Deacon Seeks Sex from boy says The Star

Michael Lee, STAR Writer

A deacon at a Seventh Day Adventist church in Kingston, who was taped trying to make sexual advances to a teenage boy recently, left the place of worship after he was disciplined.

Steven Benjamin*, a member of the church, told THE STAR that everyone was shocked when the tape was played for a pastor of the church. He said, however, that some persons had previously suspected the deacon was a homosexual.

possibly gay

"I normally made comments that he was possibly gay; however, it was not taken seriously by many. Although I had my speculation, I was still shock at this discovery," said the church member.

A man who attended the church and lives in the area, said that the deacon had approached the teen, admitted he was gay and that he wanted to be involved in a sexual activity with him. It is alleged that the teen then told his friends about the deacon's proposal.

It is claimed that the teen and his friends approached the deacon and acted as if they were interested in taking part in his activity, but carried a device to record the conversation. It is alleged that he admitted that he was gay during the conversation.

played the tape

The youths are said to have then told the pastor of the church and played the tape for him. The deacon is said to have admitted that he approached the teen after the recording was played.

The deacon was instructed to sit at the back of the church, however, he was reportedly not pleased about this. The church member told THE STAR that the deacon did not want anyone to pray for him, as well.

"When persons wanted to pray for him, he did not want anyone to pray for him ... He said that he wants to remain like that," said the church member.

*Name change to protect identity

Gay and Lesbian Alliance to protest “hate” singer

By KAREN VELIE

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast (GALA) plans to protest the appearance of a Reggae singer known as “Capleton” because of his violent hate lyrics toward gays.

Capleton is scheduled to play at the San Luis Obispo Downtown Brewing Company on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. GALA is asking for the community to come together and help them picket the event.
“I do believe that disliking something and voicing your opinion is alright,” said Sheryl Flores, GALA vice president. “But to promote the killing of bisexuals and gay people is very disconcerting.”
GALA is asking supporters to meet at the GALA Center at 1060 Palm Street in San Luis Obispo at 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 to help make signs. On Feb. 17, protesters will leave the GALA Center at 5 p.m. for a peaceful march over to the Downtown Brewing Company.
“We want to stress, it is a peaceful protest,” Flores said.

Capleton is from Jamaica, a country that has made homosexuality a crime and glorifies the killing of gays. The lyrics of “Give Har” provide an example of Capleton’s anti-gay music.

“Shoulda know seh Capleton bun battyman
You should know that Capleton burns queers
“Dem same fire apply to di lesbian
The same fire applies to lesbians
“Seh mi bun everything from mi know seh dem gay
Say, I burn everything as long as I know that they’re gay
“All boogaman and sodemites fi get killed
All queers and sodomites should be killed”
Following escalating protests against Capleton’s music, which spurred a string of show cancellations including the Los Angeles House of Blues’ termination of Capleton’s scheduled 2004 performance, the controversial singer signed an agreement in which he pledged to condemn violence against the gay and bisexual communities.

However, equal rights groups contend he has continued to sing anti-gay songs, which has again prompted cancellations of many of his concerts throughout the world.

“This type of hatred is so hard to erase especially for the youth,” Flores said. “People in our community already have so much trouble coming out and being themselves. This could put the youth back in the closet.”
Calls to the Downtown Brewing Company were not returned.
also see the Petrelis blog post as well

JAMAICA HAS GAY CHURCH? says the Jamaica Star,

Jamaica is notoriously referred to as one of the most homophobic countries, so it may come as a shock to find out that at least once every month, a gay church reportedly keeps service in Kingston.

While THE WEEKEND STAR was not able to find out the exact location of the church, evidence of one of their worship sessions was posted on popular video sharing site Youtube.com under the title 'Gays in Jamaica worship in underground church'.

The video which appears to be a special feature done on the church, was uploaded on November 11, by Worldfocus.org. The entity identifies itself as an international news source that, among other things, reports 'on events from around the world and cover the stories that don't always make the headlines'. Since being uploaded, the video has recorded approximately 4,000 hits.

worship in secret

The close to six-minute-long clip starts with the narrative: 'Jamaica is often said to hold the world record for the most churches per-square-mile. There's a public place of worship for almost everyone, unless you're gay. If you are, you must worship in secret. Reverend Robert Griffin, a gay-American minister flies to Kingston once a month to lead this underground service ...'

Midway through this introduction, the clip shows the male members of the church and Griffin, the head, singing a song Welcome Holy Spirit with eyes closed and hands lifted as if in deep meditative worship.

Throughout the video, the males, whose faces are blurred, are seen holding hands, resting arms around each other, playing tambourine and singing lively choruses, clapping and even taking communion.

While speaking to the interviewer, Griffin said the church had to operate underground because of the "hostility towards the gay and lesbian community here in Jamaica." The minister said going public would "invite harm (and) danger to the congregation."

The pastor said that there was no physical church building or tent but that everything needed to keep the services, bible, communion condiments and tambourines, were kept in boxes until the appointed time.

During a section of pastor's sermon to his gay gathering, he was heard telling the church: "God loves us because, guess what? God created us. And God did not create us just to sit around and hate us because we chose to love someone of the same gender."

Towards the end of the video, Griffin chided local ministers for what he described as their messages of hate and violence towards gays in Jamaica and called for an end to such practices on the part of the local clergy.

Head of the Kingston-based Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre, Bishop Herro Blair, was interviewed by the news agency in the video and he spoke on the behalf of the local religious leaders.

Blair stated that Jamaica was a homophobic society that grew up to dislike homosexuals and to hate homosexuality. He said that God's concept was an Adam and an Eve for the continuity of the human race and that homosexuality in and of itself, has the potential to hinder that God-intended process.

When contacted by THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday, Blair said that he was interviewed over a year ago but he had never seen the taping since.

He said that he did not know if the gay church was still active as he never made any checks on it.

As for the request that the gay pastor made in the video for local ministers to stop preaching against homosexuality, Blair said: "To do that would be a compromise of our faith ... If they have a right to be wrong, then we have a right to be right."

The Quietus ......... The Safe House Project Closes

Hope remains while company is true

So as the news of the demise or conclusion to the operations of the JASL Safe house pilot project in its present form ends many are wondering:

1) What next for the clients in the meantime?

2) Is there a replacement in the works and when?

3) Will JFLAG take on this?

4) Could the project been tweaked seeing the issue was about the residents behaviour and the management?

5) Is it that the stabilization work was not properly done and can be re-introduced in the remaining time of the pilot?

The fallout looks serious on the face of it and with criticisms about the coverage of the debacle on this blog heats up I really don’t care to be honest, these things must be exposed, yet they are not bold enough to comment publicly on the posts to show freedom of expression. So the veil of secrecy continues, be it resolved that this blog will be used to highlight, expose and condemn any perceived negative actions by individuals or groups whether gay or not against other Gay and Bisexual individuals as the name implies, it is a platform for watchdog commentary and analysis.

As it turns out the mischief and rumours I have been accused of ended up becoming a reality as the house was closed on Friday February 6, 2010, two former members are critically ill (not necessarily due to the closure) and one has been hospitalized in a Kingston facility known for it’s poor treatment of HIV/AIDS patients specifically the males who are often left at the back of the ward and attended to rarely when the other patients are cleared during ward runs. This concern about HIV+ patients has been raised before on this blog but who cares eh?

The patient in question is male and there is a growing concern as to the rapid deterioration in his health as he is said to have suffered another stroke as he has had three before now. So politics and foolishness causes the near demise of clients who really need help it’s sad that this is what has come out of this ugly episode in our LGBT history to think that a well needed intervention though it’s ad hoc development and mid way disruptions could have been properly tailored and reshaped instead of a closure or if there are no funds to carry out the operations fully then say so, bearing in mind the members and their friends have shown they are able to raise their own funds as they did in a event that was able to provide money for necessities. 

That act in and of itself teaches and reinforces empowerment, self sustainability and maturity which would positively result in a stick-to-itiveness which could make the members autonomous and all that would have been needed in the long run is monitoring and evaluation with the relevant psychological and counselling support for those who need it. Let us not forget as well the continued HIV/AIDS sensitizations and adherence where required.

Another former client of concern was a female though not a member of the LAG community is still of concern as it’s about care, she was on the road to recovery from a low episode in health but since the closure is struggling in a sense. Thankfully there are those who quietly help by purchasing items where possible and visits as well to cheer up the guys.

Other complaints however from former clients in the program doesn't auger well for the situation either there are unproven accusations of favouritism and verbal abuse by persons in the program with instances of expletives hurled at them by staff in a bootcamp like setting, ad hoc curfews are implemented whilst donations have been refused from so called questionable persons who cannot prove their source of income.

A few unruly clients were however expelled from the program and rightfully so as in any system there must be order and discipline..

A boot camp run project for this sensitive grouping is not my idea of a safe house, yes there must be rules but alleged brutish imposition of them is not required as they the clients already need to feel appreciated based on the rejection many feel from the homes of origin and general society, a double or triple whammy as the respective cases maybe. A possible solution is a boarding/residential typed facility with rooms with no more than two persons per room so as to allow solace and alone time as well as any rehabilitation process requires thought, introspection and preparation and review of self efficacious activity, speaking of which ...............

What about self efficacious activity? 

Allowing the members to develop their own path to growth and with the presence of a certain services would have worked if it were properly sustained. Where are the empowerment tools that can be offered to the population in a timely and measured fashion so as to tailor future activities from best practices as there will be more persons who fall under this umbrella.

The possible triple whammy: a basic look

Being HIV positive and worried about status of health with everyday needs

Gay, ostracised and abused with some suffering homophobic abuse

Feelings of hopelessness and unappreciated by others and general society

Triple threat? It would seem so on the face of it, as stated in a recent radio interview on HIV issues in Newstalk 93 FM the former Executive Director highlighted the lack of any formal government supported or run housing solutions for homeless HIV+ persons (despite orientation) the other hospice typed facilities are not suited for proper transitional or temporary housing for HIV/AIDS care, in fact there is a stigma attached to them as “dead houses in waiting” as anyone heard to have gone to one of are deemed at the end stage of the disease.

Personal interventions are on the works where possible as persons are doing their own part which is good.

Peace and tolerance

H

click the "Homeless MSM: tab immediately below for previous exclusive entries on homelessness 

The PM on the Independent Commission of Investigation’s Bill Debate

While on his feet yesterday February 10, 2010 in the House of Parliament the Prime Minster Honourable Bruce Orette Golding said words to the effect that:...............

If the rights of others are breached then his own rights cannot be sacrosanct and therefore the state must ensure that the rights of all are secure.

One wonders where this thinking was during the Sexual Offences Bill Debate and is it only for police extra judicial killings being investigated that where rights are to be recognised under this another new independent investigatory arm.

Obviously LGBT people therefore are not seen or to be recognised then even during allegations of abuse by police to gays and lesbians, the lack of proper police records and reports of abuse is a glaring example of the callousness and disregard for us as LGBT people. Michael Petrelis another blogger from San Francisco has been trying to get proper documentation from the respective offices of government including the Office of The Prime Minister under the Access to Information Act with very little success which is not surprising but to hear the words of the Prime Minister on his feet during the current debate is almost blasphemous as it is a turn around from the position he took on the invented gay marriage smoke screen used to justify the exclusion of gender based rights from the Charter of Rights Bill and from the Sexual Offences Bill recently passed.

(see Charter of Rights Bill and Sexual Offences Bill Tabs on GLBTQ JA and GJW blogs)

Suddenly rights are important for purposes to sell to the public an independent investigation unit when as we have seen in last few weeks the not surprisingly high levels of corruption within the ranks of the police force taking into account the large ammunition find and one of their own held for it at Mountain View area recently, refreshingly however it was a set of young cops who pointed out the infraction and they are to be commended for it, some of whom have since been promoted or received some form of commendation, I only hope their lives aren’t in any danger due to this dent made in the illegal guns trade.

So the trick is to avoid supposed rights that are unpleasant to the religious elite but champion the ones carried by other human rights bodies so as to get their support it seems, its has been some time that Jamaicans for Justice and many others have been asking for a totally independent body to investigate alleged infractions and crimes committed by agents of the state and rightly so but this seems like the Bruce Golding led Jamaica Labour Party administration is pandering to the gallery yet again on selected issues while gays can forget it in as far as basic recognition as human beings.

It’s tiresome now to see how politicians use so called interest in rights issues to gain popularity when convenient, when are we going to get real leaders who are bold enough to make the unpopular decisions without having to worry about the political fallout? It is well known that in private circles many of the politicians who publicly hit out at issues like homosexuality hum a different tune but they are aware of how explosive and manipulative this issue is and that they can be employed to their advantage.

Will the real leaders please stand up and speak out.

Stop using rights when it’s convenient to look as if you are doing something good.

We are not fools out here.

Will the real advocates please stand up and demand justice.

A wah wi a go do lawd?

Peace and tolerance

H

Cybersex and relationships

At another bloggers' Lyme recently this time done online another sticky topic came up that of cybersex as done by persons involved in so called monogamous relationships. Long term lovers tend to loose their sex drive after a while and resort to other forms of sexual activities to keep the action alive. Many worry about the normalcy in their sex lives when cybersex, sex toy usage and Internet porn takes the place of real person to person contact making the love die in a sense. Homosexual males whether for instant gratification of just addictions tend to use cybersex as a way to satisfy desires quickly.

Fantasies can be acted out online with ones face hidden but of course the all important genitalia is key to attracting partners online for masturbatory sessions and for some twice or three times in one night. Those fantasies may not be ones that are had with the live-in partner and to compensate often time secret cybersex camera action is employed so as not to pressure the live-in partner to bend over backwards to please the other. The at home partner still gets the emotional attention and support necessary to create the illusion or appearance of a monogamist union.

Does this practice lead to decreases in love life if one or both partners in a relationship are practising?

Some say yes some say no, as it depends on how it’s done. If one partner for example is on a business trip or is away for a short time that maybe an excuse for cybersex with outsiders not with the at home partner. One blogger at the Lyme says he used to practice cam to cam masturbation with guys even when he was with his partner full time but he knew he loved his partner no matter what, he explained that he never showed his face only from the neck down and chose guys who did the same for one on one cam action. The experts say that one can get addicted to cybersex and tend to loose real emotional and sexual desires for another person on a one on one level because the attraction is just for instant gratification or as some call it a quick nut. Then there is the proverbial hook up dude who uses the internet to meet one night standers for just quick fun and may incorporate cybersex before the actual hook-up takes place or compensate for distance if the meeting cannot be done at that particular time.

Is that considered cheating?

Some say yes and some say no, if it’s an open relationship where both partners can go outside the union for sexual pleasures well it couldn’t be considered cheating but if the union is monogamous in nature and one steps out in this format without the others knowledge then emotionally it is cheating. I guess it depends on the grounds and boundaries set by the persons involved in the relationship. Others felt strong that it was in fact cheating and that dishonesty in any form leads to a must fail in the union as time progresses, unions must remain monogamous and lovers must be true to each other no matter what if not its just a casual “spirit tek” mess that’s doomed to fail. There are those who also engage in orgies by allowing a third or fourth partner into a session for sex but emotionally the two original members of the couple know they are tied together and share a bond.

Cybersex as a safer sex method

Others in the HIV/AIDS advocacy world do encourage the use of cybersex as a means to safe sex. Many experts encourage its use to avoid risky behaviour and also to examine ones possible partner while on camera to literally look for signs of sexually transmitted infections around ones genitalia and so on before the actual hook-up takes place. Self masturbation was already recommended as a form of safer sex practices but camming has now been added in the digital age of instant video streaming and live chats. How repetitive one employs this form of sexual play is questionable as again I draw on the notion of getting addicted to emotionless sex.

meanwhile here is a treat:

What’s your take on the issue?

Public comments please

Peace and tolerance

H

Coming out or outed

These days in the Jamaican context one can imagine the difficulties same gender loving men young and old alike have in the coming out process. That can be defined as either voluntarily doing so or forcibly outed by just family members and friends prying into the private lives of persons who do not have a member of the opposite sex romantically present in their lives and publicly displaying their affections to each other. The preverbal questions asked by usually inquisitive older family members like, where is your girlfriend or boyfriend? as the case maybe or when are you going to produce children or grandchildren? These annoying taunts sometimes are brushed off with convenient answers like soon or he/she doesn’t want to come to my house yet so as to avoid the pestering.

Many homosexuals or MSMs in Jamaica end up being outed after the above issues go on for a protracted period and when the family membership, friends or nosy neighbours don’t see the partner of the opposite sex forthcoming then the all too familiar rumour and whispers increases usually unbeknown to the subject. There have been cases as well where the desire to prove their suspicions leads to searching personal effects such as cell phone message inboxes or emails if they get access to those communication areas. I distinctly recall a case a couple years ago where a young man was rebuffed by his family and thrown out of the house with his belongings after his mother instructed his younger brother to search his phone for suspicious gay activity, her suspicious were confirmed when several private messages were discovered, she proceeded to hold on to the phone as proof and showed the damming messages between himself and alleged male counterparts to his father and other neighbours thus occasioning their demand for his exit. He eventually moved out of the community under some police protection.

Our socialization is much more closely nit as neighbours are more friendly than other jurisdictions so people tend to (“Fass”) pry into affairs of the heart if needs be, if a single man for example lives alone and has no female companions visiting or over nighting then he is watched closely for suspicious clues of his sexuality. Disturbingly sometimes other undercover gay and bisexual persons participate in this rumour mill of sorts to cover their own tracks especially if they have no visible clues of gayness for e.g. effeminate aesthetics, metro sexual attire or association with the subjected individual(s) in question. Certainly over time many gay men who had suffered this forced outing process have complained that other gay men have outed them by pointing them out to the prying audience and with very little way of defending oneself at this point the outed person(s) usually for their own safety quietly and quickly relocate to avoid problems.

There are more positive accounts however of persons coming out to more tolerant family members and friend but usually these accounts come from persons who are travelled and exposed to other cultures predominantly the United States and the UK. Social class has a lot to do with this as well as many of these accounts come from upper middle income earning households who have a different take on the coming out process almost mimicking a North American approach but sometimes the negative impacts include exclusion from a will (loss of access to the trust fund), ostracism from the home, malice, loss of privileges and family breakups.

I doubt if there is anything on record at JFLAG that properly documents this phenomenon or track the persons involved most of what I have garnered is from memory or my own tracking of past cases I am aware of.

Another tragic outing process is through the mass media when sometimes embellished stories make front page news like the recent Barbie episodes or persons forcibly evicted from their homes and the actions justified in some sense by the writers of the respective articles. Who can forget the very public outing of two gay men in western Jamaica several years ago when they were allegedly escorted by police to the station on foot in the nude after neighbours called the cops under suspicion that the men were gay and having sex in their home. The police were said to have entered the home and ordered the men to undress then told them to follow them to the station much to the jeering and laughter of the public looking on. Respect for the precinct or sanctity of the threshold of ones home is usually smashed when invaders be they arms of the law or rowdy members of the public seem to think they have a right to mame alleged gay individuals anywhere and anytime.

Probably a set of programs or courses need too be implemented to aid experts in human sexuality gays, lesbians and their families about the coming out processes, its implications and tolerance that could include the tenets of the law where privacy, freedom of choice, sexuality and basic rights are concerned.

Mi a wonda a who a go dweet doh ? As di people dem who fi dweet nah seh nuttin.

Public comments please.

Peace and tolerance

H

Real Advocacy or not?

With contributions from Yard Crab inna Foreen and Battyboi Bob

So there are advocates and there are advocates and the never ended quest to produce proposals, abstracts and budgets continue in the grand scheme of things. One wonders if the present set of circumstances really are in a honest bid to tackle the problems we have in our GLBTQ communities.

The main organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender needs is a joke to say the least, this a criticism I have always had of JFLAG, they can do and ought to do a lot more, there are so many persons who need not just only crisis intervention typed assistance but also hotline counselling services that have been woefully lacking for several years, consultative forumatic sessions between the groups aforementioned are also urgently required to arrive at sensible and workable solutions to growth with tolerance from the mainstream.

With so many persons still having serious issues directly related to homophobia such as ostracism, displacement, religious bias and violent attacks and the transgender community clamoring for visibility within a transphobic gay and lesbian setting, who will really stand up and honestly, patiently and directly deal with the issues at hand without having to worry about reputations and criticisms from observers who just want to point out the right things and what else can be done? The present systems, organizations and persons involved do not seem to be getting the job done properly, we have a Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica, Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays all of whom on paper have HIV/AIDS interventions and Social Support programs directed at the mainstream, gay, lesbian and queer communities but can’t seem to get their acts together not even if they were combined into one. Without stepping on the toes of those who have tried over the years there maybe a time when a new set of persons and organizations may have to come forward with new out of the box ideas and programs to deal with the new faces of MSM out there and associated tough issues.

HIV infection rates have increased despite best efforts over the years by NGOs and the respective national programs plagued however by the alleged politics involved in the power play between private and public sector interests dealing with the controversial MSM community. On one hand the government’s health arm through the Ministry of Health wants to reach this community but cannot do so publicly because of the sensitivities involved chief among them the buggery law, public perception of male homosexuality and the real threat of political fallout for the respective ruling administrations, then there are the serious mistrust issues in the form of criticisms levied at the same Ministry basically accusing them of using the MSM community to make up testing numbers and studies with no lasting outreach efforts in place to stop or contain the HIV spread in this marginalized grouping. Private groups and NGOs want to hold on to the intervention strategies and programs they already have been carrying out for years with no obstruction or dictation from the Ministry of Health and so the vicious cycle continues while gay men suffer, most of them in silence and precious funding is jostled for behind closed doors. The NGOs themselves have their share of mistrust issues from the very MSM community they are to serve just take a look at the homeless MSM tab on here to see for yourself. Sections of the community have long doubted the intentions of some of these NGOs, some say they are money trees for those who run them or gravy trains for large funds that are available for vulnerable populations.

Why is it for example that a certain NGO designed for social support for gays having on its list of clients, men who have been abused yet they cannot get financial assistance from the said group and have to be on the streets in one instance begging while other clients seem to get preferential treatment in own their cases?

The intentions look blurred and unclear and the concerns don’t seem genuine for some folks, when one canvasses sections of the community in large part that’s the hint you get in the answers. The recent civil disobedience action taken by a group of MSM at a local NGO is proof of the distrust and how deeply entrenched it has become. One would have thought that trust ought to be a key factor in any kind of social intervention so as to connect with the target audience involved otherwise how effective can programs and activities be if the people who really need it don’t wish to be engaged simply because they don’t see one as genuine?

Could it be burn-out that is causing the problem as well? Persons could be just tired from all the years of being there that they have become immune to issues, not ready or willing to adapt to change.

That’s not to say that there has not been progress made over the years but with the recent negative activities perceived or otherwise how can we get good results with the present set of circumstances and policies still in place, are the powers that be willing to step aside and let new blood take it?

The answer is certainly not a yes, so I guess others will have to carve their own ideas and quietly do what needs to be and can be done, its not about competition to see who is better than whom but simply aiming for and getting real results thus having a meaningful impact on the lives of people. The make up of the various organizations may be a sticky issue as well as the seeming incestuous mix between them may be a debilitating factor hence a kind of rigor mortis sets in and it’s just the same ideological principles and practices that go throughout the policies and actions carried out and no new vision seems forthcoming.

The age old problem of class has reared its head again at least in one instance when one client of a certain NGO said to me recently that he doesn't feel comfortable anymore in going to them to talk about his issues as he clearly sees the unease in the faces of the front-line staff with remarks and snickering in some instances when he speaks. He named the organization clearly and said “They gone uptown now” implying the attitude of persons involved. He feels as if he is now just being given the run around with no clear action plan to help him recover from his ordeals.

There are other critics as well who are more experienced in advocacy either through volunteering over time or were contracted employees of one or more of the NGOs implied here who now say they are not interested in engaging them in any form or if they do it’s just at a casual glance out of respect. One group in particular was described by a former volunteer as a press release factory relating to the knee jerk reactions they have on issues and the lack of a more proactive approach to LGBT advocacy.

What can we do?

Do we need to let the groups/organizations know how we feel be it good or bad?

Weh unu tink eh?

Have you noticed any of the changes mentioned?

Public comments preferred or send comments or answers to lgbtevent@gmail.com, please indicate if you wish to have your responses published in or as a post.

Peace and tolerance

H and contributors

UPDATE podcast - September 7, 2011

Clarifications on Sharia law (Observer letter)

(see original letter below)

Dear Editor,

This is a response to Anthony Gordon’s letter (published February 2, 2010) about Sharia law following the call by the head of the Jamaica Muslim League for homosexuals to be executed.

Like many Christians/Westerners, Mr Gordon fails to distinguish between Sharia law and local custom. Similar to Western law, Sharia is open to different interpretations and is administered in different degrees in Muslim societies.

So, while homosexual acts are regarded as a sin by the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the examples set by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be unto him), there is no universal application of the death penalty for homosexuals across the Muslim world.

Another glaring mistake made by Mr Gordon is his reference to Islamic executions being carried out by stoning the person to death. I think he might have got his religions muddled, as executions under Sharia are not prescribed to be carried out by this method.

As a matter of fact, even the slaughter of animals under Sharia law is to be done as swiftly and humanely as possible.

Another bone of contention is Mr Gordon’s haste to criticise what he sees as the imbalance in Islamic inheritance laws in favour of the males.

What he fails to realise is that whatever a woman gets from an inheritance is her own to do what she wishes with it, while the eldest male in the family, who gets a bigger share, is obliged to provide for the women in the household when he assumes the role of the head of the household on the death of the father.

It is also a little known fact that a Muslim wife is not under any obligation to work outside the home and her husband is supposed to provide all her material needs, including household help.

The sole “duty” of the wife is to see to the upbringing of the children and the running of the household, she does not have to do any of the “work” herself.

It is funny how non-Muslims rush to the defence of “oppressed” Muslim women when their women had to fight tooth and nail to achieve some form of equality and rights that Muslim women have had for 1,400 years.

Islam should be viewed as a religion that immensely improved the status of women and granted them many rights that the modern world has recognised only this century. Islam still has so much to offer today's woman: dignity, respect, and protection in all aspects and stages of her life, from birth until death, in addition to the recognition, balance, and means for the fulfilment of all her spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional needs.

That's why it is no surprise to find that most converts to Islam, today, in a country like Britain are women. In the US female converts to Islam outnumber male converts four to one.

Women and men are regarded as equal in the sight of God, according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and will receive the same reward in Paradise.

As for veiling and the headscarf, this is also not enshrined under Sharia, but is recommended for women as sign of their devotion to Islam.

I have never heard non-Muslims condemning a Catholic nun for wearing a head covering, or ever seen a picture of the Virgin Mary without a headscarf, so why the double standard?

What about what Paul had to say in I Corinthians 11:3-10 regarding women covering their head, is this being followed by modern-day Christians?

Some Christian denominations, such as the Amish and the Mennonites, for example, still insist that their women wear veils, as do certain Jewish sects.

Mr Gordon needs to do a little more research before he engages in any more Islam bashing.

Farruk Muhammad Abdullah

London

The drip dry boyfriend vs. the ever increasing Jamaican Metro sexual

I found myself in a discussion at a Lyme of some male lgbt bloggers where the whole matter of men who are metro sexual an ever increasing aesthetic here on the island vs. the drip dry male who just looks good despite his natural state, that is without the use of mountains of male grooming products and tight jeans & tank tops wearing proudly showing the endowed nipples and gifts from God wakes up in the morning rolls out of bed and just needs soap and water.

The other bloggers asked me to raise the issue in a post to see what comes of it.

Wade in Noah's bathroom the 1st day after he moves in

The guys discuss Noah's concern for Wade's high maintenance and grooming products

Noah removes traces of Wade's face mask after Wade had kissed him while wearing it

Alex snaps at Noah for not realising there is going to be head bumping when a man moves in for the first time

Wade's mountain of male grooming products

Wade stays at Noah's for a while but Noah realises how high maintenance he is

The issue came for mention when the guys and I were watching old episodes of Noah’s Arc (captioned above) where a scene had the character Wade in Noah’s bathroom applying facial creams much to Noah’s surprise and dismay somewhat, as the following scene showed Noah explaining his concerns to the other characters.

typical tight pants or some way tighter as seen on the streets as of late with some waists way below the natural line

dancehall's reigning prince, demi God and worshipped as a hero by some gays and lesbians not because he is gay (which he has not confirmed or denied) but because he has pushed the envelope and broken several serious taboos one of which was open skin bleaching by men

Interestingly Jamaican men gay, straight or bisexual as the case may be are increasingly conscious of their looks to the point that dancehall culture speaks to it in song about men competing with women over the skin bleaching creams and tight brand named expensive clothing lines worn today. The very dancehall acts who have lyrics demonizing bleaching creams and tight pants have themselves fallen into the trend and the women don't seem to mind.

As we traverse the city streets here in Jamaica one wonders if we are really in a homophobic society as is often said. Gorgeous buffed muscular men attired in the once vilified tight jeans but carefully maintaining the deep voices and a “bad man attitude” to justify the masculinity with puffy or corn rowed dyed hairdos and manicured nails despite social class.

One member of the lyme group (I call him J1) said he didn’t mind his boyfriend being the metro sexual as he found it interesting and he thought it reinforced his homosexuality thus making him attractive in his eyes. The stereotype that gay men overcompensate in personal care with high maintenance which makes him stands out was an attraction factor for J1, the other guys disagreed and I wasn’t sure where I stood as I don’t have a steady boyfriend now and never really allowed it to bother me that much.

The other guys (let’s call them J2 & J3) strongly disagreed and seem to play to the general Jamaican consensus that “man muss stay man” (men must be masculine and are to be seen as a real men) they felt that their “Men” must not use grooming products heavily like themselves or like women or look too effeminate as others gays looking on my berate their relationship as we say in Jamaica as “two pot covers slamming shut” (2 effeminate men in a sexual union is unacceptable and not logical) there must be a dominant man and a passive partner mimicking the heterosexual concept of relationship elements. But even as the landscape changes right before our eyes we now observe men having their hair done with extensions by the street side hairdressers and in increasing salons that are becoming unisexual, men wearing bleaching

creams in public or on the streets as well is not a shocking phenom anymore

Are these brothas gay? Or is it a mix of tastes and cultures?

As we are so influenced by things from up north and elsewhere.

There may be a study available on this phenomenon I was told it would be good to see the findings (got to search for it)
Then again the converse may justify the attraction issues as some masculine (heaviots) guys really like their men queenie and deeply femme or as drag queens and it’s the feminine aspects of the behavior that becomes the basis for the hookup.

Some questions:
Do you think that your partner should be deeply masculine?
Or do you mind that metro sexuality is evident in your man?
Do you think that seeing the ways and idiosyncrasies of a metro sexual partner may make him seem less of a man?
Is not accepting metrosexualism these days non progressive in lgbt culture?

The effeminate behavior of ones partner may take some getting used to but when the period comes around to introduce your loved one to people you fear the reaction and have to relive the reality of it being present all over again for just that split second.

UPDATE may 27th 2011

Skin bleaching has become an integral part of the whole Jamaican metrosexual culture but how the public has responded to Kartel's new look suggests that persons seem to know the difference between homo thugs vs other identities under the same gender loving population we must also bear in mind that there are women who love seeing men bleached as well.

the pic that some say makes him look gay (gay thug aesthetic)

See: Gay Look for Kartel from my sister blog GLBTQJA and Who is a real man? ...."Males who do not fit this "new" hegemonic view of masculinity are often labelled as nerds and "fish" (slang for homos

also: Vybz Kartel from Anti Bleaching advocate to The King of "The Rub"

Now that dancehall music's leading figure head Vybz Kartel has turned the industry upside down with his new look of bleached skin, twined hair probably with extensions weaved in the talk of his sexuality is on in earnest and with that comes men in public who also follow suit to keep up with the trends, as Kartel (Adijah Palmer) would no doubt say Kartel leads other follow. Men spend more time now on skin care, carefully selected feminized style clothing, maintaining very elegant wardrobes and are not afraid anymore to wear softer colours such as bright pink as once frowned upon in Jamaican society. Some same gender loving men especially those who are more on the effeminate side of things and who themselves may wear makeup or fully cross dress do not seem pleased at having a high maintenance man, some feel that they must not compete as almost to buy into the hetero-normative view of Jamaican masculinity, rough, tough aggressive normally kept thug or ordinary man just as long as he doesn't have any feminized faults or traits he is good to go. One person some time ago said they do not want to compete to go to the bathroom just to put themselves together or he looks more than them when they go out together which suggests some insecurity.

What’s on your mind about this?

(Public comments preferred) otherwise lgbtevent@gmail.com

H

2007 MSM Study Reminder .....

EDITORIAL NOTE: the original slide was removed as slide.com has closed down in 2012 so the following pics were re-uploaded for your perusal.

click the "Homeless MSM in Jamaica" tab below for previous entries old & new exclusively on this blog

No place for Sharia law in Jamaica

Dear Editor,

I read the article 'Muslim leader blasts gay lifestyle' in yesterday's Observer with a tinge of shock and bemusement. I trust that your paper would follow up this article with an exposé on Sharia law, which this "righteous man" is proposing, so that Jamaicans (many of whom are sure to be rejoicing upon reading his words of prejudice) will see what they will be getting into.

Yes, Sharia law proposes death for homosexuality. But I do wonder when was the last time that this "holy man" saw someone in Jamaica who was "openly flaunting homosexual behaviour". I want to know how someone does that, just so that I do not risk death by "openly flaunting homosexual behaviour" when I next visit a Muslim country or when Sharia law becomes applicable in Jamaica.

It is Sharia law that caused a Sudanese female journalist to be sentenced last year to 40 lashes for daring to wear pants. It was Sharia law that caused the public whipping of a young man recently in another Muslim country, because he dared to hang out with a young girl.

It is Sharia law that dictates that, in the case of inheritances, a son gets twice as much of his father's inheritance as does the daughter, for no other reason than gender. It is Sharia law and its interpretation that causes honour killings, the killing of young Muslim women for bringing a family into disrepute for reasons some of us would consider "normal things."

It is Sharia law that has women walking around in garb that robs them of their identity. People implementing Sharia law in Jamaica would have a field day whipping all the drinkers of alcohol and all the gamblers. And you thousands of Jamaican fornicators and adulterers, be prepared for your stoning to death, under Sharia law!

Mr Muslim cleric, do not stop only at homosexuality; speak to Jamaicans of all these things under Sharia law. Why do you have to be selective?

I would also want to inform this Muslim cleric of the discrimination that people like him face, in light of global animosity to people of Muslim faith. What goes around (hate, prejudice, and discrimination) comes around! Recently, in one European country, a football team consisting of Muslims refused to play a Sunday league match against a team of homosexuals, which had been entered into the competition in an effort to dispel some of the negative stereotypes of homosexuals that currently hold sway and to foster understanding.

We are Muslims, and the Koran speaks out against homosexuality, they said; and so did not play. A few weeks later, in another part of the same country, someone/some people desecrated a mosque, scrawling words of hate over the building. Muslims were up in arms; they could not understand how in this day and age someone/some people would do that. Really?

It is borne out of the same hate and prejudice that the football team exhibited! Recently, in Switzerland, people voted against the construction of minarets in their country. And do not even get me started on how some Muslims travelling out of various airports and with various airlines around the world are treated with suspicion!

What goes around comes around. In this the 21st century, there is no place for hate and prejudice, and there certainly should be no place for Sharia law in Jamaica.

Anthony C Gordon

acommentary@yahoo.com

Disturbing repeat homophobic abuse clients

Why oh why is this man holding a police report in his hand after being attacked yet again by thugs as he went to gather clothes at his former home in the cover of darkness from which he was ostracised by residents in the area after they accused him of being gay due to his association with another client of the flag organization whom this blog has also reported on as well.

Here he thought he would not have been seen but the attackers laying in wait for him, he suffered a blow to the head with some blunt instrument he couldn’t identify and his left arm was tender after I tried to greet with an embrace him he cringed in pain, that was when I realised something was wrong and he proceeded to show me the police report he filed and relate the happenings to me.

The other client being referred to is the DVD client as most have come to know him as since he was filmed at a party that was made public via DVD to the rest of the island which caused a great stir in 2007. He too is now suffering woes as he was arrested for breaking the anti litter act by urinating in a public place. Interestingly none of these two men were enrolled in the homeless MSM shelter which is the cause of much unease in the sections of the community but they managed to secure their own rented accommodation for a time. I am getting listless after repeated writings about these two guys on Gay Jamaica Watch and GLBTQ Jamaica 1 and 2.

original posts here:Homeless MSM in Jamaica

Gay Party DVD Reveller on the Run
Former Homeless MSM attacked again
It seems either the flag doesn't have the requisite financial where it all to handle this one or they simply don’t care, I have had personal experience handling these two clients and they are not an easy set of brothers to manage but who says doing interventions as delicate and as critical as this would be easy, are we going to wait until one of them dies or is killed to make up statistics before something serious is done for these two guys who in my estimation shouldn't be in Jamaica but out from as early as last year. Let’s face it folks they cant do plastic surgery to adjust their identities especially our DVD friend.

What else can we do as ordinary folk to assist people? Yes there has been some assistance from individual donors but it may not be enough now, thanks anyway for that as it was well needed then and still needed now. Our DVD friend did not make bail as was set for February 2, 2010 and it is not known when the $20, 000 will be found to do so anytime soon. My pockets personally are shallow now I have given till I am dry to them and others and there is no serious funding available for that kind of crisis intervention that I want to get into full time.

If you feel so moved please use the donations button located on various parts of this blog or preferably a much faster method contact lgbtevent@gmail.com to pledge or to indicate donations by other means. I and others are troubled by the repeated abuse these guys are meeting as they are now refugees in their own land simply put. Both clients have now been reporting incidents more than three times and this is troubling. It doesn’t even make sense reaching out to the flag now as they seemed tired of seeing them but if nothing substantial was done in the first place then what do you expect?

A close eye is being kept on this blotch on the advocacy horizon as not just immediate crisis needs are to be met but other forms of intervention too such as some form of pastoral care and guidance and some form of psychotherapy but I am not no psychologist but clearly the men are traumatised especially the client holding the police report, as he spoke to me he was visibly tired of all the mess he’s been through.

HELP

Peace and tolerance

H

click the "Homeless MSM in Jamaica" tab below for previous entries old & new exclusively on this blog