JFLAG says homophobic violence is on the increase across Jamaica. More than 50 cases reported. ...but a cynical public disbelieves

So according to another nicely worded release from the press release conveyor belt at the J we are told has more than 50 cases of abuse since this year to June on record, well I am not surprised and I am aware that many of them involved some of the homeless and active cruising community grouping of which I have written extensively on, plus there are others as always that do not get reported at all, to simply put out a release with no supporting media such as a video or photographs of injuries a policy by the way I implemented when I was a part of the group doing crisis interventions of properly documenting cases by taking shots of persons abuses and injuries without faces of course for safety reasons for strong evidence, they weren't ready and seems still not ready for serious moves even after nearly 14 years around.

What does the J expect now from a cynical public when we ball out that we are constantly attacked?

Obviously disbelief and continued stigmatization especially when both the public and the LGBT body politic have not been properly engaged for clarity and forward movement.

As evidenced in the comments on On The Ground News Report on Facebook and elsewhere on dancehall forums people do not believe that LGBT people are being attacked so another press release simply won't do. The continued limpwristedness of the J is just still alarming to me as they had people who had ideas and were fired up and willing to implement the showcasing of and proving that attacks do exist but they prefer to keep things hush hush. Simpy making press release calls on a government that uses open homophobic rhetoric to stay popular and an invented gay marriage discussion to derail any recognition from the Charter of Rights Bills is not enough JFLAG, there has to be real and tangible proof of such cases.

some questions the J is still yet to answer: (if they will ever be answered judging how insulated and non-engaging they are)

1. Where are the proactive programs for the community islandwide?
2. Where are the residential interventions that were to come on stream?
3. Did the Sunshine Cathedral in Miami manage to raise the funds they said they would to deal with homeless issues?
4. What about self defence classes for LGBT people?
5. Where is the proper engagement with the community?

I have stopped for a while in posting the incidents reports as I too am befuddled by the amounts indeed that is true there has been a sharp increase but many of the persons who have been attacked could have avoided such if we had a properly functioning national entity instead of an insulated corporatist group. Simple issues like navigating social networking sites and elations is not forthcoming from the J and one wonders if the plight of the victims is being used to prop up their visibility instead of dealing with lives interrupted?

Here is the latest release, see what you make of it:

Kingston, Jamaica ---July 7, 2011

More than fifty men and women who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual have faced various human rights violations between January and June 2011.

Jamaicans continue to experience human rights violations at the hands of their family, friends, neighbours, landlord, police or mobs because of their sexual orientation. Since January 2011, fifty-one incidents, including mob attacks, physical abuse, home evictions, and discrimination were reported with forty-seven of these meted out to males. Similar to national statistics on crime and violence, young people, 18 to 29 years, continue to be the main victims of violence based on sexual orientation. Young people made more than 30 of the 51 reports.

“On average, J-FLAG has documented between 30 and 40 cases annually over the past three years, but we have seen an increase in the number of reports which shows that homophobia based harassment and discrimination continues because of the lack of protection of the human rights of homosexuals living in Jamaica by the state,” says Dane Lewis, Executive Director at J-FLAG.

“There is a Policy Statement on violence against persons based on their sexual orientation, agreed by Cabinet on April 7, 2008, to support this, but there is no hate crime law,” Corbin Gordon, J-FLAG’s Programme & Advocacy Coordinator highlighted. In a communiqué with the organisation, Prime Minister Golding said that the Government’s position has been that violence against gays and lesbians is unequivocal. It should be condemned, discouraged, investigated, persecuted and punished with vigour and determination.

J-FLAG is therefore urging the Government to protect and promote the human rights of persons, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “Action needs to be demonstrated beyond that of a policy statement if we are to achieve our national vision to ensure that the ‘Jamaican society is secure, cohesive and just,” Lewis said.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons have and continue to play a crucial role in Jamaica’s development in the areas of arts and culture, sports, education, job creation and entrepreneurship, among others. They are efficient and productive members of both public and private sector entities. Lewis also said “Vision 2030 would never be truly materialised if there are distinctions in our constitution about the protection of one set of people over another.”

ENDS

Here are some responses and comments from ONGR"

Jas'n J Hemings - jamaica have well over 1000 murders evry year, i doah think 50 cases of abuse is special, we live in a violent society, doiah think unoo must get sppecial protection over the rest of us. Im surprised none were murdered, seems like the state is takin good care of u'all

Sashalee Scott - Ok I know jamaica have violence but be real . With all the phone that have camera . If gays are being abuse so badly wouldn't it be on the web or don't you think they would call amnesty. Jamaica is right in America back yard CNN would have it running 24/7

Jas'n J Hemings sashalee - apparently they think they are special, dem luv get notice or supm,,, cause me see battyman all di time a JA and nuh man naah beat dem, and dem say JA is the most homo intolerant society , however in the middleeast they are put to death and certain places in africa, im sure they wouldnt want to live there! jus a style man country so, dem fi get visa and migrate !

Maureen Douglas - Is it gay,s alone that are been abused if so in Jamaica, what about our children,our women and all the other unmentionable situation. With all of this happen and many other varies in our society why dem feel like they are being signaled out dem just love attention so they will seek it from any angle all of a sudden every where yuh turn dem a bright up dem self wha dem expect grenny use to seh when plantain wah dead it shot.

Just to list a few see the rest here

We have a long way to go.

Peace and tolerance

H

Jamaican lesbian can stay in UK, tribunal rules

According to the BBC

A Jamaican lesbian has won the right to stay in the UK after immigration judges ruled she risks persecution if she returns to her home country.

The woman, who cannot be identified but lives in Stoke-on-Trent, was originally refused leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office.

She asked to stay on the basis she was an "out" lesbian and her home country is "deeply homophobic".

A tribunal has now ruled she can remain in the UK.

Aware as girl

Her case was reconsidered by the Upper Tribunal's Immigration and Asylum Chamber in London where senior immigration judges said she was "entitled to refugee protection".

The case was identified by the judges as one of potential "country guidance" on the issue of the risks to lesbians returning to Jamaica.

The tribunal heard the woman became aware of her sexuality as a young girl.

Unable to be open, she had lived as a "discreet lesbian", socialising with a select group of women who organised meetings via an internet chatroom.

She told the tribunal that while out with this group on one occasion they were identified as possible lesbians because they were dancing together, rather than with men, and the DJ began playing hostile songs with anti-gay lyrics.

A group of men then threatened to "convert them" - implying they would rape them - and followed them out of the bar.

Corrective rape

The women escaped unharmed.

After making a number of trips abroad, where she enjoyed more freedom, the woman returned each time to her covert way of life in Jamaica - leading to clinical depression and stress which she said she was unable to discuss with her doctor.

It was only when she came to the UK to study in 2003 that she was able to have open relationships with other women.

Urging the tribunal to recognise her refugee status, the woman insisted she would not be able to go back to living "discreetly" if she went back to Jamaica.

She said that after more than seven years living as an openly gay woman she was "not the same person" and was not prepared to risk her depression returning.

She also said her relationship with her current girlfriend would end if she returned home, because her partner was not prepared to move to a country where it is not safe to be an open lesbian.

'Highly unlikely'

Her lawyers said Jamaica is a "deeply homophobic society" and lesbians, as well as women who are "perceived" as being gay, face a risk of violence including "corrective" rape and murder.

They argued that if the woman returned to Jamaica she would be living as a single woman with no "heterosexual narrative" and would therefore be exposed to such a risk.

They also said she would be deprived of expressing her sexuality as she was no longer prepared to go out with anyone who was not openly gay and it was highly unlikely she would find such a partner in Jamaica.

Allowing her appeal, senior immigration Judges Gleeson and Spencer said that any return to discreet living would be because of her fear of persecution rather than "by reason of social pressures".

Butch finds herself in some trouble for "non disclosure"

pic source

A butch identified woman or at best a presented one who recently attended a mainstream event on the weekend of June 25th in Kingston where she posed as a male with a female patron who she socialized with is now in trouble as it turns out she revealed her true identity several days after via a text message to her date for the night. This practice is becoming widespread even though some entertainment spots especially in Kingston and Montego Bay encourage same gender loving patrons to attend. The issue was confirmed recently by the sister of the woman who was courted at the event. She (courted woman's sister) said in a conversation I had with her recently that she did not have a problem with gay people or homosexuals but when we supposedly lie our way into people's lives without disclosure then

"we muss tek wah we get" (we must take what we get or what comes to us)

A clearly upset sister to the flirtee continued with a questions to the effect that why would someone do such a thing and not tell who you are before hand? This to me seems like anger coming from the mainstream perception that homosexuals are trying to change everybody else into gays as well so an innocent flirt could lead to big trouble if this is not allowed to die down soon or sorted out properly. Reports from the woman (flirtee) sister suggest the butch lesbian who they thought was a man approached her for a dance and spent almost the rest of the life of the event courting her albeit with a deep voice which did not suggest he was in fact a "she"

The flirtee's sister said she did notice that other females would approach or beckon to her upon arriving at the venue or passing by which suggested (s)he was well known and liked but in hindset she commented that men usually have other men or "bredrens" who under normal would also say hello or hail their friend as is customary in our homosocial tendencies in male networking by local standards.

Word has since come that the male relatives in particular of the flirtee have been up in arms since news spread and that a hunt is on for anything that can identify her as it is said "they want to talk to her" I do not like where this is going and my sister butch or stud we need to be cognisant that an innocent flirt to you can and may lead to something else that was not intended, here now we may very well end up with a case of lesbophobia turning ugly to violence which I hope doesn't happen. The flirtee's sister though a little angered by the turn of events since the disclosure and obvious sharing of the information by the flirtee to others was very careful in our conversation to say she was not condemning all of us just those who are not honest and "trick people" she continued "... a nuh everybody like dem tings deh my yute, we noh seh lesbian deh a party and dance but nuh so brave."

The other side of the coin also is did the butch have to disclose? or maybe she figured that doing so based on the flirtee's personality at the time she may not have reacted negatively.

Should she (the butch) have left the issue just as a flirt for one night and not pursue the following days? I say yes but you may have a different take. This is not the first time occasions such as these have occurred but I guess not written on for analysis.

Given Jamaica's sensitive nature with regards to homosexuality should one flirt openly with a possible heterosexual subject in a public space without disclosure?

Is there an ethical dilemma when one flirts openly without proper gender disclosure?

Is one risking ones safety when one chances non disclosure then chooses to disclose afterwards?

Just some questions that come to mind given the recent upward trends in attacks verbal and physical towards same gender loving women, in this instance I think the word "must" is needed as safety is tantamount to all else, we must be careful when taking on these risky behaviuour in public, in private that's another matter, at best subject and flirter can be in control of their actions and manage the situations better. The perception of the flirter being dishonest with ulterior motives as hinted to above coupled with perceived predatory practices of gays may not help the flirter in the long run.

Think before we act please, there is certainly more to come on this subject of disclosure or coming out.

Peace and tolerance

H

In The Life: The Art of Change / NY Pride 2011

Here is this month's instalment of the In The Life Series as I invite you to take a look at some grassroots issues happening up north that are not normally carried in gay mainstream media or covered by popular gay rights or activists

See what you make of them, also below is an older episode on gay rappers as well.

Enjoy

The Art of Change
July 2011 (00:27:58)






This month on IN THE LIFE, the intersection of art and social change. Four stories honoring how art has inspired the LGBT Movement and its allies, in the fight for full equality.

Broadway Impact (00:06:17)
Three young Broadway professionals are inspiring the theatre community to raise their voices for marriage equality in New York State.


Reel to Reel: Making the Boys (00:04:54)
Crayton Robey's documentary "Making the Boys," pays tribute to Mart Crowley's 1968 play and William Friedkin's subsequent film adaptation of the classic story that swept gay and straight audiences alike, The Boys in the Band


Alix Smith: States of Union (00:07:52)
Historically, portraiture has been used to catalogue lineage and memorialize heterosexual patriarchs and matriarchs. Photographer Alix Smith seeks to expand public perception by framing LGBT families into conventional portraits.


Censoring Wojnarowicz (00:05:14)
A Webby Award nominated video on the controversial censorship of David Wojnarowicz's video installation, "A Fire in My Belly."

This years Pride March was an exciting celebration of the momentous ruling for same-sex marriage by the New York State Senate.
In The Life Media's cameras were there to capture the spirit and energy at street level and bring you these highlights. Happy Pride!

also see

The lack of fair and accurate representations of LGBT people is arguably one of the leading causes of homophobia. One way to eradicate homophobia is to counter stereotypes with positive gay images that raise awareness and reflect the diversity of our communities. This July, IN THE LIFE features lesbian "voluntouristas" who bring positive visibility and lend a helping hand to local communities in the Caribbean, and rappers who use their words and images to change hearts and minds within the music industry.




Sweet (00:10:21)
In November 2009, a lesbian travel company dedicated to changing the world launched its first eco-friendly lesbian cruise. IN THE LIFE set sail with SWEET and a group of lesbian travelers who went to the Caribbean to spread positive visibility and to volunteer while on vacation


I Am What I Am (00:13:06)
Rap music has a reputation that has evolved into a stereotype - that it promotes violence, objectifies women, and is homophobic. But there are pioneers emerging, a new generation of rappers like Shorty Roc and KIN, who are countering that image head-on, and demonstrating that "one love" includes everyone

Study links menstruation, menopause and mental illness

MENSTRUATION, menopause and mental illness all have something in common, and it's not just because they all begin with 'men'.
According to one local study, low oestrogen levels during the monthly period or at menopause do contribute to women becoming a little bit more psychotic around these times.

The study entitled Menstrual Cycle and Psychotic Symptom Severity Among Patients of a Psychiatric Treatment Facility in Jamaica, was conducted by consultant psychiatrist Dr Saphire Longmore-Dropinski last year, and is the first such study of its kind in the Caribbean.
Dr Longmore-Dropinski, who was Miss Jamaica Universe 2000, conducted the study as part of her requirement to graduate with a Doctor of Medicine in Psychiatry from the University of the West Indies, Mona. She said she chose to focus on this particular area of research after witnessing a trend among the female patients receiving treatment at the University Hospital of the West Indies where she was working at the time.

"I noticed that on the day, or within two days of them being admitted, they would either have the onset of their menses or were admitted during their menses or their menses were somewhere within a two or three day span, and I just said that I wonder if there was some connection?" she said.

Upon conducting her literary review, she realised that a number of other international studies looking at the connection between hormones and mental illnesses supported her observation. In Australia, for example, schizophrenic men were being given a small dose of oestrogen as part of trial to see how they would react to this type of treatment.
"All over the world there is a layman thing of saying 'don't mess with a woman when she is having her issues', but what I have shown is that there is a definite biological basis to this and it is a very real phenomenon," the doctor pointed out.
While the lowering of oestrogen levels during a woman's period is known to cause a wide range of physical and emotional issues commonly linked to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), Dr Longmore-Dropinski explained that the effects go far beyond the physical and emotional to the psychotic.

"It was significant for illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and more severe mental illnesses. It also plays a role in things like postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, because after you give birth your oestrogen level drops significantly," she said, while adding that it was also a significant factor in dementia and memory impairment.
Although the psychiatrist needed only 102 female patients for her study, she decided to further enhance the accuracy of her research by assessing the behaviour of 113 in and out-patients during their menstrual period at the psychiatric ward at the hospital. She found that they showed higher psychotic reactions when their oestrogen level was lowest.

"One female severe bipolar patient — let's call her Ann — everytime Ann gets admitted to the hospital, her period has either just started that day or the day after and she literally said 'Doc whenever I know that my period ah come, mi know that mi ago get off," the doctor recounted to All Woman.
She believes her study has significant implications for how medical practitioners go about scheduling their patients' visits and the type of medication they give. She hopes to create awareness among her colleagues that gender plays a significant role in determining the treatment for patients.
"Mental illnesses across the board are very hard to deal with, but we here in the Caribbean tend to treat mental illnesses irrespective of gender. We don't pay attention to whether this is a woman or a man, we usually approach them the same," she said.

She added: "When it comes to women, the fact that we might be able to chart who might be at risk, you can reduce your admitting rates, your burden on the hospitals, your burden on the family, your burden on the caregivers, your burden on the patients, and the burden on the men because they are ones who have to say, "Lawd God I can't go near her when it's her time."
Dr Longmore-Dropinski is set on contributing to the ongoing transformation of psychiatry which she believes is no longer what it used to be in the past, when most persons tended to shy away from studying it. Although she didn't plan to enter this field when she first enrolled in medical school at the age of 17, she fell in love with this aspect of medicine about four years ago.

"My instrument is my pen and my mind and I am not as exposed to the physical, you know the blood and the gore and all of that," she said before adding, "The fact that I chose women's issues is the fact that nothing has been given to this as a priority in our setting, and I think it is something that we all need to pay attention to in managing mental issues."
Dr Longmore-Dropinski has ventured into obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, radiography, ophthalmology and paediatrics since leaving medical school at 22 years old, but she said she got bored with each after a while. Psychiatry, she believes, allows her to practise preventative medicine and it places her in a highly sophisticated lab where she is always challenged through the unearthing of new things and the analysis of her patients.

"I loved paediatrics, but I realise that when I see cases of abuse, I get too angry and I would get myself in trouble," she shared.

The doctor has also worked with organisations such as UNESCO and UNDP where she assessed human development issues, especially those relating to women and children. She hopes to one day establish her private practice so she can further analyse mental issues affecting primarily females.

For those women who experience psychotic tendencies around their time of the month, she advises them to exercise and engage in less stressful activities as well as to go to a doctor, speak with a friend or tune in to a local talk show that deals with medical issues. The men, too, she said, have a role to play.
"The men can be supportive, the men can be understanding, the men can say to the lady, 'hello darling, you know that around this time, you are kind of hard to deal with still, you might need to go and get that checked out," she said.


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