When your bisexual partner (monogamously) strays ..........

Jason & Senzo characters in the South African Generations series

Jayson Malinga in Generations, has revealed he was initially nervous about playing a homosexual in the most watched drama series on South African TV.

An interesting discussion has been happening loosely on social media on the ongoing South African series Generations which has a pleasant gay couple as characters, stopping short of kissing on screen the plot line carries rather well. Baby steps I imagine. Effeminacy is nowhere in the series though as obtain in other TV shows that tend to stereotype gay couples as men wanting to be women or use effeminacy to legitimize the homosexual element of the character. Taking into account Television Jamaica, TVJ barring of let’s say the gay plot line in the US series Empire that’s a start but I cannot see why the station bars content so as to not offend anyone when persons can switch to other options but the backwardness continues I imagine. If they were so touchy with the so called gay ad/PSA court case after they rejected the submission for a certain activist and the nonsense they tried to use as justification for the non-acceptance then it is no wonder it continues despite so much movement elsewhere in terms of homo-normative relational themed content.

The supposed un-gaying of Senzo has not gone down well with some online viewers who follow that version as it is ahead than where we are in the series on local TV. Other viewers were saying they were bored with the gay couple not being more intimate in scenes or even a light kiss.

Facebook campaign some time ago claiming viewers are to stop watching if Jayson & Senso kiss.

In the Generations series aired on Sundays in a three hour marathon the characters are lovers and live in the same house as one of the men alongside his powerful father who has accepted them and a sister and such but another young lady who works for the sister’s struggling magazine got herself in some trouble after a sex tape of her in a compromising position with a married man, the fight between the young lady and the wife of the man was captured by smartphone and shared to the highest bidder in the tabloid arena it went viral. The wife of the man has been shopping around the actual sex tape on DVD and one of the gay lovers (the stray) became a unwitting participant after his father-in-law was also approached to buy the DVD of which he was pondering the decision. The ‘stray’ has become emotionally embroiled with the sex tape subject and it is as if he cannot help himself.

The matter of the assault court case due to the fight is in court which further pulls the stray into the life of the implicated woman on tape, he seems so sorry for her despite her refusal and her putting on a brave face, then the sister of his boyfriend is also aware of not only the sex tape on DVD or the shenanigans to have it sold but also the growing affections of the stray or her brother in law. This leads us to the issue of developing feelings for the opposite sex in as far as bisexuals are concerned, this is of course taking into account one’s subscriptions to monogamy to a partner. Polygamous relations have been mooted by other sub groups under the bisexual umbrella but we’ll stick to one partner for now. Bisexuals already have a bad rap even from within the LGT populations as being too greedy or wanting their cake and eating it too. Then there is the business of feelings that get emotionally attached and a romantic element comes into play as well, one wonders if in the Generations plotline will turn on a temporary infatuation for another who happens to be of the opposite sex.

Some commentators on the issue of straying or cheating by a same sex partner have said they would have avoided a bisexual to begin with as they somehow think there is just no guarantee for a steady union or trust. A passing skirt or pants could distract that partner as they are sexually attracted to both some feel as it is just too easy to supposedly cheat, but what if the partner really loves the main same sex partner but is just flirting with the other to the point of a one night stand? Biphobia or bi-rejection still abounds it seems and may be the cause of ignorance in terms of explaining the orientation and more persons who identify as such or pansexual tell their stories, bi erasure comes to mind as well but the awareness is slow as other issues take centre stage.

I have seen stories and discussion boards for bisexuals where persons enter into open relationships or polyandrous unions where an opposite sex partner is brought into the mix for lovemaking purposes only and not deep intimacy. The Muslim faith does allow for Polygamy/Polygyny where a man can have more than one wife as he sees fit and a few outlets of gay Muslims do support multiple partnering relationships of a mixed gender nature. Some bisexuals seem able to separate their true love interests from other physically attractive driven urges and desires, one’s body can respond to stimuli visually and otherwise but no emotional attachments; a good psychologist could probably assist in this realm of the matter.

Then there is the business of Monosexual(ity)

Monosexuality

Monosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction to members of one sex or gender only. A monosexual person may identify as heterosexual or homosexual.In discussions of sexual orientation, the term is chiefly used in contrast to bisexuality, pansexuality, and various other gender-inclusive or gender-neutral identities. It is sometimes considered derogatory or offensive by the people to whom it is applied, particularly gay men and lesbians.

The Kinsey Reports found that, in experiences leading to orgasm, 63% of men and 87% of women could be described as "exclusively homosexual" or "exclusively heterosexual", and thus monosexual in the US.

Alternative definition

The term monosexuality has also been used in contrast to polyamory (which is commonly confused with polysexuality), which is used to refer to people who desire or fantasize about sexual relations with more than one partner. Under this definition, a monosexual person desires sexual relations with only one partner and (like polyamorous people) may be homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual.
Mek we talk nuh

Peace & tolerance

H

No gays allowed at freaky party with one sided bi-erasue by The National Family Planning Board (NFPB)

Micheal Brown, the promoter of a 'freaky sex party' which recently came under scrutiny by sexual health and religious authorities, has come out in defence of the event.

Brown said it is safe and has strict rules which all participants abide by. Among the most pertinent rules, he said is that no gay men are allowed.

Last Friday, THE STAR published a story in which Leo O'Reggio, the communications officer at The National Family Planning Board (NFPB), warned persons against attending the risque event slated to occur at a popular hotel in St Andrew next month because of the various health implications it could cause, and the possibility of being subjected to sexual abuse, sounds a bit sensational to me.

But the NFPB, in a statement yesterday, said it neither condones nor condemns the sexual decisions of mature consenting adults.

"We encourage all sexually active persons to protect themselves at all times as they practice responsible sexual decision making," the NFPB said.

Meanwhile, Brown has said there are 10 strict rules in place to prevent any such occurrences, and one of them is refusing to allow homosexual men into the venue.

"We have all kinds of patrons that attend the party. We don't discriminate. One thing, we have a big number one rule, no gay men are allowed, because it is a straight party," Brown said. 

So the NFPB is ignorant to bisexual men who may want to patronise the event not for men but for women, another classic case of bi-omission o bi-invisibility here it seems and the narrow-mindedness of some in HIV prevention and family planning yet still. Bisexual erasure or bisexual invisibility is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, news media and other primary sources. In its most extreme form, bisexual erasure can include denying that bisexuality exists.

"You can never know who is who, but if you see a little man coming into the event wah look like a sissy, a flash off him hand, we nah let him inna we party."

On the other hand, lesbians are welcome, the promoter said. "You know how we Jamaicans are. We don't really put any emphasis on a person that is a bi-female or a lesbian, but gay men, we don't put that into our thing," he said. The idiot should have said anal sex will not be allowed so as to avoid any legal or backlash from others in attendance, that I could have understood but the foolishness continues by some.

Brown said that over the several years that the party has been in existence, there has never been a mishap because of the strict rules and security measures taken. He said no underage individual is allowed to enter the venue. He also said no one is allowed to touch anyone without consent. He said that everyone who engages in sexual activities must wear condoms, and no phones or recording devised are allowed in the event.

Masks are also provided at the gate.

According to Brown, these rules are enforced by several bouncers who work inside the party and police officers who secure the venue.

The promoter of the event dubbed, 'Jamaica's biggest, hottest freaky party', said he was appalled that the NFPB would speak against the party, as the board has offered its services at the event for the past fours stagings by setting up a booth at the event to educate patrons and issue condoms.

Brown said that the board offers free human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis testing to all patrons prior to the event.

O'Reggio yesterday admitted that the NFPB's HIV outreach unit targets certain high-risk events and locations such as go-go clubs and 'Back Road' to educate at-risk people, so the board might have had representatives at the freaky party, but he is not aware of it.

Here we have another example of how national bodies need to get with it, while they wok with LGBTQ groups and such there is a serious need for enlightenment here it seems.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:
'Girl-on-girl dancing out of hand' .......... what!

The ‘B’ in LGBTQ stills means something

The old issue of invisibility of bisexuality in the struggle if not the discourse surrounding sexuality, rights and orientation continues, this blog may be a little guilty of it for this year at least as so many other issues have come up but several tags and posts have been made prior. The matter of bisexuals seen as confused is also very much alive despite the feeling is coming from younger LGBTians and also despite the availability of more information on social media persons still believe that people need to choose between or be either gay, heterosexual or transgender for that matter but not bisexual or have no room for such expressions with pansexuality (that most do not seem to know the difference from bisexuality) seen as an extreme.

The ball started a rolling from a workshop on sexuality in June where bisexuality was raised among other things, the conversation continued on social media and subsequently I was alerted to the furore of sorts as to what to make of bisexuals especially given that one male member of the cohort openly expressed his bisexuality and was wondering about a female partner he was thinking of a prolonged relationship given she wants a child and is also aware of his orientation none the less. It is almost annually I find myself doing these kinds of posts as the mindset change I expected seems not forthcoming. What is even more egregious is that the vitriol towards bisexuals comes from more females than males, a surprising feature to me seeing we expect women to be more sensitive to emotions and so on.

Sentiments to the effect that bisexuals want to hide their homosexual desires or experiment with homosexual sex is wrong or that they want to have their cake and eat it too which suggests sexual greed keep coming up in the sub text of it all. One woman who can be described as a lesbian said she does not want any bisexual as a partner as how could she trust them as she was not sure when they would “switch” meaning she could be dropped and a man become her replacement. Other insecurity driven sentiments also came through on the now deleted thread by the administrator of the Facebook group involved. Things got so heated that terse words and indeed curse words were exchanged. Bisexuality is still able to somehow emote such phobic or opposing responses from within the LGBT populations. Some questioned how bisexuals can settle going from the one partner at a time concept as opposed to polyandrous or polyandry relationships. Despite some interventions in terms of posts and related articles posted in the group in question some persons were just not receptive, I guess we are experiencing the misunderstanding of orientation as binary in a sense as mentioned before.

What is to be made of asexuality and given the rise in the discussion as linked to the matters of intersex and the Olympics, transgenderism where it is believed some gays are getting caught up in the novelty element of same and the aforementioned pansexuality. The sudden explosion of transgender visibility and the notion of sex reassignment as it were some young persons are misaligning orientation with aesthetics, feminization (forced or unforced) and drag culture and wanting to align with trans when in fact they are not in the final analysis. The same workshop where this bisexuality issue stemmed from also seemed to have elucidated this mix up with transgender as well. Transgender in the eyes of some is a safer haven in their eyes to avoid homophobia with the punctuated violence and seek or get comfort in that world which can lead to other challenges especially in the homeless department.

Just to reiterate it, bisexuals are not confused nor are they greedy and do not want to be seen as such and some persons are sexually attracted to both sexes, maybe one moreso than the other and that there is an abundance of information out there we must not see the kinds responses to such persons. We need to simply inform ourselves on such matters and really get a grasp of what LGBTQ actually means; and that they are not just simply cute call letters for use to identify with. Real inclusiveness if not tolerance is needed, if we are to really get some respect on all levels then said tolerance must be already demonstrably clear in our own backyards to include embracing inter/intra community differences.

Peace & tolerance

H

Bisexual Invisibility: Impacts & Recommendations

So from my last post involving bisexuality invisibility some new developments have occurred in the negative as persons identified as gay throwing all kinds of comments regarding bisexuals as being confused to one suggesting bisexuals need not ask for rights as that is a gay thing. I am distraught in a sense as one wonders now how to address this dissent and disrespect for our bisexual colleagues given that there is B in the conveniently used LGBTQ call letters and it means something and not just a space take in the arrangement.

A Note on Language

The term bisexual is imperfect at best. It implies a duality of genders that many people feel erases transgender and gender-variant people. For others, it connotes a requirement of an exact balance between someone’s attractions for women and men, or attractions only to women and men who identify with the genders they were assigned at birth. While pansexual and omnisexual are finding more acceptance, some people feel the terms reinforce a stereotype of promiscuity. More recently, fluid has appeared as a way to describe those attracted to more than one gender, but it is not yet widely used or understood. There are also people who chafe at any label at all.

More broadly, queer is attractive as an umbrella term for non-heterosexuals, but many people still hear it as a pejorative, while others use it as a way to avoid naming or acknowledging those outside monosexual identities. Some who would otherwise self-identify as queer―to indicate their solidarity with the broader community―instead choose to call themselves bisexual specifically to avoid such erasure, even when they are uneasy with the term’s implications around gender.

The good news is that more and more people are comfortable navigating the complexities of human sexuality and gender as they are actually lived. The bad news is that the English language has not yet caught up in expressing that complexity. At this time, there is no clear “best practice” for terminology that fully honors gender diversity while not reinscribing invisibility for nonmonosexuals.

At this moment in the movement for full equality and dignity for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, bisexual is the term that is most widely understood as describing those whose attractions fall outside an either/or paradigm. It is also (along with MSMW and WSMW) the term most often used in research.

As people become increasingly fluent in the dynamics of gender and sexuality, the language will evolve as well. For now, and with full awareness of its limitations, bisexual is the word used in this report.

Bisexual Invisibility

Bisexuality is the capacity for emotional, romantic, and/or physical attraction to more than one sex or gender. A bisexual orientation speaks to the potential for, but not requirement of, involvement with more than one sex/gender.

Bisexuals experience high rates of being ignored, discriminated against, demonized, or rendered invisible by both the heterosexual world and the lesbian and gay communities. Often, the entire sexual orientation is branded as invalid, immoral, or irrelevant.

Despite years of activism and the largest population within the LGBT community, the needs of bisexuals still go unaddressed and their very existence is still called into question. This erasure has serious consequences on bisexuals’ health, economic well-being, and funding for bi organizations and programs.

As the authors of one study put it, “Bi-invisibility refers to a lack of acknowledgment and ignoring of the clear evidence that bisexuals exist.”

An Invisible Majority

According to several studies, self-identified bisexuals make up the largest single population within the LGBT community in the United States. In each study, more women identified as bisexual than lesbian, and fewer men identified as bisexual than gay.

An Invisible Majority

According to several studies, self-identified bisexuals make up the largest single population within the LGBT community in the United States. In each study, more women identified as bisexual than lesbian, and fewer men identified as bisexual than gay.

In 2010, a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine6, based on a nationally representative probability sample of women and men in the U.S., found that among adults (5,042 respondents), 3.1% self-identified as bisexual, compared to 2.5% as gay/lesbian.

An “Eclipsed and Conflated” Identity

Despite the overwhelming data that bisexuals exist, other people’s assumptions often render bisexuals invisible. Two women holding hands are read as “lesbian,” two men as “gay,” and a man and a woman as “straight.” In reality, any of these people might be bi―perhaps all of them.

The majority of research lumps data on bisexuals under “gay” or “lesbian,” which makes it difficult to draw any conclusions about bisexuals and skews the data about lesbians and gay men. “Thus any particular needs of bisexuals are eclipsed and conflated. Only a handful of studies separate out bisexuals and/or report on their bisexual-specific findings. Fewer compare bisexuals to people who are not bisexual.”

Not Just a Phase

While bisexuality has often been considered merely a “phase” en route to a stable gay or lesbian orientation, it is also a stable sexual orientation in itself. A longitudinal study of sexual minority women (lesbian, bisexual, or unlabeled) found that over 10 years, “more women adopted bisexual/unlabeled identities than relinquished them.” Of those who began the study identifying as bisexual, 92% identified as bisexual or unlabeled 10 years later, and 61% those who began as unlabeled identified as bisexual or unlabeled 10 years later. While no similar long-term study has been done with bisexual men, at least one study suggests that bisexuality can be a stable sexual orientation for men as well.

“The only thing I would change about my sexuality is how others treat me for it.”

My coming out as bi has been both extremely satisfying and saddening. I came out as gay in high school when I was 16. While I thought occasionally about women, I largely discounted these feelings as random daydreams. I had heard that bisexuality was a farce so many times from gay friends, that people who were bisexual were just afraid to come all the way out of the closet, that I never thought of coming out as bisexual when I was younger. I was attracted to men, I didn’t have any shame about this, and I wanted to be recognized.

Despite San Francisco’s reputation as a gay mecca, it is where I first came to recognize my opposite-sex attractions. Being single at college parties, I often found myself in situations where women were hitting on me. I was interested but at the same time befuddled. The idea that my same-sex attractions represented an inflexible and absolute sexuality had become entrenched in my thinking, and I wasn’t prepared to question this. Despite this lack of mental readiness, my desire and curiosity were far greater, and I eventually began sleeping with women. I kept my opposite-sex attractions subordinated, leaving them out of discussions with friends back home and rationalizing them away as mistakes to myself.

After roughly a year, stories began to trickle back to friends and family. As questions and underhanded comments started coming in, I found myself constantly being put on trial. Why was I doing this? Was I closeting myself? Why wasn’t I being “normal,” gay how I should be? In the process of trying to answer these questions for myself and others, I realized how long I had been cheating myself and sublimating my desires to others’ ideas about sexuality.

I came out as bi when I was 19 and have remained so since. Rather than quieting the doubts of others, animosity only intensified. Aggressive queries about when I was going to focus on guys full-time again became a standard part of trips home. On top of this, I noticed a change in how sexual partners treated me. Women I was with, no longer with the safety of presuming me straight, would question my real orientation and complain that my sexuality made them anxious that I would one day vanish into a relationship with a man. Men I was with wouldn’t acknowledge my sexuality, referring to me as gay despite my protest. I found myself in relationships waiting for accusations and dismissive comments, ready from the start to move along to someone new. I am happy with my sexuality, and very grateful that I was finally able to fully realize my desires. The only thing I would change about my sexuality is how others treat me for it. Finding my sexuality has been wonderful. I only wish I didn’t have to sacrifice feeling safe, feeling part of a community, and feeling like I have anyone to confide in but myself.

– Jack M., 21, male

An Invisible Place in History

Bisexuals find themselves erased in history. Many famous people―such as Marlene Dietrich, June Jordan, Freddie Mercury, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Walt Whitman―have been labeled as lesbian or gay for their same-sex relationships, yet their long-term relationships with different-sex partners are ignored or their importance minimized. This disrespects the truth of their lives for the sake of a binary conception of sexual orientation. It also makes it more difficult for bisexuals just coming out to find role models.

This historical erasure also extends to activists. Rather than acknowledging the decades of hard work bisexuals have done in the LGBT movement, many gays and lesbians have accused bisexuals of trying to “ride their coattails.” In fact, bisexuals have often been leaders in the movement. In just one example, it was a bisexual woman, Brenda Howard, who organized the one-month anniversary rally in honor of the Stonewall uprising (which in turn was led by transsexuals and drag queens). Then a year later, she organized a march and celebration that turned into New York’s annual pride parade and inspired countless other pride celebrations around the world. Yet it wasn’t that long ago that bisexuals and transgender people had to fight for inclusion in the name of San Francisco Pride, one of the last major U.S. cities to do so.

Bisexual Exclusion

Often, the word “bisexual” shows up in an organization’s name or mission statement, but the group doesn’t offer programming that addresses the specific needs of bisexuals (see the chapter on organizations and programs serving bisexuals). Even when an organization is inclusive, the press and public officials often fall back on the “safety” of saying just “gay and lesbian.” There is even a growing trend of talking about the “gay, lesbian, and transgender” community or “lesbian, gay, and transgender” movement. But words matter. Invisibility matters. Bisexuals find themselves excluded in other ways as well. Many personal ads have specified “no bis” in their criteria.

Bisexual and Transgender Allies in Invisibility

“From the earliest years of the bi community, significant numbers of [transgender people] have always been involved in it. The bi community served as a kind of refuge for people who felt excluded from the established lesbian and gay communities.”

— Kevin Lano (Alexander, J. & Yescavage, K. (2003). Bisexuality and transgenderism: InterSEXions of the others. Journal of Bisexuality, 3(3/4). p. 8, as quoted in Miller et al. (2007).

That quote reflects the actual similarities to our Jamaican scenario as well as several bisexuals remain quiet on their opposite sex attraction in fear of a backlash or avoiding confrontation with sometimes paranoid reactions when such disclosures are made.

Other Forms of Biphobia

Bisexual invisibility is one of many manifestations of biphobia. Others include:

 Assuming that everyone you meet is either heterosexual or homosexual.

 Supporting and understanding a bisexual identity for young people because you identified “that way” before you came to your “real” lesbian/gay/heterosexual identity.

 Automatically assuming romantic couplings of two women are lesbian, or two men are gay,or a man and a woman are heterosexual.

 Expecting a bisexual to identify as gay or lesbian when coupled with the “same” sex/gender.

 Expecting a bisexual to identify as heterosexual when coupled with the “opposite”sex/gender.

 Believing that bisexual men spread HIV/AIDS to heterosexuals.

 Believing that bisexual women spread HIV/AIDS to lesbians.

 Thinking bisexual people haven’t made up their minds.

 Refusing to accept someone’s self-identification as bisexual if the person hasn’t had sex with both men and women.

 Expecting bisexual people to get services, information, and education from heterosexual service agencies for their “heterosexual side” and then go to gay and/or lesbian service agencies for their “homosexual side.”

 Feeling bisexuals just want to have their cake and eat it too.

 Assuming a bisexual person would want to fulfill your sexual fantasies or curiosities.

 Thinking bisexuals only have committed relationships with “opposite” sex/gender partners.

 Being gay or lesbian and asking your bisexual friends about their lovers or whom they are dating only when that person is the “same” sex/gender.

 Assuming that bisexuals, if given the choice, would prefer to be in an “opposite” gender/sex coupling to reap the social benefits of a so-called “heterosexual” pairing.

 Assuming bisexuals would be willing to “pass” as anything other than bisexual.

 Believing bisexuals are confused about their sexuality.

 Feeling that you can’t trust a bisexual because they aren’t really gay or lesbian, or aren’t really heterosexual.

 Refusing to use the word bisexual in the media when reporting on people attracted to more than one gender, instead substituting made-up terms such as “gay-ish.”

 Using the terms “phase” or “stage” or “confused” or “fence-sitter” or “bisexual” or“AC/DC” or “switch-hitter” as slurs or in an accusatory way. Switch hitter locally has a connotation in lower classes of some acceptance especially if the named persons are gender conforming to onlookers.

 Assuming bisexuals are incapable of monogamy.

 Feeling that bisexual people are too outspoken and pushy about their visibility and rights.

 Looking at a bisexual person and automatically thinking of her/his sexuality rather than seeing her/him as a whole, complete person.

 Not confronting a biphobic remark or joke for fear of being identified as bisexual.

 Assuming bisexual means “available.”

 Thinking that bisexual people will have their rights when lesbian and gay people win theirs.

 Expecting bisexual activists and organizers to minimize bisexual issues (such as HIV/AIDS, violence, basic civil rights, military service, same-sex marriage, child custody, adoption, etc.) and to prioritize the visibility of so-called “lesbian and/or gay” issues.

 Avoiding mentioning to friends that you are involved with a bisexual or working with a bisexual group because you are afraid they will think you are a bisexual.

As an example of the extent and depth of biphobia, a study published in the Journal of Sex Research reported that heterosexuals rate bisexuals as a group less favorably than any of a number of groups (including Catholics, lesbians, people with AIDS, and people who are pro-life), except for the category of people who inject illegal drugs.

Bisexual Health Issues within HIV and STI Prevention

There are health issues that are specific and generalizeable to bisexuals as a group and health issues that are specific and generalizeable to people who have partners of more than one gender as a group. This literature review shines a spotlight on specific challenges related to HIV and STI prevention among bisexuals, WSMW, and MSMW.

Unfortunately, existing research on this topic is scarce. Much of it lumps bisexuals into either “lesbian” or “gay male” categories, making it difficult to draw any conclusions about bisexual health.

Data on bisexual women’s sexual health is less prevalent than men’s, particularly data on WSMW.

Additionally, not all researchers take into consideration whether their study participants identify as bisexual, MSMW, WSMW, or something else.

It is important to recognize that many, if not most, bisexual people do not come out to their health care providers or to researchers due to judgments that silence, stereotypes that shame, and assumptions that erase bisexual identity. When a woman is partnered and says she is using birth control, there may be an automatic assumption that she is monogamous and heterosexual. A man in a same-sex relationship is assumed to be gay and therefore not in need of information about sex with women. When a man says he is married or partnered, there are often no subsequent questions asked about other sexual partners. Health care providers need to become aware of how to serve this often-overlooked community and its unique concerns, looking at a patient’s sexual behavior rather than simply a patient’s sexual identity.

Some have simply chosen to be invisible in one stigmatized category by wearing the mark of another.

Some Recommendations

One of the challenges―and frustrations―for bisexuals and their allies is that so much invisibility persists despite decades of educational efforts. One long-time activist described it as “sweeping sand.” While many people and organizations have certainly become more welcoming and inclusive of bisexuals over the years, others remain inconsistent, oblivious, or occasionally hostile. The question becomes how to create institutional changes that remain even if a bi-supportive leader, staff person, or volunteer moves on.

 Educate the public, advocates and elected officials about inclusive language (for example, “anti-LGBT bias” rather than “homophobia”) and ensure its use whenever possible and accurate. Review the STI brochures offered in Public Health and, if needed, encourage them to adopt models created (one that addresses those who identify as bisexual and one for those who don’t).

 Work with the Public Health systems to ensure that data collection addresses the experiences of bisexuals accurately and consistently.

 Share this blog post and similar ones on what bi-specific programming they have, if any; whether their programs that say they serve bisexuals are welcoming in practice; and how the content of their programming changes to address the needs of bisexuals.

 Include specific, separate information on bisexuality in diversity trainings.

 Ensure that bisexuals are included among the speakers when there are panels, forums, and other official discussions affecting the LGBT community.

Many assumptions lie at the core of bisexual invisibility: assumptions about a person’s sexual orientation based on her/his partner’s gender; about bisexuals people’s reliability, honesty, or commitment to the LGBT movement; about bisexuals’ health concerns and needs; and about the world as an “either/or” place rather than one of infinite variety. Any long-term solutions must dispel these assumptions to make room for those whose lives exist beyond binaries.

Think on these things friends.

Aspects of this blog post garnered from:

Peace and tolerance

H

new news:

Yoko: John Lennon suppressed his bisexual side

Bisexuals still seen as confused

Sadly every time it draws to this time of year as bi-visibility day approaches and social marketing on the subject is raised more so internationally the local biphobic LGTQ penny section crawl out of the woodwork blasting bisexuals as mad, not knowing what they want, being greedy or wanting their cake and eating it too and other scaving remarks. Trolling even has crept into the mix on social media and with an apparent lack by the various spokespersons and nongovernmental organizations who claim to deal with SOGI, Sexual orientation and gender identity clearly overlook bisexuals and zoom in on gay and lesbian identities predominantly.

Bi-invisibity has been an issue for some time now, decades in fact since formalized advocacy in Jamaica since 1974 with the formation of Gay Freedom Movement. The very name of GFM is a clear overlooking and even as then in those days newspaper articles especially by Jennifer Ffrench on the subject for several years bisexuality has not risen to the level of equal importance as it should in as far as visibility and such. Major reference only comes with associations with HIV infection rates and how the group acts as a barrier for transmission on the HIV virus as evidenced recently in a speech by our minister of health Dr Fenton Ferguson at a meeting of funders and stake holders where some figures were presented. Previous references come from voices for the removal or decriminalization of the buggery law in as far as HIV prevention as the primary reason by Dr Peter Figueroa at that Sexual Health Awareness meeting on November 2013 where he went into great detail on the last major study and emphasized the point.

Smaller outfits such as the defunct Couture Elements team hosted some discussion on the matter and even in those supposed safe LGBT spaced the vitriol towards bisexuals was clear as the very night of one of the Open Mic Open Soul event heated words were exchanged from one lesbian and a member of the panel with the thing almost coming to blows. A recent discussion at another all women group at a lyme also had a similar outcome with the panellist in that instance almost next to tears as she could not believe the contempt that was held in the what is called straight lesbian community.

Other outfits such as Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E Jamaica made sure the issues were addressed in their successful Seizmic Self Development and Enterprise Project Sessions for some 45 persons but as always with such small outfits they get no help from the more established LGBT organizations and or funding disappears for them so continuity is a major issue for such exercises.

The former GLABCOM gay, lesbian and bisexual community steering committees (an imprint of targeted interventions of JASL) and general LGBT meetings discussions tried its hand even getting key influentials involved such as a popular female party promoter but as usual again no real support comes from the main NGO structure and the emphasis ended up becoming more on HIV in the MSM community but mainly gay men via condom use and such and again bisexuals only limited to being a bridge for the virus’ passage to the general population. One event planned which was dubbed Bi-Fridays was conceptualized to try to attract such persons but very little response came as persons felt they would be identified and labelled mixed with ridicule.

Social media interventions via discussion boards, questions posed in groups and threads only seek to bring out the trolls and bitterness that seemed buried waiting to be stoked by the thought of suggesting bisexuality, how can we change that though? Even my own blog posts have received a backlash from persons asking why persons like myself and a few others even discussing bisexuality. So our bi brethren go underground. A recent thread on Facebook proved such that such anti bisexual sentiments still abound and coming from not only younger gay men and lesbians but rather surprisingly older persons which had me and some others sit up and take notice. But I should not be shocked as sometimes last year a former female party promoter and one half of the aforementioned Couture Elements team bore a daughter and shared her joy on Facebook only to be lambasted by persons on her friends list to the shock and horror of those who saw it and left an ugly feeling for some advocates former and present.

Comments to such effect as how can a lesbian go dickly? Or questions as to why she would share this openly knowing how persons can be downright rude and uncaring or what would a woman see in a man and or a penis for pleasure?

I would imagine prolonged awareness programs are required but sadly inwardly for the folks who believe in the one way or the other mantra in terms of homosexuality. Individuals who are otherwise enlightened can continue to share the right information but there is a definite need for more systematic interventions that are sustained and not stop and start activities. But community development in a real sense has never really been the main objective as law reform takes precedence than other matters that require urgent attention.

Think on these things

Peace and tolerance

also see:

Bisexuals accounted for 40 per cent of new HIV infections in 2012

H

Bi-invisibility in LGBTQ Discourse a continued cause for concern

In an email sent to me by a reader of one of my blogs some days ago a woman who identifies herself as a local bisexual said she is lost and amazed at how bisexuals in Jamaica are treated or omitted from any coverage and agitation for rights by the main voices in advocacy or otherwise. She said she only found my blogs as the only source it seemed for Jamaican bisexual discourse or rantings on the subject.

Apart from one or two social media groups that cater to bisexuals or so they say hardly any real discourse takes place but more hunting for one night stands and such.

The matter of bi-erasure and omission is one thing but the stigma from cisgender gay and lesbian persons towards bisexuals is another matter in and of themselves as scorn, ridicule and sheer hate comes to such persons or issues when they arise. Deep mistrust comes readily to mind for some as relational matters of the heart and persons who do not follow a rigidly same sex view of attraction are either confused, greedy or plain deceptive and want to have their cake and eat it too. It seems the forumatic activities for example from back in the day that once were active non defunct that would help to air such matters are gone, the online social media engagement is limited to buggery laws, advocacy advertisements, superstar voices intellectually masturbating at the expense of the least amongst us and a lack of deeper analysis on person-hood, developmental thrust at the community level to include not so visible groups such as transgender, lesbian and bisexuals.

A recent Facebook group poll in a group of over 500 members where the question of bisexuality as a discussion in a yes or no answer the vast majority of voters voted amazingly no with some comments suggesting bisexuals should go and sort themselves out and or they need to make up their minds on which sex they desire and so on. There is a disturbing lack of understanding of the issues surrounding sex & sexuality, sexual orientation within the LGBTQ populations and real tolerance from within first before we go demanding same from a homo-negative John public. Similar mismatches and disdain comes to drag queens after all these years versus transgender females despite the visibility of both groups and the some of their issues but persons still confuse a transwoman as a drag queen simply because they present aesthetically in terms of dress and makeup techniques without said persons condemning them taking the time to understand their identity difference, there seems to be no group work in any meaningful way to raise awareness and breaking this cycle.

In a previous post on this blog the matter of the biphobia in the community was examined and it seems very little has changed. On The Biphobia in the community (Gay, Lesbian) maybe higher than thought published 2011 on the strength of a series of discussions on bisexuality and how persons felt during April and May of this year we saw the obvious signs that many same gender loving persons have a perception that somehow persons who are double gender lovers or bisexuals are untrustworthy, more risky in regards to sexually transmitted diseases with HIV/AIDS and may not be able to be monogamous. The opposite also is true for the bisexual representatives who have responded some in very tersely worded responses. The poll photographed above was floated on social networking site Facebook to get a further glimpse into what persons were thinking on the issue a large percentage the respondents saying yes to the question:

"Do you believe bisexuals should declare themselves so prior to entering a long term relationship?"

The other comments are not as kind and will not be posted here but suffice it to say we have to begin to address this issue I feel, if we as lgbt people are asking the mainstream to be tolerant of us then why aren't we tolerant of a section of the community that has their own orientation issues to deal with, this is also sadly with the absence of the main advocates who are more interested in the Buggery Law than the inter community cohesiveness as well, biphobia by default as I have termed it.

How can we rebuild the trust or keep the conversations going when the main LGBT groups are not even paying attention to the sub-groups under the umbrella but are quick to use the call letters so easily when formulating positions and press releases but no real work in the final analysis.

Peace and tolerance

H

Continued oversight or deliberate overlooking of Jamaican SGL Women in HIV Prevention?

Given what we now know of the recently concluded ‘Justice for All” campaign that is supposedly designed to address HIV/AIDS issues, dignity for persons living with the disease, addressing stigma and discrimination and the all important vulnerable populations, although we know that that means MSM for the most part and one is aware of the thirty year history of the epidemic which started in the gay community in the US predominantly but after seeing the expansion of the problem into heterosexual populations and women in particular why hasn’t the prevention strategies both nationally or at the none state actor level improve to include same gender loving women? Why has the regimes over the years seem to have fostered and maintained a culture of almost with normalcy ignore SGL women as if they do not exist in the scheme of things? 

Bisexual, Lesbian and some trans-invisibility still is present.

Knowing that bisexuality is a bridge for the disease especially owing to our multiple partnering culture steeped in misogynistic imperatives.

The recently hyped lesbian transmission story in the United States brought the matter back to some mainstream prominence, I remember my days in the national system where a few voices were asking similar questions as posed above but were met with a deafening silence and as for the NGO community they were not interested in moving on it as the general feeling is that their concentration was and is more on MSM getting testing up, condom distribution with very little psycho social/sexual supportive interventions. Local studies as early as 2003 from memory have suggested that there is a problem in continuing to ignore this group when they also are a main part of the bridge although mother to child transmission work is exemplary the specific identification and targeted work of same gender loving women to include polyamorous practices that do exist locally is yet to be strengthened; yet I am left thinking it seems to be a cat and mouse game that is at work where professionals are more about keeping their jobs with the holy grail of Global Fund money more so than anything else. The concluded Justice for All conference here in Jamaica and the platitudinous announcements of increased funding for HIV prevention and the Prime Minister with a flowery speech on protecting marginalized groups albeit the smoke has not settled from her dodgery yet again on a suggested conscience vote on buggery how is anyone to take her word on such groups even also as homeless LGBTQ population numbers increase with all kinds of challenges with arrests yet again of two only last week.

Dr Karen Carpenter in a 2000/1 study published a set of phenomenology papers in the Social & Economic Studies Journal ISSN 0037-7657 Vol. 60 #1 March 2011 Sexualities in the Caribbean a study sub titled “Love on a Continuum” that took a look at MSM and WSW (women who have sex with women) and HIV. The publication also had as subject matters:

Christopher A, D. Charles: Representations of Homosexuality in Jamaica

Noel M. Cowell: Public Disclosure and Popular Attitudes towards Homosexuality in Jamaica

Annecka Marshall: Reclaiming the Power of Black Women

In 2003 the Ministry of Health had commissioned the study on MSM/WSW populations for to find mapping of the risks in those groups, it found that a continuum of descriptions among male homosexuals however hence it was reasonable to also assume that a similar diversity was at hand in the same gender loving female group as well then in 2006 another study was conducted specific to the women who have sex with women grouping and Mckenzie conducted a further MSM study replicating the phenomenological approach of Carpenter’s WSW research. The data was collected through audio recordings of 24 in depth interviews via email, face to face, phone and internet messaging. Previous studies only looked at MSM, there were no known efforts prior in the Caribbean overall as WSW have been overlooked and indeed ignored for some time so no consideration was taken into account in as far as HIV prevention or mapping was concerned.

The constructs of sexual identity are still larger defined by behaviour and sexual practice on all sides (anti gay groups included hence the HIV is a gay disease construct in their public advocacy) without taking into account psychological and internal desires of the individual as we also see this gap in the lack of response to the homeless issues for e.g. the haste in the premature closure of the 2009 Safe House Pilot project by Jamaica AIDS Support’s then board citing “bad behaviour” as the reason yet no psychological courses that were written in the project rationale’s were executed to see their effectiveness or lack thereof. Much of the theoretical underpinnings of tend to encourage a view of sexuality as a dichotomy and this is largely restricted in many instances to a notion of exclusive homosexuality and heterosexuality. This narrowed focus therefore works on the premise that MSM or WSW do not have sex with opposite sex partners and that women who have sex with men do not see themselves as lesbians or MSM do not see themselves as gay if they engage women sexually. The Center for Disease Control, CDC in the US reported “ ....... Through December 2004 a total of 246,461 women were reported as HIV infected, of these some 3,461 were reported to have se with women .......” (Center for disease Control 2006, 2),

This raises other issues as well in terms of unprotected sex involving WSW who actually self identify as lesbian, then the biphobic nature of the exclusively gay individuals towards, bisexuals, pan polyandrous, polyamorous or polygamists for that matter as they are considered confused and disease carries hence the untrustworthiness quotients and deep mistrust that surfaces every now and again. Gay men for example who do not endorse the notion of bisexuality as an identity believe that over time a collection of experiences strengthens this preference towards what may be considered a more solid homosexual identity although some have had past experiences with women as response to societal demands and not an expression of identities. This belief is at the heart of the negative sentiments to the idea of bisexuality as a solid identity. It is at this cross over juncture in a bid to meet those societal demands proof of manhood via offspring is crucial hence higher HIV risk is eminent.

Sex as identity is restricted to a definition based on a biological concept (as anti gay group JCHS repeatedly does in their sometimes belligerent advocacy) which highlights the anatomical distinctions between males and females thus sexual relationship’s social underpinnings is grounded in genitalia (Cesso & Shirley 1984) ways however in which persons define themselves is also important. 

Power and control also play a key role in HIV risk I feel especially owing to the personality dynamics involved or assumed hetero-normative gender roles with sexual positions as a major factor. Material gain is crucial as well linked to power differentials understood in social labels for, e.g. butch, fems, lipstick lesbian, jeans lesbians, stud (most problematic of the group in terms of rejection and stigmatization from within the WSW community); it determines the “how” of sex, roles, when and has implications for abuse leading to HIV risk, another example of high risk is tribadism practised by exclusively lesbian women or women who get into gay sex for money or the sex industry (porn, strip clubs, massage parlours by request of male clients, or substitutional sex in same sex environments such as prisons, places of safety etc.) the actual meeting of both vaginas to create friction while pleasurable is highly risky as passing of infections such as yeasts, dermatophites as tinea curis is critical one can therefore assume that if the labia minora or lips of the vagina has been compromised and blood is exposed then transmission is possible even if the other party does not have broken skin but simply as the vagina is a receptive organ the opening allows for the orifice acting as a gateway.

Dr Carpenter also spoke to “Sexual Health Issues in Women who Have Sex with Women” at the Ena Thomas Memorial public lecture & Symposium on the 24th November 2013 where the matter of overlooking the WSW population came up for mention she referenced the 2003 study where she went further into the findings outlining some seminal data though dated but it appears not much has changed, for e.g Kingsley report says that vaginal penetration with sex toys serving as substitutes for the penis had been quite rare in WSW history that is of course exclusive lesbian women, another overlay that we need to also grapple with is pornography as hinted to above; while porn is meant to be a fantasy WSW scenes is a glamorised view catering to a man’s ideal concept of a lesbian not a lesbians’ lesbian as men think they will have more fun with more women hence the massage parlour phenomenon and lesbian entertainment on stage in strip clubs with all kinds of risky behaviour to include penetration with toys, drink bottles (Heineken or other typed pouring of beer in a dancer’s vagina to create the volcano effect) and fingering (orgasms on stage at times) and anal play. During her attempts to collect the data the “what about dildos and transmission?” question came up and it was clear that the response had not been taking into account these issues on a large scale. For those who do use toys however there is a concern I have had for years about simultaneous use of toys in a single sexual episode without a condom, an issue from memory that was discussed at the now defunct Couture Elements weekly forum at the Oasis bar and as far back as 2000 when Women for Women had Friday night lymes with guest speakers. The rapid passing of the toys is the issue as persons either do not wait for a time before use in fear of losing the “high” of the moment nor do they do not cleanse the device/object prior to use nor employ any barriers as it is assumed once the vagina is not offensive looking or smelling then all is well.

She also went into a polyamory forum (persons with more than one consenting partner who are aware of each other) that she conducted out of which came the continuum hence the Love on a Continuum caption. Some of the agencies seem to be guilty of not getting more background information on women who come in for HIV testing (apart from refusal to disclose) as the culture seems to suggest they do not want to hear about lesbians testing for HIV, one main NGO was named as having this misnomer as evidenced in their customer experience, the nurses when questioned by Dr Carpenter they had two formally registered cases of lesbians who tested yet the cohort when interviewed had been tested for the most part, so it is safe to say that it is assumed that if you’re female then you must be having sex with a man and you couldn’t be having sex with a woman and coming in for testing.

Sadly also some in the cohort do not disclose to their lesbian partners that they are having sex with men now we see how infection can occur as here is another bridge for the virus’ transmission.

There must be a concerted effort by the powers that be to include and not only include for a short time but onwards for specific populations with tailored interventions, we have had conference after conference after conference yet they seem to be nothing more than a meeting place for polite society than actually formulating and enacting better and specific responses to so called marginalized groups. It is interesting the ease at which the call letters LGBTQI are used at these conferences, human rights meetings by “experts” to sound good and have an inclusive image in the name of public advocacy but take a look at understanding the specific needs on the ground especially and you’re left thinking something else. One wonders if the slow march to dealing with these challenges with the cop out excuse that funding is not available is deliberate, is it that there must be a reservoir of victims all the time so agencies and bureaucratic systems can be around forever, was it ever about addressing the issues as they become apparent, why does the older agencies especially have to wait until issues get out of hand before they act, where is the needed pro-activity?

Hmph

Peace and tolerance

H

'BISEXUAL CLAIM NOT TRUE' - J'cans bash recent survey report

UPDATE 6:49pm UNAIDS Caribbean has debunked the original story go HERE for more but still read on below as the discussion has already commenced so might as well we continue to raise the issue(s)

Well I sort of expected this biphobic reaction laced with anti-gay insinuations in a sense as it seems to be founded on a fear of persons being perceived to being on the downlow so as to avoid being outed as gay. There maybe some truth to that though as the gay for pay phenomenon is real, these days one only has to listen and hear the one liners in the latest dancehall songs hinting to supposed downlow men forcing or using wealth and materialism to "change" other men to commit same sex acts. I wondered aloud in a Facebook group if the study took into account behavioural bisexuality as well, which I doubt as bisexuality on a whole is not given the attention it deserves in general LGBT discourse or rights agitation and as for social interventions and recognition to double gender loving persons we know all too well the agencies here pay scant regard to that except for the occasional time as this or when bloggers mark the respective calender events.

One also has to take a look at how even the gay community views bisexuals or for all intents and purposes pansexual people who see no gay or bisexual label entrapping them. 

also see: 
Bisexual and pansexual identities often look the same

Lady Switch Hitters & the Boyfriends who complain ...

The Biphobia in the community (Gay, Lesbian) maybe higher than thought

Anyone remembers this cartoon when the Vybz first made the trek to the slammer?

also see: Kartel on lockdown and that suggestive cartoon .....

Hence when issues/discussions like these come forth there is silence as all things gay and beautiful pervade the great and small all things wise and wonderful buggery repeal superceeds them all. This shows once again a clear lack of interest in general LGBT issues and not just the "G" in the struggle for recognition and rights. Bi-erasure and subsequent biphobia by default, a complaint raised by some community members for several years, where is the leadership?

see this older entry: “LGBT” advocates – nonengagement of bisexual issues = Biophobia by default

The Star News carried the following today in a follow up to the precursor to the Caribbean online study whose results are expected to be out by September of this year according to a recent communication with an officer close to the group responsible for its execution.

PAULA GORDON, Staff Reporter

Several Jamaicans are questioning the credibility of a recent study that claims that one in every four Caribbean men is a bisexual.

The online study conducted by the Caribbean Men's Internet Survey (CARIMIS) has become the hot topic on the lips of many persons since yesterday and has sparked some level of controversy.

About 2,560 men are said to have participated throughout 33 territories. This would possibly mean that the survey included men from Jamaica as well.

questioned credibility

Though the findings are preliminary, it was revealed that 15 per cent of those surveyed said they had sex with men but gave no labels, such as homosexual or bisexual to their acts.

Subsequent to the news being broken about the study, our news team sought to get some comments from several Jamaicans.

A number of the persons interviewed questioned its credibility and the sampling methods used.

Kirk Thomas, a bank employee, told THE STAR, "I don't believe in that survey because it doesn't identify the territories examined, ... one in every four ... my crew consist of 13 and mi sure I am not bisexual and none of my friends are so I can't agree with that survey."

Andrew Henry, a taxi man, expressed, "I know about myself, I don't think it is right. I think they did that survey down in the Lesser Antilles."

Interestingly, the gripping results have also resulted in numerous comments being left on Facebook.

Several males blasted the group that carried out the study on the social networking site.

One male wrote, "Lol ... these statistics are so dumb, would love to know how they came up with this ... The truth is we don't know squat, could be even more or less or not at all ... Personally I don't even accept it one out of four ... Come on."

Another wrote, "Not Jamaica ... Don't mix we up ... ."

On the other hand, several women proved to be more receptive to the findings.

One woman said, "Is true! Unno man is in denial"

In the meantime, THE STAR understands that the project, which was launched in November last year, was funded by the UNAIDS, the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

It is expected that the results will be handed over to regional governments in short order.

article ends

Given the homo-negative and sometimes caustic environment here in Jamaica it only stands to reason why same gender loving men overall tend to be closeted in a sense and take on heterosexual partners even have offspring so as to take the social pressure of their backs, the proverbial why don't you have a child yet or girlfriend taunts from parents or sibblings. Is it time we begin to have a serious national discussion on coming out and remaining out and also here on the rock instead of having to run or seek asylum elsewhere? be you of whatever sexual orientation, it is time we start living our truths?

Bigger issues here are on the horizon to me than just a survey on how many bisexuals that there are.

All of a sudden the Star News "Tell Me Pastor" has a letter from a man claiming his female partner is a deceptive bisexual, how convenient, see more here: Deceptive bisexual one wonders is these letters are real sometimes.

Peace and tolerance

H

Some concerns from Western Jamaica on homelessness and homo-negativity

Readers and listeners welcome to another timely post on homelessness that I would normally cover on my other blog Gay Jamaica Watch but this time I was hauled over the coals by some of my following to also pay closer attention to the homeless and displacement issues in western Jamaica predominantly Montego Bay, Pitfour, Grandville and Savanna-la-mar along with other homo negative issues and a few same gender loving women concerns so I took a two day trip to Montego Bay and overnighted with a friend. From the moment I landed it hit me, why aren't you dealing with us as well on your blogs and audio/podcasts? I was repeatedly asked. So I was taken to task for the very thing I critique lol but such is life, there is always a teaching moment to learn from and I am guided by you my readers and listeners. But also understand that the issues in Kingston require urgent and consistent vigilance as the circumstances change so rapidly.

Indeed the social interventions by the LGBT advocates seem not to be island-wide and merely concentrated in Kingston proper but as we huddled and began to examine what was is really taking place it soon became clear that the same issues and more that were and are bedeviling the homeless msms in Kingston are the same as our western counterparts. Issues such as:

1) Transactional sex and related negotiating issues?

2) Identity issues and effemophobia clashing with hypermasculine types 

3) Gay for pay populations crossing over into the main homeless MSM populations and the subsequent fallouts

4) No permanent shelter and residential access

5) Improper diet and health issues especially HIV positive members of the groups 

6) Homophobic attacks and homonegative responses from the mainstream

7) Inability to reconnect with biological families and subsequent interventions and related social services

8) Non response or aloofness from the LGBT bodies that readily parade the men's issues overseas

9) Increased cynicism and refusal to report incidents to the very LGBT bodies

10) Little follow up from the LGBT legal arms and meaningful assistance from same

11) An unusual phenomenon of stoning becoming a fixture as part of the anti gay response in reported homophobic incidents 

The predicted fallout from the lotto scam crackdown by the authorities and the coming to a halt the informal half way house program that was carried out by a key influential who has been fingered as a key player in the illegal scam has also come to light as many of the displaced and homeless men who benefited from that arrangement have now found themselves having to move to other parts of St James and by extension other parishes including Kingston. This was the same influential who ran a club that was invaded in February 2011 by cops with some awful results, see the link for more: 

Big Blow for homeless/displaced MSMs in Western Jamaica …..

Meanwhile other alleged scammers too have fallen on difficult times financially and are now joining the fold it seems as they were once vilified by the originally displaced that were not helping and selfish while enjoying their ill gotten wealth.

Also with the veiled threat of sorts coming from the supposed criminal underworld as well that was carried in the tabloids recently many persons in the community are also surmising the increased hostility towards perceived LGBTians as a consequence of this threat.

see: 

Thugs warn drag wearing scammers ……………

A few incidents were reported to have occurred over the past few months where the persons so harmed have flatly refused to go into the report their concerns and injuries either to Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays and worst yet the police who in western Jamaica do not treat with any urgency or proper regard the sanctity of ones rights in a precinct of a station instead reportees are ridiculed or made to feel dejected as officers make a mockery of the situation. The untimely departure as well of Manger and his assistant at Jamaica AIDS Support for Life Montego Bay offices as only serve to add insult to injury as he also acted as a crisis intervention contact in western Jamaica often putting his own self in harm's way to offer emergency shelter or relocation for persons who would normally call the office for assistance. He was fired due to internal matters that have left many stunned even now some several months after his departure. The new staff members have been described as out of touch and very snooty and seem not interested for the most part in getting involved in serious cases but those who still do engage have a hard time convincing the homophobic victims to report the issue to JFLAG, the response is usually they feel it will go nowhere than just on paper. 

A same gender loving woman also had to beat a hasty relocation as she was the victim of a stoning incident as well so she took evasive action, she surmises that after the visit of a butch identified friend she became profiled by her immediate neighbours hence the incident that followed. A nurse also had to take action at her place of work where another coworker verbally abused her but the regional authorities quickly diffused the situation and transferred the offending worker to another locale.

With no permanent presence at this time of a crisis intervention team in Montego Bay how are the persons going to report incidents separate and apart from calling in to them. JFLAG has indeed indicated that it will be opening some shelter of sorts finally after 14 years of existence the first time a shelter is being opened after so many years of not addressing the social issues that have grown exponentially. How many beds are there in this project and if it will remain open and close surprisingly and dubiously as the previous Safe House Project we are yet to see. One other issue is will this new shelter if and when it opens will the services be so offered to engage the existing homeless men numbering some thirty or more just by observation and some of whom have been around since 2007 after the exposure of an LGBT party DVD by bootleggers first in Montego Bay then in Kingston leading to an islandwide meltdown. Many persons from western Jamaica had to beat a hasty retreat to come to Kingston hence the explosion of displaced and homeless persons to this day with all the associated problems some internally caused unfortunately.

Please see the following for some background to some of the issues:

Murder, Homelessness and fallouts ..................................

June 13th double murder scene of two homeless msms which was not a homophobic killing

also hear a recent audio commentary on the Trafalgar murder matter and more

and recent issues with the Kingston cohort 

From the pen of one of our homeless brothers ……..

There are several things to consider here folks as we navigate LGBT life here on the rock especially for those of us who choose to remain here and battle it out and not run off using the tempting asylum routes being waved infront of some as a dangling carrot but it becoming more clearer is the social fallouts and homonegative issues however small they make look needs urgent attention by the advocacy structures. Influentials alone can no longer take on these matters as they are spent from attempting to do so and resources are scarce on their part yet millions are available from the LGBT groups and they do not act on addressing the glaring issues staring us all in the face.

Think on these things

Peace and tolerance

H