Lesbians clash in car park outside popular strip club

So same gender loving relational matters or fallouts keep spilling over into the public domain and causing some image challenges in my view in terms of carving respectability and such. Not because we are LGBTQI and are impacted by negative pressures from society means we must be violent in all circumstances or display our under carriages to John Public, who for all intents and purposes seek to use anything to deny recognition of LGBT normativity so such clashes as the one I am about to share become ammunition to give credence to such denials. If we can’t be as heterosexuals in other words in terms of socialization then why do we or should we deserve same?

So I was forced to drop my usual routine at home on a weekend Friday evening as I normally prepared to make my way down to my DJ gig on the north west of the island; I was coaxed quite forcibly [mi vex still] into accompanying a lesbian friend of mine and two other persons to a popular strip club in New Kingston known as Palais Royale that attracts many same gender loving women over the years and has had its reputation reach international status. In the same breath it has had some awful incidents as well to dent that otherwise good reputation in as far as open entertainment for lesbians and some gay men are tolerated although the DJs can get very caustic when perceived gays or drag queens are in the house; with sometimes cheering support from lesbians. The old rift of lesbians despising effeminate men in public sometimes show up.

We have had shooting incidents by lesbians in that of one some years ago where a security guard who clashed with a woman was shot twice by her or COPS HUNT LESBIAN "SHOTTAS" or Lesbians Take Over Exotic Clubs 2008 (Wordpress Blog)

We arrived at Palais, entered, settled in, drinks in hand around 10pm or so (my DJ gig starts later on, maybe it was a good warmup for me) and we enjoyed the entertainment interspersed with laughter and reacquainting myself with some ladies I have not seen for quite some time when I was closer to the WomenforWomen group who would often drag us along for the fun of it to the same club. We noticed a minor skirmish by one of the tables between two women as evidenced in the crowd parting and a very animated butch appearing person clearly displaying some displeasure but the thing died down and festivities continued.

One thing I can tell you my readers butch women do not play when pursuing their entertainment and are heavy tippers; I stood almost in shock at the kinds of cash including foreign currency I saw being thrown on the stage and the heightened cheering and satisfaction. The previously animated woman was also in the mix making her contribution to one particular exotic dancer as the DJ vigorously encouraged the excitement, a job I know all too well in whipping a crowd into a frenzy. I ran into an older lesbian DJ who I occasionally worked with back in the day as well.

Time came for me to make my early exit as my out of town gig time was approaching and the drive though shortened thanks to the highway [yeah!] was still near two hours long; we made our way to the car parked some ways down on Ripon Road only to walk into an obvious fight as the shouts were audible. To my surprise it was the same butch identified woman who was animated before inside the club and another woman who were at it. The other woman grabbed her and throw her to the ground where they wrestled for a short time, much to the delight of the mostly male onlookers who were cheering and laughing; supposedly making light of the masculinity of the women in the melee and as if it were a boxing match described who punched who or who was more aggressive than the other.

Most of the men watching this go down were vendors on the outside on the street or male patrons or just hang-abouts who were engaging the female commercial sex workers who peddle on the outside of the club. I was not pleased with what I saw go down and to think the matter became a scene for excitement as if we were watching a knock out drag out fight in a Roman venue with one persons expected to die for entertainment. My lesbian friend was livid and expressed same while encouraging the ladies to stop the fighting and solve the matter another way. Another lady friend of hers who was with us gave some background suggesting that the aforementioned animated butch was a known trouble maker and her reputation preceded her; so no sympathy in essence was not offered towards her.

The fight was eventually parted by other women and a soup vendor who addressed the butch woman by a name as he pulled her away from the other person. Even as that was in progress the cheering men went into the after drama commentary that usually accompany these things gay or straight as the case may be. I found it offensive as it reduced in a sense gays and lesbians as constantly jealous and engage in fights over ‘pussy’ as loudly claimed by one of the misogynistically sounding laughing men. Words to the effect came from him and others that lesbians were not easy or determined in their quest for women lovers and would kill if necessary to achieve same. In other words all we are as gay people are sex hungry freaks at any costs.

We need to be careful how we play out our differences and clearly even after all these years for me we still have conflict resolution issues that require sustained interventions ad support. A fight along East Queen Street recently nearing Wildman Street was a case in point in about March 2015 when I was at a nearby betting shop making my punts for cash pot when a man walked in and proudly announcing that ‘two lesbian gal a fight’ by the location. By the time we got there one of the ladies clearly a stud identified type had her marina torn with her left breast showing under her bra while the other’s hat was on the sidewalk and her hair totally out of whack. And what were they fighting over allegedly? A woman it was surmised much to amusement of the men nearby at the two drinking spots; again the reduction of same gender identity to just sex seeking freaks devoid of emotion at any cost came up.

So much work maybe in a next lifetime maybe needed to change hearts and minds on dignity of LGBT people whilst reducing aggression as a way to solve conflict.

Peace and tolerance

H

also see:

The raid the night before by the cops:

LESBIAN ACTIVITY ON STAGE IN LINSTEAD CLUB RAISES CONCERNS 2008 

LESBIAN CLUB IN PORTMORE (THE STAR 4.12.08)

THE RESPONSE TO LESBIAN CLUB IN PORTMORE

(Wordpress archive blog)

Profiled lesbians clash with coaster bus crew over stigmatizing & underhanded comments

Sorry for the late posts but holiday scheduling and DJ duties took up some of my time and a family reunion was also in the mix which had me busy as a bee.

Hope you all enjoyed the season but even in the midst of it crap can happen as this latest entry will reveal.

Well as I live and breathe the holiday season is definitely upon us and I like many Jamaicans were out and about shopping and grabbing last minute household items as the traditional fix-up-the-house fever goes into effect. I was in the Half Way Tree area on the eve of the eve of Xmas and was frustrated with the traffic both vehicular and people so I boarded a coaster bus at the old bus park to downtown to avoid the madness. The usual rude poorly kept thugs both as loader men and conductors were around, bleached skins, tight pants and all the sometimes obnoxious treatment of would be female passengers with inappropriate approaches and such including touching, hope they remember or realise a sexual harassment bill will soon pass into law.

I witnessed this one myself as four ladies approached the shouting loader man encouraging passengers then came the first of many off hand comments which was to the effect “downtown lesbian crew....?” the facial reaction was clear enough especially from a cross looking sister but they eventually ignored the slight and took their seats as I observed keenly wondering if this was going to blow up into something else. The women were obviously being profiled by not only the rude loader man and also the conductor (kinda hard to tell who is whom as between the noise and distraction of getting passengers roles get cloudy) with the very audible comments about one lady of the four who has some masculine features and what appeared to be bleached skin.

As we made our way down Half Way Tree road by the nursing school it was clear drama was going to go down as the music on board was turned up as one of the girls was making a call where she asked for a reprieve to finish it and then the refusal by the crew to oblige until she managed to shout over the volume to make her point. This did not sit well with the so called self described bad man who ‘nuh tek talk from sodomite’ among other tersely worded comments which I will not quote but imagine the colourful deluge. The women soon had supportive company from her colleagues who gave the conductor and indeed the driver a tongue lashing which included defense of their perceived sexuality which came to dominate the exchange to which the impacted women proudly suggested they will take away all the girls from them as men as they are not worthy of them and are poorly kept. The argument went on for good twenty or so minutes as intermittent traffic and bad driving forming a new lane where there was none which had other passengers objected to the indiscipline and sway of the bus thought to be dangerous. However as we say in Jamaica colloquially ‘de gal dem block it’ (the girls blocked it) ‘Blocking it’ is term we use to suggest a victory from some sort of homo-negative event implying bravery and non acceptance of same.

“................Who woulda want you (badwud badwud), yuh work pon bus dutty conductor boi...........”

This and other such comments did not sit kindly with the crew and now other males on the bus and the pandemonium ensued all the way from Cross Roads to downtown with outbursts along the way as the ladies were determined to hold their ground as they are paying for the service not begging a ride on the bus. Then came the usual veiled threats to not only them but homosexuals in general and then the music was turned up at high volume. I tried to signal the ladies to cool it as it made no sense as we approached King Street via the York Park Fire station and as the bus turned that deep bend by Kingston Senior school the usual fare collection procedure happened. That was when the clash took another turn as the money was grabbed by the conductor in supposed defiance of the lady’s resolve in standing their ground; one man said he knew where one of the girls hailed from and that she acts like a man while he also expressed his supposed surprise on how bold homosexuals overall have become.

Upon arrival at the Kingston Parish Church in parade a spot often used as a quasi terminus for robot buses things really got ugly as the vocals went up and the standoff got really tense. I tried to intervene to the ladies to just leave the scene although I do not know them personally as it made no sense after coming so far to only end it in possible physical harm. But the ladies were determined not to be outdone by the slights and insults by the bus crew and others. The aforementioned male passenger who had made remarks was still adamant that he knew one of the ladies and he suggest some sort of threat or exposure of the exchange to her area of origin did not stop the ladies from holding their ground.

Things simmered eventually as other passengers suggested they end it as they disembarked the bus as the driver revved the engine to hasten person’s exit; the ladies eventually went off but with a hot parting shot said among other things suggesting strongly they were not impressed or moved by the projected strength or bravado:

“........ yuh tink se we fraid a unu ............ unu nuh frighten we..........”

In other words they were not intimidated or jolted by the event.

Nuff said.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see previous coaster bus challenges:

Brawl on Coaster Bus from Portmore ... man accused of riding another's ass while in transit

Gay joke goes wrong ... bus personnel escapes thrashing 2011

Alleged Gay advance upsets 'loader man' in Half Way Tree 2014

Lesbian profiled & pepper sprayed by cops

A huge thank you firstly to Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E Jamaica, APJ for granting permission on this one and for the documentation as well.

As we continue to track, document and share where possible or permitted to do so homo(lesbo)phobic and indeed trans, Biphobic & gender non conforming incidents another one involving the police abuse has come forth; let alone those that do not make it to either LGBT crisis interventions outfits, the police complaints arms or even LGBT networks as some persons absorb their extra-ordinary events and try to move on their own. The latest incident involves the practice as espoused by dancehall acts such as Beenieman of the “Manroyal” or masculine acting or looking female profiling of the victim. Other posts with the ‘Manroyal’ stigmatization: HERE:

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

3 LGBT Forced Evictions in Clarendon a Cause for Concern

Lesbian construction worker profiled told not to return to worksite

Concerns about labels & abuse towards same gender loving women 2011

The Butch Dynamic/mystique becoming a problem? 2011

Lesbians Rushed ……….. Left with a warning 2009

The present case:

On July 27 2015 a young lady who was making her way to her home in West Kingston around 11:35am in the morning, upon approaching an intersection nearing a food shop in the Regent Street area she came into view of a police detachment who as it turned out were in the outskirts of another matter as a crime scene cordoned off with yellow tape. The police at that location though visible their numbers were not so clear as they were some distance away. According to the victim’s report of the incident and corroboration from other persons. The primary motives identified here is that the woman’s aesthetic features and how she presents in terms of dress coupled with the abusive nature in police culture in that part of town and their residents and on the backdrop of the ongoing commission of inquiry and the negative labeling of West Kingston overall as a nest for criminals and their supporters, there is some licence that cops tend to have to abuse citizens.

The woman came into engagement with the cops who demanded she not take the route she was about to take to get home which was far closer and less inconveniencing for her; the cops offered no assistance or accompaniment to pass or circumvent the cordoned area; yet the rude cops with one hiding his identifying vest number which is required by law to be visible at all times when on duty or engaging the public insisted she take the long nonsensical route just to get home. The young lady in her report said in part “Mi neva have no hat down inna mi face or anything like dat. And him seh ‘yuh gwaan like yuh a man… soh mi agoh handle yuh like a man’…” (I never had my hat down in my face or anything like that and he said you are acting like a man so we are going to handle you as a man) for all intents and purposes reinforces the aforementioned abusive cops or squaddy culture towards persons from that side of our geography and hence justification for same abuse often left unattended, under or not reported or unsolved.

She alighted from a taxi at the time to make her way into her avenue when she was beckoned by the two cops, she ignored the call at first as she thought it was not directed at her and other persons were also in the space; she continued “. I stopped and looked while answering ‘mi nuh inna yuh way, it nuh mek nuh sense.’ (noticing something had happed on the other road) he then quickly said that I should walk around on Spanish town road, I then said it makes no sense because it’s just right up the road I live that’s where I live why should I walk around and am not even walking through then scene a mean mi did( 20)feet away from dem on a different road .

Then he swiftly ran towards me and grabbed me by the pants and pulled me over to where the crime scene was a then started harassing and then while he was pepper spraying me me said ‘yuh gwaan like yuh a man so mi ago deal wid yuh like yuh a’ man’. He pepper sprayed me 3 times before letting me go. I stood there trying to get badge numbers but I was only able to get the number for one of them (093), as the other person was hiding his. While I was standing there he said ‘why yuh a’ look pon i?!’ (Why are you looking at me?) and mi seh a yuh numba mi want. One of the two was telling me to calm down and if I don’ calm down him agoh lock mi up. So mi turn to him an’ seh ‘lock mi up fi wah? Mi nuh do nutten’ (Lock me up for what, I have not done anything) he had a book in front of him an’ him tell mi fi sign it but I did not sign it, mi jus’ walk off.”

She left the scene: “I stopped at a small shop and was sitting down and telling them what had happened and dem tell mi fi go up and wash off. A little bit later mi go home and tell my mom. An’ when mi tell har she ask mi why it happened and I explained her him tell mi seh fi walk all di way round on Spanish Town road and mi tell him no, it don’ mek no sense because a jus’ right up di road mi live. So mi nah put myself inna nuh danger.” In other words she explained to her mother after stopping at a corner shop and she washed off the contents of the pepper spray; she told her mother that she was being forced to walk the very log route to get home and because she resisted verbally while none violently as she did not want to put her life in danger, she was pepper sprayed.

A police report had not been made at the time of the preparation of this blog entry as she has declared intent to do so. Also a special thanks to the lesbian for allowing usage of the material with a view to highlighting the corresponding issues same gender loving women face as us as gay, bisexual and ever increasing transgender directed atrocities by both agents of the state and publics.

Injury /remedy taken status:

Burning of the eyes and skin,

Temporary blurred vision and some respiratory discomfort evidence which was relieved at the time of washing her face and hands.

Thankfully this one did not go any further than this and she has since settled is moving on though cautious of cops in and around her community.

Peace and tolerance

H

Northern Caribbean University female Cheerleader Suspended After playing male role in cheerleading show, thumb ring/pierced tongue designated as infractions

Clear discrimination here folks, no question asked sheer ignorance and a theocratic agenda by the the Seventh Day Adventist institution located in Manchester but I am not surprised as they have factored before in homo-negative matters with even one of its own heads facing scrutiny some years ago and an infamous attack of profiled students by other students. See the SDA's position on homosexuality HERE

First here is the Gleaner version of the matter  

NCU cheerleaders are seen here enacting a proposal atop a human pyramid. - Photo via Facebook

A female student at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) who was suspended after she played the role of a man in a cheerleading routine is accusing the university of discrimination.

During the March 4 cheerleading competition, the student enacted a wedding proposal and allegedly kissed the hand of another female atop a human pyramid while doing her routine.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the student disclosed that she had received a two-week suspension from NCU.

However, she believes the punishment was not fair given that she was the only one in the cheerleading group who was penalised.

According to the student, she was not the only one who performed or who was atop the pyramid and who took part in the mock proposal.

She says it was decided that she would represent the male in the proposal because a man would have been too heavy for the top of the pyramid.

She says the Brodie House Cheerleading team did not see anything wrong with the pyramid as they were aware of what the group was trying to depict.

No discrimination

Meanwhile, the NCU’s student government says there was no discrimination in the imposition of a penalty on the student.

A member of NCU’s student government in charge of student services, Darren Barrett who sat on the committee that met with the female student said she breached other university regulations.

Barrett says it was later determined that the student was responsible for changing the original routine which was not approved by a social committee.

He further says the student appeared before the Citizenship Committee without her identification card and had a pierced tongue.

Barrett says the other female student who was involved in the mock proposal was called to a meeting but did not turn up.

He says no action has been taken against that student.

ENDS

The subsequent audio with a voice described as Barrett's also reflected a disturbing mindset and autocratic decision making process at the leadership levels here singling out the student Mr Barrett said "She knew that she had a meeting with the Vice President of the University and came to the office without displaying her, without an ID, the student ID, also with a thumb ring whichever colour it was but she wore a thumb ring which she had no; which she knew I should say that she shouldn't have worn and so with that in mind the administration saw that as blatant disregard for the policy of the university therefore that adds to the suspension."

Really Mr Barrett? nitpicking here to find something to punish her for breaking the gender norms when it was a clear logistics matter in terms of weight of male students who would have been too heavy on top of females in forming the pyramid, I don't see the other participants complaining and some if not most of the students in the audience cheered in fact when the kiss was planted as the video shows the actual session @ 6:14/5 there was also some dissent as well if one closely examines the clip but be that as it may it is clear where the student services and leadership wanted to go with this.

When will our tertiary institutions step ahead and become forward thinking or is it a lack of multi-generational ignorance and lack of exposure to sex and sexuality matters in our education system playing itself out here via those autocratic rules about dress on a campus where ADULTS mostly are in attendance and since she had these items prior to know why wasn't action taken before now? 

HFLE anyone? more on that HERE

Hmph waiting for her to trip eh?

some comments from the Gleaner shows the ignorance and some sense at the same time:

I thought females expressing emotional attitudes to each other in Jamaica was somewhat accepted here or is this specific lesbo-profiling of the particular student to her demeanour as some other comments on social media seems to suggest. A thumb ring or pierced tongues or ear tops by women are considered as markers for some folks out there and serves as justifications to discriminate on spot in some instances.

Sigh

Anyway congrats to the team for being so forward thinking, one more institution to bring into the light of modernity I suppose. Also see: UTECH Tolerance campaign following the student abuse by guards caught on tape, the case was dismissed and the two accused were set free.

also see: NCU Has Rights Too! 

CVM TV's midday news carried the matter as well where Miss Carolyn Gomes redeemed herself of sorts after the "H" word infraction at the IACHR meeting  other matters were covered at that press conference as well as the new ED for Jamaicans for Justice made her debut appearance and it was none other than former TVJ head Kay Osbourne who denied the tolerance ad airing at the time, hope she has come to some understanding now.

Lastly

UPDATE April 9th Lasmay of the Gleaner touched the issue via a Victorian themed toon, the inquisition comes to mind:

RJR's Beyond the headline had a follow up discussion on this with attorney at law and talk show host Clyde Williams:

CVM TV carried the item finally on April 9th:

Here was the institution's attempt to out the fire

UPDATE

AUDIO: NCU Says Suspension Of Cheerleader Is Justified, Punishment Lenient CVM TV's Live @ 7 had the cheerleader herself on set to explain her case, Sha Shana James also revealed she will be leaving the institution. 

Watch the full interview on CVM TV's website from last evening's Live @ 7 show HERE More follow up news items as the furore continues:

April 16th UPDATE Gleaner article: Sex And The University

Also see Sociologist and talk show host Dr Orville Taylor's take in the Sunday Gleaner: NCU, JCF & Justice

also listen the last interview I was able to get my hands on:

Nationwide @ 5 NCU Cheerleader Sha Shauna James by Djhowiejam on Mixcloud

Peace and tolerance

H

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

It’s been a while since I got out and about on a weekend since I have some free time from the conclusion of the Seismic Project with Aphrodite’s PRIDE Jamaica so some of my brethren had a drink out of which I attended last evening. We were returning from the shing-dig to travel separately home when we ran into a shouting match just by the outside of the Half Way Tree transportation centre that was closed at the time since it was around 11pm westwards along Eastwood Park Road and where robot taxis and coaster buses (often having challenges with both crews and loaders and suspected gay/lesbian folks) would operate JUTC main trunk routes until the wee hours of the morning by the Shell gas station at the stop lights alongside Molynes Road. 

The shouting match from our vantage point at first looked like some men arguing but as we got nearer with some of my colleagues taking another route in some trepidation we soon realised it was a stud identified woman and one of the conducters/sideman on the bus where he chastised the girl as a “dutty lesbian gal” other passengers who were disembarking the bus were also boisterous but not in defence of the crude conductor but in defence of the waiting time apparently they had to endure from Spanish Town where the bus route originated which was what the SGL sister was initially upset about, buses such as these are prone to expose passengers to lengthy delays (while charging more than the formal buses with sometimes deadly reckless driving to make up for time) the woman as we settled at the spot to decide which bus to enter into as loaders while laughing intermittently try to convince us to take our seats however one of my lesbian counterparts who was going in my direction suggested we wait and see how this go down.

I also wondered why was there some many challenges with these buses as of late owing to the recent draconian changes by the Transport Authority and their granting of licences to these operators whose numbers have been significantly reduced.

The newly arrived bus continued emptying its passengers and the argument ensued getting loader as decibels and harsh language became pronounced. The lesbophobic/homo-negative comments continued by the conductor who now was joined by the driver who while seated shouted supporting anti gay arguments. An older female passenger sided with the obviously angry same gender sister as it was at this time myself and my female companion realised she was a community member as she hailed one of my young gay friends also in my company but who had stopped at a vendor to buy snacks before. They greeted each other as he joined us and as she explained why she was upset to all three of us by this we all were now the target of the verbal assault, my female friend was about to move to one of the men where I grabbed her hand and reminded her how to defuse situations like this with ignoring the rage at first and if to fight then fight to end it not to win. 

Other passengers who had disembarked stopped to watch the standoff, taxis parked under the gas station loading for various destinations also saw their already seated clients alighting to watch as well with comments for and against coming from them, even persons who did not know the genesis of the matter sided with the lesbophobic conductor/sideman/driver, typical in cases like this I have seen over the years in stereotypically profiling LGBT persons.
Words to the effect such as “dutty lesbian gal”(dirty lesbian girl) “suck pussy 'oman” (suggesting her sexual activity is limited to oral sex a perception held in the mind’s of many Jamaicans of lesbians) and derogatory suggested sex change remarks were used to challenge the woman’s semi masculine demeanour by this time my two counterparts joined in the dispute with my male friend who is known to her tried to pull her away and to leave the scene as he hugged her in an effort to convince her while my female friend proceeded to respond to the never ending lesbophobic and other awful remarks with and ever rising decibel level, a typical style of public embarrassment by arguing parties. 

The other crews/loaders still while laughing were remarkably still trying to entreat us to take our seats in the waiting bus as other persons joined the curious onlookers or passed by, that was when I broke my silence and suggested to the aggrieved woman go on her destination as this was going nowhere besides we are now the target of the assault seeing we were guilty by association. The driver took me on suggesting that the young lady was rude and must “gwey from yasso” (leave here or a place in disgrace by cutting ones loses) I in turn responded that the crew was not making it any better and besides they know that passengers want to go about their business and are forced to wait at their pleasure (not in such nice words), the rude crewman then used the “B” word to describe me, so in dealing with the real issue I am now battyboi, so what.

That’s when the aggrieved sister went haywire and said that I was defending the right thing while my other female friend joined in the exchange with all sorts of expletives and curse words in Jamaican parlance flew however I stayed as cool as I possibly could with an unfinished beer in hand that I sipped every now and again as it got less cold but clearly showing we were not afraid of them and their rant besides he was telling me something I already know. Their refusal to take the blame for the passengers’ upset due to delay continued and the older woman who had sided with the aggrieved woman was still on the scene with other passengers who remained, some others left, it was then when a comment that seemingly challenged the manhood of the rude man from the profiled lesbian caused a physical response from the crewman as he lunged forward towards the woman hand raised as if he wanted to hit or punch her, she in turn stood her ground while partially pulling what looked like a knife or weapon from the left side of her waist, in response shouts of “a what dat” “noooo no bada wid dat” and so on came from the now transfixed audience and persons driving by slowed to see what was going on, the older woman who had defended the girl asked her not to go there and to leave it alone while the other crewmen and taxi drivers seemed livid that the woman had defended herself (how dare a woman who is about to be attacked by a man stand up) the driver in the meantime was livid and he tried to raise his plump self from his seat supposedly in a bid to “defend it” while spewing a slew of expletives (mouth full of food, rice flying) encouraging the sideman to “rass de oman, she [expletive] bright.”. (hit her she is out of order and deserves it etc.)

To think my last session in the Seismic project was safety and defusing an aggressive scene now here I am in one, coincidental eh? fortunately the police station was nearby on Maxfield Avenue southwards from us just in case things got ugly I thought, I also went over piercing through the growing crowd who had encircled the two, the angry woman was fuming and also the crewman who felt he was dissed (Jamaican men do not like that especially when it comes from a woman) myself and my friends tried to calm her down while acting as a buffer between her and the other men, homo-negative comments continued from various voices seeing we were supporting the aggrieved woman, the particular crewman also had other crewmen/loaders holding him and trying to also calm him down, the driver still seated and shouting from inside the bus instructed the men to leave him alone to take action as he saw fit, how could he let a woman do him like that? Or words to that effect came from him. 

Others found it comical with intermittent laughter and urgings as if to look for a fight for some sort of sick entertainment (including the same loaders who wanted us to take our seat in the waiting bus in the front of the line in the first place) Things started to calm down as both parties were pulled aside by their various support or onlookers as the hour passed and less persons travel apparently our patronage was also of import for the loaders/buscrew of the waiting bus (not the same as the bus with the seated screaming fat driver) so the loaders started to insist we take our seats while we consoled the sister but she took a while to calm down as she threatened that she intends to have her “friends” deal with this bus crew. I intervened and suggested that made no sense and was better to move on. A time after the onlookers numbers started to shrink, the taxi drivers took their places by their cars discussing the issue (typical post excitement in their eyes discussion) as business seem to return to normal and the loaders started calling out to oncoming members of the public to see if they were going in the buses direction.

Well we know that we are marked at that bus stop and by the crews but who cares? I have witnessed crap at that area before and some of the guys truth be told are known. The woman calmed after about ten minutes or so while the discussion continued, we could still hear the still seated driver making muffled remarks but he was ignored, the woman introduced herself to me and she continued talking to my gay friend who knew her, meanwhile the loaders insisted we enter the waiting bus as it was soon ready to depart. My brethren joined myself and my lesbian sister on the bus as we settled and the woman eventually left for her travels obviously still not pleased. We discussed the matter in the bus prior to its departure and the conductor for our bus made a remark as he entered the unit that almost started a second square off where he suggested that no woman could dis him like that, obviously it was a comment to also take a swipe at us but we looked at each other and continued our convo almost all the way over to Spanish Town, other passengers were talking of it but from a standpoint of disrespectful crews and indiscipline. We have since kept in touch via Facebook and so on and the woman is ok now as at the preparation of this post.

Such are the travails out there but it is not the first time that Spanish Town and indeed other coaster routes have seen similar scenes in Half Way Tree as bus crews themselves have come in for harsh exchanges between themselves and with passengers and members of the public about suspected gay crew/loaders/drivers, some years ago a transwoman was stabbed as well caused by another woman who pointed her out, clashes with homeless MSM/trans persons or cruisers alongside those who met in the city centre back in the day prior to it getting a bad rap for being gay town. The controversial shooting incident as well of a cash for gold selling lesbian sister only last year is a reminder of how fickle the town centre can be for same gender loving folks be it anti gay reasons or gay on gay violence. Things changed over time following that gathering of persons with machete’s after an announcement that gay groups were intending to march in the square. Then we can also add to that the clashes at Bargain Mall by Clock Tower Plaza and so called K12 threats, even recently in 2014 there was a standoff with men and some youngsters. Just look out there if you are reading this and happen to traverse the area or know of anyone who does.

Other coaster bus related matters:

Gay joke goes wrong ... bus personnel escapes thrashing

Brawl on Coaster Bus from Portmore ... man accused of riding another's ass while in transit

Pickpocket victim labelled gay, crowd advances then retreats

Alleged Gay advance upsets 'loader man' in Half Way Tree

Bus conductress defends herself

Lawyers' Christian Fellowship's Shirley Richards says lesbian sex should be criminalized as buggery ...

Peace and tolerance

H

Popular "Cash for Gold" lesbian shot by cops, crisis reporting strategy again seems flawed

A popular sister who hangs out in Half Way Tree regularly carrying out the popular and controversial cash for gold trade and who has another case pending in the Half Way Tree court as well for a previous stabbing incident was shot in an altercation with police as carried on CVM TV News some time ago, I always like waiting when the dust settles to get the real truth in cases such as this, Half Way Tree and its environs is known for flair ups for perceived lesbians and gay/bi men.

also see from 2008: Alleged Lesbian Stabbed in Open View - Police Uninterested

Alledged Lesbian Stabbed in Half Way Tree (Update) 2009

fast forward to the present matter -The Star News carried this:

A woman is currently nursing a gunshot wound after she was shot by a police officer in Half-Way Tree yesterday morning after stabbing a man.

According to the police, at around 11:30 a.m. the woman was engaged in an argument with a man when a knife was drawn and she reportedly used the instrument to stab the man.

According to reports, after the woman stabbed the man, who was allegedly her spouse, she attempted to stab him for a second time but the injured man fell to the ground when she attempted to stab him again and the police officer intervened.

The woman was reportedly shot in the hand by the lawman.

Head of the St Andrew Central Division, Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey, told THE STAR that the woman, who is still in the hospital, would be charged.

Bailey also told THE STAR that the injured man is also in hospital nursing stab wounds.

ENDS

However if we are to follow the alarmist crisis reporting strategy now being employed by some Jamaican advocates we would have been led to believe that this was a purely lesbophobic matter when in fact it was not as the woman in question was accusing a man of being a battyman when things got out of control.

31-year-old Keshema Tulloch, an openly gay woman and otherwise known as ‘Royal’ was shot by a Police Officer earlier today, October 25, 2013, around 10 a.m. after being bullied and physically attacked by an anti-gay man in Half Way Tree, Kingston.

According to the victim’s father Winston Tulloch, “Royal got into an altercation with a man who called her a ‘sodomite’ (anti-gay slur) and punched her in the face says another blogger who carried the story. She then proceeded to chase her attacker with a knife. The man ran to a police officer at the Texaco Gas station. While running towards the police officer and her attacker, the police officer shot her in her arm and she fell to the ground. The police then opened fire and shot her a second time in her chest.”

He further stated that, “the man who physically attacked her was pressured by the police officer to pursue criminal charges (Attempted Assault) against her.”

Royal is currently hospitalized in intensive care at the Kingston Public Hospital and was formally charged with attempted assault at 5:00 p.m. She is under police guard while being treated.

Deceptive crisis communication here with unclear triggers and linking homophobic abuse to a clear case of a matter where the "victim" was clearly out of order (not to say she deserved it) but if she had not stabbed or attempted to stab the man as alleged while in the presence of the police then this issue would not have occurred in my mind. Fair is fair and truth is truth when dealing with these kinds of issues.

Then it is no wonder the lobby has a credibility problem over the years and now alarms have been raised where maybe none was needed. When two lesbians were killed two years ago there was no alarm when it was needed and when the cases then called for serious attention as our SLG sisters are often overlooked.

Sorry to hear of this one but we MUST tell the people the truth in the zeal for getting international attention on our supposed plight.

Peace and tolerance

H

see: 

2 SGL Women lost, corrective rape & virtual silence from the male dominated advocacy structure

Calling for a Tourism Boycott on Jamaica is a dumb idea at this time

Some young advocates as it were with full support from some older ones who seem more interested in attention seeking than seriously thinking what can happen when such poorly thought out agitations are launched. Lest we forget the LGBT population is still reeling from the black eye from the Queen Ifrica fiasco and the fumbling by all parties involved namely JFLAG and JAGLA (Jamaica Association of Gays and Lesbians Abroad) like wherein the hardened positions by the anti gay voices and persons has gotten more so. Now we see the Lovemarch folks planning another march from Hope Gardens to Half Way Tree on September 14th in opposition to the upcoming court cases challenging the buggery law etc.

Lest we also forget for those who were around before in 2008 and for newcomers we have gone down this road before with calls for boycotts by over exuberant foreign activists out of touch with our realities and who in a supposed bid to assist us in the struggle instead we ended up with a near diplomatic nightmare and a major spike in homophobic incident reports that these same voices were not prepared to assist us (I was a JFLAG at the time) to mitigate or engage. The choppings, profilings, beatings and so on were numerous and the narrative that rang out in some of those documented cases was that they were done in retaliation for making our country suffer in the eyes of the attackers.

EGALE - EQUALITY FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS EVERYWHERE Canada for example comes to mind in 2008 where they fervently called for a tourism boycott and the nation turned red with the call those days we did not have a more supportive media as now and it was a public relations nightmare the call ended up causing more problems than they solved, SMMS Stop Murder Music Canada also joined the call but called it off after some persuasion from local advocates on the ground and a response from the then government of Jamaica, also involved was the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto who had demanded that the Jamaican government immediately denounce homophobic violence in the country and begin work on repealing laws criminalizing homosexuality, including sexual orientation in the Charter of Rights and developing education campaigns for the country and for the police. A similar call has been hinted to by JAGLA, individual advocates and supported by Maurice Tomlinson. The supposed call is stop the rising numbers of violence meted out to members of the LGBT populations in recent times, my fear based on experience is that such calls only seek to increase the very abuses that the calls are intended to decrease, boycotts are counter productive, besides travel agents said that a tourist boycott was not likely to have a major impact anyway then and I doubt it would have now, also we must bear in mind that Air Canada recently commenced flights to Kingston again with renewed interest in the destination and given our economic situation, austerity and the mood of the nation on many fronts this is not the time for a boycott. Jobs are scarce, persons are tense we do not need a spark to set the place on fire.

Then came the Red Stripe boycott as well which had us in a frenzy for some time although Red Stripe bounced back easily and capitalized on the unexpected exposure that they could not pay for, their forward thinking however averted trouble when they vowed not to support shows with artists professing violent lyrics overall. Back then I had posted in a response to our friends in San Francisco; "While I appreciate the support in the cause for justice and tolerance towards everyone here despite their sexual orientation, groups planning or who have planned these events must be mindful of the repercussions such actions may have on an already marginalized grouping as we are here.

Members of the public and by extension select public opinion shapers will consider this as interference by foreigners and hence push for more hatred and opposition towards gays. Not to mention the increase in violence that occurs when a situation like this becomes public knowledge. As we have seen before during the planned Canadian group EGALE’s boycott early last year many persons including lesbians suffered attacks, we saw a spike in the numbers that was never so for lesbians especially before. The stories told to us by many victims included hints that we (gays) were getting foreigners to force their nasty lifestyle on Jamaica and other derogatory remarks so the attackers felt justified in their actions.

I ask you our friends to be mindful, JFLAG is slowly working on the ground to reach several objectives which include on going dialogue and other strategies which I am not at liberty to reveal now that I am aware of. Also to consider are the limited resources available for any action that may need to be taken in crisis intervention cases.

Let us remember too that it was Red Stripe, one of the targets of this ban campaign that withdrew financial backing for events and artists who promote violence of any sort against Jamaicans some time ago, we wouldn’t want to erode that small gain now, small as it was it was a step in the right direction.

Thanks to the organizers and participants however for showing concern and for taking the steps to bring the matter(s) to public light but let us communicate before any other drastic actions are taken, I know that there are passionate persons out there to our cause and I am grateful personally and by extension I know the JFLAG team and gays here are thankful too.

One Love

H"

Cordially relations are enjoyed since and in fact it was the members of the same team in essence that met with Buju Banton, Michael Petrelis seated to Buju's left was involved in the Red Stripe boycott call. Boycott calls tend to make the hotel market jittery and with the public still angry at the feeling that the lobby has moved from being the oppressed to the oppressor. 

alarmist LGBT crisis reporting?

One wonders if the calls are genuine when the same persons making such calls do not reside here and seem oblivious to the real conditions on the ground such as the long standing issue of homelessness which none of these fly by night groups have once spoken to fully yet but are loud on limelight placing demonstrations and homophobic or transphobic violence reactions, case in point the Dwayne Jones murder in July, Jones was indeed homeless and resided illegally in a captured house in western Jamaica while alive he got very little assistance but in death became wonderful public relations material for some persons to project themselves yet they do not directly get involved in frontline work, one wonders. 

The fundamental concern for me is when the boycott is launched as persons seem head strong to do impervious of the opinions of influentials and previous Programs Managers of JFLAG will these groups and individuals provide assistance in whatever forms (outside of asylum seeking avenues) for local folks who may fall as involuntary martyrs for a cause they may not necessarily subscribe to? Such persons are in the comfort of other lands and can say anything what about the least amongst us especially who are far more exposed to the likelihood of being attacked or killed?

Knee jerk reactions to an obvious spike in homo-negative incidents is not the way to go about it, careful thought has to be done and strategizing but with recent outcomes in the lobby as well as outside of it leaves me wondering and indeed concerned on many fronts.

also see: Murder Music Campaign needs local leadership and Gov’t Hush Hush On Gay Pressure …As Promoters Forced To Pull Queen Ifrica From Canada Show 

Rev Al Miller’s late response to Dwayne Jones’ Murder & Respect heterosexuals demand

Sizzla bats for Queen Ifrica as expected 

Queen Ifrica's "Freedom of Speech" & advocacy found wanting  

'I SPOKE FOR WHAT I BELIEVED IN' - Queen Ifrica defends Grand Gala performance after JFLAG backlash

We muss tek sleep and mark death and learn from previous mistakes instead of going headstrong inna more mess creating more unneeded obstacles.

Peace and tolerance

H

  

Men rushed in New Kingston .... police hold 4

As news and pictures from last night's scene at Trafalgar Square in New Kingston, the same square that was in the news earlier this year and before where homeless msms gather at nights and where a taxi driver had rescued some cross dressers over a year ago. Above see the remnants of a cross dressers outfit left on the scene Reports  from key influentials in and associated with the group suggest that threats have been issued by men in and around New Kingston and from a particular popular supermarket staff who have clashed with some of the homeless populations before by throwing stones and other debris at them while passing and verbally assaulting them. 

Trafalgar square on a sunny day 

Other more serious threats have been issued based on the grapevine where it is said that a kind of fatwa has been declared that one of the homeless men especially the cross dressers must be eliminated by December of this year, repetitive insults have been issued and were said to be on the increase. On my sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch only a few days ago I posted problems with the homeless msms in downtown Kingston and other issues to do with poor frontline advocacy from our representatives.

Last night's episode was said to have commenced around 8pm where the friends had gathered at a particular regular spot, which I have also been to before, they were said to have been pounced upon by passers-by and argument ensued following a brawl followed, police were summoned and unfortunately the queens and their friends were taken to the Half Way Tree police where they have been on holding since last evening, the group tried to explain their situation to the cops but their attempts failed and they were rounded up after things became tense at the spot.

Almost fifteen minutes before the creation of this post I managed to have spoken to one of the men through an influential who informed me that the other three men were already processed but were still held and he was waiting his turn. I deduced from the brief exchange that apparently their more masculine aesthetic/presentation has led to an issue of profiling by the cops as they were deemed suspects in a series of robberies in the New Kingston and Half Way Tree areas recently. Police have been known to frequently stereotype and profile men who supposedly fit a certain gangster description linked to criminal activity generally. Thankfully this one never turned out worse, we wait to see if they will be released. 

an old Jamaica Observer pic/story on homeless msms in 2011

This matter of a lack of interest by our advocates towards this languishing population glaring yet again, as we see however they couldn't care less about this population and almost echo sentiments that come very more contemptuous sections of the LGBT community that they are hopeless and cannot or do not need help. Happenings on the international stage, public relations smooth overs and ceremony are far more important than dealing with lives interrupted when they know fully well that they have access to the cogs of HIV and LBGT advocacy funding which can go a far way in helping to assist these sometimes aimless, low self esteemed, displaced or homeless men. The repealing of the buggery law is inextricably linked to this issue whether we want to believe it or not.

also see the hypocrisy on homelessness in the MSM community


The dark side to the homeless issue ..............

and 

Doing 'business' in New Kingston ... Jamaica Observer on MSM Homelessness ..... JFLAG should be ashamed

MEN RUSHED AND BEATEN IN NEW KINGSTON

SHOTS FIRED AT HOMELESS GAYS IN KINGSTON, HOMELESS SITUATION SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL

MSMS RESCUED BY TAXI DRIVER

HOMELESS MSMS HARRASSED ON STREETS BY POLICE

this was the spot across from the park that this CVM TV report was made earlier this year

The rest of us feel almost helpless and angered in a sense as our little private informal crisis interventions cannot dent the problems associated with this issue as it requires far more professional help and psycho social work, some of the men have been assisted by concerned influentials who have literally housed them in their home but the sash as shown struned on the ground in the pic above was owned by one of the Miss World LGBT 2011 contestants who in my view had no business on the streets with that article of the event. 

Also on November 14, 2011 I also posted recent concerns and issues with other displaced men on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch:

Homelessness/Displacement problems again .........

Only two days ago November 16 we had International Day of Tolerance where I raised my continued concern for this population: 

International Day for Tolerance 16.11.11 my concerns of our state by glbtqja3

Peace and tolerance

H