Zero Discrimination Day 2017 ........

Zero Discrimination Day

1 March 2017

On 1 March, people around the world join together to celebrate Zero Discrimination Day.

The UN first celebrated Zero Discrimination Day on March 1, 2014, after UNAIDS, a UN program on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World AIDS Day in December 2013.

Discrimination remains widespread—gender, nationality, age, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or religion can all unfortunately be the basis for some form of discrimination. In only four out of 10 countries worldwide do equal numbers of girls and boys attend secondary school and 75 countries have laws that criminalize same-sex sexual relations.

“When the most marginalized and vulnerable face discrimination and abuse, all of us are diminished,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The United Nations is strongly committed to upholding human rights and dignity for all.”

Discrimination in health-care settings also continues to be widely reported. Imagine a young woman newly diagnosed with HIV being told by her doctor that she must be sterilized, a sex worker facing violence or abuse from a nurse, a disabled person denied access to proper advice about their sexual health, a gay man frightened of disclosing his sexuality to medical staff, a person who injects drugs dying after being refused treatment or a transgender person attempting suicide after being turned away from a clinic.

Health-care settings should be considered as safe and caring environments, however, such cases are happening too frequently throughout the world. Any obstacles that inhibit access to health-care facilities, including to testing, treatment and care services, must be removed. Access to health must be open to everyone.

also:

PRESS RELEASE

UNAIDS URGES EVERYONE TO MAKE SOME NOISE FOR ZERO DISCRIMINATION

GENEVA, 23 February 2017—Everyone will have experienced discrimination of some kind during their lives; however, non-discrimination is a human right. Equally, states and individuals have a legal obligation not to discriminate. This year, on 1 March, Zero Discrimination Day, UNAIDS is urging people to make some noise around zero discrimination, to speak up and prevent discrimination from standing in the way of achieving ambitions, goals and dreams.

Discrimination has many forms, from racial or religious discrimination to discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation or age, and to bullying at school or at work. In only three out of 10 countries worldwide do equal numbers of girls and boys attend upper secondary school, and people living with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to be denied health care than other people.

“Everyone has the right to be treated with respect, to live free from discrimination, coercion and abuse,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Discrimination doesn’t just hurt individuals, it hurts everyone, whereas welcoming and embracing diversity in all its forms brings benefits for all.”

Zero discrimination is an integral part of UNAIDS’ vision and for this year’s Zero Discrimination Day UNAIDS is calling for zero discrimination in health-care settings. The right to health is a fundamental human right that includes access to affordable, timely and quality health-care services for all, yet discrimination remains widespread in health-care settings, creating a serious barrier to access to HIV services.

“Health-care settings should be safe and supportive environments. It is unacceptable that discrimination is inhibiting access to care today,” said Mr Sidibé. “Eliminating discrimination in health-care settings is critical, and we must demand that it become a reality.”

Data from 50 countries from the People Living with HIV Stigma Index show that one in eight people living with HIV report being denied health care. Around 60% of European Union/European Economic Area countries report that stigma and discrimination among health-care professionals remains a barrier to the provision of adequate HIV prevention services for men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs.

This year, UNAIDS is calling on everyone to make some noise for #zerodiscrimination. Zero Discrimination Day is an opportunity to highlight how everyone can be part of the transformation and take a stand for a fair and just society.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ENDS

Peace & tolerance

H

Wayne Besen: ‘Ex-Gay’ Programs Could Stage Comeback in the Age of Trump

Donald Trump holding a rainbow flag during the hustings int the US elections.

Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out

In recent years, “ex-gay” ministries and their ostensibly secular counterpart, reparative therapy (a.k.a. conversion therapy), have been widely discredited. The movement's key leaders have either been the subject of scandal or come out of the closet. This undermined their credibility, because these spokespeople were the walking, talking, “living proof” that such programs are effective. Additionally, the industry has lost in court, and laws have been passed in several states and cities prohibiting quacks from engaging in the barbaric practice with minors.

Beyond the fight for marriage equality, efforts to debunk the “ex-gay” industry have been one of the LGBT movement’s most effective campaigns. These organizations came to prominence in 1998, when at least 15 right-wing Christian groups launched the national “Truth in Love” advertising campaign that featured people who claimed to have gone from gay to straight through a combination of Jesus Christ and therapy sessions.

The campaign backfired and proved the opposite: Even highly motivated people aided by Christian psychologists and prayer warriors could not alter their sexual orientation.

Today, most of the once powerful “ex-gay” groups are gone, such as Exodus International, Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality, and Love Won Out. Those remaining exist in shambles, staffed by dead-enders who operate on the far fringes of society. Most right-wing Christian groups that once embraced this movement now avoid doing so. They rightfully fear that promoting “ex-gay” programs, which are highly likely to fail, would lead to public ridicule. And, finally, the media, which once gave “ex-gay” groups millions of dollars in free publicity, are openly skeptical. Having been burned by people who lied about their transformation, news outlets now ignore these groups or accurately report on them as the scams that they are.

Our movement’s victory over the destructive “ex-gay” myth could prove ephemeral with the rise of Donald Trump. Although he has shown no appetite to promote this insidious lie, he has surrounded himself with people who are virulently antigay, such as Vice President Mike Pence, Housing and Urban Development secretary nominee Ben Carson, and Attorney General nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama.

“Ex-gay” propaganda is always an attractive option for such extremists. They latch on to it because the alternative to cynically professing love for LGBT people by offering a cure is outright hostility, which is more difficult in a country that increasingly accepts LGBT people as mainstream.

Indeed, open warfare against LGBT people is politically perilous. As Indiana's governor, Mike Pence was burned when he tried to wage it with the odious “license to discriminate” law. Gov. Pat McCrory was one of the rare Republicans who lost his reelection, which was due largely to his embrace of an anti-LGBT law that stripped civil rights from gay people and denied transgender individuals use of the appropriate bathrooms. A May CNN/ORC poll found that 57 percent of Americans say they oppose laws requiring transgender individuals to use facilities that do not match their gender identity.

To avoid becoming a laughingstock, it is unlikely that shrewder members of Trump’s staff or Cabinet would openly promote such quackery (my guess is that Ben Carson is the most likely). The real danger lies in the contempt for reality and collapse of the quaint notion that “facts” exist. On November 30, CNN’s Scottie Nell Hughes, a frequent Trump surrogate, appeared on The Diane Rehm Show and said, “People that say facts are facts — they’re not really facts. … There’s no such thing, unfortunately, anymore as facts.”

In such a fact-free environment, you can easily see conservatives arguing to include “ex-gay” viewpoints in textbooks and protecting these groups with new laws. This time, they are less likely to argue the efficacy of such programs. They will probably emulate Donald Trump and declare something like, “I have no idea if these programs work, but some people say they do, so it’s only fair to include their version of the facts.”

“Ex-gay” organizations may also follow the path of white nationalists and claim to be a distinct minority that is in need of protection from discrimination. The noxious group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays has long used this argument. I would not be surprised to see some conservatives adopt it in the specious name of fairness. They will argue that the exclusion of “ex-gay” propaganda is an example of political correctness.

We will also have to counter the cynical enactment of religious liberty laws, which may give proponents of “ex-gay” programs the right to inflict harm on LGBT people in the name of religious freedom. As Donald Trump and the Republican Senate fill federal courts with conservative judges, such tomfoolery may increasingly gain support from the bench.

The international posture of the Trump administration may also lead to the expansion of “ex-gay” organizations. The U.S. has been a bulwark against global homophobia during the Obama administration. Who will now stand up at the United Nations against Middle Eastern countries and Russia, which may push the “ex-gay” myth?

Finally, I suspect that Trump will give more latitude to states to promote these harmful therapies under the auspices of “states’ rights.” It is conceivable that our “laboratories of democracy” may conduct some very dangerous “ex-gay” experiments on LGBT people during the Trump years.

Fortunately, these organizations have a history of folly and failure. We will need to highlight these disasters, because conservatives may try to revive this dead horse in the coming years. 

WAYNE BESEN is the founding executive director of Truth Wins Out, the Center Against Religious Extremism, and author of Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth (Routledge, 2003) and Bashing Back: Wayne Besen on People, Politics, and Culture.(Routledge, 2006). 

He is the host of The Wayne Besen Show, airing weekdays from 2 to 5 p.m. Central on WCPT 820 AM Chicago, and a weekly columnist at the Falls Church News Press.

also see:
Former US 'Ex-Gay' Superstar John Paulk Finally Renounces His 'Ex-Gay' Past 

US Pastor Charged With Sexually Assaulting Men During Ex-Gay therapy Sessions 2012 

Former 'ex-gay' leaders publish open letter saying conversion therapy is damaging 

Gay “Cures” Are Harmful And Don’t Work, Says World’s Largest Body Of Psychiatrists 

EX Gay Ministries to close, founder issues apology 2013

WPA Position Statement on Gender Identity and Same-Sex Orientation, Attraction, and Behaviours

Background

Recent controversies in many countries suggest a need for clarity on same-sex orientation, attraction, and behaviour (formerly referred to as homosexuality).

Along with other international organisations, World Psychiatric Association (WPA) considers sexual orientation to be innate and determined by biological, psychological, developmental, and social factors.

Over 50 years ago, Kinsey et al (1948) documented a diversity of sexual behaviours among people. Surprisingly for the time, he described that for over 10% of individuals this included same-sex sexual behaviours. Subsequent population research has demonstrated approximately 4% of people identify with a same-sex sexual orientation (e.g., gay, lesbian, and bisexual orientations). Another 0.5% identify with a gender identity other than the gender assigned at birth (e.g., transgender) (Gates 2011). Globally, this equates to over 250 million individuals.

Psychiatrists have a social responsibility to advocate for a reduction in social inequalities for all individuals, including inequalities related to gender identity and sexual orientation.

Despite an unfortunate history of perpetuating stigma and discrimination, it has been decades since modern medicine abandoned pathologising same-sex orientation and behaviour (APA 1980) The World Health Organization (WHO) accepts same-sex orientation as a normal variant of human sexuality (WHO 1992). The United Nations Human Rights Council (2012) values Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights. In two major diagnostic and classification systems (International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and DSM-5), same sex sexual orientation, attraction, and behaviour and gender identity are not seen as pathologies (WHO 1993, APA 2013).

There is considerable research evidence to suggest that sexual behaviours and sexual fluidity depend upon a number of factors (Ventriglio et al 2016). Furthermore, it has been shown conclusively that LGBT individuals show higher than expected rates of psychiatric disorders (Levounis et al 2012, Kalra et al 2015), and once their rights and equality are recognised these rates start to drop (Gonzales 2014, Hatzenbuehler et al 2009, 2012, Padula et al 2015)

People with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities may have grounds for exploring therapeutic options to help them live more comfortably, reduce distress, cope with structural discrimination, and develop a greater degree of acceptance of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Such principles apply to any individual who experiences distress relating to an aspect of their identity, including heterosexual individuals.

WPA believes strongly in evidence-based treatment. There is no sound scientific evidence that innate sexual orientation can be changed. Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality can create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish, and they can be potentially harmful (Rao and Jacob 2012). The provision of any intervention purporting to “treat” something that is not a disorder is wholly unethical.

Action

1. The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) holds the view that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals are and should be regarded as valued members of society, who have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as all other citizens. This includes equal access to healthcare and the rights and responsibilities that go along with living in a civilised society.

2. WPA recognises the universality of same-sex expression, across cultures. It holds the position that a same-sex sexual orientation per se does not imply objective psychological dysfunction or impairment in judgement, stability, or vocational capabilities.

3. WPA considers same-sex attraction, orientation, and behaviour as normal variants of human sexuality. It recognises the multi-factorial causation of human sexuality, orientation, behaviour, and lifestyle. It acknowledges the lack of scientific efficacy of treatments that attempt to change sexual orientation and highlights the harm and adverse effects of such “therapies”.

4. WPA acknowledges the social stigma and consequent discrimination of people with same-sex sexual orientation and transgender gender identity. It recognises that the difficulties they face are a significant cause of their distress and calls for the provision of adequate mental health support.

5. WPA supports the need to de-criminalise same–sex sexual orientation and behaviour and transgender gender identity, and to recognise LGBT rights to include human, civil, and political rights. It also supports anti-bullying legislation; anti-discrimination student, employment, and housing laws; immigration equality; equal age of consent laws; and hate crime laws providing enhanced criminal penalties for prejudice-motivated violence against LGBT people.

6) WPA emphasises the need for research on and the development of evidence-based medical and social interventions that support the mental health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals

References

1. American Psychiatric Association (1980). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition). Washington, DC: APA.

2. American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (5th edition). Washington, DC: APA.

3. Gates GJ (2011). How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender? Accessed March 4, 2016. Available at:http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Gates-How-Many-People-LGBT-Apr-2011.pdf

4. Gonzales, G (2014). Same-sex marriage — a prescription for better health. New England Journal of Medicine 370: 1373-1376.

5. Hatzenbuehler ML, Keyes KM, Hasin D. (2009). State-level policies and psychiatric morbidity in lesbian, gay and bisexual populations. American Journal of Public Health, 99: 2275-2281.

6. Hatzenbuehler ML, O’Cleingh C, Grasso C, Meyer K, Safren S, Bradford J (2012). Effect of same sex marriage laws on health care use and expenditures in sexual minority men: a quasi-natural experiment. American Journal of Public Health, 102: 285-291.

7. Kalra G, Ventriglio A, Bhugra D (2015). Sexuality and mental health: issues and what next? International Review of Psychiatry, 27: 463-469.

8. Kinsey AC, Pomeroy CB, Martin CE (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Male. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

9. Levounis P, Drescher J, Barber ME (2012). The LGBT Casebook. Washington, DC: APA.

10. Padula William V, Heru S, Campbell JD (2015). Societal Implications of Health Insurance Coverage for Medically Necessary Services in the US Transgender Population: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. Journal of General Internal Medicine: 1-8.

11. Rao TSS, Jacob KS (2012). Homosexuality and India. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 54: 1-3.

12. United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (2012). Born Free and Equal: Sexual Orientation and Gender identity in International Human Rights Law. New York and Geneva: Office of the High Commissioner United Nations Human Rights; 2 Available from:http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/.....EqualLowRes.pdf. [Last accessed on 2013 Dec 31]

13. Ventriglio A, Kalra G, Bhugra D (2016). Sexual minorities and sexual fluidity. Discussion paper (available from authors).

14. World Health Organization (WHO) (1992). International Classification of Disease 10: Classification of Behavioural and Mental Disorders. Geneva: WHO.

The writing group was led by Professor Dinesh Bhugra and constituted Drs Kristen Eckstrand (USA), Petros Levounis (USA),Anindya Kar(India), Kenneth R Javate (Philippines)

Reminder: UN agencies call for end to violence and discrimination against LGBTI community

In light of the silly season shenanigans that are on again hardened positions of false dichotomies of gay agendas, forced gay marriage and such I thought it prudent to repost this development from the UN.

“Gai Jatra,” a Nepali festival, has been celebrated for nearly a decade as a version of “LGBTI pride.” Photo: Kyle Knight/IRIN

29 September 2015 

– Twelve UN agencies today called for an end to violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) adults, adolescents and children, and set out specific steps to protect these individuals.

“This is the first time that so many members of the UN family have joined forces in defence of the basic rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people,” said Charles Radcliffe, the Chief of Global Issues for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

“It’s both an expression of commitment on the part of UN agencies, and a powerful call to action for Governments around the world to do more to tackle homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination and abuses against intersex people,” he added in a news release.

At a high-level event on LGBT rights, held in New York on the margins of the annual debate of the General Assembly, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon applauded the agencies for “speaking in one voice” on this critical issue.

“When the human rights of LGBT people are abused, all of us are diminished. Every human life is precious – none is worth more than another,” he stated.

“This United Nations I lead will never shirk in the fight against discrimination. We will never shy away from protecting the most marginalized and vulnerable people. This is not just a personal commitment – it is an institutional one.”

The event highlighted the linkages between protecting the rights of LGBT people and progress towards achieving the new set of global development goals that world leaders adopted last week.

“There are 17 sustainable development goals all based on a single, guiding principle: to leave no one behind. We will only realize this vision if we reach all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Mr. Ban stated.

Ending marginalization and exclusion of LGBT people is a human rights priority – and a development imperative, he continued.

“We are here together to break down the barriers that prevent LGBT people from exercising their full human rights. When we do that, we will liberate them to fully and productively contribute to our common economic progress…. We can show future generations that the best way to advance our shared goals is to embrace all members of our human family – regardless of who they are or whom they love.”

In at least 76 countries, discriminatory laws criminalize private, consensual same-sex relationships, exposing millions of individuals to the risk of arrest, prosecution and imprisonment – and even, in at least five countries, the death penalty.

The joint statement outlines how laws are used to harass, detain, and discriminate against LGBTI people, while laws that criminalize cross-dressing are used to arrest and punish transgender people. These discriminatory laws perpetuate stigma and discrimination, police abuse and torture, and negatively affect public health by hampering vital access to health and HIV treatment and services.

In addition, the statement sets out steps for Governments to stop violence and discrimination against the LGBTI community, including measures to improve the monitoring, reporting and investigation of hate crimes.

In addition to OHCHR, the joint statement has been endorsed by the following UN entities: the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Download PDF HERE

JCSC Highlights Danger Of Debate About Buggery Law Leading To Social Strife(Repost)

Originally Published on Monday, 07 July 2014 07:15pm given the developments in the last hours I thought it prudent to repost this from the JCSC as anti gay activists Lawyers' Christian Fellowship clashed with activists. See this Washington Blade report: LGBT rights raised during Summit of the Americas

Tensions erupted between Jamaican Christian representatives and gay rights lobbyists during a forum at the 7th Summit of the Americas in Panama last week.

Jamaica was accused of promoting violence against persons based on their sexual orientation.

According to one Jamaican representative in attendance, the forum erupted after she sought to defend Jamaica as a country with deep religious values.

Helene Coley-Nicholson was one member of a Jamaican group of civil society activists attending the summit in Panama City.

She was there as President of the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, LCF.

During a forum that was supposed to be focused on Citizen Participation, tensions erupted between the LGBTI lobbyists and Christian groups, including the LCF.

According to Mrs. Coley-Nicholson, a transgender spokesperson presented a series of prepared recommendations.

These included a call for non-discrimination and recognition of all types of families, including same-sex families, as well as punishment for states that do not take affirmative action on behalf of LGBTI people.

Mrs. Coley-Nicholson says she was also opposed to the attempt to dictate to sovereign states, what type of government they should have.

She says the LGBTI lobbyists didn’t react well to that response.

Although they were unable to agree on a single position, the LBGTI group’s recommendations were removed from the document.

The group instead drafted a document seeking to protect the religious views of persons.

The document was presented to the 35 Heads of State at the Summit.

here is the repost element:

Jamaica Civil Society Coalition
2 Fagan Avenue | Kingston 8
Ph: (876)-755-3668|Fax: (876)-925-6422
jamaicacsc@gmail.com
www.jamaicacsc.com

July 1, 2014

For Immediate Release

JCSC HIGHLIGHTS DANGER OF DEBATE ABOUT BUGGERY LAW LEADING TO SOCIAL STRIFE 

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

Whatever our differences we are all Jamaicans and we must find a way to live peaceably together in our island space. Every Jamaican citizen is deserving of a hearing and of equal protection under the law of the land and under the principles of human rights to which we are signatories. We must not allow the point and counterpoint which is a hallmark of a democratic process to become a vehicle for intimidation. 

We need to bring an end to inflammatory and dismissive statements and to the stigmatization of entire groups based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, religious convictions or other difference of whatever kind. Indeed, such approaches invariably lead to social strife as well as intentional and unintentional harm. Some of us can recall the injustice meted out to those who in times past espoused views or acted in ways contrary to those deemed acceptable to the majority. 

We, in all our diversity, share a common humanity. None of us is well served by the hard line, condemnatory or disrespectful tone of many utterances on the topic. We must exercise care that we do not create divisions so deep that we lose the potential for working together on some of the many other challenges we face as a nation. 

We call on all the actors in the debate to set an example of leadership grounded in a willingness to permit all voices to be heard.

ENDS

 Carol Narcisse founding member of JCSC also had an interesting debate with persons from the antigay groups:

Sadly here we are again this old familiar place where the LCF had successfully got removed the only discrimination clause covering sexual orientation during the Charter of Rights Debate in 1999 and onwards. The the group was led by none other than Shirley Richards. click her name for more, she has trained Ms Nicholson well it seems and to think she was once on the tolerance side.

here is Mrs Nicholson follow up interview on Nationwide pretending to have concerns about rights for all, the tone of her scholarship here has changed and is not at pressing as before, has some changes been forced on anti gay grous such as this as they are seen as confrontational?:

Antigay LCF's President Helen Coley Nicholson-Summit of the Americas Clash w/LGBT Activists 14.04.15 

She wore a T-shirt emblazened with the words "CHRISTIAN" changing the essence of their advocacy to one of a victim of pressure towards religious voices.

Sadly Jesus must be looking in horror at this modern day Pharisees twisting the word, the Bible and original God centered principles for their own ends.

also see my previous podcasts prior to the issue they used to solidify their anti gay advocacy:

Gay Marriage Smoke Screen, False Dichotomies and Religious Fanatics 05.06.14 

Real tolerance anyone?

How long is this going to continue?

also see:
Don't give up on the church, pastor tells gays (Observer)


'Harlem Shake' Goes Anti-Gay With Bizarre Clip Produced By Jamaica's Love March Movement

JAMAICA CIVIL SOCIETY COALITION’S CHAIR ON “CHURCH CAN’T TAKE REFUGE IN BUGGERY LAW”

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

Church claims future victimization if buggery is decriminalized in Jamaica 

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

Dr Wayne West’s continued intellectual dishonesty ...

Jamaican Pastor says the LGBT issue is not about rights but acceptance of lifestyle 

The church now claims what has happened in other countries where supposed religious voices are legally persecuted for either opposing or speaking out on homosexuality will eventually lead to their speech labelled as hate speech. Recent court cases in the UK have been sited as benchmarks for this so called inevitable abuse of Christians. Case in point: Espeut, West says “Homophobia” was invented to abuse Christians as hate speech sometimes I wonder if persons do not speak their own doom into reality, what a lovely way to give the very secular and supposed anti-Christ all the ammunition they need?
I had warned about the clouding of the issues regarding religion versus LGBT rights:

Will these voices ever actually evolve on this genuinely?

Only time will tell.

Peace and tolerance

H

some additional readings for historical contexting:
Church Cherry Picking on Issues again, Western Jamaica Bain Protests .

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

US Pastor Charged With Sexually Assaulting Men During Ex-Gay therpy Session

Gays' Threat To Free Speech ........... veteran journalist Ian Boyne .. 

Downlow at the pulpit: Pastor Flees after same sex scandal .... says Star News 2011

Booted from the Fellowship … said to be a homosexual ... Pastor's response is wanting 2011

The Church and the DJs agree (Gleaner 25.10.09) 

JAMAICA COALITION FOR A HEALTHY SOCIETY, JCHS CONTINUED CONFUSION OF PAEDOPHILIA & CONSENTING HOMOSEXUALITY.

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

LAWYERS’ CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP’S CONTINUED FEAR MONGERING ON CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION POST BUGGERY LAW AMENDMENT & RE-SOCIALIZATION

THE USE OF JAMAICAN DIALECT TO FURTHER STIGMATISE HOMOSEXUALS IN THE NEW PATOIS BIBLE

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

Lloyd D'Aguilar on The Church Preaching Itself Out Of Relevance in Jamaica

Shame On Church - Clergyman Charges Christians To Focus On Serious Crimes, Not Anti-Gay Protest

Gay Canadian pastors optimistic Ja will repeal buggery law while local JCHS group says no way

Dr Wayne West’s continued intellectual dishonesty on fisting felching & chariot racing by homosexuals in Jamaica

Father of gay son to religious groups: Focus on the real problem guys

Shame On Church - Clergyman Charges Christians To Focus On Serious Crimes, Not Anti-Gay Protest

Miami-based Max-Arthur Mantle debut novel BATTY BWOY taps Jamaica’s homophobia

February 2015

Miami, Florida.

Miami-based Max-Arthur Mantle debut novel BATTY BWOY taps Jamaica’s homophobia

In Jamaica, being gay is a death sentence. “Boom bye, bye inna batty bwoy head” has replaced the country’s motto “Out of many, one people.”

Time magazine noted Jamaica the worst place in the Americas for LGBT people and one of the most homophobic places in the world. 

BATTY BWOY is a semi-fiction bildungsroman set in Jamaica and America. The title is a reappropriation of the derogatory Jamaican epithet used to describe gay, bisexual and effeminate men or those presumed to be gay or bisexual.

BATTY BWOY is a chronological narrative covering the life of a gay black Jamaican as he battles harsh socio-economic conditions, overcoming some and defeated by others then finds hope.

Max-Arthur Mantle is a Jamaican-born writer. He migrated to America in 1992. He studied journalism and photography at Howard University in Washington, DC and served in the US military (Navy). For ten years, he had been an internationally published fashion photographer, garnering editorials, covers and a photo book, BEACH BOYS, published in 2012 by Bruno Gmunder Verlag GmbH (Berlin, Germany). After a three year hiatus from shooting to focus on writing, BATTY BWOY is the first of a trilogy. Max-Arthur Mantle lives in Miami, Florida.

BATTY BWOY will be published in April 2015. The autographed hardcover edition will be available exclusively at www.maxarthurmantle.net, where you can order via email at maxarthurmantle@yahoo.com. The cost is US$29.95, plus US$5.95 for shipping in the USA and additional charges for international shipping. The paperback and ebook editions will be available thereafter at Amazon. 

For additional information please visit www.maxarthurmantle.net. 

###

National Children’s Summit for Jamaica Conference Centre for August Excludes Sexuality Issues

The following press release came to had via email from a reader originally from the Child Development Agency, CDA and it struck me that the core issues of sexuality, early initiation and sex that have bee raised via various incidents (JFJ sex manual matter included) and by numerous public commentators and private citizens yet this upcoming conference seems to nicely ignore those realities. In light of the recent announcement Youth Ministry to develop programmes to address LGBT youth, homeless, destitute and vulnerable children a conference of this type would at least begin to look at some of these issues affecting teens even as none state actors also shrug their ow responsibilities in a sense while passing them off to government.

Just saying ..........

The release said:

Nearly 600 children from across Jamaica will converge on the Jamaica Conference Centre on August 21, 2014, for the Child Development Agency’s first National Children’s Summit.

Being spearheaded by CDA’s Children Advisory Panel (CAP), under the theme, “Creating Opportunities for Jamaica’s Vulnerable Children- Opening Doors to Securing a Brighter Future,” the Summit is part of the CDA’s 10th anniversary celebrations being observed from June 1, 2014 to May 31, 2015.

CAP is a 15-member grouping pulled from different sectors of the society which was established in 2012 to provide child-friendly advice to CDA’s Executive Management Team and the CDA Advisory Board..

In addition to CAP members, those to attend the Summit include children nominated from youth organizations, church groups; children who are in the care of the State and representatives of the Office of the Children’s Registry Child Ambassador corps, the Office of the Children’s Advocate Children’s Advisory Group and the National Centre for Youth Development, among others.

CDA’s CAP Chairperson Charles Young explained that the team had identified the need for the Summit as part of its general itinerary of activities and is primarily an extension of its mandate to seek and represent the views of children, especially those who are in the care of the State on matters affecting them.

“The objective of the Summit is to create an environment in which children ages 9 to 17 can interact and share experiences and views on critical issues affecting them in Jamaica, and to make recommendations on how these issues can be addressed,” Mr. Young said, pointing to a number of issues which have been impacting children and young persons, including child abuse, neglect, general violence permeating the society, bulling, and general lack of respect for others and their properties, and other socioeconomic factors impacting almost every individual.

“Our goal is to give these children a voice. During the Summit, we will encourage them to have open and honest discussions on the matters affecting them, and to come up with solutions that we can share with the leadership of the CDA,” Mr. Young said.

Giving details on the features of the Summit, Kinshashia Johnson, PR Officer for the CDA CAP said that the event will feature an official opening ceremony, with speeches by the Minister of Youth and Culture, the Hon. Lisa Hanna, and CEO of the CDA Rosalee Gage-Grey and child representatives; topical workshop discussions, and interactive sessions on technology, art and craft, and career development.

Workshop sessions will include discussions on Managing Conflict; Knowing Your Rights as well as Your Responsibilities; Helping Children Transition from the Primary to Secondary Education System; Success for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond; Developing Entrepreneurial Skills and Abilities and Technology for Kids and Teens.

Ms. Johnson further disclosed that interactive features of the Summit will be an art and craft room called Art Expression Centre which will allow children to creatively express themselves by participating in painting of a mural; a Spa Oasis facilitated by HEART/NTA to provide beauty treatment services and demonstrations to the children, while appealing to their professional development; a play therapy area; a Robotics Display that will allow children to participate in assembling Lego robots; computer games, as well as a feature titled ‘Exploring the Musical You’.

She pointed out that adults who will be in attendance as chaperones or as specially invited guests will not be neglected as sessions are also planned for them Parents and caregivers who will participate in a workshop session called Good Parenting versus Bad Parenting, Success for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond and Knowing Your Rights as well as Your Responsibilities, the latter of which will be delivered with a special focus on child participatory rights.

In preparation for the Children’s Summit, the Children’s Advisory Panel members are currently carrying out a number of pre-summit meetings with children in different parishes across the island. Miss Johnson indicated that this was necessary because “the issues to be explored and discussed are so many and we had to find creative and cost effective ways to cover a number of areas, which could ordinarily not be possible in a one day event.

The Summit is seeking to achieve a number of specific outcomes including, developing a document outlining recommendations for improvements in service to children in Jamaica; giving children a greater understanding of initiatives being carried out by both State and Non-State actors; creating an avenue through which children can share their experiences.

The children will also be reviewing and providing a report on issues of importance affecting them and assessing the Children’s Declaration which was developed during the 2012 UN Regional Meeting on Violence against Children, to determine if the recommendations have been achieved, and if not, what they believe would be necessary to move the process along.

CDA CEO Rosalee Gage-Grey congratulated CDA CAP on the staging of the first National Children’s Summit, noting that the Agency is keen to hear the views of the children and to work closely with them in finding workable solutions to some of the issues they face.

“Since CAP was established two years ago to provide policy advice to the CDA Executive Management Team and the CDA Advisory Board, the group has been consistent in undertaking initiatives that have helped us in advancing the matter of child protection in Jamaica,” Mrs. Gage-Grey said.

ENDS

Typical sanitized approaches to looking at issues yet sexuality is ignored for the most part and as the investigations or witch hunt for the so called culprits responsible for the sex educational manual from Jamaicans for Justice continue I think as that has gone suddenly so quiet despite an interim report from the child development agency and an interim board of JFJ becoming active and vocal as of late.

I would have thought 16 year olds to 17 or 18 who are at the legal age of majority would have not been included in this as "children" as they are teenagers with much more issues to contend with; seeing that the age of consent is 16, yet the age of majority is 18 when it comes to getting married but to adopt a child one has to be 25 years of age and older under our laws. These weird gaps in age and legal definitions of a child versus how we treat with teens issues is of great concern.

The abuse of tees the nightly lists of missing kids seems not important for this conference and as for sexual orientation embedded in sexuality where that is nowhere to be seen. The topic on children knowing their rights one wonders if that is to supposedly bump he JFJ version of it and present a more comfortable version excluding same gender sex issues and avoidance of abuse by other tees as well as adults; owing to the fact that only church groups seemed to be the ones invited.

Let us see how this one goes.

Also see:

Youth Minister Lisa Hanna's conflation of same gender sex & abuse responded to part 2

Concerned sources claim that ... Boys kissed, fondled by male teacher

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

Urgent need for sex & sexuality to be discussed nationally and Part 2 2012, not much has changed eh?

also see Dr Heather Little-White's take recently prior to her passing: Sexuality Education ... To Teach Or Not To Teach? 

UPDATE

Peace and tolerance

H

Research Suggests U.S. Fails to Meet International Human Rights Standards for LGBT People

For Immediate Distribution

July 10, 2014

Washington, DC – Social science research and legal analysis suggest the U.S. is failing to comply with international human rights standards in relation to LGBT people, according to testimony from Adam Romero, Arnold D. Kassoy Scholar of Law and Senior Counsel at UCLA’s Williams Institute, given to a committee at the State Department conducting a review of the United States’ human rights record. While the U.S. has seen significant progress in recent years, a majority of states fail to provide legal protections for LGBT people and families, despite evidence of persistent and pervasive discrimination, economic vulnerability, and violence and sexual assault.

Every four years, each country undergoes a Universal Periodic Review that examines whether it has abided by commitments under international human rights treaties. In addition to helping create the Universal Declaration of Human rights, the United States has ratified specific treaties addressing civil and political rights, race discrimination, and the treatment of refugees. In the last review, held in 2010, the United Nations issued a long series of recommendations that called on the United States to take measures to comprehensively address discrimination against individuals on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Addressing documented discrimination in the United States is critical to the United States’ credibility on international human rights issues,” said Andrew Park, Director of International Programs at the Williams Institute and co-author of the Williams Institute’s statement presented by Romero. Research highlights that current U.S. policies are failing to meet persistent discrimination and disparities:

• Research shows that 37% of lesbian and gay workers and 90% of transgender workers continue to face workplace discrimination. Because US law does not include a prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, it is not in compliance with international human rights standards.

• Census data shows that LGBT people, particularly people of color, face higher rates of poverty. International standards concerning race discrimination require the government to combat discrimination that threatens the health and wellbeing of LGBT people.

• Surveys of LGBT people show that survivors of violence continue to face mistreatment by police when seeking assistance from them. Police officers should receive more training and support about how to appropriately respond to LGBT people.

• LGBT people in detention, particularly transgender people, face high rates of violence and sexual assault. The government should ensure the human right to safety and health for those in detention.

Click here for the full statement.

For more information on the Universal Periodic Review Process, visit www.upr-info.org.

Contact:

Laura Rodriguez, lrodriguez@rabengroup.com, (310) 956-2425

Donald Gatlin, dgatlin@rabengroup.com, (202) 587-2871

Andrew Park, parka@law.ucla.edu, (310) 206-8138

Adam Romero, romero@law.ucla.edu, (212) 203-9010

Jamaican Bar Association - Remarks on termination of contract of Professor Bain by UWI

In light of the Bain matter and my own review of the materials since the last seven days of the story breaking I think it is important we get the best voices on this so here is the JBA'a press release in full, also here the recent audio/radio discourse below.

THE JAMAICAN BAR ASSOCIATION 

President: Donovan C. Walker 78-80 Harbour Street 

Vice President: Sherry-Ann McGregor Kingston, Jamaica W.I. 

Secretary: Althea McBean Telephone: (876) 967-3394 

Treasurer: Jacqueline Cummings 967-9034 

Fax: (876) 967-3783 

E-mail: jba@flowja.com 

Website: www.jambar.org 

MEDIA RELEASE – 23RD

May, 2014 

The Termination of contractual arrangements by UWI with Professor Brendan 

Bain as director of CHART . 

May 23, 2014 

The Jamaican Bar Association (“Jambar”) notes with concern a statement published by the University of the West Indies (“UWI”) on its website dated May 20, 2014 wherein UWI sought to explain and justify the termination of Professor Brendan Bain (“Bain”). 

As we understand, in summary, the events and facts leading up to the termination of Bain 

by UWI are as follows:- 

1. Bain is a medical doctor practicing in that field for over 30 years. During that time Bain has come to be regarded as a pioneer and leading expert in the Caribbean as regards clinical infectious disease (in particular HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean region). At all relevant times Bain was the Director of Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART) Centre (“CHART”). Bain is regarded as an expert in the field of HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean region. 

2. In 2010 a case was filed in the Belize Supreme Court (Caleb Orozco and the United Belize Advocacy Movement Vs. The Attorney general Of Belize) (“the Orozco Case”). 

The claimants in the Orozco case brought an action challenging the constitutionality of 

Section 53 of the Criminal Code of Belize. 

3. In that case Bain prepared and submitted an expert report dated August 7, 2012 (the “Bain report”). The Bain report is some 52 pages containing a 14 page report as well as 7 exhibits attached thereto. 

4. In the Orozco Case Bain presented the Bain report in his capacity as an expert in his own right and based on his years of experience. Bain expressly disassociated the Bain report from UWI and/or CHART and/or any other entity.  

5. On its website the UWI statement reads (inter alia) “…the issue in question arose about two years ago in {the Orozco Case}. Bain provided a Statement on behalf of a group of churches seeking to retain the 1861 Law. Many authorities familiar with the Brief presented believe that Professor Bain’s testimony supported arguments for retention of the law…. This opinion is shared by the lesbian, gay and other groups who are served by CHART… For the last year, there has been considerable controversy surrounding the appropriateness of Professor Brendan Bain serving as Director of CHART…”. 

6. The UWI statement further reads and concludes “…While the University recognises the right of Bain to provide expert testimony in the manner he did, it has become increasingly evident that Bain has lost the confidence and support of a significant sector of the community which the CHART programme is expected to reach, including the loss of his leadership status in PANCAP, thereby undermining the ability of this programme to effectively deliver on its mandate. It is for this reason that the University of the West Indies has decided to terminate the contract of Professor Bain as Director of CHART...”. 

7. Jambar is further advised that by letter dated 24th

April, 2014 a coalition of various 

NGO’s and other groups wrote to Professor E. Nigel Harris demanding the “…removal of Bain from any leadership position in the CHART programme and all positions of representations of the University of the West Indies on issues of HIV and Aids…”. This letter was apparently written based on the fact that Bain submitted and prepared the Bain report in the Orozco case. 

We do not yet know if Bain was given a fair and impartial hearing by UWI before his contract was terminated, and we will therefore refrain from commenting on that issue, except to say that he is entitled to have such an opportunity. 

Firstly, our concern has to do with the reports of an apparent agenda of retaliation and retribution against Bain by persons or entities who are not pleased by the content of the Bain report. The fact is Bain is an expert in his field and whether we agree or disagree with his opinion he has provided his expert report which can be tested and challenged under the rigorous scrutiny of cross examination in the courts or (if available) other expert opinion to counter and rebut the Bain Report. 

Secondly, we note the certification in the Bain report where he states (on page 14) that based on”… my professional experience together with information from research literature related to the matter under consideration. The opinions expressed in this report are mine and should not be attributed to any institution to which I am associated…” Importantly, 

Bain further certifies that he has been “…given no instruction by any party, by any person representing a party, or by any other person with respect to this report…”. How then, in the face of this certification, has UWI concluded that the Bain report was “…given on behalf of a group of churches…”? 

Thirdly, we identify with the comments issued by the Medical Association of Jamaica (“MAJ”) where they state “…the MAJ and its members are committed to improving the health of all members of society... Our training and expertise are in science and scientific  research. The veracity of a scientific conclusion should only be challenged on the basis of science and NOT on emotion or sentiment its conclusions may evoke. Statements of fact 

are never meant to be offensive…As an expert witness, his testimony to the court is a duty to the Court, and, is the opinion of the expert himself. He is therefore obliged to discharge his testimony truthfully and professionally. Many Doctors are asked to give expert testimony to the Courts, both locally and internationally, on a variety of areas. 

We sincerely hope that our responsibility under the law to the court is not under any form of attack. …” We certainly hope not, as well. 

The legal profession routinely relies on expert testimony to advance the cases of our clients. As such we are very concerned that the actions of UWI against Bain could adversely impact on the freedom of expression by experts giving testimony in Jamaica. In civil proceedings in the Supreme Court that are governed by the Civil Procedure Rules, an expert witness has a duty “to help the court impartially on the matters relevant to his or her area of expertise” and “that duty overrides any obligations to the person by whom he or she is instructed or paid”. In giving expert evidence, the information presented to the court “must be and should be seen to be, the independent product of the expert witness uninfluenced as to form or 

content by the demands of the litigation. 

An expert witness must give independent assistance to the court by way of objective unbiased opinion in relation to matters with in the expert witness’ expertise.” 

In that context, Bain’s dismissal may cause such experts (many of whom reside in tenure at UWI) to become fearful to express their honest and considered belief as they may face adverse repercussions even when their thoughts are based on decades of study and research and independent of the office that they hold. This sort of retaliation against Bain may well be contemptuous of our system of justice as same could be considered as a wrongful interference in a judicial process. Many of us studied at UWI and have taken pride in the strong regional academic experience. 

Regretfully, the recent academic censorship and contractual termination by UWI of Bain raises serious questions in the minds of all persons who look to UWI for independent thought and creative thinking given its position as a bastion of Caribbean research and pedagogy. We are concerned that the work and worth of Professor Bain and other leaders in other academic fields can be so easily circumscribed. 

The Jamaican Bar Association calls upon Professor Nigel Harris and the leadership of UWI, if it has not done so, to give due process to Professor Bain. We remind UWI that while not all academic pursuits may lead to outcomes, hypotheses or conclusions that are desirous or popular with your constituents and donors full respect must be accorded to the process and the freedom of expression and thought that we trust will always remain a true and guarded virtue by the University of the West Indies. 

Donovan C. Walker 

President – The Jamaican Bar Association 

www.jambar.org  dcwalker@hmf.com.jm

ENDS

Here are the other discussions I think we should follow closely:

Review carefully please

Peace and tolerance

H