An uneasy reintegration; time will tell

Hope remains while company is true.

The old definition of re-integration but as times change and more and more LGBT people in Jamaica find themselves outside looking in after being kicked out for either coming out or outed things have to change.

It is not very often from the myriad of reports and cases or forced evictions or voluntary exile by persons due to homo-negative reactions, stigma and sheer ignorance that comes impacted person’s reintegration news which suggest all is not lost. My experience has taught me that same gender loving women tend to be more successful than their male counterparts as the trade off of a higher tolerance of lesbianism if you will is way higher; all one has to do is visit the gentleman’s clubs all over the island and see the appetite for women whether lesbian or not mimicking such acts on stage with much cheering from the penny section and sometimes huge tips in the form of money rained on the stage. This has been seen by some experts as a clear sign of the kind of misogyny that pervades our society.

Same gender loving women who are impacted by forced evictions tend to find alleviation easier as trust seems more present, they do not have the spectre of being trouble makers such as their male and transgender displaced or homeless counterparts by virtue of the reporting over the years. Even in general homelessness it is more males than females that dot our suburban thoroughfare as opposed to women.

This latest case involves a then 18 year old bisexual woman who presents as stud she says and who was forced out of home by her mother in Portmore St Catherine in 2013. Thanks to her for sharing this and for the operative who reached out to me by via email in discussing the matters; she was concerned about the reporting on homelessness predominantly on males (the old lesbian oversight or invisibility hints) and hardly any reintegration highlights so she asked if she could make the link to which I replied and hence this post. I am grateful for the number of respondents in recent times to the posts and the sharing of issues freely.

Things however got tense form some time for the bisexual lady and her mother in particular as the relationship became tenuous between the two; arguments dotted with condemnatory remarks, the occasional lockout or ever changing appearing curfews and house rules. Arguments got louder in decibel range, other siblings were encouraged to support the mother’s anti-lesbian stance to which some did and others did not and asked her to ‘cool it’; especially coming from younger family members but older ones held on to a Leviticusal typed mantra in reminding the bisexual woman that Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexuality.

Things came to a head in December 2013 when she was forced to remove despite the tense agreement that if she found a job she would go for a peaceful life. These kinds of tense moments as in other cases often have tied up in the resistance by family members a lack of employment and economic stability or a job as mettle for justifying the pushback or forced evictions towards LGBTQ persons; the young lady was job hunting as she pursued a course at a nearby Community College. Thanks to friends who offered temporary shelter as she requested and has been riding the waves comfortably despite the challenges.

Two senior female community influentials are also involved in providing guidance and keeping close to the situation as well. I do wish there are more influentials like those who are not into fluff but real people and engagement. The impacted woman has been approached by her mother surprisingly and she asked for regular visits to the old home but insisting on lesbian business as it were; the woman had agreed at the time but exchanges in previous visits so far have been tense and guarded she indicated on both fronts. Where it will lead only time will tell but the influentials have encouraged both parties to commence some sort of counselling/talk therapy to deflect any future conflict with a view to mend the relational differences.

I hope this one ends up in a good place and that mutual respect and understanding can come forth out of all this.

Peace & tolerance

H

Arson attack @ lesbian’s home in East Kingston

photo provided by impacted lesbian

As November is Homeless Awareness Month and also the 16 day count down for International Elimination of Violence Against Women which commenced yesterday and to end on Human Rights Day December 10; here is further evidence (above photo) of some of the challenges faced by LGBT persons in Jamaica; especially our same gender loving sisters who in recent times have seen a spike in threats and indeed attacks directed at them with disastrous outcomes. I am presently housing a young man who was outed via a smart phone and social media prying by family members. July 15, 2015 will never be the same for a 35 year old woman and her two children in the Rockfort area when her rented flat for some ten years was firebombed by thugs after a tirade by another woman who effectively outed her. She lost nearly all her personal possessions to include: a 2 door fridge, deep freeze, 4 burner gas stove; microwave oven; 2 blenders; sandwich maker; clothes; bedroom furniture; living room furniture; 4 televisions; component set; sound system; desk top computer; lap top computer; 4 cellular phones.

She made her living by operating a small business for herself to support her children and she also lost a certain amount of cash in the blaze. Profiling is the trigger factor in this matter as her more masculine features/aesthetics fed the perception and hate eventually. In her own words in her report she said among other things:

“I was at home asleep with my two children at about 10:30pm, and I smelled smoke and heard a lot of noise and excitement outside my home. My daughter got up and started to cry and so I grabbed her up an then I woke up my son I told him to run outside. I went outside and started to ask people to help me to save items and no one helped. I heard them sayin’ a long time di sodomite fi gweh!

A long time shi fi liff up and lef’! I tried calling the fire brigade but I wasn’t getting through. I don’t know who called them eventually. By the time they arrived I had lost everything. I started asking around to get somewhere for my children to sleep but no one wanted to help the ‘sodomite’. Even my mother was unwilling to help. She said to me if I didn’t think it was a sign for me to leave the lesbian life.”

Thanks to the assistance of kind persons who offered shelter assistance intermittently but the disappointing part of it is that such help cannot be forever and the reality is she has to move on. Some engagement has come via Aphrodite’s PRIDE Ja but some other challenges have since come to the fore as she temporarily stayed with a family member in rural Jamaica where she was physically assaulted as the news got to their ears as to her challenges. She is also concerned for her children as any mother would be as they are elsewhere in not so comforting circumstances. One LGBT agency she approached told her they could help her to asylum if she can find $100K but how would that be possible when most of her possessions were destroyed in the fire including cash she had that was not lodged to a bank account?

The belief that Jamaica is more tolerant and that the images or aura coming from some quarters to suggest all is well is NOT so and is in fact a farce. The pre-occupation with LGBT advocate/NGO image on the eyes of international agencies and funders via social media and tweets of the privileged is a piece of effantry towards impacted persons such as this woman and bearing in mind this is the third such arson report that has come to hand in recent times. 

former sleeping area now laid bare as the other old building space was attacked in July of this year so the guys are on the move again with very little help

I conducted a site visit to a previous secret spot for some 5 homeless MSM in downtown Kingston on November 21 despite clashes with other sub groups including cruisers who used to use the space where it was invaded in the men’s absence and destroyed by thugs as the men’s existence was exposed. See: Homeless Awareness Month: Possibilities & Challenges

The murder of longtimer ‘Franky’ at the once popular “Boil up” behind a West Kingston community earlier this year has also had a deleterious effect on safety by not only cruisers but homeless MSM/trans who pass through. Thugs now actively patrol certain areas and old buildings hence the exposure in July and barring the cover that was once offered by some of the gangsters any unusual face seen in some parts of town may land one in serious problems. Franky was warned by not only me but others not to traverse certain parts of town as those spaces are no longer in vogue for that kind of activity but he never listened and has effectively paid for such with his life.

Privileged folks especially those in advocacy all have visas and can leave at a moment’s notice, what happens to those who do not have those privileged gifts to leave indeed some have left under dubious circumstances under the guise of asylum but somehow have managed to travel in and out of Jamaica; while some are concerned about stories going out simply delivering the truth instead of a manufactured tolerance image; even as we see the full exploitation of homophobia by politicians in the election silly season and the ongoing Sexual Offences Bill review seems dead in the water. So many other unconfirmed cases are out there as well plus those who do not make reports at all and prefer to suffer in silence and keep it quiet and move on.

All who have eyes to see do see but sweeping things under the rug won’t help anyone.

See more homeless issues on Gay Jamaica Watch HERE (newer entries will appear first, scroll down to view)

Stem the culture of intolerance (Gleaner letter) ... but what about intolerance from within? 2011

Photos from August 10th firebombing incident in Clarendon 2008

Photos from August 10th firebombing incident in Clarendon part 2

Man flees business after firebomb threat 2011

More MSM Homelessness Issues while agencies shift responsibilities 2013

Case Update - The August 10th Clarendon Firebombing Incident 2008

newer podcast:

Homeless Awareness Month 2015 ..... Recap & Concerns 07.11.15 

MSM Trans homeless - From gully to graveyard 04.10.15. 

Peace & tolerance

H

Kicked Out! Lesbian told to leave home by father as he can’t stand the site of her

Another case of stigma by appearance and perceived sexual orientation

As more reports come in of problems in the home and communities based on supposed abhorrence predicated on perceived sexual orientation I am a bit concerned as the response systems also seem not to be working in as far as formal LGBT ones are concerned, the lesbian in question did make a report at the insistence of a gay friend and she attempted to do so to an advocacy group but all they seem to have done is collect the report by phone and then no major follow up by them; instead she had to be calling them for what to do next or for further engagement and evidenced by her frustration as she reaches out for advice and some financial intervention.

One hopes that the stipend arrangements for such cases I had redesigned are still in place to assist such individuals or least tweaked for persons who find themselves in such challenges as this one. Fine that reports are being taken but the follow up and closure outside of asylum is still an administrative hiccup it seems.

The matter like most others these days came to my attention via social media which positively affects actions to closure and crisis reporting and a rather lengthy text message from an intervening party who was also included in the social media linkage and at whose house the 22 year old evicted lesbian is staying temporarily. She is also not fully employed which like similar displacement/forced eviction cases makes recovery difficult as support systems as in this community based assisted shelter response the person being assisted is left to the mercy of the kindness (however long it can last or is offered) of that time.

The 22 year old woman who hails from Manchester has been having a series of arguments with her father, according to the young lady who allowed me sharing the matter says her father would repeat a certain line in his rebuttals or rebuke that he cannot stand the site of her as if to send a subtle message that she had to go without saying it in so many words.

Matters came to a head however over the Christmas holidays in 2014 after a gathering at the house of family members and afterwards another one of those sporadic arguments commenced and continued according to the distraught lesbian far longer than usual as was due to her mode of dress for the evening as she was in a white suit presenting as semi butch, the shirt she claimed to have worn was mans and this did not sit well with her father; he claimed at the time it was inappropriate and that as his daughter she was to have presented herself better to the other family members who by the way outwardly do not really express any sign of abhorrence when I asked her if she felt such from them. Sometimes one can get signs from them as well which can suggest how far the rejection of lesbophobia as in this case has spread or is spreading.

The relationship according to the lesbian which was already tense changed for the worse over time and the final blow came in another holiday just ended in Easter interspersed with arguments and standoffs, he then told her the damaging words as usual and issued the ultimatum, his fears according to him was compounded by a revelation that neighbours and others were talking about his manroyal daughter and how she wanted no man.

“Mi nuh want nuh raasclaat manroyal round me, dutty gal......” (I want no [expletive] man royal around me, you dirty girl) the emphasis on ‘manroyal’ is crucial and has factored in previous cases of lesbians and transmen mistaken as lesbian presented aesthetically with masculine features. This hatred of the masculine present in biologically born females is substantiated by songs such as Beenieman’s Man Royal claiming he does not want to seen with such identified or looking persons. So our women also are profiled in this awful misunderstanding of sex, sexual identity and sexuality; a lack most visible in our school systems for several generations hence in part the ignorance playing itself out as in this case in family and community challenges.

He also allegedly went as far as to suggest she should find a man and have a sex life as if to imply some corrective sexual action would hetero-normalise her orientation and by extension her look, a suggestion that has also factored in cases I have seen during my time at JFLAG’s crisis intervention’s desk and via reports to my blog links and so on.

Thanks to the informal crisis shelter assistance from a young man in Porus Manchester for now and she is talking to a cousin in another parish to relocate and find an online job with PPL Register as I suggested to her in a subsequent conversation by phone. There are other stories and unconfirmed reports that I and others are tracking as the traditional spike that occurs when LGBT matters are most public seems evident yet again. Owing to a most public of them all and a shot in visibility by no less a person than the US President during his visit to Jamaica while positive in one sense has a price for some of our brothers and sisters but sometimes inevitable martyrdom is unavoidable, even if LGBTians do not necessarily subscribe to the cause of the struggle they may be affected by the spin offs positive or negatively from same.

As more displacements occur islandwide the trends seem to be suggesting more same gender loving women are factoring as victims and are older as well, just a basic scan islandwide which I attempted in late 2014 proved to me there is a challenge for the population overall and there is hardly any funding for family preservation or re-integration work just now. I am not sure if Obama’s visit will assist or change that department. Our New Kingston group friends have since scattered after the police removal in December 2014 and the outcome presented itself via a brawl just some days ago as one of them was accused of stealing a phone and another phone stealer was sentenced in a dubious case. Other minor clashes with the public have been reported as well but unconfirmed, since the dubious closure of a pilot project in 2009 the welfare and haphazard social issues that attend to MSM/Transgender displacement/homelessness have skyrocketed.

Also see my last post on MSM eviction that I was able to confirm:

Hope this sister keeps her head up and builds from this temporary fall.

Peace and tolerance

also see:

Outcomes when offering community based shelter for displaced gay/bi brethren

KSAC working to clear streets of homeless people, will the LGBT populations be assisted as well?

Housing Minister seeks funds for Shelter from NHT Money ....... Will the LGBT Homeless be Assisted?

More Jamaican LGBTQ displacements & homeless challenges in 2014

Pirates' Cove named as base for "homosexual prostitutes" KSAC asked to address homelessness by UDC

Some good news on the homeless front ..... guarded and waiting 2012 ( and I am still waiting)

Some considerations ..... would you assist someone who has been displaced ? 2011 

or the podcast I had done at the time

H

Concerns about continued MSM/Trans displacements & forced evictions in 2015

Since one of my last posts in July 2014 3 LGBT Forced Evictions in Clarendon a Cause for Concern on displacements (Gay Jamaica Watch) and other unconfirmed, corroborated and other dismissed reports as made up on the issue of forced evictions and displacements continue and in fact seems to be on the rise. We already have an islandwide challenge of homeless MSM/Transgender population mostly seen in Kingston at the Shoemaker Gully in recent times but as that group has been forcibly removed by the police and the authorities I fear the problem has been simply relocated to somewhere else. Spanish Town’s group has also grown upon my last check and a house some of them had captured (yet again) has since been emptied leaving them exposed.

The weed whacking project started by an interfaith group including myself is still struggling with equipment challenges and dwindling interest by the participants as they feel demotivated.

As per usual whenever LGBT issues are on the mainstream in terms of discourse there is some corresponding spike in incidents usually already in train via profiling, verbal abuse and the final blow comes with physical attacks and or evictions.

Most of the matters seem to have a profiling motive attached to them and while persons are encouraged to formally file reports to the police (even if the precinct officers refuse to take the statement of this nature and by extension to groups such as JFLAG noting the refusal, some persons prefer to private absorb the shocks and move on avoiding any publicity. I fear this refusal or hesitation in making reports hints to a long suspected challenge of under-reporting of infractions.

I still do get reports via Facebook mostly these days via referrals and via emails and phone calls for verification, (will not share all of them as requested by parties making them) thankfully social media has assisted in reporting homo/lesbo/trans/biphobic incidents and persons do not have to necessarily use phone/text/walk in office ways which can delay possible restorative responses to such matters as in the old days where it was more paper based incident taking exercise.

Here are some reports that have come to hand that have me concerned, thanks to persons for granting some clearance in sharing the relevant details.

Report 1: via Facebook

Teen told to leave the house by month’s end – in October 2014 in East Kingston, Rockfort to be precise after a series of verbal homo-negative encounters with a sibling based a perceived sexual orientation mantra finally ended in a fight and threats of a mobbing to have the teen removed if he did not comply. Profiling by family members seem to be the springboard for this one. After a prolonged tense relations the ultimatum was issued, the teen as others in a similar position get help from friends but for a short period.

To date he is still ‘kotching’ by a friend but is seeking a job while doing evening classes.

Report 2: via phone

Man forced to relocate (another such case yet again since my tracking) after assisting or accommodating an effeminate man for a short time in Portmore. After offering some kindness to another man who is said to be “real” (our term for effeminacy) he found himself being profiled and accused of bringing his ‘woman man’ to his home and suggesting the community has been poisoned by his actions. Community members insisted they did not want him to remain in the housing scheme and he has reported that he was literally being watched over a period of months prior to the advise/warning given to him by a nearby neighbour.

There was a similar incident I carried on sister archive blog on the wordpress platform where a man had helped a displaced man and found himself in major challenges while forced to leave his home but thankfully with police protection. The man via his Facebook status has since publicly declared he will not assist anyone else as he is now in trouble, this has garnered much response from persons on his friends list who are in agreement.

The tone of the comments suggest out of protectionism persons are cautious or refusing to offer any type of informal crisis intervention via the assisted shelter. This is a blow in that department I feel as this community level each one reach one typed help has been instrumental for decades in Jamaica as persons rally around persons genuinely concerned in working towards closure. I have also seen where persons offer assistance under deceptive guises too which also when made public have an impact of such avenues for closure as mistrust drives refusal.

Report 3: via Facebook(a very lengthy one)

Transgender teen told by mother she does not want a child who is gay in her house in St Andrew, while the separation process was not violent as the mother claimed she loves ‘her’ she says for safety reasons for her part (not her child as was expected) she wants her out of the house so as to avoid problems with neighbours and other family members. The teen has since found temporary refuse via a friend but for how long one is not sure as such help has time limits and costs financially speaking.

For example I would love to help more persons in my spare room as I have done before in my home but apart from an incident I had with one such persons two years ago where I had to take a break in doing so financially it costs to have another mouth in house to feed. This is a sentiment expressed by the few these days I am aware of who will help in this department in shelter assistance, seeing that no formal shelters for MSM/Trans persons currently exist (despite we have had our expectations raised by state and none state actors) this avenue is a viable option. During my tenure at JFLAG I had formalized a rent cheque/shelter assistance stipend for persons opening up their homes to offer such help but it does not seem it is in effect or if so in a new form.

Some complaints from persons who have engaged the goodly J for such assistance and maintaining same for let’s say two months which was the maximum I had allowed suggest that they were not afforded such benefits and instead it was reduced to one (financial issues maybe or limited funding) this is of course outside those more serious cases that require asylum for closure. The first month rental deposit cheque for example seems to have died down and just a stipend for groceries and such personal effects, JFLAG too based on unconfirmed reports seem to have been encouraging or continue to encourage the community based shelter assistance avenues for displaced or threatened persons.

Report 4: Gay man given illegal notice to quit property (September 2014) via phone

St Catherine my home parish was the place for this one in Portmore (Waterford) to be precise, there seems to be a spike in recent times in the surburb (historically so despite its unique mostly while collar working middle class demographic) The man has only just settled after the forced eviction issues verbally by the landlord of the property as he claimed he has been informed by phone that he the victim has had too many men coming to the property and again as above neighbours are grumbling.

Profiling has been always a challenge as previous entries on this and on Gay Jamaica Watch bring to bear, persons especially gay men worst yet when they have effeminate traits are scrutinized closely, their socialization patterns are monitored and discussed over the dinner table, the corner shop, verandas and so on and where such persons claim to have ‘evidence’ of their suspicions then it is converted into in their minds justifiable action normally planned homophobic attack of some sort or forced evictions. In this case the landlord literally came with a notice form but it was not written and served properly. After a lengthy and tense conversation with the young man according to his report the landlord went to his car and returned with the partially completed notice form which he slipped under the door despite the fact the tenant was present in house so it was not served properly in my eyes.

He has had to send his furniture and so on all over with other friends and suffer the inconvenience of prolonged travel to work and costs with very little recourse for some time. He has since found a new rented spot and has settled but says he is far more circumspect about his neighbours and has curtailed visiting activity by friends.

Report 5: via Facebook

Gay man in fight at workplace over battyman comment, photos were available via his Facebook profile but have since been removed in January 2015 (not sure the actual time/date of the incident but it seems recent, again profiling is the chief springboard for supposed justified homo-negative attack. The status message that was visibly public and not limited to friends garnered some comments from other users mostly negative ones. I suspect the man did not know how to navigate the privacy setting on FB, a problem I have seen for years leading to fallouts and such. Apparently it was this lack of knowledge on FB that got the attention of the offending co-worker apart from the in house subtle bashing or influenced it so much so that it got physical and the man defended himself.

The man has since reported the matter to the supervisors who have since tried to separate or reduce the level of opportunities for contact between the offender and the victim which seems to me as a temporary fix as anything can happen outside in public or during breaks.

What about other co-workers is unclear in the public post but it seems as previous cases show miscreants always have company or support to carry out their quests.

Report 6 via Facebook then followed up by phone

Butch identified woman relocates after concerns raised when she has been repeated verbally attacked by men in her former community on the corner shop. The actions by the men has a chief instigator who was in prison and absent from the area for some time and upon his return with misplaced bravado tries to reassert his dominance as it were in the community so he targets persons including this woman.

The woman made initial contact via Facebook (I suspect a group I am in) then she made a friends request to which I responded she then proceeded to lay her case in a lengthy message and a chat thread where she released what she described as pent up worry.

She claimed she has been living as a hermit in her home and only venture out when it is absolutely necessary she has since in order to avoid her pending fears coming to reality she asked a relative to assist but her true home (occupied with other family) is where she wants to be and be comfortable, to relocate for safety reasons is just too much for her she fears.

There are other cases that I am not able or have been able to confirm and those made to other groups and individuals, I have no doubt but the under-reporting, hesitation to formally make such reports and avenues for closure are concerns for me yet still after all these years.

Even though the discussion around homosexuality is ever so slowly becoming more sensible in large part the homo-negativity, old perceptions and mistrust towards LGBT advocacy still have an impact on tolerance and understanding that ought to exist.

Please be safe out there, vigilance is required for personal safety especially social media privacy or monitoring is key.

Peace and tolerance

also see some previous entries on here and on Gay Jamaica Watch:
Lesbophobic Rant on RJR’s Afternoon Flagship Program by Broadcasters

More Jamaican LGBTQ displacements & homeless challenges in 2014
Some considerations ..... would you assist someone who has been displaced ??? (podcast from 2011)

Same gender loving sister clashes with bus crew in Half Way Tree


Schoolboys in custody for assault of soft spoken male student

Man Bites Another in Argument after Allegedly Called a Battyman 

Jamaican Transgender Activist Turned Away From Bacchanal

Women Accused of Assaulting Teen with Bottle to be Tried in September

KSAC working to clear streets of homeless people, will the LGBT populations be assisted as well?

Bisexual Teen Killed due to her Sexual Orientation? ......... Father says yes

Woman assumed to be a lesbian chopped viciously allegedly by neighbours

Lesbophobia: Woman chased and beaten after being called sodomite

You Can't Catch Being Gay ................ Excellent Letter to the Gleaner Editor

ON THE DOWN LOW: MEN SLEEPING WITH MEN – ANOTHER VIEW

Inmate attacks alleged gay prisoner

Montego Bay Male Sex Worker misses a beating at popular sex site 

3 Schoolboys face the court for beating other male student allegedly for calling them "battybois"

Bisexual teen faced psychological prison, told not to tell anyone or else ..............

H

also visit Google plus HERE

Recent Homophobic Incidents CLICK HERE for related posts/labels from glbtqjamaica's blog & HERE for those I am aware of on Gay Jamaica Watch.

also one of my latest podcasts on the crimes of passion issued tied into homophobia in Jamaica

Bad Man Nuh F*** Batty (Masculine Men Don't F*** Ass) (The Fear of The Feminine in JA ) 16.04.15

older podcasts for a historical context:

3 LGBT Forced Evictions in Clarendon a Cause for Concern

It was only earlier this month this blog carried the following: Woman Labelled “Man Royal” Forced to Relocate from a St Catherine Community

Now Confirmed are these latest cases & outcomes:

Two gay men and a same gender loving female in her early 20s are the latest to join the numbers of persons being thrown out of their homes by family members in recent times; these are just cases that have come to hand, there may be more gone unreported or addressed elsewhere, this trio though all hail from one parish that of Clarendon with two from May Pen and one from a small district outside of the town. One of the three persons is now staying at an influentials flat in St Catherine until matters can be settled in a sense and as the female tries to arrange a ride to pick up her belongings as her mother has allowed some time for her to do so.

Other parishes have been seeing their own share of cases many unconfirmed but corroborated which leaves one in doubt yet but Portland, St Catherine, St Ann and St James seem to be the areas that have had the most instances of MSM mostly evicted and transwomen as well.

The SGL female case is the most recent of the three in Clarendon thanks to a friends of hers who alerted me as it was only last weekend when she returned from a sporting event only to be confronted by her mother who said she was told (and she always knew) that her daughter was on Facebook with other girls on photographs and that her lifestyle was wrong, persons have been feeding her information along the whole nine yards. According to the young lady involved she has had run-ins before with her father who resides elsewhere but those had died down somewhat, she was unaware however that other matters were apparently ongoing all this time that it could have led to an ultimatum to have her leave which surprised her. There was an argument some time before on other domestic issues but no hint was given as well to any discomfort of her perceived sexual orientation. We have seen so many cases as this one before where just on the face it it seems normative then comes the surprise.

The young lady who is employed has been making some adjustments in keeping her job while thankfully the news has not reached her employers or co-workers so I do not expect her to be homeless anytime soon which is good news and some relief as those numbers are spiralling out of control. One of our brothers, twenty three years old in this story though is not so fortunate, he was thrown out of his family home from February of this year and kept it down for some time but a lack of steady income and sustenance has left him no choice but to beg literally other community persons, he stayed at my house for a couple days in April but costs did not allow me to continue the assistance for a protracted period as many other community influentials have adopted a shortened assistance when available. Increased bills, a sliding dollar and fiscal prudence has greatly affected this informal type of crisis intervention or community based shelter assistance.

He as I prepare this post is now in Portmore for another short stay opportunity by a friend I begged until some other door is opened which is a difficult way to exist going from hand to mouth so to speak and leaves on feeling disheartened. Thanks so much to that friend (a regular reader of this blog) so much as he was aware of my issue last year in assisting another young man who did not last three days at my pad as he apparently found a thug in my area attractive and brought him to my home without my permission for sexual liaisons which did not sit well with me, so I had to evict him as a matter of principle. I have a policy of not dating or sleeping with “area men” they can become very “sprung” demanding thinking they have one over you.

The second victim in the trio eviction was outed by mistake he reported at home almost a year ago after he returned from a weekend out with friends; he reportedly had women’s clothes in his unpacked bag that he had left in his room on the floor, his mother apparently in causally tidying the house ran into the bag and its contents and waited on him to supposedly cross examine him on the clothes, he claimed she made remarks that he did not have a girlfriend so how could he have female clothes in his possession and for weeks the matter was repeatedly raised in some way, shape or form to his annoyance. Other family members who also told he said as he noticed attitudes from them when they visited or on the phone was distant or different than before.

Even after he discarded the bag and the clothes the matter was still raised and it was during those latter months that the indication that a separation was pending became apparent; the young man however did not take it seriously and thought she was only joking. It was a heated Sunday morning exchange however where the seriousness of the matter was brought home to him as an older brother spoke to him over the phone and warned him to just leave as their mother was not planning on having him stay. Fast forward to the present set of circumstances.

Third victim

Another male who was forcibly evicted in June of this year was also reported in the May Pen are. According to my sources the young man has been the brunt of teasing in his community for some time as he is said to be effeminate and has had run-ins with other community male members who often tell him to stay away from them or their sons implying homo-peadophile intentions by the man. The man who is said to be in his twenties was also slapped with an object of some kind as he left the home jeered and mocked by residents and told by family members not to return for his own safety. This case seems not to be one that was the causation of family members or siblings but more community influenced. As more details come forth and are relevant this post maybe updated but it is clear that this case exists as the female also was able to corroborate the matter as she heard of the issue but could not get in touch with the individual as it was sometime prior to her matter.

His actual whereabouts now is unclear as he was said to be in Kingston upon last check, I am not sure if he has joined the Shoemaker Gully population or downtown.

Forced evictions seem to be on the rise but not surprisingly as there is always a spike in times of heightened public discourse on homosexuality and especially the caustic, inciteful tone and colour of the issues in just four and a half weeks I would not be relaxed and expect to hear of more reports of such evictions. Sadly our goodly advocates who are more interested in getting sex education courses in schools while bypassing the legal authorities do not see a reason to have a proper catchment, half way house or transitional living facility for this kind of long-standing challenges knowing fully well that stigma and discrimination overall produces these visible consequences or displacements and subsequent homelessness.

Since 2014 more than 25 cases of displacements overall have come to hand and that does not include the unreported, unshared and reports to other agencies/individuals unbeknownst to myself. This is a worrying trend and I am particularly concerned about the numbers of lesbians/bisexual women who are factoring in the numbers and in residential areas at that such as Portmore and other housing schemes more so than lower socio economic zones where such evictions are expected due to the levels of homophobia or indeed lesbophobia therein.

Another unconfirmed report of a forced eviction had come to light in Portmore recently as well based on a television newsclip of a buggery arrest matter but details are sketchy as they are when doing this kind of investigative work. Police sources sometime clam up these days on such matters as they claim superiors do not want to create any panic or give persons ideas to incite violence or take matters into their own hands.

Thanks to the community folks who pitched in this time and please help where you can.

Be vigilant be safe

Peace and tolerance

H

Woman Labelled “Man Royal” Forced to Relocate from a St Catherine Community

And the silly season continues.

CONFIRMED

It is not yet clear if this incident is linked to the present national moral panic led by some religious voices who are in opposition to a supposed homosexual agenda and the sacking/temporary reinstatement via court ex-parte injunction of Professor Brendon Bain in a UWI CHART program. Psychologically it feels like ten years ago when the environment felt tense in a sense and persons were far more intolerant and less accommodating.

A woman who resided in the St Johns Road of St Catherine area was given several days to leave the area by men who said they were concerned for her as alleged persons who were not pleased with her masculine tendencies as it turns out said she was unwelcomed all of a sudden in the area; despite her involvement on the youth football team, despite her likeability from other community members for years; despite her dog business where she raises and sells certain breeds of dogs she was still told to avoid any eventualities as she persons who were threatening seems anonymous but better to be safe and sorry. Apart from the face to face discussions with the males in the area, harmonious socialization with them as in her words she was seen as one of the boys so to speak she received a series of phone calls with threatening tones suggesting she was stealing women from men and causing supposed heterosexual women to turn lesbian. Ironically the alliance with a butch identified woman is a plus for some men as it plays out in polyamorous relational matters since some men also find multi female partnering attractive and the evidence is very visible at certain adult entertainment spots where a butch identified woman may be seen with men socializing or at the bar or in the case of the sex club industry networking sometimes very closely with a lesbian of bisexual woman helps for connections and delivery of paid sexual services from more feminine types who may not even be female attracted but engage in the business for purposes of earning an income.

The woman has since taken evasive action and thanks to the community based assisted phenomenon she has moved most of her belongings almost two weeks now and is temporarily staying at a friend’s flat. Days prior to her departure the frequency of the phone calls increased and became far more threatening to which she took no chance, a recent beheading of a man on Job’s Lane nearby and other matters in and around the area though not possibly linked has had many persons cautious overall so it stands to reason for one not to ignore any threatening actions of conversations. Speculation is rife however that a recent area leader who recently returned to the community after a log prison sentence is suspected as he tries to regain territory and intimidate those who he can in doing so to maintain hold on power in the area. Other persons have been moving out of the area as allegations of extortion rental for persons to stay in their houses which is a relatively new feature of wealth creation for criminal minds has also made some residents concerned. Since her departure from the area the calls has stopped after about two days but she has changed her number so as to avoid contact. It seems more and more butch identified or masculine acting women colloquially named ad “Man Royal” made popular locally by Beenieman in an old lesbophobic song he recorded some years ago unconfirmed reports suggests there has been some spike of sorts of attacks from verbal spats with community residents to public fallouts and physical attacks including an alleged corrective rape case in western Jamaica.

Another lesbian from Portmore a case that is still under investigation according to my sources was also forced to leave her rented flat by the landlord as he complained that other home owners and residents on the walkway complained repeatedly to them of the numerous women visiting and allegations of school girls who though not stopping are friendly with her which the residents fear she maybe inveigling them into lesbianism. So one cannot even enjoy the privacy of their home as in a rental agreement as others without proper proof disturbs one comfort of home, the woman in this matter has denied the schoolgirl bit of the allegations but she has supposedly confirmed that she has friends over on a weekend to lyme and relax. Portmore although a surburban area has had its far share of challenges despite the population types as upwardly mobile and more educated that other domiciles yet the level of homo-negativity and homophobia is worrying sometimes, one can remember the days of repeated forced evictions in Greater Portmore for example even as the housing scheme was new and new owners were moving in or renting them to working class persons to offset mortgages.

Perceived gender non conforming aesthetics and behaviours can cause challenges especially during this hot silly season as indicated in the introduction, persons seems to develop a radar specifically to look for those GNC traits so as to launch some opposition often in public to force the target of such abuse into submission while religious voices who are supposed help gel society are busy creating wedges and polarization on misguided perceptions of homosexuality in Jamaica. 

Strangely Beenieman who was mentioned above alongside his old anti lesbian song 'Man Royal' is now in a feud with another murder music accused Elephant Man as their creativity shrinks so they have to resort to staged stand-offs to get attention, see: Dancehall Acts with Anti Gay Legacy Feud with each other as Creativity Fades ....

Thankfully this displacement case ended with a reasonable resolution and I hope she can settle and recommence her life as before in a safe and comfortable zone.

Peace and tolerance

H

2nd Anniversary of Displaced Gay Men Double Murder in New Kingston ......... yet no real solutions despite a previous Safe House

 In the distance you can make out the usually contracted undertakers for crime scenes preparing the bodies for removal from the site as a crowd had gathered curiously to see the men apparently.

Today is the second anniversary of the awful murder of 19-year-old Winston Ramsey also known as ‘Blacks’ and 20-year-old Jermaine Thompson aka 'Avatar' in New Kingston by that open lot at the intersection of Lady Musgrave Avenue and Trafalgar Road which made international news, also the day prior to that the demise of community socialite 'Ronica who was also one of my fans as she liked dancemusic that I often spin at parties when wearing my DJ hat and an intersex individual sadly labelled as a hermaphrodite by the media at the time.

'Ronica in the fab days in NY 

On the anniversary a member of parliament from the ruling PNP (buggery review pending) claims he wants to assist the men in the nearby Shoemaker Gully just some chains from where the murder took place, recent issues just show the gravity of the situation: Displaced gay man arrested for sleeping in the Shoemaker Gully in New Kingston

or see: Murder, Homelessness and fallouts ........ and a post I made today on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch: 
MP Julian Robinson claims he wants help for New Kingston homeless gays

We were told of a Dwayne's House idea (link) which was to address the issue post the awful murder or transgender youth aka "Gully Queen" but that has only been relegated to remote feeding assistance and yet no serious rehabilitatory response as evidenced in an awful fight on Saturday night last after the memorial party for murdered socialite Bebe in Kingston. See: Community Influentials raise concerns about displaced & homeless post Bebe’s murder as concerns rise for persons re-displaced due to his passing. We were also told via a grand announcement as our politicians are good at: Youth Ministry to develop programmes to address LGBT youth, homeless, destitute and vulnerable children when she conflated same gender sex with abuse: Youth Minister Lisa Hanna's conflation of same gender sex & abuse responded to part 2 then lest we not overlook the identified places for sheltering that remain abandoned;

proposed site for homeless shelter under the previous JLP administration

Dwayne's House Easter treat 2014 the slowness of the project I am still guarded about, see Some good news on the homeless MSM front ..... guarded & waiting part 2: Dwayne's House Project site opened



A weedwhacking project in St Catherine continues though it needs much equipment boosts so the men can earn more money, see more HERE and Homeless MSM populations treated over the Christmas season 2013

also see: 
JFLAG has no moral authority to speak on homeless gay men in New Kingston says members of the public.


Kingston’s Homeless MSM challenges scream for proper attention 2013
JFLAG’S NEEDS TO ACCEPT SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TRAFALGAR MURDERS ….. HOMELESSNESS NOT PROPERLY ADDRESSED 2012

At the time of the awful double murder it was speculated at first that it was a lover's quarrel by some media houses as usual then homophobic related by some advocates but the truth finally came to the fore on both tragedies as exploitive same gender issues gone bad and one persons was held for the matter, in Ronica's case a suspect was also held but not much has come of it as witnesses are hard to find allegedly for the case to proceed.

The crisis communication element of public advocacy has been poor and hardly strengthened hence our credibility deficiency and continues disbelief by sections of the population that real homophobic cases exist then to add to that is the flat out refusal by LGBT NGOs to adequately deal with homelessness and displacements with permanent rehabilitation psycho social responses instead the me are paraded as victims for the most part to enhance our reputation as the "most homophobic place on earth" when we know that is NOT true.

Displacements continue as more young persons face backlash from siblings and family or communities who perceive their sexual orientation and feel justified in doing so and with the present hysterical mess related to the Professor Bain conflict of interest matter and anti gay groups that is not helping much to alleviate the challenges. Avenues for community assistance are becoming rare as persons clam up or do not have the resources to extend such help readily.

Some two days after an intersex individual also was murdered as reported on TVJ and elsewhere: 

The St Catherine South police are searching for the killer(s) of a hermaphrodite, whose body was found in bushes in Old Harbour Bay yesterday.
Dead is Shannel Campbell, a 20-year-old labourer of Old Harbour Bay. Reports from the Old Harbour Bay police are that about 10 a.m., the decomposing body of Campbell was found in bushes near an area known as Terminal. Campbell was last seen in the company of a male.

An on-the-spot post-mortem revealed that Campbell had male and female sex organs and that death was caused by a blow with a blunt object. "It basically means that he got a blow to the head and died as a result," an investigator said Police had not identified any suspects or established a motive for the killing.

Meanwhile Mark Sangumetti of a Waltham Park address in Kingston has been charged with the double killing of the homeless men. He was charged yesterday June 24 for two counts of murder. The bodies of 19-year-old Winston Ramsey also known as ‘Blacks’ and 20-year-old Jermaine Thompson also called ‘Avatar’ were found in bushes at the stoplight at the corner of Lady Musgrave and Trafalgar roads on June 13.

The police had reported that several bloodied stones were found close to the bodies which also had chop wounds.

ENDS

Finally I am still of the opinion that 

As there has to be an affirming environment and LGBTQI specific interventions to address persons growth and development

So may we remember them and all those who have perished for whatever motive. Loss of life in this tragic sense is frightening and so young at that. Check out more archives on homeless on Gay Jamaica Watch

Peace and tolerance.

H

Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E. Jamaica Seismic Project Summary 2014

Project Title: SEISMIC! A social engagement programme for LGBT youth 

Project Objective: Provide psycho social and enterprise development skills training services for LGBTQI youth 

Implementer: Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E. Jamaica 

Start date: November 23, 2013 

End date: March 30, 2014 

The Project impacted a cohort of 35 participants in total and the stated objective of providing psycho social and enterprise development skills training services for LGBTQI youth was achieved. The first goal to be accomplished was to engage participants in participatory introspection /self awareness and to improve self esteem. Participants were also engaged in sessions geared towards them learning how to be effective communicators. These included but were not limited to modules such as “Telling Our Stories” "Conflict Resolution” "Safety" and “Effective Communication”.

The enterprise training component of the project was continuous, in that each workshop had an aspect of enterprise training that could be linked to the psycho social development of participants. As the weeks progressed participants were allowed to talk about their business ideas and were given feedback on same. At the end of the series all participants who were interested in becoming owners of businesses had a fully mapped out business idea in writing. 

Two additional workshop sessions and two gatherings/lymes were added to what was originally an 11 session series of workshops. This meant that in some instances funds were stretched thin; however the forecasted impact of the additional sessions required this strategic move and this led to the strengthening of Community and fellowship. At the end of each session for every scheduled workshop participants were asked to complete evaluation forms which were used as the basis for the information provided in this overview.

The mixed method approach taken with the design of the data collection instrument allowed participants to be as general but also as specific as they needed to be in their response to particular questions. The wrap up session which included a one on one discussion with all facilitators highlighted the impact that sessions including but not limited to self-esteem, coming out, sexuality, and conflict resolution etcetera, had on the day to day activities of the group. In general, participants felt they were better able to navigate space given their deepened understating of the normative structure and the political landscape of Jamaica. 

Support was given for three participants to attend the Dr. Ena Thomas Symposium on Sexual health awareness at the Pegasus and also the Gender Symposium jointly held by IGDS and UWIHARP. The focus/objective of these meetings were to share current thinking about sexual diversities, behaviours and gender identities in the Caribbean across a variety of fields – HIV, safe spaces, legal entitlements, visibility etcetera.

Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E. Jamaica also successfully facilitated the procurement of a scholarship for a participant to attend the World Conference on Youth in Sri Lanka 5-10 May, 2014.

Two male participants who ran into some issues while on the project: See more HERE

Throughout the programme a total of 11 participants benefited from the crisis intervention aspect of the project as number of participants experienced challenges including displacement that required substantial intervention and counselling.

one of the last photos I took of Jermaine in January 2014 prior to his passing

In addition to these incidents, unfortunately one participant died from a heart condition and this unforeseen event resulted in a lot of sadness which APJ tried to manage through one on one counselling sessions with trained professionals. 

Based on testimonials from some participants regarding the project we were able to glean the SEISMIC! impact and the necessity to continue the growing and learning process.

The following are excerpts from two such testimonials: 

‘... With each day that passed I felt unloved and unwanted in a world that songs, preachers and members of the government body condemned me to death or to hell... I became disgusted with myself and the personal shame that came with it slowly withered away my life and I thought several times about just ending it all. In a world of definitions I felt undefined and misunderstood, though I could not blame them as I too did not understand who or what I was... After joining the SEISMIC workshop I am now in state of uncontrollable bliss, The stride that I so long lusted after, the smile that tore at my heart are a few things that I now portray with a strong sense of confidence no longer do I hide in the dark ashamed of who I am, no longer do I judge others for who they are nor am I affected by what I’m seen as by others, Because of SEISMIC a rather suitable name, I am not only of a better understanding of what it means to be a business and the work that goes into starting and maintain one, I had friends to support me In a difficult time in my life as the “love chamber as it was known” I lost someone dear to me a fellow MSM who had to face some of the same struggles I had faced and because of this reason and the SEISMIC program I am now open to help support other MSM’s who are facing the issues that I faced and many more to help develop them to be who they are meant to be as individuals and that though they are currently living in a country where they have to abide to some extent to the society’s gender norms and socialization that comes along with it, they know that that there someone is here to support them along with member of Aphrodite's PRIDE Jamaica...’ 

‘...Aphrodite’s Pride Workshop was an educational one with tons of fun; it was spirited and reflective. Worthwhile sessions were done to motivate our inner -beings. We gain courage; the sessions were thought-provoking and smooth; the facilitators were professional. The Aphrodite’s Pride Workshop give me hope, rejuvenate my aims and allow me to appreciate myself more, I found myself want to be more than just an average citizen working in a minimal position. I am more polite, bold and know how to control myself. The team helped us to understand more about self- actualization. My reason to endure in my career path and lifespan has been enlarged. Participants were inspired and motivated as mutual stories were among the group. The facilitating team was extraordinary and well- organized. The strategies used throughout the presentations were fantastic; filled with critical thinking which allows us to participate equally. The facilitators were honest, open dedicated, enthusiastic and firm. 

It is evident that the benefits of this project will be sustained as participants have begun the process of self actualisation in terms of their stated goals at the beginning of the process. The reality however is that when examining issues affecting the psycho social development of persons, particularly our youth, the process has to be done over an extended period of time, and it is important not to try to address too many issues in a single project. Many have made life altering decisions based off their interactions and what they have learned during the process. For example several have started to apply skills garnered in the enterprise skills training sessions, effective communication and grooming and etiquette sessions to name a few. Participants have used the information to strengthen and in some cases initiated realistic entrepreneurial endeavours particularly in catering, housekeeping, small scale manufacturing and cosmetology.

Peace and tolerance

for further information contact
Howard Fulton
Outreach Coordinator
1-876-813-4942

also see more on the project HERE