Yesterday on a Jamaica Urban Transit public bus a news item was carried by Mello FM in Montego Bay on JFLAG's Press release as carried here too (see link) as the item was read I watched and listened expecting exactly what was carried elsewhere in terms of the comments of disbelief that gays are being attacked, one woman clearly stereotyped as a "higgler" based on her aesthetics said words to the effect that nuff battyman sell downtown and they weren't harassed so it's a lie that JFLAG is telling. (alot of gays ply their wares downtown and they are not harassed, it is untrue what JFLAG is reporting) many other passengers agreed and lamented that other rights based issued are more important than gays.
With the recent killings of a student by an unknown X6 driver and a brutal rape and murder of a 6 year old girl in Mountain View still fresh on the minds of many, persons are in no mood to entertain LGBT discourse now.
Again let me reiterate that simply putting out nice press releases and figures is not enough we need photos of injuries as I used to do when I was at the desk and have victims sign release forms to use said photos as strong evidence of such abuses.
Here are some of the incidents JFLAG said to have recorded over the period:
Total Number of Cases 51 [Males (47) Females (4)]
Assaults/Attacks (48) Displacement (11) Police related (12)
Case # Location Month Gender Age Perpetrator
Discrimination(Services)
Assaults/
Attacks Displacement Police Related Other
1 Clarendon March M 23 Mob * Verbal
2 Kingston March M 45 Co-tenants * HIV * Physical
3 Kingston May M 25 Group of Men * Verbal
4 Kingston January M 29 Group of Men * Verbal
5 Kingston January M 25 Family * Physical
6 Kingston April M 20 Family * Physical * Home
7 Kingston March M Landlord * Home
8 Kingston January M 24 Police * Physical *
9 Kingston April M 22 Individual * Verbal
10 Kingston February M 19 Family/Friends * Verbal
11 Kingston May M 36 Community * Verbal
12 Kingston February F 37 Individual * Verbal
13 Kingston February M 16 Family * Verbal * Home
14 Kingston June M 29 Group of Men * Verbal
15 Kingston January M 19 Community/Mob * Physical
16 Kingston March M 23 Landlord * Home
17 Kingston May M 22 Family * Verbal * Home
18 Ocho Rios March M 35 Neighbours * Verbal * Home
19 St. Andrew February M 27 Police * Verbal * Extortion/Blackmail
20 St. Ann January M 39 Community * Verbal
21 St. Ann January M 28 Group of Men * Physical
22 St. Ann May M 30 Police * Verbal * Harassment
23 St. Catherine M 21 Individual * Physical
24 St. Catherine February M 30 Individual * Verbal
25 St. Catherine April F 19 Family * Verbal * Home
26 St. Catherine May M 20 Family * Verbal
27 St. Catherine March M 21 Family * Verbal * Home
28 St. Catherine January M 28 Family * Verbal * Home
29 St. Catherine January M 26 Community * Verbal
30 St. Catherine May M Community/Mob * Verbal
31 St. Catherine June F 37 Community * Verbal * Home
32 St. James June M 19 Community/Mob * Physical
33 St. James June M 19 Father/Brother * Physical
34 St. James January M 25 Landlord * Home
35 St. James March M 19 Community * Verbal
36 St. James April M 19 Family * Verbal/Physical
37 St. James February M 20 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
38 St. James February M 23 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
39 St. James February F 21 Police * Verbal * Harassment
40 St. James February M 19 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
41 St. James February M 20 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
42 St. James February M 22 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
43 St. James February M 18 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
44 St. James February M 24 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
45 St. James February M 22 Police * Verbal/Physical * Harassment
46 St. James April M 21 Group of Men * Verbal
47 St. James June M 20 Community * Verbal
48 St. Mary May M 27 Group of Men * Physical
49 St. Thomas May M 29 Mob * Physical
50 St. Thomas May M 32 Jailers * Verbal
51 St. Thomas May M 32 Jailers * Verbal
Sadly the limpwristedness continues still that we had to find information about ourselves from foreign sources luckily some of those foreign sources are also questioning why there is this insulation from the very local LGBT body politic that is to be served and represented?
The attacks for July have not been included so far which also had a possible corrective rape case in South Central Jamaica and other beatings in Kingston of members of the homeless MSMs and active cruising communities. Interestingly words such as displacement were never formally embraced when persons like myself were there insisting on a more active approach to crisis interventions strange now we see a very slow turn in how the organization ought to have been behaving long time ago. The blogging and criticisms are working but we must keep up the pressure and demand better representation.
The police attacks in St. James were not direct homophobia but were arranged by members of the very LGBT community in the bitter rivalry that exists between some party promoters thus leading to the closure of a club in Montego Bay, the injuring of patrons there and a MSM shelter/feeding facility now defunct. It would do well for JFLAG to be truthful when putting out these figures and the real reasons behind some of what has occurred.
This is precisely why sometimes the public is so cynical of LGBT issues when they hit the mainstream, I am deeply disturbed by these reports plus the ones that have not made it to this list and the over looked homeless and cruising communities as well. With a Superintendent of police saying that gays are responsible for 80 - 90% or white collar crimes and murders in Jamaica just y virtue of how they seemingly have more materialistic wealth on a local television station today there goes another dangerous stereotype planted in the public domain, I am expecting to see more incidents happening soon. Most unfortunate.
Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey asserts that 80 - 90% of white collar crimes and murders are committed by gays with a deep stigma attached that being identified as "how they dress" supposedly in expensive clothing and having materialistic wealth more than normal in enjoying the perks from the illicit trades.
Peace and tolerance.
H
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