On white men as bottoms in interracial gay porn

So I commented recently on a post by fellow blogger a{GAY}tekeeper{iam on a similarly captioned post where he asked at the time why does it seem that white or Caucasian men seem to be the bottom or receptive partner in gay porn? (or words to that effect) A couple answers came in and in my comment I had suggested that maybe it had something to do with the objectification of African descended men and the whole notion of big penises, virility, and endowment and so on. 

porn added for this post

My comment was:

"Maybe it has something to do with the objectification of us as black men and the way in which power is defined as resident in our penises and dick sizes and the associated use (in the fuck), submission might be a means to get away from the established reality of the present power differentials of privileged Caucasian males ..... this is a subject matter worth exploring some more, Howie." 

What I never added was the animalistic component as well when pitted against white men being privileged as gay men long before the struggle for equality and the expansion of porn producers, actors and owners becoming more diversified.

It appears that most production houses of interracial porn tend to be run by white men or white producers and within I would say the last fifteen or twenty years with the explosion of black stars such as TJ Swan, Humongous, Bobby Blake and Daryll Harris and so on; all of whom have also done interracial movies. In the days of VHS tapes and getting movies we even in Jamaica were bombarded by white starred clips and movies such as the Stallion series and those stars. If one got their hands on an all black gay movie one would be lucky. Nowadays there is so much to choose from and like a revolution we have gone back to the pre-condom, pre-HIV epidemic days where men just fucked so long as the hole was looking good, hot and of course clean.

The other generations of porn stars seem to be pushing the envelope on all fronts, from experimentation with scatting which I am not big fan of to cum-farting to dirty ass eating with either other black men or white or Latino men as well. Bearing in mind the (b)Latino influence as well in what I see as the cross over from white porn becoming less popular in minority circles to a more steady acceptance of seeing our own archetypes fucking. There was a whole cadre of Latino stars too numerous to mention who were in the interim of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s who also made their mark; at one point I can remember the push for (b)Latino movies with people like Castro, Vic (80s star) and other big dick stars especially in movies like “I Was a Teenage Hustler” comes to mind. Present day stars such as Cornbread, Dream, Jiovanne, Redz, Nubius, Remy Mars, JT, Shorty J(known for the cellphone in his hole), Breion one of my favourites as the expert rimmer, Pimp and so on do not seem so keep in interracial scenes though, maybe with the exception of Breion he has done a few. I wonder why, while newer white stars seem to be interested in getting down with a black dick. Production houses such as Thughunter seem to make it their point of duty not only to do outdoor seeming impromptu sex scenes which I kinda like but also specialize in mixed race actors with usually the white guy as the bottom mostly although flip flops also are done in some others.

I like watching a good black dick going in some white ass indeed sometimes but not on a regular, frankly there is a feeling of taming or disciplining some privileged white dude. I guess dick is dick and as long as it is good and the owner is a good user does it matter his race? Maybe there is an exploratory component to; to step outside the norm and or comfort to try something or someone new or different from oneself. I am concerned though that bare backing maybe seen as normative in gay sex and risk of HIV may be construed as immaterial. I know it is tempting with that good tightness and skin to skin but do we really know our fuck buddies status? In a workshop earlier this year the issue came up with some young gay men aged average early twenties and a few of them did openly expressed that they have done it bareback which was a little surprising to me; the justification was they have seen it in gay porn and it looks tempting and the tightness factor also came through. I guess some of it also linked to dancehall culture’s persistent reference to the misogynistic messages on sex and dominance in the act, coupled with harder sex being seen as good, the rougher the better and the old glamity/punnany construct a comparison to a woman’s vagina.

I have had requests over the years from white men on platform such as Adam4adam and so on who have a fantasy on island men; they think we all somehow or another have massive 15’’ dicks and will fuck the living daylights out of any hole we get. Our local gay or mixed porn sites though blocked to us here in Jamaica thanks to former Prime Minister Bruce “not in my cabinet” Golding have made sure they find and showcase massive dick holders such as Rass Mansta whose 14 incher is a favourite for many (including me lol); I wish I could get it to suck. Many orgy seekers who are from Europe as well have this notion of well hung black men here coupled with the fact that endowed ‘rent-a-dread’ concept that exists in some tourists areas for not only women but male clients as well. I have had my share of ‘white meat’ but no offence to my Caucasian readers I prefer my own Jamaican meat and or African descended partner(s) . It is not only Caucasian men that request or have notions of grander of the big dick island boy but also African American, Afro Canadian and Afro UK men who make requests or message me online on various platforms; I guess the big buddy Jamaican man is a phenomenon we have to live with. Even African American thugs who are also well endowed want to hookup with other local brothers to stick fight I suppose.

I guess as more tolerance comes through, barriers on all fronts including race relations settle, expanding visibility of interracial porn especially and accessibility is going to cement mixed race relationships, liaisons and quickies we are going to see more bottoming of Caucasian men.

Keep fucking brothers and remember to wrap it up if you are not sure.

Peace & tolerance

H

Legal opinion on the use of flags at Embassies & suggested protocol for tweets from public officials

The following is an opinion shared originally in the Star news on the legal aspects of embassies, protocol and flags.

Just last week, Attorney General Mrs Marlene Malahoo Forte, QC, was embroiled in controversy after she tweeted that it is "disrespectful of Jamaica's law to have the rainbow flag flown here". The rainbow flag is widely known to be associated with the LGBT community, which lost 49 of its members in what has been described as the worst mass shooting in the USA.

Following the shooting, President Barack Obama ordered that flags at the White House and on all United States government buildings be flown at half-staff. As a result, the US Embassy in Jamaica complied by flying the US flag along with the rainbow flag at half-mast.

the tweet that started it all

The learned attorney general did not make reference to the Jamaican law, which she said was being disrespected despite being asked by the US Embassy to provide the legal reasoning for the tweet. I suspect that there has been no response in this regard, for the simple reason that flying the rainbow flag anywhere in Jamaica does not constitute a breach of Jamaican law, even though many may view it as being offensive.

SOVEREIGN TERRITORY

The tweet by the attorney general raises two fundamental issues: the first one is whether the US Embassy is the sovereign territory of Jamaica, the receiving State, or the sovereign territory of the USA, the sending State; and the second is whether there ought to be a protocol governing the use of social media by government ministers and other public officials.

With respect to the first issue, the answer is to be found in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 (the Convention). Article 22 specifically provides that 'the premises of the mission shall be inviolable'. As such, the agents of the receiving State may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission. The receiving State 'is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity'. Also, the premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property shall be "immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution".

Article 21 of the Convention provides that "the mission and its head shall have the right to use the flag and emblem of the sending State on the premises of the mission..."

The Convention does not state that the property belongs to the sending State. However, it is on account of the foregoing provisions that the premises on which the US Embassy is located are treated, for all intents and purposes, as being a part of the US territory. In reality, though, it is still Jamaica's territory with concessions given to the USA by virtue of the rules, norms and custom of international relations.

It is for that reason that although one may argue that the rainbow flag is not the American flag, the US Embassy is still free to use the premises it occupies as it sees fit, which would involve the flying of any flag it chooses. That is its right and privilege under international law.

NO ADEQUATE DIRECTION

With respect to the second issue, it is clear that despite the proliferation of social media, successive administrations have allowed high-ranking government officials to use social media sites without control or adequate directions. The attorney general tried to retract her comments by suggesting that she was misunderstood but, like a spent arrow, her comments could not be taken back; the damage (as some have viewed it) had already been done; that is one of the dangers of social media.

So, the issue is much deeper than a tweet or the flying of the rainbow flag. A protocol on the use of tweets, and social media in general, by public officials may have prevented this outcry. It is therefore high time for Government to develop a protocol regarding the use of social media by its officials. It could go a far way in preventing embarrassment to the Government and people of Jamaica in the long run.

Meanwhile the Gleaner's editorial five days ago was instructive:

it read in part:

Our suspicion is that Marlene Malahoo Forte was enticed, and ultimately the victim of what, for the modern politician, can be two very seductive lures. One of is the pull of populism. The other is the power of myriad social-media platforms, with their sense of immediacy and no restrictive band for discourse, to, not infrequently; induce even presumably sensible people to spout off on serious matter with an apparent absence of thought.

First, when Mrs Malahoo Forte tweeted this week about the Orlando massacre, no one would doubt her abhorrence and, therefore, genuine condemnation of the action of Omar Mateen. Mateen's attack was a gay club. It is reasonable to assume that the vast majority of his victims, the 49 who are dead and the more than 50 who were injured, where either gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender people. Whatever else were Mateen's motives, what happened on Sunday in Orlando, Florida, was also a vulgar act of hate, perpetrated against a specific group of people, in which at least one person whose parents are Jamaicans, was killed. In many parts of the world, people are showing solidarity with the gay community against this outrage by flying the rainbow flag or lighting buildings in its colours.

NOT A PRIVATE MATTER

In Jamaica, as at many other American missions around the world, the rainbow flag was hoisted at half staff alongside the stars and stripes, at the US embassy. That Mrs Malahoo Forte said, was "disrespectful of Jamaican laws". Then she added the disclaimer that her statement was a personal view - except that as attorney general, the Government's senior legal officer and a member of the political executive bound by the tenet of collective responsibility, declaration about public law isn't a private matter.

But of what Jamaican laws the Americans were disrespectful is unclear. Indeed, in her current job, and as a former junior foreign affairs minister, Mrs Malahoo Forte would know that under article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations the premises of a diplomatic mission "shall be inviolable" and that Jamaica is under "special duty" to protect that inviolability, including their absolute right to fly that rainbow flag. Neither is there any law in Jamaica that explicitly or implicitly prohibits the rainbow flag or prevents free speech or the expression or preferences, or solidarity with any group of persons.

CRIMINAL OFFENCE

Mrs Malahoo Forte, however, ignorant of anti-gay sentiment in Jamaica, from which, we believe, she probably felt she could extract political value by ingratiating her way into it. That has been tried in the past, and it is for fear of a potential political backlash against a government that initiated such a move, that buggery, or anal sex, remains a criminal offence in Jamaica.

The fact that this archaic law remains does not preclude people's right to lobby - by whatever legal means, including the flying of flags of their choice - against it, or against other acts or laws that discriminate against gays. These are principles we expect to be upheld and defended by the attorney general, or anyone giving legal counsel to the State, thereby acting on behalf of all its people. A potentially unintended consequence of what Mrs Malahoo Forte did was to suggest that some Jamaicans, because on their sexual orientation, are less equal, without the same right to expression and protection than others.

ENDS

also see:
Ronnie Thwaites’ rubbish on flying rainbow flags grooms children into “particular lifestyle”

Ian Boyne on Grow Up On Gay Intolerance!

Flags, forced evictions & foolishness

Reverend Al Miller has no moral authority (yet again) to speak on flags & correctness

Rainbow flags vs Jamaicans murdered which is more important?

Attorney General Malahoo Forte condemned for comments on US Embassy's rainbow flag

Dormant anti gay feelings resurface in Florida shooting aftermath

finally the Marcia Forbes media practitioner and former TVJ General Manager offered some advice in the Gleaner: Don't Hit 'Send' - Political Parties Urged To Establish Communication Policies As Social Media Gaffes Continue

Rainbow Flag Controversy @ US Embassy Jamaica... 

Flags, forced evictions & foolishness

First let's me address the foolishness on whether flags exist for heterosexuals, yes they actually do exist but if our hetero brethren are so used to their comfortable privilege then they would not understand our struggle hence our reference to the rainbow flag.

Heterosexual flags #1 & 2

Hetero- romantic flag 

the meanings of the rainbow colours

As the aftermath of the latest round of national ignorance laden homophobic uproar over a simple rainbow flag being flown on an embassy’s property continue, the usual spike as expected presents itself in incident outcomes outside of the vitriol and social media storms. Whenever there are major homophobic laced public discourse there seems to be either said discourse act as a catalyst to some negative event such as verbal abuse at least to forced evictions or worse. This year already without the flag controversy looks worrying to me but not surprising as I have seen this cycle before as in the aftermath of Brian Willimanson’s murder where there was almost a national celebration of his death given he was the face of LGBT visibility and also the murder of Ambassador Peter King; rumours of tapes with celebrities and himself having sex.

Several attacks were as a clear result of that case as some persons based on the narrative obtained in reports from victims the justification implied is if he as an uptowner homosexual he was killed then others on the lower totem pole also deserve it. (Un) confirmed reports have been coming to hand since this latest national homo-negative round and two such reports have to come hand with one forced eviction in St Catherine of an unemployed man in his twenties and who was given an ultimatum to find somewhere to go or find a man and a near miss altercation of a cruiser who nearly got caught. In finding a man it implies that homosexual liaisons involve some financial or lifestyle improvement rewards, stemming from an older homo-negative belief of paedophile or predatory intent similar to the misogynistic driven predatory intent of men on teenage girls.

The relationship with the young man and his mother had been deteriorating for a while as he had graduated from a skills training institution he had not picked up a job as his mother expected or thought such an achievement would be automatic. Then there were the proverbial inquiries about a girlfriend and why he has not shown any interest in the local community females as the other young male adults; an expectation that some parents or siblings put enormous pressure to fulfill as a marker of becoming or being a real man. Repeated arguments, occasional deliberate absence from the house just to avoid said clashes, calls and text messages from other family either condemning him or asking what is happening with him, this of course coming from the strength of his mother telling them the issues.

Gleaner's Lasmay takes a bite at the issue

The rainbow flag controversy came into play it seems as it unfolded and his mother reacted to the hoisting of it on the US Embassy property at Hope Road as “the gay dem too bright wid it” in other words the gays are too barefaced, a sentiment that had come to hand repeatedly almost everywhere one goes. I encountered similar sentiments at a local community shop where I live, what as interesting however was when someone in the gathering of mostly men suggested that if they passed the embassy and saw the flag and the meaning was not made public would they know if it were a gay flag? Many said no. Which was very interesting to me; just a simple yet misguided tweet from a person who ought to know better sent the entire nation into frenzy when more important issues require attending to. Bearing in mind our justice system needs so much improvement but the Attorney General finds time to make stupid tweets.

The impacted man’s mother agreed with the antigay church groups who came out swinging and claimed according to him as we spoke that she was not going to tolerate such things near her once she can prove it. It was at that point she asked him outright whether he was gay or not. To which he tried to dodge just avoid another argument; however this time it was unavoidable and the shouting match like many before repeated itself. Tersely worded phrases flew between the two and then came the piled on justification for him to leave the house, to include his unemployed status, his perceived homosexuality by virtue of him having no overt female companions as the other young men in the area or at best a baby mother or two as evidence of his virility and the visibility in short as being too frightening to endure for her. He was ordered to remove his things such as clothing and such just two days ago to which he complied. He reached out to friends who have been assisting him, from which he was referred to me and others.

I suggested to him as he is staying with someone with a steady internet connection he should try to get some cash and enroll in the business processing outsourcing, BPO sector, they have been some active recruitment with prior paid registration and training with headphones to work from home. The pay is not all that hot as low as $280/hr but it can be a start to make himself a little financially stable; also he can regulate his own work hours so long as he makes the standard forty hour work week. The initial cost though is some $15,000 dependent on the items included in the engagement as online training and support if included is what spikes the amount.

The second case had a narrative of opposition to the rainbow flag hoisting matter in Kingston as a cruiser who got himself into some trouble navigating a space and an intended target he was going after for a quickie. In Kingston the man in his early forties and who is a good buddy of mine told me of his ordeal by phone. The incident occurred on June 18, 2016 around 6 am; a time for excellent ‘hunting’ for a good hookup as men on the prowl whether they identify as gay or not. The 40+ cruiser made an error in judgement and was almost caught by a man who was urinating nearby at a wall; the urinating man made an alarm to which other men nearby who were sitting in a truck joined the pursuit. The cruising communities or sections of it has been having its fair share of challenges including the usual loss of space, internal clashes and inter MSM community clashes as well.

The argument from the truck men and ‘urinator’ (well endowed and all) was the usual anti gay ‘fire burn’ rhetoric was evident but the men then added as part of their justified scorn is the supposed outwardness of the raising or flying of a rainbow flag in public, which is so ridiculous to me. Fear is really the enemy to contend with in changing hearts and minds but will we ever see real and profound tolerance in this lifetime is a question that has been on my mind in recent times. What is even worse is when the nonsense is supported by prominent persons who one would think ought to know better such as Ronnie Thwaites who claimed the flag is a grooming tool for children to essentially accept “a particular lifestyle.”

Other reverends and politicians have been hopping on the matter to get their five minutes of fame I suppose, especially those on the opposition side, they seem to want us to forget that the suggested (promised) conscience vote did not materialize under their time in office yet they come out blasting the Attorney General for her tweet while others such as Damion Crawford clashed with the US consulate representative Jeffrey Polacheck who is to me too soft but he shakily held his ground. Crawford claimed he agreed that the rainbow flag was a political statement but what is so annoying to me that whether or not it was a hate crime or a misguided struggling gay/bi man who snapped that caused the shooting the victims were LGBT as far as we know it, therefore it would seem to me that the rainbow flag would be appropriate and more so since the US embassy or any embassy is considered foreign soil representing the country’s flag it flies. It is not as if the flag will remain forever and the tempers that have flared do not do so when Jamaicans are killed. Where is the outrage for other daily atrocities?

As other confirmed cases come to light they will be mad known and as always be vigilant, be safe.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Ronnie Thwaites’ rubbish on flying rainbow flags grooms children into “particular lifestyle”

Rainbow flags vs Jamaicans murdered which is more important?

Reverend Al Miller has no moral authority (yet again) to speak on flags & correctness

Attorney General Malahoo Forte condemned for comments on US Embassy's rainbow flag

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

Time for rational dialogue (indeed) on sexuality and tolerance

I am pleased at some of the more rational discourse that seems to be slowly emanating from some persons although they may totally support or agree with matters of sexual orientation. The following appeared in the Observer for all intents and purposes is worth reviewing in fairness as written by Christopher Burns.

The original title was: "Time for rational dialogue on sexuality and tolerance"

He wrote:

We would only be postponing the inevitable were we to engage political expediency over serious and far-reaching human rights actions including, but not limited to, granting our citizens justiciable rights. Recent events in Orlando, Florida, should also impel us to consider opening up the public square to address issues we have been sweeping under the carpet for years, hoping they just go away.

I can hear, “Burns, yuh mad?!” I am not mad at all, just brave!

None of this means we should mortgage our morality, disband our social and cultural mores, or surrender our sovereignty to outside forces or powers. In all we do we must, as a country and people, protect what is uniquely ours. Nevertheless, we cannot operate in a way that promotes or pits one group against or over the other; neither should we ignore the fundamental truth that speaks to our common identity as human beings — complex though it is.

It ought to begin with dialogue that encourages tolerance over hate and bigotry. It must eschew behaviours such as that of a father who, in February 2004, concerned that his son might be gay, turned up at the Dunoon Park Technical High School in east Kingston and encouraged other students to “beat di bwoy” who was an eleventh-grader at the time. Had it not been for the intervention of a teacher, the boy could have been killed. It was so bad one of the teachers gave an eyewitness account that went, “They were intent on killing him…They were like a pack of wild animals who had smelled blood, and if it wasn’t for another staff member who jumped on top of him, you would be reporting on a mob killing...”

To begin with, humanity is very complex. Hence, we must be slow to judge, to condemn, or to wish harm for those we disagree with, especially in the name of religion or based on some false sense of piety or enlightenment. For, try as hard as we might, we never know what our sons or daughters are going to become. We can only hope for the best for them, but we can never be certain of the choices they will make or the path they will pursue in their personal lives. If they choose the “forbidden path”, does it automatically disqualify them from being recipients of our love, care, support, and protection? I think not, since we can hate the sin but still love the sinner — we all sin anyway.

There are many mysteries about our behaviours, choices, interests, likes and dislikes that remain enigmatic, so much so, neither science nor religion has been able to unravel the mysteries — such is the nature of mankind. Human and social biology is indeed intricate, yet much of it is responsible for our individuality and unique qualities. Still, it is remarkable that people are people wherever we go.

One does not have to hold scholarships in sociology or religious studies to know that our complex humanity is shaped, in no small measure, by modes and methods of socialisation, years of religious indoctrination, and early cultural moulding. With the complexity and exposure to various socio-religious dogmas, and moral and cultural teachings, come myriad problems and misunderstandings, chief among which are insensitivity, insensibility, assumptions, mis-assumptions, ready acceptance, intolerance, hatred, bigotry, indifference, and downright cruelty.

The sad truth is that none of these diverse offshoots is limited to any one culture, ethnicity, race, civilisation, country, or religion. The maladies are as universal as the casing of the sky. There have been many instances in human history, and indeed in the history of the world, where humanity has engaged horrible crimes against other homo sapiens and has displayed the worst behaviour toward one another for one reason or another.

At times, there appears to be justification for some of the actions, such as when good men stood up to defeat general ugliness, genocide, slavery and other dastardly deeds. However, there other times when our actions and treatment of each other are completely unjustifiable, sadistically unnecessary, heartlessly brutal, and nauseatingly animalistic, mostly in the name of religion and politics. Is it because so many see these two things as indispensable to survival? Even so, there is everything destructive about those forms of extremism.

In the aftermath of some of the most barbarous, wicked and selfish acts against certain individuals, ethnicities, groups, children, women, individuals with disabilities, or an entire generation, while some ponder the existence of God and question the purpose or usefulness of having such deity, others celebrate and give succour to evil.

Those who contemplate God’s existence often ask, how is it possible for the God of equipoise, love, mercy, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience allow such crimes, actions, and circumstances to happen, most times against innocent children, old people, the historically dispossessed, socially and economically marginalised and vulnerable? It makes us wonder if God picks sides in some to these despicable atrocities, and why it always appears that might trumps right.

This brings me to last week’s terrorist attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where 49 persons were killed and 53 badly injured. Pulse, as it is being reported, is a gay nightclub and meeting point for members of the LGBT community. Pulse came of age after the AIDS/HIV crisis in the United States during the mid-1980s. Gay people have a right to peaceful assembly, a right to love as their hearts dictate, and a right to the freedoms that all of us — heterosexual or asexual — enjoy or aspire to enjoy. While we may not understand their preferences and vice versa, we may loathe the look of their relationships, but it is not right or reasonable to murder them en masse on the assumption or evidence that they practise homosexuality or bisexuality.

One does not have to be homosexual, or even crypto-homosexual, to see evil in the actions of the killer — Omar Mir Seddique Mateen. Therefore, before we jump for joy and declare senselessly and uncaringly that “a bayyy, a good fi dem…di ‘ole a dem fi dead…”, let us consider the possibility that Omar Mir Seddique Mateen might have killed a man or woman, a son or a daughter, who held the secret cure to some of the world’s most deadly diseases. Mateen may have killed the mother or father of a child whose very future and existence depended upon the presence and involvement of its parent(s). We should never assume that because someone attends a gay or straight nightclub that that automatically makes the individual gay or straight; nothing could be further from the truth. Therefore, we must be circumspect in our readiness to condemn and to heap fire in people’s bosoms.

Quicksand judgement

Consider this: As part of my professional development and certainly during postgraduate research work, I would visit many places, interview people from all walks of life, virtually live among them, in order to understand their behaviour and way of life. One of my close friends is a successful prosecutor. She is married to a former FBI officer whose job takes him many places. He is as heterosexual as heterosexuals get, yet, it was not strange for him to visit gay clubs, reggae clubs or other night spots across Florida, because that was how he observed, ingratiated himself, and caught criminals.

He is a very successful professional. He often tells of the many instances when he would cross-dress — drag queen RuPaul could not outstage him when it comes on to cross-dressing. He did this just to catch lawbreakers. Were he still with the FBI, he could well have been at the Pulse nightclub, scoping it for hardened drug dealers, violent criminals, or murderers. He could have been there trying to close in on a case of child molestation while Omar Mateen was busy spraying bullets all over the place. We would have lost a decent citizen and an eminent law enforcement professional just because his job caused him to be at a gay club. We must move away from narrow-mindedness and think more broadly. Members of the church community have an enormous role to play in shifting the thinking and mindset in this regard.

I am not a churchman. I do not embrace all aspects of Christianity. I do read theBible on occasion and find the stories mostly interesting. Of all the books of theBible, I happen to appreciate the books of Job, Nehemiah and Ephesians, but I love the book of Proverbs more than any other because it teaches wisdom. I would recommend the book of Proverbs, especially to Christian fundamentalists and bigots whose fixation with the book of Leviticus is tantamount to cruelty.

I was not surprised, but rather embarrassed by utterances from two so-called evangelical US pastors. First, Bible-thumping, hand-clapping, foot-stamping, religious bigot Roger Jimenez, pastor of Verity Baptist Church in Sacramento, California, emitted so much bile it would cause a John crow’s stomach to turn. Pastor Jimenez, relying on a passage from the story of David in the Old Testament, said with respect to the Orlando shootings: “There’s no tragedy…I wish the Government would round them [gays] all up, put them up against a wall, put a firing squad in front of them, and blow their brains out...The Bible tells us to hate the enemy of God...”

Shamefully, when asked about a gay or lesbian person, a bisexual person, or a transgender person who is a Christian, Pastor Jimenez casually replied, “Well, here’s the thing: if you read Romans, Chapter 1 in context, God gave them over to a reprobate mind..” I wonder what he would do, had his son, daughter, mother, or brother been killed while visiting Pulse nightclub in pursuit of winning souls for Christ? He would no doubt say they are ‘heaven bound’.

As if Pastor Roger Jimenez’s diatribe and caravan of hate were not enough, another religious lunatic, this time, Pastor Steve Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, created his own YouTube sermon Sunday [YouTube has since removed the offensive video] in which he advanced copious nonsense, aimed at inciting violence and hatred toward homosexuals.

Anderson said: “The good news is that there’s [sic] 50 less paedophiles in this world, because, you know, these homosexuals are a bunch of disgusting perverts and paedophiles. That’s who was a victim here, a bunch of, just, disgusting homosexuals at a gay bar, okay? But the bad news is that this is now going to be used, I’m sure, to push for gun control, where, you know, law-abiding normal Americans are not going to be allowed to have guns for self-defence. And then I’m sure it’s also going to be used to push an agenda against so-called hate speech...”

Pastors Steve Anderson and Roger Jimenez are not alone in their disgusting piety. They have friends and company inside and outside the church who share similar or even stronger passion and hatred for people whose sexual interests and preferences they do not understand or share.

Clearly, it is their inalienable right to disagree with or disavow any practice they deem counter-intuitive to their religious beliefs or find offensive to their conscience. However, it is completely wrong to incite violence against a group of people whose sexual involvement and appetite only they and their God understand.

There is no demur on my part — none whatsoever — that no one should be forced to embrace practices he or she finds objectionable or unconscionable. However, it is beyond backward and cruel to do as Pastors Anderson and Jimenez and then use Leviticus 20: 30 as an anchor and as justification for their bigotry. Yes, Leviticus 20: 13 says, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them...” Yet, Proverbs 6: 16-19 speaks very clearly and sensibly about the things that the Lord hates.

Here is how Proverbs 6: 16-19 presents the thing that the Lord likes: “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief; A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren…” Based on Proverbs 6:16-19, reasonable inference can be drawn that the Lord does not agree with much of what Pastors Anderson and Jimenez stand for or represent. Remember, I am neither a “ Bible man” nor a Christian, but I know better than to buy into the gospel of hate and bigotry.

There is always going to be disagreement around the subjects of love and relationship. Some of the disagreements are going to be shaped by experiences, fear, religious indoctrination, and a host of other things, which should cause more of us to agree to disagree than to wage war against each other and incite violence toward a group with which some of us hold staunch disagreement. Tolerance is therefore an imperative, especially in societies where members of minority groups have to walk on egg shells every day of their lives, and where governments are less concerned about comprehensive human rights, but care more about political expediency and populism.

Burnscg@aol.com

ENDS

also see:

Ian Boyne on Grow Up On Gay Intolerance! from sister blog

What the PM should tell Mrs Malahoo Forte (Observer)

Ronnie Thwaites’ rubbish on flying rainbow flags grooms children into “particular lifestyle”

Reverend Al Miller has no moral authority (yet again) to speak on flags & correctness

Flags, forced evictions & foolishness

Dormant anti gay feelings resurface in Florida shooting aftermath

a previous piece by Mr Burns: Bad men seem to love women's wigs (Observer opinion piece) regarding the cross dressing issues and the fugitive Dudus Coke

Two sentenced for 5 year old Torrington Park homophobic murder.

The deceased in better times

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

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

The original CVM story

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

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

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

Gay panic defence strategy attempted and failed

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

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

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

Peace & tolerance

H

Reverend Al Miller has no moral authority (yet again) to speak on flags & correctness

Rev Al Miller as captioned in this old Observer cartoon by Clovis with Dudus on board his car


The Reverend Al Miller is commending Attorney General, Marlene Malahoo Forte, for her controversial tweet condemning the flying of the Rainbow flag at the US embassy in Kingston. Remember this in 2015 Is this a joke .... Church group denies gay bias, I wonder what this latest salvo is now? and see this: Restorative Therapy Advocate & Anti Gay Voice on Trial for Perverting the Course of Justiceand Reverend Al Miller continues his antigay advocacy while his integrity is severely damaged 2014, meanwhile in a statement today, Reverend Miller praised what he calls her boldness in standing on a principled and moral position.

He condemned what he called the despicable act against citizens of the USA and also extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and suffered injuries. He notes that on previous occasions of mass shootings, the US Embassy has seen it sufficient to fly the US flag at half-mast. Reverend Miller asks what has motivated the US Embassy on this particular occasion to fly another flag which is not one of the official emblems of the country.

Mr. Miller says it’s no secret that Jamaican law forbids certain types of sexual behaviour. He says in light of this the US Embassy mounting the rainbow flag, widely accepted as the banner of the LGBT community, can only be interpreted as a deliberate act of provocation and a slap in the face. He says we need leaders who have clear moral vision and who are prepared to stand up for principle. Mr. Miller says to take a stand for principle is not something to apologize for and Mrs. Malahoo Forte should not be called upon to do so.

Miller needs to be reminded that his present legal vice that he is to face in the rescheduled court case and judgement in the St Andrew Parish court is being watched by many, even as the commission of enquiry report on the Tivoli incursion in 2011 was tabled in the house on June 16, 2016 by the Justice Minister Delroy Chuck. Report aside Reverend Miller was effectively accused of aiding the very man who is the centre of the said Tivoli commission enquiry report that found that fugitive Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke may have been tipped off but the commissioners cannot find evidence as to how.

Yet this was the man who was found in the company of Reverend Miller supposedly on his way to the very United States Embassy that is the centre of the present flag furore. It seems Miller would like us to forget or think we have but it is not lost on us and many are awaiting the ruling by the judge who is said to be ill. The case is said to be ready in July. How comes one can aid a fugitive in one breath then speak with such piety the next?

I have suggested before that had he been in another jurisdiction he may have been slapped with a charge of treason; aiding a known fugitive under the guise of assisting him to surrender to the US via their Embassy with immunity from local authorities the moment he enters the gates of Hope Road. Going against the state apparatus however we may feel about them and this notion that maybe Dudus would have been killed if he were caught by them. I do not belief that as knowing how international that matter had gotten it would be foolhardy to harm him in the face of US surveillance and intense global media interest since the incursion was announced inadvertently by the authorities.

The Tivoli commission has noted in the report that the authorities should have effectively kept the state of emergency either quiet or not announce it so early thus giving Dudus and others time to evade capture; which implicates in my eyes Reverend Miller and his closeness to Prime Minister Golding then.

According to the recently released commission report in chapter 7 it read in part:

"Rev. Miller was head of the National Transformation Programme in the Office of the Prime Minister which worked with inner-city youth."

7.27. With regard to Rev. Miller, CoP Ellington said that Miller reported to him Coke’s response to his suggestion of a peaceful surrender. Miller is alleged to have said –

“I saw the man and the man said to me if it was the PNP in office, they would know how to deal with this. Tell Bruce Golding to find a way to deal with it. I am not going anywhere and, if they want me, they have to come for me and they have to come good.”

7.40. So far as Rev. Miller was concerned, Mr. Golding said that Rev. Miller was a friend and he was involved in a social transformation project within the Office of the Prime Minister. Mr. Golding made clear the following:

“He was not my agent to have Coke surrender. I did not ask him to intervene. He took steps on his own initiative.”

Miller has reportedly said he is siding with Malahoo Forte on her controversial tweet on the half mast rainblow flag at their Hope Road premises which is seen a US soil legally or diplomatically; let us also bear in mind she has effectively retreated on the matter since (someone may have spoken to the goodly lady and knocked some sense into her), the attorney general she insisted that her post had been misinterpreted when she spoke to the Observer.

the tweet that started it all 

“The second part of my tweet has been misconstrued. The horrible act of terror which resulted in so many deaths can never be condoned. I condemn it unreservedly and repeat my expression of deep sorrow and sympathy for the victims and their families,” she said, adding that “the incident provides another opportunity for deep reflection and introspection”.

“Among the multiple issues are gun control, radicalisation, treatment of differences – be they religious, sexual orientation or otherwise. These are tough issues to handle.

“Here in Jamaica we have so much work ahead of us to reorder our society. We need everyone on board.

Personally, I respect and celebrate our differences as people and see them as reflective of our humanity. Professionally, I’m sworn to uphold and defend the constitution and laws of Jamaica. In both spheres I remain a sincere advocate for fair and proper treatment of everyone. And I will never condone the use of violence to deal with our differences,” she said.
Her peers had described her comment as “insensitive” and “unwise”.

Miller was said to have spoken to the then Prime Minister Bruce ‘Not in my cabinet’ Golding sometime prior to the incursion which may suggest culpability in aiding Coke to escape via the car with Coke semi crossed dressed in the now infamous wig, glasses and a dress with some light makeup. They very drag culture aesthetic of male homosexuals who are also involved in female impersonation and not transgenderism.

In chapter 12 of the aforementioned Tivoli commission report Miller was named again despite he did not testify before it as he had the other case answering to in court.

The report read in part:

CoP Ellington Re: Bishop Blair and Rev. Miller

12.8. CoP Ellington testified that Mr. Golding asked him to speak with Bishop Blair and Rev. Al Miller concerning the possibility of Coke’s surrender prior to 24 May.

12.9. CoP Ellington said that Rev. Miller visited him sometime prior to 24 May and told him that he (Rev. Miller) had been in contact with Coke but Coke was reluctant to surrender to the custody of the police owing to concerns about his personal safety. CoP Ellington sent a message of plea and assurance via Rev. Miller to Coke as follows:

“I said, please tell Christopher Coke that I am appealing to him to surrender peacefully and I will ensure his safety whilst he is in custody of the State because that is my responsibility.”

12.10. According to CoP Ellington, a few days later, Rev. Miller made the following report to the Commissioner:

“I saw the man and the man said to me if it was PNP in office, them woulda know how fi deal with this. Tell Bruce Golding fi find a way to deal with it. I am not going anywhere and, if they want me, they have to come fi me and they have to come good.”

Communications after 24 May

12.11. According to CoP Ellington, about 27 May, Rev. Miller attended on him and told him that he was instrumental in getting Coke’s brother and sister to surrender to the police pursuant to an appeal by the JCF for them to surrender. Rev. Miller apparently continued efforts to find Coke and have him surrender.

CoP Ellington told us – “I thanked him for his continued effort and support, wished him good luck and that was it.” Mr. Golding

12.12. Under cross-examination by Ms. Martin, Mr. Golding said that, after the hostilities subsided, he had a brief conversation with Rev. Miller who thought that he might be able to influence Coke to surrender. Mr. Golding’s recall of the meeting is this –

“He spoke with me and indicated that he had already commenced an initiative because he indicated that he was in contact with persons in the Police High Command and he was also in contact with officials in the U.S. Embassy. I welcomed that initiative because anything that could be done to secure Coke being taken into custody, the warrant having been issued there was too much turmoil created.

And there was still anxiety about the fact that he was still at large. I welcomed any initiative and I was quietly, guardedly optimistic that, based on the fact that he had been able to take in Coke’s sister and brother to the police, he might have been able to do similarly with Coke himself.”

How can Miller be now grandstanding on this issue when he is conflicted on many fronts and such accusations of aiding a fugitive? Such a serious accusation by the way should not have even been on the breath of anyone, let alone a court case complete with supposed evidence. I guess he could not feel to be left out of the avalanche of support mostly from antigay voices and his public image has been tarnished ever since his arrest(s); the missing gun matter seems to have fizzled which also had many questioning how can a pastor have a gun in the first place and then how it got missing as well? He has stoked the fires of homo-negativity for years and especially so via his on again off again televangelist Word Power show on Saturday mornings.

Then we hear more nonsense since this flag controversy where another Reverend in the form of former Minister of Education turned opposition spokesperson on same Ronnie Thwaites claiming on CVM TV that the flying of a rainbow flag at the US Embassy is effectively grooming children into “a particular lifestyle that is different from the judaeo Christian norm which is in fact the foundation of our constitutional order and I believe of our personal and national health...... ”

In other words polite speak for HIV is a gay disease resulting from anal sex. I am not stupid as the goodly Reverend thinks some of us are and continue to pray on the public’s ignorance. So the hardened positions continue, will there ever be movement towards true tolerance anytime soon with the kind of continued paranoia and fear of openness of LGBT people and that a flag is so frightening in this round of it. See more on that here: Ronnie Thwaites’ rubbish on flying rainbow flags grooms children into “particular lifestyle”

Then ascribing motive of whether such flags are flown in US Embassy in Saudi Arabia and or ‘double standards as opposed to Jamaica and that the US would not do it; while ignoring the fact that it is a different jurisdiction and that the death penalty under Sharia law and that homosexuality is NOT illegal in Jamaica but buggery despite the gender of the receptive partner(s) involved. Double standards are needed in such delicate diplomatic relations especially with states like the Saudis.

Peace & tolerance

H

Also see my previous entry on sister blog GLBTQJA Wordpress: REVEREND AL MILLER’S OWN MORAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST & ANTI GAY CAMPAIGN and also see his shameful or shameless defiant retort that he would have helped Dudus again to escape the law: I'd Carry 'Dudus' Again - Miller and Rev Al Miller - the gay lobby is not asking for buggery decriminalization because of discrimination but to force homosexuality on the nation .......







Pastor Says Frightening Preaching No Longer Converts Sinners

Rainbow flags vs Jamaicans murdered which is more important?

Observer headline

All this uproar over a flag; a flag by the way that is definitely not going to be flying at the US Embassy forever, it must come down at some point as mourning cannot be perpetual. There is a definite need for some sort of protocol in terms of the use of social media and micro-blogging sites with regards to personal views vs professional obligations by the present administration who have not proven to be strong on communications overall. We are told the original tweet has been removed. The obligatory condemnation from some with an almost touchable snicker of ‘they deserved it’ is even more disturbing. There is a definite lack of critical thinking on nearly all fronts we are taught in our education system to recall facts and use facts whilst not thinking our way out of problems and then we wonder why have the present impasse at hand?

the tweet that started it all

If we could breathe for a moment and also be careful we do not become the very things we despise or seen as the oppressed becoming the oppressor; a perception problem the struggle has encountered for years.

It’s just amazing to me how some things that are of or should be no major consequence in terms of seriousness when compared to others are blown out of proportions by some groups and individuals. One tweet by of all people the Attorney General the lead adviser to the government and we go into a (inter)national frenzy and for this to come in the middle of Pride month is even more distressing to me. The AG does not see or recall the abysmal state of the very justice systems she was once a part of as a resident magistrate? Where are these opposing voices who are in support of the AG on daily atrocities we can all see including murders of our own? I am surprised that the Andrews Seventh Day Hospital theocratic bordering and possibly illegal employment rules fiasco has not caught these antigay voices attention fully yet. Only yesterday in the height of the flag melee four men were shot in Old Harbour Bay in circumstances that are unclear, was it birds that are being shot that it does not require the equal zeal and energy devoted to one simple flag on in principle foreign soil? Earlier in the week we lost some 10 persons alone in Western Jamaica with one shot in a drive by shooting even as the previous mayor of Montego Bay was on an interview on Nationwide radio where his session was interrupted and he announced it live on air.

The present rainbow flag impasse is showing us just that as the stridency that is now obtained by antigay groups such as Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS and their predecessor Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, LCF namely are in full offense mode following the rainbow flag flown alongside or below the US flag at the Embassy’s Hope Road location. The corruption under successive Jamaican governments known or suspected where is these groups on such concerns?

The figures thus far are troubling as the bloodletting continue especially in Western Jamaica; not to mention the creaking justice system and state agencies starved of some resources but such anti gay groups are deafeningly silent in some instances especially when one of the men of the cloth is alleged to be involved in inappropriate activity, clerical abuse as in the case of the Catholic church or other pastors every now and again we see news of se abuse of either vulnerable church sisters and or brothers too and children. And what about the pending Reverend Al Miller matter in court where the judgement was delayed until July on charges as egregious as aiding a fugitive in the form of Christopher Dudus Coke post the Tivoli incursion matter to of all places the very US Embassy as he (Miller) had Dudus dressing partially as a woman in a wig and glasses; now his allies now have a problem with the very embassy! How hypocritical that they were not so loud in the years following his arrest and charge and court mention dates. Miller knew full well that once he and Dudus entered the gates of the embassy then the police could not touch him. So equally the flag that is flown is on what is considered US soil and we cannot dictate however some may feel to the raising or flying of a flag.

1969 Stonewall Riots that helped define the struggle and influence the rainbow flag to be seen as the LGBT symbol afterwards

The rainbow flag is a symbol coming from the early years of the LGBT struggle (LGBT acronym was not so popular yet so gay rights was the more used term) and the struggle became even more important when the Stonewall Riots occurred in New York in June 29, 1969; some mostly homeless gay and transgender persons who were just simply tired of the police abuse they had to endure for years in the city simply snapped which led to some two days of clashes, arrests, beatings and finally some change came forth in the aftermath. The rainbow flag already seen as a symbol of hope and struggle was further adopted by the movement and the riots came to signify the thrust of the struggle and moving out of the shadows into visibility. The flag has had several versions over the years and we now see the version as raised at half mast at the US Embassy. Designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the design has undergone several revisions to first remove then re-add colors due to widely available fabrics. As of 2008, the most common variant consists of six stripes, with the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The flag is commonly flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as it would be in a natural rainbow. 

the meaning of the colours

The original gay-pride flag flew in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978. It has been suggested that Baker was inspired by Judy Garland's singing "Over the Rainbow" and the Stonewall riots that happened a few days after her death.

The unfortunate Florida shooting as some such as Shirley Richards of the LCF and Dr Wayne West would like their paranoiac supporters and just non thinking folks to belief that it was not gay folks who were targeted and we should just leave it open to say persons were killed without qualifying the identity of those who were impacted. In a near tearful plea Shirley Richards speaking on Nationwide radio claimed that the Embassy officials were using a tragic matter to politicize and capitalize on same; frankly that is pious nonsense in my eyes. While commiseration is expected we must qualify the fact that this shooting often described as the worse mass shooting in US history of such had a LGBT ting to it and must not be overlooked. Other shootings prior did not have a comprehensive LGBT population as impacted persons; while not devaluing the sanctity of life there was no need for any special flag as those general populations.

So we continue to see the selectivity on issues and praying on the national homo-negative environment to stigmatize LGBT persons and opposing law reform, reform by the way which is not the full repeal of buggery but an amendment which to me is the sensible option though late in coming on the part of JFLAG et al; yet the LCF, JCHS, Jamaica CAUSE, Lovemarch and others would like us to belief they want to middle ground and the old 483 piece of legislation must stay at all costs including deceptive ones framed a pious intent. The origin of that legislation termed today as the ‘buggery law’ was devised not to supposedly purge society of sexual sins namely homosexuality but to smear the Catholic church under King Henry VIII to push the reformist agenda to suit the monarch whilst launching the replacement church of England. 

Gleaner's Lasmay went to town today

Very little in terms of the disapproval of homophobic violence comes from these very same antigay voices and the occasional obligatory condemnation is so hypocritical it stinks. As Reverend Marvia Laws so rightly ask how in one breath the rhetoric by JCHS, LCF et al is condemnatory and spewing hate then these same groups claim they are going to pray? Conflicted principles in other words, we are trouble on many fronts with these now dangerous groups in my eyes as moral panic is far more important to them than true humanity. As for the tying in of the touted stifling of freedom of speech of religious groups has and still is a false dichotomy; if such stifling were in effect then marches in Half Way Tree promoting hate would have been blocked, the company’s registration of such groups as NGOs would not have been allowed or even the citizenship of Trinidadian born Dr Wayne West may have been disallowed. Appearances in prime time would have been blocked or requests for same ignored as used to happen with LGBT voices back in the day.

What about the issue to do with gun control in the US and or the subsequent flow legally or illegal to developing states as ours? The need to discuss human sexuality nationally and even more so in the religious sphere is urgent and the pre-occupation with homosexuality by some religious groups makes it problematic for the church as a whole; not very many allied religious movement or more liberal thinking person’s of faith are adding their voices in the conversation; and as for conversation it is turning yet again into a shouting match. Although we have come a far way in the national visibility and in discourse on media when in days gone by press releases by LGBT groups were ignored or edited to suit the occasion now online posts, videos, blogs/vlogs and prime time appearances seems not to have penetrated deep enough to really attain the bigger goal, that of changing hearts and minds with law reform the immediate second. However, when the Jamaica Observer contacted the attorney general she insisted that her post had been misinterpreted.

“The second part of my tweet has been misconstrued. The horrible act of terror which resulted in so many deaths can never be condoned. I condemn it unreservedly and repeat my expression of deep sorrow and sympathy for the victims and their families,” she said, adding that “the incident provides another opportunity for deep reflection and introspection”.

“Among the multiple issues are gun control, radicalisation, treatment of differences – be they religious, sexual orientation or otherwise. These are tough issues to handle.

“Here in Jamaica we have so much work ahead of us to reorder our society. We need everyone on board. Personally, I respect and celebrate our differences as people and see them as reflective of our humanity. Professionally, I’m sworn to uphold and defend the constitution and laws of Jamaica. In both spheres I remain a sincere advocate for fair and proper treatment of everyone. And I will never condone the use of violence to deal with our differences,” she said.

Yesterday, her peers described her comment as “insensitive” and “unwise”.

“There are no legal implications, but there are diplomatic implications, and I thought that in all the circumstances, whatever one may think in terms of the gay community, the fact is that it was insensitive to speak the way she did,” Queen’s Counsel and People’s National Party Senator KD Knight told the Observer.

“The US Government will be surprised that the attorney general of Jamaica does not know that the land on which the embassy is built or located is regarded as a part of US soil. They are free to do as they wish there,” Knight added.

He also suggested that the attorney general “express some regret” at having made the statement. “I don’t kill people for these things. She’s new; she clearly has some strong views and so she has misspoke, but [sometimes] it goes that way,” he added.

Opposition spokesman on justice Mark Golding concluded that the comment represented “poor judgement” on the part of the country’s most senior attorney and advisor to the Government. One wonders about him as he too as Justice Minister before also used the personal view versus official position to declare his take on the buggery law, see: Justice Minister reiterates his personal position on the Buggery Law, Anal Intercourse, Consent & Privacy 2014 and New opposition spokesman on Justice says referendum not needed to amend Buggery Law 2016 and Minister Golding trying to manipulate anti-gay sentiments (Jamaica Observer Editorial) 2015

“I think it was most unwise for the attorney general to be commenting in a flippant way via social media on a matter as grave and sad as this involving another country and a massacre that has taken place there,” Golding said.

Meanwhile, political commentator Christopher Burns said the attorney general must be “circumspect” in how she expresses herself.

“The attorney general is well within her rights to object to any symbol or instrument, including the Holy Bible, she finds offensive to her conscience. Such is the quality of the freedoms we enjoy in Jamaica and so it should remain.

“However, as a former resident magistrate and as the current attorney general, Malahoo Forte must be circumspect in how she uses phrases such as ‘disrespectful of Jamaican laws…’

“As an officer of the court, Marlene would no doubt forgive us for expecting her to exercise great care and to provide greater specificity about the ‘Jamaican laws’ that the US Embassy’s action flagrantly disregards,” he told the Observer.

Burns suggested that Malahoo Forte’s comments represented “nothing more than unnecessary sanctimoniousness, borne perhaps out of her seeming latent intolerance for those the rainbow flag represents”.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the massacre as “a terrible attack on humanity”.

“The terrorist bullet does not discriminate. It does not know gender, class, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. No one can take comfort to say that would never happen to us. It could happen anywhere, to anyone, and therefore we must take the security of humanity as our own duty,” Holness said in an address to a Security and Ethics Conference hosted by the ministries of national security and education youth and information at Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.

He expressed deep and sincere condolence on behalf of all Jamaicans to the Government and people of the United States, especially to the families who have suffered and lost loved ones.

“The Jamaican Government and people of Jamaica will do everything in our powers to ensure that we play our part in the security of the world,” he added.

The opposition seems to be capitalising on the issue as well which just infuriates me further, Ther are calling for Jamaica’s foreign affairs ministry to apologise to the Government and people of the United States; Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs, Morais Guy says he is surprised the Jamaican Government has to be reminded that the conduct of business on premises on which Embassies and High Commissions are located must be regarded as business being conducted on foreign soil.

He says the opposition believes there is a requirement for clarification and, if necessary, an apology by Jamaica’s Foreign Ministry. Also see the Gleaner's: Flag Fuss - Local Christian Groups Support Malahoo Forte Despite Pressure Over 'Insensitive' Tweet, the LCF "Notwithstanding the fact that the embassy is considered American territory in international law, the LCF asks US Ambassador Luis G. Moreno to immediately take down the flag and, in so doing, eliminate potential misunderstanding and barriers to the natural outpouring of sympathy and support for the United States and those who have suffered."

Meanwhile, the JCHS questioned if the US Embassy had flown any school or military or church flags after previous mass killings in the US. Bear in mind the press release in full only went up on Facebook around 11:27am see it HERE

"While the US Embassy Kingston is considered to be on US soil, the embassy is still a guest of the Jamaican Government and people and is expected to conduct its affairs in a respectful manner," the JCHS said. Jamaica has a law banning buggery but none outlawing homosexuality. There is also a strong anti-gay culture. Joshua Polacheck, counsellor for public affairs at the US Embassy, offered that since the attack on Sunday, there has been a deep outpouring of sympathy from Jamaicans, which shows the country's goodwill to its neighbour and friend, the US.

"We are aware of the social media posts, but the fact the Jamaican prime minister himself sent a letter to Ambassador Moreno shows that for the most part, Jamaica understands that the attack was against humanity, irrespective of sexual orientation or religious beliefs," Polacheck said.

"Your prime minister is the highest government official and so we have taken his words as the word for all Jamaica. We are mourning an attack on victims, who are firstly Americans; they were targeted for being LGBT."

The bleeding of lives almost on a daily basis is far more important to me right now than misguided uproar on a rainbow flag as a symbol for those who lost their lives and we have had rainbow flags in public spaces before.

Peace & tolerance #IstandwithOrlando

H

also see:

Christians say ... Don't force gay agenda on them ........ lol earlier this year

That Buggery Law & the ill-informed 2015

here is an older audio with Mrs Forte when she hosted 'Justice' on Power 1016FM where she supported groups like JCHS:

 though dated (3 years) some of the tenets still stand

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups? 2014

Lawyers' Christian Fellowship's hypocritical stance on CCJ but keep Buggery Law! 2015

Jamaica CAUSE issues Veiled threat to Govt to not Repeal The Buggery Law

Very good letter to the Observer critiquing church's selectiveness on issues 2009

Anti gay religious voices where are they? .... Pastor charged with sexual assault

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective Religious Anti Gay Groups

Dr Wayne West’s continued intellectual dishonesty on fisting felching & chariot racing by homosexuals in Ja 2013

Hardened Positions by Religious Fanatics & Their LGBT Detractors Will Only Leave More Blood on the Floor 2014