramp wid man like how dem play wid dem caty" (no man cannot play with me as how he plays with his girl) clearly tells us where is going but to suggest that he or his supporters thinks what happens in same gender loving relationships tells us how ignorant the homophobes are.

Clearly we have a new generation of anti gay artists to contend with now intertwining all kinds of old and new stereotypes about male homosexuality to include hyper masculinity but how do we arrive at some understanding without having to resort to closing down concerts and stopping tours in the face of a new metrosexual revolution in Jamaica?

Who was I-Octane speaking of here? one wonders, he used to lend someone clothes?.

Peace and tolerance

H

Vybz Kartel lashes back with "Woman Wi Love" song, has he forgotten it is he who blurred the lines of his own sexuality?

pic from social yaad

One wonders if this is another part of Kartelization of the dancehall industry? No other artist has tested the waters so much without any major fallout in fact it's the opposite that has occurred so far but with the recent problems with a close business partner and other artists from the Gaza Empire is there a backlash/manufactured hate in the making to control him?

Image is everything!

The speculation about his sexuality is still a concern in some circles with his "experiments" with his image, bleaching, pink clothing, braided hair and other stereotypical looks associated with the gay community he has been clear in some of his songs including the infamous cake soap ode where he began the song by saying:

"Mi nuh love man so tek yuh eye off a mi" (I don't love men so take your eyes off me)

That is of course deliberately done to show that while he is embracing these semi feminized or metrosexual traits he is not a homosexual as we value machismo like gold.

Compared to Prince and his own use of Michael Jackson's name to describe himself Kartel - "Michael Kartel Cake Soap Jackson - certainly has deliberately obscured the lines of his own sexuality a practice usually used by celebrities overseas to make themselves into talking points and magnets for the media. He often refers to his public persona "Kartel" as a second person which is why I conclude that he may not be same sex attracted but he or his team, though major changes has come, know what they are doing in marketing the image to the public. He mixes sex and gangster life in a manner almost as to be worshiped and aspired to by his fans as many in the community where he and his family resides have "kartelized" themselves with bleached skin, tight pants exposing all their endowments and the very low baritone of his voice with the infamous "oh" following or ending a sentence. 

Certainly he has now made bleaching more acceptable which was a once vilified subject and left to be practiced by women from the lower socio-economic classes and a few men mostly effeminate persons who ply their trade in hair weaves and nail technicians on the street corners in certain parts of urban areas or certain elements within dancehall such as dancers. That is not to say that "bleaching" or skin lightening is not also done by more affluent Jamaicans but not with the more graphic results as seen by the former groups and certainly not some of the ingredients used by this group such as curry powder or milk are employed by those that take the route of a professional dermatologist or cosmetologists.

This practice of releasing women loving songs in response to gay allegations is used regularly from Beenieman, Mr. Vegas, Elephant Man to Busy Signal with his recent woes following the release of "I Love Girls who Love Girls" song he followed up with "Too Many Men" suggesting men must not be seen in each others company and subtly suggesting no to male homosexuality in effect challenging also the homosocial way men have friendships in Jamaica.

Here is the new track released in May 2011

And again he starts the song with the introduction:

"Mi nuh love a man no mi nuh love a man...." (I don't love men no I don't love men) clearly playing into the hands of his detractors especially those from the rival camps of Movado from the Gully crew, with the wounds of that war still not healed for many followers of both artists still have hard hearts for each other although the artists themselves agreed to peace.

More to come as we watch these historical happenings.

Meanwhile he is said to be in a series of upcoming films also he had released a statement:

"Many of you have heard or seen the recent accusations made by my former associates in the past few weeks. I don’t know why all of these individuals, think the most appropriate action to take after a philosophical difference occurs is to go to the press and attack me.

I can only say that I am reminded of Bob Marley’s admonishments when he said man is so unjust, you don’t know who to trust…your best friend can turn out to be your worst enemy…I shall say no more, other than who the cap fit, mek them wear it. I am issuing this statement because I think these accusations are due to a breach of confidentiality as certain individuals got wind of my upcoming projects and initiatives and they know they can’t stop me without resorting to underhanded tactics.

See Jamaica, Vybz Kartel has been carrying a secret for a very long time and I think it is time that I reveal it before persons try to derail the projects that I have put together by continuing to make false reports about me in their attempt to have me muzzled.two years ago, I had an epiphany whilst on stage. I saw thousands of people screaming for Kartel, jumping up and down, listening to ever word that I uttered on stage, it was like the people were eating out of the palm of my hands. At that moment, something strange came over me, as I heard the people screaming for more, I suddenly realized that my calling was to be more than a Deejay.

I realized that the people were not eating out my hands but they wanted to hear Kartel speak because finally somebody was telling their story in a profound no holds barred manner. Whether I was addressing sexuality,poverty, police brutality, injustice,the trials and tribulations of the ghetto I was finally giving ghetto people a voice – a big voice like society never heard before.

I know I am not the first that has ever attempted to do this. Because when I researched I saw that Marcus, Sam Sharpe, Paul Bogle all spoke directly to the powers that be on behalf of the people but were ostracized and in some cases killed. Later, Marley, Tosh, Jacob Miller did the same thing and all died young under unique somewhat mysterious circumstances. I have seen what they have done to ancient Rastamen, People’s Telecom, the Marcus Garvey Political Party and other entities that attacked Babylon head on.

SEE THE REST HERE on Social Yaad

Peace and tolerance

H

Sexual objectification & mystique of Black Gay Men, a brief look

Jamaican men certainly are some of the most attractive beings to look at in their natural aesthetic sans gym activity or any needed enhancement products or surgery to gain that enviable position. Added to that are the worldwide perceptions (outside of sexual orientation) that we are well endowed and are able to perform sexually far better than our African descented counterparts elsewhere thus the rent-a-dread concept in tourist haunts a thriving under ground business, the orgy parties hosted by Caucasian and African Americans alike with other nationalities following suit is and has been a constant here on the island as well once one knows where to look and who to talk to to get such types of masculine alternative entertainment.

They usually ask for masculine men who are "gifted" and are mostly toppers in sexual relations with men taking up the offers quickly to prove their worth while earning dollars, almost a gay for pay issues as well when ones examines it closely as many of the guys seen in video footage released elsewhere are masked and are not featured on the local underground circuit as they avoid effeminate same gender loving men out of fear of being exposed. (the usual fear or hatred of the effeminate or effemophoba from within the community) but it is these same hypermasculine types that are objectified and are the subject of strip shows and the occassional soliloquised expressions of many same sex attracted brothers whose criteria for a good man are:

1) Well defined body with excellent torso features

2) Usually should have a six pack well defined

3) Muscular with well outlined features

4) Added beautification such as tattoes

5) Well endowed or have large "gift stick" for maximum pleasure

6) Must have the latest swagger and that well groomed look

7) Latest clothing and accessories are a must (metrosexual rub off)

8) Must have the hottest car or mode of wheels to suit the occassion

Plus others that vary according to individual taste, certainly if we are to look from an average perspective the obsession with masculinity and the 'heaviot" index for sexual encounters are things that aren't taken lightly for some Jamaican same gender lovers.

According to PAUL CHADWICK NEAL in preparing for his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1998 he wrote:

"Michelangelo’s David has represented the ideal male figure for centuries. It is the personification of male beauty in western culture. When you look at his face, you notice that he is more youthful than his muscled body would suggest. Closer inspection shows hands that are not young at all; they are massive and aged like the hands of a labourer. Indeed David is considered perfect for many reasons; he embodies youth, power and strength. He is carved of stone and etched into our collective western mind. In the same way that Michelangelo, a gay man, created David to represent perfection, our society has fashioned the male body, not out of marble but out of flesh. The gay community has placed extra pressure on its citizens to become the living physical embodiment of perfection."

Internalized homophobia has been cited (Williamson, 1999) as one of the contributing factors. It is hypothesized that this self discomfort with being gay generalizes to a greater sense of dissatisfaction with the self. Involvement in the gay community seems to be a second factor leading to body dissatisfaction (Beren, Hayden, Wilfley & Grilo 1996). The AIDS epidemic served as another recent factor since one of the by products of advanced HIV disease is a loss of body fat, creating a sickly and overly lean image. This overly thin look, being associated with illness, is not considered attractive (Grogan, 1999). Social approval may be a fourth factor- gay men are still trying to overcome the perception that they are “sissies” (Harris, 1997). The gay community places a premium on image, and gay men often compare themselves with this unattainable standard of body image (Williamson, 1999).

Little attention has been made to understand the heightened emphasis on physical appearance in the gay male subculture (Seiver, 1996). Research needs to uncover what contributes to body dissatisfaction in gay men. To date no research on the process of internalization of sociocultural ideals about the body (Lakkis, Ricciardelli, & Williams, 1999) has been conducted. Given these gaps in our body of knowledge, the following questions come to mind:

1. What values, customs and beliefs does the gay community have about the

body?

2. How do gay men perceive those messages?

3. How do gay men integrate those beliefs into their self-concept?

4. What relationship does involvement in the gay community have with body

dissatisfaction?

See the FULL STUDY HERE

There are possibly other reasons behind our still growing and changing obsession with body image and masculinity to include former vilified and tabooed practices of skin bleaching now accepted by men as normative despite the continued belief in the background it's has been and still is a "gay thing" which suggests general society already used and associate certain aesthetics to identify "gays" Leading dancehall figure VYBZ KARTEL who has been riding a wave of popularity on the formerly offensive skin bleaching is also toning up with gym work outs and new body tattoes, many persons in the LGBTQI community belief he is coming out in a sense while others like myself believe he is using the new look as a marketing tool to stay popular as whie Jamaicans quarrel about his ever changing styles and the Michael Jackson effect his songs are more popular than ever.

Masturbation tool:

Many persons also say they use images or videos of buffed and hung men to act as stimulation for masturbation, this strong attraction towards perfectly fit looking bodies for sex usually is not matched by real sexual partners who may not even come close to the airbrushed images on pages. Have we somehow internalized so deeply the want to be like the figures presented to us in glossy magazines and by extension the deliberate selection of "good looking buffed men" for the growing black gay sex video market?

All the porn stars these days are muscular or have a gym workout plan, tattoed and use makeup on set to hide imperfections with some also resorting to skin lightening yet these are the objects of our erotic fantasies, fantasies that only go to rest the minute one ejaculates only to return in the future.

More to come on this

Peace and tolerance

H