Why are Jamaicans so homophobic? (Observer Letter)

Dear Editor,

I recently returned from an International Human Rights conference where I was bombarded with questions about Jamaica's human rights situation which I proudly defended. However, one question stumped me. Participants wanted to know the source of Jamaicans' fear and contempt of gays. Sadly, I could not provide an intelligent reply.

Those participants just couldn't reconcile Jamaica's warm, welcoming, "one love, live and let live" reputation with the virulent homophobia as expressed in the February 1 Observer article in which President of the Islamic Council of Jamaica Mustafa Muhammed advocated death for homosexuals.

As a secular state we are obliged to recognise, among other things, rights to freedom of expression and privacy as long as those rights do not represent a serious danger to public health, morality, or public safety, yet we appreciate the threat of unchecked fundamentalism of the type advocated by this Muslim leader.

So why are Jamaicans so concerned by what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedrooms? What do we fear will happen? Like Ian Boyne, I really want to hear an intelligent response to this question, devoid of emotional religious rhetoric.

What the country needs to appreciate is that the continued denial of the rights of gays to privacy and self-expression in this secular state may cause these individuals to demand their rights by violent means. In other contexts this would be called self-defence. The prime minister's statement that he will not intrude on the privacy of people's bedrooms hardly goes far enough, and the rhetoric of the Muslim leader is certain to heighten the sense of hopelessness of this very marginalised group who will continue to lose faith in the legal system with disastrous results for the society's Muslim leaders. While I respect and would staunchly defend the cleric's right to freedom of expression, I urge responsible expression so as not to destabilise our already fragile socio-economic status as this would challenge the public order requirements for the exercise of his right.

Maurice Tomlinson

maurice_tomlinson@yahoo.com