JFLAG at its 15 Anniversary of the Struggle on Human Rights Day..................

Jamaica has a long and complex history of LGBT human rights advocacy from the 1970s with the Gay Freedom Movement.

Back then, there were more pockets of tolerance and gay social spaces in Jamaica; visible gay clubs such as NS, Marshalls, The Closet, and Entourage all based in Kingston. More recently we’ve had The Loft, and Oasis as well as Heaven which is still in operation.

Regrettably, beginning in the late 1980s, things began to change. People were being targeted, beaten and killed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Consequently, the LGBT community became imprisoned by fear, discrimination and violence.

Fifteen years ago, some concerned Jamaicans came together to establish what we now know as J-FLAG. On Human Rights Day - December 10, 1998 - J-FLAG was launched to ‘engage in initiatives that would foster the acceptance and enrichment of the lives of same-gender loving persons who have been, and continue to be an integral part of society’. Jamaica is better because of their vision.

When J-FLAG was launched, the idea of protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity seemed foreign, but it was important to confront laws and policies that were, and continue to be detrimental to the dignity of LGBT Jamaicans.

Today, we celebrate fifteen wonderful years of advocacy for LGBT people. I thank everyone, including LGBT community members, our partners, donors, allies and policymakers who have helped in promoting the rights of LGBT Jamaicans. I pay tribute to the founders who so desperately wanted to ensure Jamaicans like me could claim our full citizenship and not be mistreated because of who we love.

It is an honour for me to be part of such a proud history, and I am hopeful that better days are ahead. Already, there is an unprecedented lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the ‘buggery law’ and many LGBT people are boldly confronting homophobia. This year, we witnessed the establishment of three new LGBT organisations, namely Quality of Citizenship Jamaica (QCJ) - a lesbian and bisexual women’s organisation, the Jamaica Association of Gays and Lesbians Abroad (JAGLA), and Dwayne's House - working to create a shelter for homeless LGBT youth.

However, despite these strides by the community, there are still many challenges. Some LGBT people still do not have a place to sleep at nights. Children are still being thrown out of their homes because they are gay or lesbian, while some of them hide from school to avoid being bullied, and others contemplate suicide to end the harassment they face. Transgender Jamaicans are still being treated as outcasts. People are still being beaten for being LGBT and many of us still live in great fear for our lives and that of our loved ones. The murder of 16 year old Dwayne Jones in St James in July 2013, who wanted to become a teacher or entertainment coordinator, is evidence of how difficult it is for many of us.

It is for these reasons that we must all work together to create a peaceful and inclusive society for all Jamaicans. We must provide more opportunities to learn about human rights and foster greater respect among all of us, regardless of our differences.

No Jamaican should feel inferior, powerless or invisible because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is only with respect and embracing our common humanity that Jamaica can be a safe, cohesive and just society. Together, we can put aside the grievances that lead to prejudice, inequality, crime, violence and intolerance, to build Jamaica land we love.

Dane Lewis, Executive Director

(876) 875 2328 /(876) 754 2130

ENDS

Also see a list of top 10 accomplishments: HERE and below is my podcast on the matter, congrats indeed but there is much to do despite the strong differences of opinions as to the way forward. Hopefully the goals will be achieved on a sound ethical foundation of advocacy and not leaving us viewed as oppressors or lying our way to achieving our full rights and recognition.

Peace and tolerance

H

Gay lobby claims not true, says Green ......

Source: Jamaica far more tolerant of homosexuals than the public hype’

A day before former Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green left the island at the end of his eight years of service, he rubbished a common claim by the gay community and international rights groups that homosexuals in Jamaica are victims of wanton murder, mob-mauling and marginalisation.

His pronouncement came just weeks after gay lobby group Jamaica Forum For Lesbians All-sexuals and Gays (JFLAG) suggested that two men killed in the New Kingston area were slain because of their sexual preference.
In an interview on Thursday with the Sunday Observer, Green said despite claims by JFLAG that Jamaicans are intolerant of their lifestyle, and are targeting them for death, his experience during his tenure here was totally different.


JFLAG has, for years, contended that gay people have been marginalised in Jamaica, but Green said while that may have been the case in the past, the country has come a long way in tolerating the homosexual lifestyle.

“I think Jamaica is far more tolerant than the public hype. There is a vibrant community in Jamaica and there isn’t the sort of backlash that some people say. I think we are much more tolerant and accepting. Just go around and you will see they are more flamboyant in the way they dress and behave as if they are comfortable with it. If that’s the case, why are they stigmatised?” Green said.

“It’s just the hype from some who claim Jamaica is very anti-homosexual, but the reality is far from that. There are many homosexuals who live and work freely in Jamaica,” he said.

Green explained that as a homicide investigator he worked closely with the gay lobby group which referred him to several incidents in which members of their community were murdered.

However, the former Scotland Yard detective said his findings show that the majority of gay killings are carried out by members of the gay community.

“All of those murders that I have investigated have been in relationships and are victims of gay attacks, domestic situations,” he said.

On June 13, the badly mutilated bodies of Winston Ramsey and Jermaine Thompson were found in an open lot on Trafalgar Road. Since the gruesome find, homicide investigators have reported that the killings had all the signs of a gay-on-gay crime. However, days after the killing JFLAG, in a release to the media, used the murders as a launching pad to call on Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to look into the plight of homeless gay men.

“Among the most recent attacks against the gay community was the savage killing of two young men. The men were apparently brutally murdered with blunt instruments in the vicinity of the intersection of Trafalgar Road and Lady Musgrave Road. People who are homeless frequent this area. Among them are young gay men who have been made homeless because of the continued intolerance of homosexuality in Jamaica... We call on the prime minister and the ministers of national security and labour and social security to listen to the cries and needs of members of our community who continue to be subjected to discrimination and violence, have nowhere to live and no food to eat because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” the JFLAG release read in part.

However, Green flatly rejected that line of reasoning and said of all the murders of gay men that he has investigated only one was not committed by a member of the gay community. “That was Steve Harvey and that case was a robbery,” Green said.

Harvey was a Jamaica AIDS Support employee who was abducted from his Duhaney Drive, Kingston 20 home by gunmen and later found dead on Pinewood Terrace. Harvey’s ATM card and other items were taken. His vehicle was found parked at a football field in Grants Pen, St Andrew.

In 2002, the body of self styled psychic and television show host, Safa Santura, was found badly bruised and slashed at Cavaliers in St Andrew. Police say he was also murdered by his jealous lover who was later sentenced to life in prison.

Two years later, gay rights activist Brian Williamson was chopped and stabbed multiple times with the murderer leaving his remains inside his house at Haughton Avenue in St Andrew. At the time police reported that Williamson’s home was a hangout spot for gays. His killer, Dwight Hayden, was also sentenced to life.

In December 2006, the decomposing body of Wayne Pinnock was found in an upscale apartment owned by late Trade Ambassador Peter King. His nude body had eight stab wounds and his throat was slashed.

A member of the gay community who was present at the murder scene admitted to the Observer that Pinnock was gay and was in fact killed by his male lover.

King was himself the victim of a gay-on-gay murder. His nude, mutilated body was found in a pool of blood in his bedroom at Waterloo Road, Kingston 10. His killer, Sheldon Pusey, was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter.

At the time of his sentencing, his attorney pleaded with the judge that his client stood a great chance of being sodomised due to “rampant homosexuality” in Jamaica’s prisons.

At least one foreign national has also fallen victim to the vicious blades of a gay killer.

Former British diplomat John Terry was found strangled at his home in Mount Carey, St James in September 2009. His body was wrapped in a sheet. Police reported at the time that a hand-written note was found in the house which suggested the reason why Terry was slaughtered.

Green, who at the time was the head of Serious and Organised Crime, was forced to refute claims by the British media that Terry’s death was a hate crime.

“I don’t think it is a homophobic attack, although it’s been run in the UK press. It isn’t consistent with the information that we have. It is unlikely,” Green said at the time.

A security guard was arrested, charged and convicted of Terry’s murder.

While Jamaicans are becoming more tolerant of the gay lifestyle, most are not willing to allow public displays of affection or cross-dressing as obtains in Europe and North America.

In February 2007, three cross-dressing men were saved by the police from an angry mob outside a pharmacy in a St Andrew plaza. A similar incident occurred a few weeks later in downtown Kingston.

“I am not into gay-bashing, but the problem is cross-dressing and going downtown. Do they do that to create a media blitz? That just seems too contrived,” Green said.

original article ENDS

A response from Maurice Tomlinson:

It is clear that ACP Green has been infected with the same malaise (or he probably brought his low-grade homophobia with him from the London police force) which typifies the Jamaica Constabulary Force. He therefore believes that gay Jamaicans should not be seen and definitely not be heard. He also seems very content to identify with those who strenuously argue that gay Jamaicans are engaged in some kind of suicide pact and most, if not all the attacks against the Jamaican gay community are self-inflicted. However Jamaican television station, CVM TV, reported that in the early hours of the morning of October 18, 2011 armed thugs invaded the home of 16 year old Oshane Gordon and chopped him to death because of his "questionable relations with another man." On June 21, 2012, the same station reported of the mob invasion of the home of suspected gays in the community of Jones Town, Kingston. There have been numerous attacks in between, few of which have been reported to the police because of attitudes such as exhibited by ACP Green’s. Even in their homes gay Jamaicans are not safe from attack because of their sexual orientation. Yet, Mr. Green paints a rosy picture of what it means to be gay in Jamaica.

We therefore ask ACP Green that if he really believes his own views about the human rights situation for gay Jamaicans could he please dress in drag and go downtown Kingston (or Ocho Rios, Falmouth or Montego Bay) for just one day?
In response to Mr. Green’s statement that gay Jamaicans are attacking each other, some homosexual Jamaicans engage in acts of domestic violence, just like some heterosexual Jamaicans. This is a function of our national problem with conflict resolution. The critical difference is that straight victims of domestic violence have the protection of the country’s Domestic Violence Act while gay Jamaicans do not. Is it any wonder therefore that some gay relationships end in death because of the sense of powerlessness, decades of psychological abuse spawning internalized homophobia and a general feeling of being trapped?

Les Green demonstrates the classic signs of someone who is woefully deficient in critical thinking skills. Thankfully his tour of duty with the Jamaican police force is coming to an end. The Jamaican government has said that more UK police are coming to the country. We sincerely hope that Green’s replacement is more familiar with basic human rights principles and has the capacity to really think for himself, instead of being sucked into the anti-gay group think of the monolithic Jamaican police force. But we doubt it. Chances are the Jamaican Police Force will not wish to accept someone who will rock the boat too much. And the British government (still smarting from the remarks about aid conditionality made by Prime Minister David Cameron) will likely hesitate before sending a true “homo-lover” to the Jamaican police.

ENDS

my two cents:
So the intellectual dishonesty continues in a sense, with flowery narratives and intellectual masturbation, the June 13th matter concerning the two homeless MSM by Trafalgar Road definitely was NOT a homophobic killing and the lobby needs to be careful how we go crying wolf, we can't fool the public, there are homophobic murders yes but there are also non homophobic murders as well that involve MSM/Trans individuals as victims. JFLAG et al are sometimes too quick on the draw the cry out and not check each case on its own merit and make sure before making demands on government. The RJR retraction by ED Dane Lewis shows us the aftermath of such repeated missteps.

Here is some more on audio, WE MUST BE TRUTHFUL AND SURE IN OUR ADVOCACY 

J-FLAG Celebrates 13 Years of Promoting Tolerance for Gays ... higher expectations from some quarters .................

One day before JFLAG's 13th anniversary as was formerly launched on Human Rights Day December 10th 1998 in the sted of the then defunct Gay Freedom Movement (GFM) and also to create an advocacy arm for parent NGO Jamaica AIDS Support (the "for Life" name addition came some years later) they have released a statement as seen below from the desk of the Executive Director. I was proud to have witnessed that period of LGBT history in the early days of murdered co founder/advocate Brian Williamson whose home some of us as battered and bruised MSMs gathered to hear the plans of the movement in 1997/8, he too also opened his home to displaced msms and sgl women, some including myself provided information on our personal struggles with homophobia, incarceration and family ostracism as gay men at the time through active persons such as Thomas Glave a co founder as well who now reside overseas. Other operatives had to also seek asylum for their own safety. 

I may stand alone hereafter but sometimes it takes only one.

My buggery case and that of my three other co-accused which was in court at the time (started in December 1996 through to 1999) was also used as reference material for to develop the crisis intervention structure at the time I was told afterwards. While we can appreciate and congratulate them on the milestone and the more meaningful achievements such as the Stop Murder Music Campaigns and the Parliamentary Submission (which was not properly followed up) in the good early years they seem to have lost the original vision with purpose and some major issues and obstacles that have impeded LGBT community development have been highlighted from the mainstream but some handicapping occurring precisely due to the advocacy structure's ineptitude or dropping the ball, selectiveness on issues, very little or full non engagement of key sub groups under the lgbt umbrella and in some instances downright laziness on their part, also bearing in mind no recognition of their very own milestone was given by them two years in succession. Several things are missing from this release in my mind and as a former volunteer and full time advocate with them I feel we need to get real and honest about where we are. Most communications written and the view oral or limited forumatic activity from the goodly J is not tailored to the main LGBT audience which also says a lot about the organization's ideology. It took several years and alot of noise in some circles to get the J to even become enlightened in the use of proper descriptions and the very website languished for years without any updates for the community to see and follow up on, even now on the new site comments posting is closed, so how are persons for or against to engage the group when the very acronym implies action to interact with the groups? Alternate independent media was suggested as an option and even those ideas were subtly rejected. Now those are now being embraced quietly. 

But have a read first and decide for yourselves. Frankly JFLAG's representation here is much to be desired for the person with higher expectations as they seem to continue to ignore the real issues on the ground and present this artificial unity to the globe. 

The release read as follows via their website

J-FLAG Celebrates 13 Years of Promoting Tolerance for Gays

Kingston — December 9, 2011

Jamaica has come a long way in promoting respect and tolerance for the human rights of Jamaicans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) but much more needs to be done to make Jamaica a cohesive and just society where everyone can live, work and raise their family.

J-FLAG was launched on December 10, 1998 as Jamaica’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights advocacy group by twelve business people, educators, lawyers, public relations practitioners and human rights activists to advocate for protection from state-sanctioned and community violence. In this regard, J-FLAG’s call was for the fair and equal treatment of gays and lesbians under the law and by the ordinary citizen.

Thirteen years ago there were more dancehall and reggae artistes singing homophobic songs, more persons right to life was being violated because of their sexual orientation, the Commissioner of Police would never instruct police officers to respect the rights of all civilians, regardless of their sexual preference, political representatives would never meet with us and publicly support LGBT rights, the media would never openly advocate the repeal of the buggery law, and HIV programmes were not catering to the needs of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Today, 7% of HIV/AIDS organisations in Jamaica are working with MSM, more and more research is being done on homosexuality and homophobia in Jamaica, there are social and entertainment spaces that are friendly and for LGBT people and there are more than five LGBT focussed organisations and many support groups across the island.

The truth is more of us are realizing that human rights belong to every one of us without exception and more of us are promoting this concept. However, unless we know them, unless we demand that they be respected, and unless we defend our rights to love and care for each other without distinction, these rights will be just words in a decades-old documents.

However, despite our progress over the years, this year alone J-FLAG received more than sixty reports of murder, mob attacks, extortion, home evictions and verbal and physical abuse. Tomorrow is Human Rights Day, and as Hon. Rudyard Spencer said on December 1, 2011 at the Leaders’ Breakfast on HIV and AIDS, “we should not ignore the cries of those who continue to suffer because we fail to do what is right. It is time to be courageous and to be strong. It is time to usher our country to into a new day where justice, liberty and freedom prevail for all.” It is important that we begin recognizing and respecting the rights and beliefs of others.

J-FLAG strongly believes that the next government must take the steps needed to promote tolerance and respect for human rights, regardless of, inter alia, sexual orientation and protect LGBT persons from abuse. Already the United Nations Human Rights Committee has instructed the government to report by the end of 2012 on the steps it will take to come into full compliance with its human rights obligations. We stand ready to assist our government on issues of concern to many Jamaicans with respect to the rights of the LGBT community.

Here are five concrete things the leaders of both political parties can do if they form the next government and can easily accomplish within a year. These are:

· Taking Leadership for Human Rights,

· Promoting Equality and Non-Discrimination,

· Tackling Crime and Violence,

· Integrating Sexuality Issues within Gender Policy and

· Ensuring Every Child Learn in Safe Schools.

These will have a welcome and meaningful impact on the lives of all citizens, including LGBT Jamaicans, their family, friends and allies. J-FLAG stands ready to support the government in demonstrating its commitments to protect and promote the human rights of all Jamaicans, regardless of their socio-economic status, sexual orientation, health status, disability, work, and political and religious persuasions.

For further information contact:

Dane Lewis

Executive Director

P.O. Box 1152, Kingston 8, Jamaica

T: (876) 978-8988 | M: (876) 875 2328 | F: (876) 946-3244

W: www.jflag.org | E: admin@jflag.org

Follow us @equality_JA on Twitter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Flag/96340216669

ENDS

Glaring realities:

Sadly no mention of the two murdered lesbians who were taken from us tragically just this month as well or the other same gender loving female issues that abound which more and more confirms the belief it's a man's world when it comes to LGBT advocacy in Jamaica 

No recognition of the introspective activities by a small group who did an expose on LGBT business and culture in a Pride Fest to which the J was invited to participate in and of which they ignored

No mention of the overall health and or concern of the homeless community lest we forget earlier this year some of them launched a two day civil disobedience action August 23rd and 24th at the parent NGO office that being Jamaica AIDS Support (for Life), where there was open defiance to the Exec Director when he and the former Crisis Intervention Officer tired to engage the angry men, two days of shame for us as thinking people, the men were banned from the groups before the action and then the structure turned around and hypocritically asked the nation for tolerance in the now rejected tolerance ad, credibility lost other methods have been employed since to agitate for rights or the decriminalization of buggery, a call I support but not without a proper ethical base from which to speak. 

Still no serious look at transgender issues overall during the year even with the death of two of the most prominent ones, a suspicious voting process for trans representatives for the former Global Fund CCM for Round 11, their website still has not shown any serious moves towards this population as a matter of public record, their version of Jamaican transgender news is a Wikipedia link as evidenced below:

Lack of serious frontline interventions and presence ISLANDWIDE not just a Kingston office is URGENTLY needed especially with regards to a more younger active LGBT community

Interest seems to be more on the international stage, governmental battling and suring up image than dealing with inter and intra community issues which is a longstanding criticism from several sections of the community and is spreading slowly as persons begin to evaluate where we are as a people.

To say that HIV programs are not catering to the msm population is disingenuous as JFLAG is parented by the oldest NGO in the field of HIV Jamaica AIDS Support for Life founded by and still run by very powerful and influential MSMs along with other persons and who have direct access to the community if they so desire which makes us question the reasons for such groups existence now, simply documenting incidences and or allotting a couple thousand dollars to victims is NOT enough, still there are no resident psycho social services as spread out in any meaningful islandwide framework with real cooperation not selected friends., it is for the greater good of the community that the work is to be done.

There is so much that is just not in place for proper representation too numerous to list here but with the cogs of HIV, funding and other interventions gateways jealously guarded by elements linked to the J we may never see any true serious and proper coverage islandwide especially in the area of frontline work. I guess we are going to be told there is no money for what we are expecting. That I totally disbelieve having participated in fundraising action on behalf of the J. With the Obama administration in the US pledging more support and conditionalities to countries for aid with regards to LGBT rights and support for advocacy groups as well some are expecting that the J will benefit seeing the connections they have to the consulate locally, it is with great interest a few including myself are watching to see if and when such funds become available if we won't see major improvements in advocacy and intervention work with real forumatic activity.

Wake up J, we are expecting far more than this after 13 years seeing that dissenting voices are not engaged or ignored so read what some feel on independent media. I do not think major JFLAG founders like the late Brian Williamson or even some alive today do approve or would have approved of the direction we are heading, the silence from the ones alive albeit some are living overseas is also troubling. They seem to be only majoring in scoring asylum seekers access overseas and a late in coming counseling line by an external associate in ASHE supposedly opened on Fridays to Sundays on 294-1111. One hopes the old accusations of the phone counselors in a previous dispensation were hitting on some of the callers every now and again don not resurface.


more here in my audio commentary:

 JFLAG 13 years but expectations are higher in some quarters 09.12.11 by glbtqja4 

Peace and tolerance

H

Remembering Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004)

a special post outside of the October History month but relevant non the less

the good days with his dog Tessa at home

Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004) was a Jamaican Gay rights activist and co-founder of the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians and Gays, J-Flag. He was known for personally housing and looking after gay people in Jamaica. A pleasant smile was what one would get upon entering his complex up until his death and he sought to it that homeless persons were assisted in what ever way he could, which may explain my push in this regard as my early exposure to that side of on the ground advocacy and his own struggle to convince others to include that part of crisis interventions into the mix.

He was murdered with a machete, suffering multiple stab wounds to neck and face.Williamson's confessed murderer, Dwight Hayden, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after fifteen years.

Other posts and articles on Brian:

Remembering Brian Williamson

Gleaner on Remembering Brian Williamson June 20, 2004

More related posts that named Brian: HERE

More from Gay Jamaica Watch: HERE

More from GLOBALGAYZ: HERE

Sadly missed

One of the founding members of JFLAG, Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals & Gays (worth repeating)

Owner of one of the most successful gay entertainment spots in Jamaica, The Entourage and a dedicated activist. One of the memorable moments in our GLBTQ history is an appearance on Jamaican television then known as (JBC) Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation coming out to the nation and by extension the world and putting a face to the gay community.

The VHS tapes should be available at JFLAG's archives in Kingston, we hope they have been stored properly and not left to go the route of the Gay Freedom Movement archives that subsequently what was left of those were retrieved by it's founder Larry Chang and archived overseas were not in proper condition due to poor handling and storage, sad as Jamaica should have been the repository for such important materials.

A pity as he must be turning in his grave now to see how we are at odds over what is to be done for the movement in totality of the LGBTQI communities instead we are left with a joke of an advocacy with criticisms of dissenting voices described as "bickering" as if the establishment are infallible when the engagement of everyone for or against should be the thrust forward in dealing with not just the repulsion of the buggery law while affixing HIV/AIDS issues which seems to be the main focus while the urgently required social interventions for certain sections of the community to uplift and rebuild their lives. Sadly it seems more about self-aggrandizement coupled with an elitist agenda with a general intolerance for views outside the system. The ordinary LGBTQI body politic seems relegated to just followers with selected individuals given a platform. The loss of a former volunteer and contracted individual earlier this year via a gruesome murder with not so much as some formal recognition for however small his contribution was glaring to say the least.

Read more here from the Wordpress edition of GLBTQJA

All this was not the original plan when The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays was first formed and launched albeit that from the get go if I am to go from memory the signs of the aforementioned opposition to certain types of intervention ideas were knocking at the door but were not as pronounced as today.

Let us however move towards working together for the greater good of those down trodden and or displaced with a sense of hopelessness, rest assured the criticisms will not and cannot be stopped as it is by picking the meat from same and having real forumatic activities that the solutions will come.

Love always

Peace & tolerance

H

Remembering Brian Williamson - September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004

a special post outside of the October History month but relevant non the less

the good days with his dog Tessa at home

Brian Williamson (September 4 1945 - June 9, 2004) was a Jamaican Gay rights activist and co-founder of the Jamaican forum for lesbians and gays, J-Flag. He was known for personally housing and looking after gay people in Jamaica.

members of the public then were cheering his demise at some instances and singing anti gay songs as police process the crime scene then and his body was removed by the undertakers

He was murdered with a machete, suffering multiple stab wounds to neck and face.Williamson's confessed murderer, Dwight Hayden, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after fifteen years

Other posts and articles on Brian:

Remembering Brian Williamson

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20040620/focus/focus4.html

More related posts that named Brian: HERE

More from Gay Jamaica Watch: HERE

More from GLOBALGAYZ: HERE

Sadly missed

Peace

LGBT History Month - Remembering Brian Williamson

Thomas Glave, Contributor, originally published Sunday June 20, 2004

THE PIECE IS STILL POIGNANT TODAY!!!

THIS MUCH is true: the brave, loving gay man who was murdered in Kingston last week will not be forgotten. His name was Brian R.B. Williamson. None of us who are gay, lesbian or bisexual will forget him, and neither will many others.

He was a founding member of J-FLAG. I remember him from that time. That was where I first met him ­ where I first had the privilege of getting to know him. We all were meeting in great trust, scarcely knowing at that time, in the latter months of 1998, how daunting and ultimately vital our mission would be. But in 2004, six years later, J-FLAG still exists ­ proof of the importance and utter correctness of our work. Jamaica's viciousness and hatred, no matter how brutal, could not destroy us then, and will not destroy us now.
I remember Brian as a laughing man: a man with 'a head of silver coins'," as I described his head of curly silver-gray hair. He loved laughing and laughter. Though it is often said of the dead even when untrue, he truly did love life, and exemplified that love in his formidable bravery where sexuality matters were concerned. He was not afraid to open, and operate from the late 1990s until only a few years ago, the gay and lesbian dance club Entourage, right in his home at 3A Haughton Avenue.

A SAFE PLACE
Entourage, a place where so many of us gays, lesbians, and bisexuals could go and dance, laugh, flirt, party, and hang out with friends and loved ones ­ a place where we could breathe freely and openly, delivered for a few hours from Jamaica's otherwise repressive, hateful anti-gay environment. At Entourage and in other places, Brian was not afraid to challenge the police, fiercely, when they attempted to harass him. He was not afraid to represent J-FLAG on the radio, using his own name, and to appear on television, representing the organisation, showing his face. He did it all with great humour and generosity, and lived, until a few weeks ago, to tell about it. In that regard, he was truly an example to all of us who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual ­ an example of just what bravery and risk can accomplish.
It remains to be seen whether Brian was murdered specifically because he was gay, although given the extremely violent nature of the crime and his being so widely known as an outspoken gay man, one would be a bit naive not to wonder. These are hard times for all Jamaicans living on the island, but they're especially hard for gay men, and for men who have sexual/romantic involvements with other men, and with women, and don't call themselves 'gay'.

SHROUD OF FEAR
Many men who desire other men in Jamaica continue to live with an enormous amount of anxiety, shame and fear. Such is also the case for women who love other women. Those of us who are men, particularly after an incident such as which took Brian's life, return to that gnawing fear: will someone strike us down anytime soon because we are 'b-men'? How will it happen? With fire, machetes, pickaxes, hammers, guns, knives or simple strangling? Or will it be 'just' a beating? Or a good old-fashioned stoning? Will our father do it to us, or a neighbour? A boyfriend of ours, or a co-worker?
Will everyone in our community turn on us? Will it happen in the cool, quieter hours of the night, or beneath the sun's blazing afternoon? Will people laugh after our death, as they did after Brian's or will some cry for us, as many did for Brian? Will people tell each other after our murder that we 'deserved' it, or were 'asking for' it? Will people in our families be so ashamed of us, and so embarrassed, that they'll refuse to speak about us to anyone, especially when it comes to the men we loved? Will self-hating gay men say vicious things about us - that we were nothing more than a 'sketel', nothing more than a 'butu', so what could we expect?
We all have faced discrimination and bigotry from friends, family members, church members, and others; yet many of us somehow have managed to survive that bigotry, and even triumph. In that regard, we, male and female homosexuals, are truly testaments to survival and the human spirit. Jamaica would be much poorer without our talent, hard work, skills, and intelligence, and Jamaica knows it. Jamaica will be much poorer without the light of Brian Williamson, but the gay/lesbian community, and J-FLAG, will continue, and prevail, as Brian himself would have wanted us to.

EQUAL TO NAZI TYRANNY
Make no mistake ­ years from now, the world will look at Jamaica the way we do at Nazis today. Jamaica's hatred of homosexuals is the equal of Nazis' hatred of Jews. It is the equal of racist whites' hatred of blacks, is the equal of all hatred everywhere ­ just as ugly, just as destructive and self-destructive, just as ignorant and narrow. Just as evil.
We are Nazis toward lesbians and gay men, but Hitler's fury didn't wipe out all the Jews, and Jamaica's rage won't kill all of us - it won't even kill those of us who hate ourselves so much because Jamaica has taught us to hate ourselves and other gay people.
In our private spaces we still love and make love to each other, we still tell jokes and drink, play cards and watch T.V, nyam our curry goat and brown stew chicken, go on bad and tek bad tings mek laugh. We still dream of love, like everyone else, and, when necessary, we take care of each other. If anything, Brian's death should teach us all to do all these things even better.
But it should teach us something else, even more important: it should teach us that we, and no one else, will have to make the kind of world we want our children to live in. If one of our children turns out to be gay ­ and I mean the children of any Jamaican, any person, heterosexual or homosexual, since we, too, produce children ­ are we prepared to send them out into a world that might chop them up, burn them, dash acid on them, or burn down their house? Or stone them? Or cause them to flee Jamaica in fear? Or cause them to grow up lying about themselves, lying to their parents, to spouses, children, friends, family ­ to everyone?
What are we all doing right now, nearly one week after a brave man's death, to protect our children from that world? From this world?
Brian featured on the bottom of his outgoing e-mails a quote from Gandhi: "We must become the change we wish to see in the world." It's useful, but to achieve what it says requires a tremendous amount of human bravery: brave heart, brave mind, brave soul, and the courage to expand the mind beyond the prejudices that make us happy and comfortable. Are we prepared to try and live this way, if only to keep other people from being killed as Brian was killed, and to save ourselves from such a death as well?

Light a candle, then, for this man who was loved. Light many candles, and remember his name. Remember his laughter.
Remember how much he loved other men, and how very much he wanted them to love him in return. Remember how much he loved his cat Jonathan and his dog Tessa - poor Tessa, who was there, at home, on the morning of his death.
Remember how Brian loved his garden, especially the trailing yellow allamanda flowers on his front lawn's overhead trellis. Say a prayer for him, and say another for those terrible lost people who killed him.
Remember how much power, love, and life he brought us in Jamaica. Remember, how much braver he made so many of us. Remember how he expanded our entire country. Remember, and know that he will not be forgotten.

Remembering Brian Williamson

Remembering Brian Williamson

published: Sunday June 20, 2004

Gay activist Brian Williamson in happier times.
Thomas Glave, Contributor

THIS MUCH is true: the brave, loving gay man who was murdered in Kingston last week will not be forgotten. His name was Brian R.B. Williamson. None of us who are gay, lesbian or bisexual will forget him, and neither will many others.

He was a founding member of J-FLAG. I remember him from that time. That was where I first met him ­ where I first had the privilege of getting to know him. We all were meeting in great trust, scarcely knowing at that time, in the latter months of 1998, how daunting and ultimately vital our mission would be. But in 2004, six years later, J-FLAG still exists ­ proof of the importance and utter correctness of our work. Jamaica's viciousness and hatred, no matter how brutal, could not destroy us then, and will not destroy us now.

I remember Brian as a laughing man: a man with 'a head of silver coins'," as I described his head of curly silver-gray hair. He loved laughing and laughter. Though it is often said of the dead even when untrue, he truly did love life, and exemplified that love in his formidable bravery where sexuality matters were concerned. He was not afraid to open, and operate from the late 1990s until only a few years ago, the gay and lesbian dance club Entourage, right in his home at

3A Haughton Avenue.

A SAFE PLACE
Entourage, a place where so many of us gays, lesbians, and bisexuals could go and dance, laugh, flirt, party, and hang out with friends and loved ones ­ a place where we could breathe freely and openly, delivered for a few hours from Jamaica's otherwise repressive, hateful anti-gay environment. At Entourage and in other places, Brian was not afraid to challenge the police, fiercely, when they attempted to harass him. He was not afraid to represent J-FLAG on the radio, using his own name, and to appear on television, representing the organisation, showing his face. He did it all with great humour and generosity, and lived, until a few weeks ago, to tell about it. In that regard, he was truly an example to all of us who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual ­ an example of just what bravery and risk can accomplish.

It remains to be seen whether Brian was murdered specifically because he was gay, although given the extremely violent nature of the crime and his being so widely known as an outspoken gay man, one would be a bit naive not to wonder. These are hard times for all Jamaicans living on the island, but they're especially hard for gay men, and for men who have sexual/romantic involvements with other men, and with women, and don't call themselves 'gay'.

SHROUD OF FEAR
Many men who desire other men in Jamaica continue to live with an enormous amount of anxiety, shame and fear. Such is also the case for women who love other women. Those of us who are men, particularly after an incident such as which took Brian's life, return to that gnawing fear: will someone strike us down anytime soon because we are 'b-men'? How will it happen? With fire, machetes, pickaxes, hammers, guns, knives or simple strangling? Or will it be 'just' a beating? Or a good old-fashioned stoning? Will our father do it to us, or a neighbour? A boyfriend of ours, or a co-worker?

Will everyone in our community turn on us? Will it happen in the cool, quieter hours of the night, or beneath the sun's blazing afternoon? Will people laugh after our death, as they did after Brian's or will some cry for us, as many did for Brian? Will people tell each other after our murder that we 'deserved' it, or were 'asking for' it? Will people in our families be so ashamed of us, and so embarrassed, that they'll refuse to speak about us to anyone, especially when it comes to the men we loved? Will self-hating gay men say vicious things about us - that we were nothing more than a 'sketel', nothing more than a 'butu', so what could we expect?

We all have faced discrimination and bigotry from friends, family members, church members, and others; yet many of us somehow have managed to survive that bigotry, and even triumph. In that regard, we, male and female homosexuals, are truly testaments to survival and the human spirit. Jamaica would be much poorer without our talent, hard work, skills, and intelligence, and Jamaica knows it. Jamaica will be much poorer without the light of Brian Williamson, but the gay/lesbian community, and J-FLAG, will continue, and prevail, as Brian himself would have wanted us to.

EQUAL TO NAZI TYRANNY
Make no mistake ­ years from now, the world will look at Jamaica the way we do at Nazis today. Jamaica's hatred of homosexuals is the equal of Nazis' hatred of Jews. It is the equal of racist whites' hatred of blacks, is the equal of all hatred everywhere ­ just as ugly, just as destructive and self-destructive, just as ignorant and narrow. Just as evil.

We are Nazis toward lesbians and gay men, but Hitler's fury didn't wipe out all the Jews, and Jamaica's rage won't kill all of us - it won't even kill those of us who hate ourselves so much because Jamaica has taught us to hate ourselves and other gay people.
In our private spaces we still love and make love to each other, we still tell jokes and drink, play cards and watch T.V, nyam our curry goat and brown stew chicken, go on bad and tek bad tings mek laugh. We still dream of love, like everyone else, and, when necessary, we take care of each other. If anything, Brian's death should teach us all to do all these things even better.

But it should teach us something else, even more important: it should teach us that we, and no one else, will have to make the kind of world we want our children to live in. If one of our children turns out to be gay ­ and I mean the children of any Jamaican, any person, heterosexual or homosexual, since we, too, produce children ­ are we prepared to send them out into a world that might chop them up, burn them, dash acid on them, or burn down their house? Or stone them? Or cause them to flee Jamaica in fear? Or cause them to grow up lying about themselves, lying to their parents, to spouses, children, friends, family ­ to everyone?
What are we all doing right now, nearly one week after a brave man's death, to protect our children from that world? From this world?
Brian featured on the bottom of his outgoing e-mails a quote from Gandhi: "We must become the change we wish to see in the world." It's useful, but to achieve what it says requires a tremendous amount of human bravery: brave heart, brave mind, brave soul, and the courage to expand the mind beyond the prejudices that make us happy and comfortable. Are we prepared to try and live this way, if only to keep other people from being killed as Brian was killed, and to save ourselves from such a death as well?

Light a candle, then, for this man who was loved. Light many candles, and remember his name.

Remember his laughter.
Remember how much he loved other men, and how very much he wanted them to love him in return. Remember how much he loved his cat Jonathan and his dog Tessa - poor Tessa, who was there, at home, on the morning of his death.
Remember how Brian loved his garden, especially the trailing yellow allamanda flowers on his front lawn's overhead trellis. Say a prayer for him, and say another for those terrible lost people who killed him.
Remember how much power, love, and life he brought us in Jamaica. Remember, how much braver he made so many of us. Remember how he expanded our entire country. Remember, and know that he will not be forgotten.