Lesbian injured at gambling table brawl

typical crown & anchor gambling table

A woman from the east Kingston area is nursing injuries to her face, back and hands in the form of cuts after a brawl at a lively gambling table on East Queen Street around three in the afternoon. The incident occurred as a series very lively games of corn seed bingo, crown and anchor and cards with money involved were in session at the four tables respectively; an accusation however of cheating or mishandling of the game by one man led to an argument which quickly grew into a brawl, the woman who tried to calm the tempers was in essence turned against by one man at first but it quickly moved to three others joining the fray as harsh words and expletives were thrown around at each other.

According to a witness things got really heated when two of the men got physical with each other and what appeared to be one of the men bumping into the lesbian woman who in turned bumped into another man sent the verbal clash into another place. The corn seeds used for the games were scattered, the gambling tables were shifted out of place and a crowd had gathered by the top of the lane adjoining the location of the incident with some looking puzzled or laughing dependent on what they saw.

The woman who is seen as a friend to several of the men suddenly found herself the subject of Lesbophobic verbal abuse as she and ‘her kind’ was accused of taking away ‘good woman’ an accusation used in such melee to stigmatise and vilify butch identified women, the usual ‘man royal’ term accusation seemed missing from this one when I queried if it was used. As the fight continued a knife was pulled by one of the men on another and the outcome of the bumping became evident, the woman got in a tussle with another man apart from the one who had bumped into her after she reportedly made a threatening remark to him which he did not take kindly. 

the typical 'thug' look that heterosexual men sometimes tolerate: also see Lesbian rapper to perform in Jamaica

He grabbed her locked hair as they fought for about half a minute but was parted by a hefty bleached face woman who was her friend (none intimately) who owns a nearby food establishment of which the lesbian is a regular customer alongside other persons. She sustained cuts to her hands inflicted by the knife as she sought to defend herself and a necklace she was wearing was damaged and was on the sidewalk. Threats from all angles were heard as the brawl cooled to a standoff, persons attempted to go to the nearby Central Kingston police station after proclaiming their intent but they were dissuaded from doing so. The visibly upset woman and others vowed that ‘it wasn’t over’ and in Jamaican thinking some sort of retribution is implied. Things cooled eventually and the woman and others were seen conversing at a bar across the street.

A similar challenge occurred in Half Way Tree Square by the bus/taxi bay in 2015 also had as one of the injured parties an identified lesbian who was once seen as one of the boys given her mannerisms. The origin of that one was unclear but the disruption led to her shirt being grabbed by another man, her face being slapped up even as she also managed to deliver blows to her assailant much to the delight of a cheering crowd of passers-by comprising school children and adults alike.

Though there were no major injuries or known ones similar Lesbophobic terms were flying around then and always seem to come to the surface whenever there is a disagreement then one hears one is this or that. In 2016 there was another such clash though short lived in downtown Kingston along Barry Street at the infamous bleaching cream and street side hair dresser area where men and women buy and use or have applied creams and have their hair extensions added for a small fee. A fight broke out after one accused another of having them wait so long for services, butch identified woman who was among the crowd clashed with other women after she blasted them for being too petty allegedly. One woman sustained a cut to the face and police who were patrolling on Princess Street eventually came by to quell the melee.

The issue of using or resorting to violent reactions to solve simply quarrels comes to the fore and it happens all too easily. While butch identified or masculine acting women suffer way less challenges turning into violent episodes that does not discount the possibility of those such incidents occurring. The often ‘one of the boys’ phenomenon mentioned on this blog usually carries through as sometimes surprisingly men almost welcome them into their social circles. The women take on or display similar traits in behaviour such as ganja smoking and mode of dress and or even go as far as ‘looking women’ for sexual favours for mostly the men involved. There has been this old belief by some that having a ‘man royal’ friend can bring benefits of having more women for sex so the man somehow tolerate known lesbians in that regard. The mannerisms of the women only add to the tolerance level as the language and slangs are adapted or adopted by the lesbians probably to fit into the group.

Strangely our homosocial yet homophobic culture accommodates this type of union with lesbians and heterosexual men but when things go sour that tolerance level is thrown out the window and suddenly her sexuality becomes a problem and is used against her to demonise or belittle her. The ‘one of the boys’ phenomenon includes partying, flossing, skin bleaching and similar modes of dress. Lowered pants, exposed underwear or boxers and other identifying markers or masculinity and or bravado linked to thuggery or thug life that projects some sort of strength. In presenting those physical traits or presentation the lesbians who subscribe to such are easily subsumed into the male social circles while strangely or uniquely the other women (femme types) are not allowed that kind of close access or intermingling in a male circle. In other words to lesbians be like one of us and our circle and you’ll be accepted in a sense.

An earlier phone stealing ring matter in court in 2016 for example had implicated in the mix a butch identified woman so much so that the very judge hearing the matter quizzed the woman as to her mode of dress as she was little hard to identify her, the poor judge must have been puzzled not used to the presentation before her. Her (lesbian) association with a group of men in the ring was also questioned in court at the time but what the judge was not mindful was that she was able to ‘fit in’ (outside of assimilation) and have a cordial relationship with her male accused.

More anon

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Homosocial yet homophobic 2008 

Butch finds herself in some trouble for "non disclosure" 

The Butch Dynamic/mystique becoming a problem? 2011

Lesbian rapper to perform in Jamaica ..............

Event manager and record producer Zum has announced that he will be bringing lesbian rapper Young M.A to Jamaica for Brit Jam 2017.

The event is slated to take place between March 8 and 14. According to the promoter, his target audience is excited about the rapper's visit and people are not concerned about her sexual orientation.

"People don't care about her sexual preference. They just like her music. This is the first lesbian rapper to dominate the rap scene, so this is history in the making, and Brit Jam is the first to bring her to Jamaica," he said. I wish it was always like that we could save ourselves a lot of grief.

Zum

Zum also said that based on his market research, male and female fans alike welcome the rapper's visit. He, however, admitted that if he had booked a male gay rapper, then, perhaps, his audience would have raised serious concerns.

"We tend to accept females in Jamaica. Once it's a woman, it's fine with us. But if it was a man, I know some people wouldn't like that," he said.

Young M.A is known for songs like Quiet Storm and Ooouuu, which peaked at number 19 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart last year.

LOCAL ACTS

The event will also feature other international acts such as Genuine and Bernice. There will also be performances from local acts, including Ding Dong, Tanto Blacks, Tifa, I-Octane, Konshens and Shenseea.

"Brit Jam only does the hottest, and we are feeling Young M.A's vibe. When you go to events and see how people react to her music, it is amazing. People literally wait until the second verse of her song, and nowadays, that is rare," he said.

Zum did not wish to disclose how much it will cost to book the rapper for Brit Jam. However, he did reveal that her booking fee is not cheap.

meanwhile the performer's profile includes:

Early life

Young M.A was born in 1992 in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 9, she began rapping.For over nine years, she has been in Virginia, although never staying in one place for long, moving to several cities while in the South. At the age of 16, she moved back to Brooklyn.

Career Music

Young M.A began to embarked her music career, when she was self-funding its recording studio with local record producers, after she was working at Shake Shack and T.J. Maxx. In 2014, she gained notoriety, when a Facebook post criticizing her song, called "Brooklyn Chiraq" that went viral. The post's author, pundit Boyce Watkins, said the song promoted "violent, negative, genocidal energy", but the controversy expanded Young M.A's name recognition and brought in some new listeners to her work. In 2015, Young M.A released a new song, called "Body Bag", which became a "YouTube hit" said Rolling Stone, along with the release of her mixtape, called Sleep Walkin', which MTV describes as a "thoughtful debut project".

In 2016, Young M.A released her official debut single, called "Ooouuu" which peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In September 2016, the song nearly had 7 million plays on Spotify[8] and was widely remixed, with other rappers and hip hop artists such as French Montana, Remy Ma, Jadakiss, Uncle Murda, A$AP Ferg and Tink, who all of them were putting out their versions to that song. At Stereogum, Tom Breihan said "Ooouuu" was "a brash, intense, hard-as-fuck piece of rider music...the song feels like it marks the arrival of a major rap talent." The Fader said Young M.A has "establishe[d] herself as a quintessential New York MC", and at MTV, Doreen St. Félix said, "This summer, the atmosphere belongs to Young M.A and her single 'OOOUUU.'" The song's popularity drew attention from labels, though M.A remains an independent artist.

At the 2016's BET Hip Hop Awards, she did a freestyle on a cypher and performed her single, "Ooouuu", giving what XXL Magazine described as "show-stopping freestyle...one of the best freestyles of the night"; despite the enthusiasm for her performance, Young M.A expressed disappointment, saying BET cut out a portion of her performance.

Other projects

In 2016, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Young M.A said she'd been offered the role of Frieda Gatz on Empire, but turned it down, preferring to pursue her own career as a rapper instead of being known first as a fictional character.

Personal life

Young M.A is a lesbian, a topic that she includes in her music. She told Vogue that coming out had been an important point in her artistic development, saying "I held in being sexually attracted to women for so long that once I got that out of me, the music became easy."

In 2009, Young M.A's brother died.

She is of Puerto Rican and Jamaican descent.

Peace & tolerance

H

Intolerance Day of Tolerance ............

The United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. This imperative lies at the core of the United Nations Charter, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is more important than ever in this era of rising and violent extremism and widening conflicts that are characterized by a fundamental disregard for human life.

In 1996, the UN General Assembly (by resolution 51/95) invited UN Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November. This action followed up on the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 at the initiative of UNESCO, as outlined in the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year.
UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence

In 1995, to mark the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, UNESCO created a prize for the promotion of tolerance and non-violence. The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence rewards significant activities in the scientific, artistic, cultural or communication fields aimed at the promotion of a spirit of tolerance and non-violence.

The prize is awarded every two years on the International Day for Tolerance, 16 November. The Prize may be awarded to institutions, organizations or persons, who have contributed in a particularly meritorious and effective manner to tolerance and non-violence.

The 2016 winner is the Federal Research and Methodological Center for Tolerance Psychology and Education (Tolerance Center) of Russia.

Bearing in mind that the United Nations Charter states: 'We, the people of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, ... to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, ... and for these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours',Recalling that the Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO, adopted on 16 November 1945, states that 'peace, if it is not to fail, must be founded on the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind',Recalling also that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that 'Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion' (Article 18), 'of opinion and expression' (Article 19), and that education 'should promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups' (Article 26),Noting relevant international instruments including:
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,
the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,
the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and regional instruments,
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,
the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief,
the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities,
the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism,
the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights,
the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Summit for Social Development,
the UNESCO Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice,
the UNESCO Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education, 

Bearing in mind the objectives of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, the World Decade for Human Rights Education, and the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People,Taking into consideration the recommendations of regional conferences organized in the framework of the United Nations Year for Tolerance in accordance with UNESCO General Conference 27 C/Resolution 5.14, as well as the conclusions and recommendations of other conferences and meetings organized by Member States within the programme of the United Nations Year for Tolerance, Alarmed by the current rise in acts of intolerance, violence, terrorism, xenophobia, aggressive nationalism, racism, anti-Semitism, exclusion, marginalization and discrimination directed against national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, refugees, migrant workers, immigrants and vulnerable groups within societies, as well as acts of violence and intimidation committed against individuals exercising their freedom of opinion and expression – 

all of which threaten the consolidation of peace and democracy, both nationally and internationally, and are obstacles to development, Emphasizing the responsibilities of Member States to develop and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, gender, language, national origin, religion or disability, and to combat intolerance,Adopt and solemnly proclaim this Declaration of Principles on Tolerance

Resolving to take all positive measures necessary to promote tolerance in our societies, because tolerance is not only a cherished principle, but also a necessity for peace and for the economic and social advancement of all peoples

1.1 Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference. It is not only a moral duty, it is also a political and legal requirement. Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace.

1.2 Tolerance is not concession, condescension or indulgence. Tolerance is, above all, an active attitude prompted by recognition of the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. In no circumstance can it be used to justify infringements of these fundamental values. Tolerance is to be exercised by individuals, groups and States.

1.3 Tolerance is the responsibility that upholds human rights, pluralism (including cultural pluralism), democracy and the rule of law. It involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism and affirms the standards set out in international human rights instruments.

1.4 Consistent with respect for human rights, the practice of tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice or the abandonment or weakening of one's convictions. It means that one is free to adhere to one's own convictions and accepts that others adhere to theirs. It means accepting the fact that human beings, naturally diverse in their appearance, situation, speech, behaviour and values, have the right to live in peace and to be as they are. It also means that one’s views are not to be imposed on others.

Christians should apologise to gay people — Pope Francis

I can only imagine the antigay religious fanatics such as Dr Wayne West, Shirley Richards and JCHS with Jamaica CAUSE, must be squirming in their skins when they saw this one; an appropriate start to reconciliation indeed and also the clerical abuse black eye that has smudged the Catholic church's image over hundreds of years.

a previous quote from the Pontiff 

ROME, Italy (AFP) — Pope Francis said Sunday that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should apologise to gay people and seek their forgiveness for the way they have been treated.

Speaking to reporters as he flew back to Rome from Armenia, the pope was asked if he agreed with comments by German Cardinal Reinhard Marx that the Church needed to say sorry for the way it has treated the gay community.

"We Christians have to apologise for so many things, not just for this (treatment of gay people), but we must ask for forgiveness. Not just apologise — forgiveness," he said.

"The questions is: if a person who has that condition, who has good will, and who looks for God, who are we to judge?" the pope added, repeating his famous "Who am I to judge?" remark about homosexuality made early in his papacy.

That comment was one of the first indications that the Vatican under Pope Francis' leadership would take a more conciliatory approach to the gay community, but also prompted criticism from the Church's more conservative members. This is the healing that is so needed in these times to gain true tolerance as I think Jesus would approve and indeed extend to all.

Francis expanded his apology to also include other people who have faced discrimination.

"I think that the Church not only should apologise... to a gay person whom it offended but it must also apologise to the poor as well, to the women who have been exploited, to children who have been forced to work."

The comments come just two weeks after the Orlando massacre at a gay nightclub in which 49 people were killed.

At the time the Holy See condemned the attack as a "homicidal folly and senseless hatred".

The CNN carried the story as this in part:

Groundbreaking Moment

"I believe that the church not only should apologize to the person who is gay whom it has offended," he added, "but has to apologize to the poor, to exploited women, to children exploited for labor; it has to ask forgiveness for having blessed many weapons."

The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large of America magazine, called the Pope's apology to gays and lesbians "a groundbreaking moment."

"While St. John Paul II apologized to several groups in 2000 -- the Jewish people, indigenous peoples, immigrants and women, among them -- no pope has ever come close to apologizing to the LGBT community. And the Pope is correct of course. First, because forgiveness is an essential part of the Christian life. And second, because no group feels more marginalized in the church today than LGBT people."

The Pope's comments came in response to a question about a German Cardinal who said the Catholic Church should apologize for being "very negative" about gays. The Pope was also asked whether Christians bear some blame for hatred toward the LGBT community, as horrifically demonstrated in the Orlando massacre at a gay night club that killed 49 people on June 12.

'Immense Blessing'

Francis first uttered that rhetorical question -- Who am I to judge gay people? -- in 2013, also during a news conference on the papal plane. His comments were hailed as a breakthrough for a church that has historically condemned homosexuality, often in harsh terms. Francis has not changed church doctrine that calls homosexual acts sinful, but he has shown a more merciful approach to people on the margins, including gays and lesbians.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Catholic gay rights group, called the Pope's remarks "an immense blessing of healing."

"No pope has said more welcoming words to LGBT people than when Pope Francis today offered his recommendation that the Church -- indeed all Christians -- should apologize for the harm religious traditions have caused to LGBT people. The pope's statement was simple, yet powerful, and it fell from his lips so easily."

As is often the case, the Pope's press conference encompassed a number of controversial questions. Here are the Pope's answers about Brexit, former Pope Benedict XVI and why he used the word "genocide" to describe the murder of more than 1 million Armenians in the early 20th century.

Let us see if this pivotal moment in the Catholic church's history will resonate deeply especially here in Jamaica.

Peace & tolerance indeed

H

Jamaica tolerates rape and child abuse but not homosexuality - Diana King

Though she is known for her hit song, Shy Guy, she is far from shy and never refuses to let the world know exactly how she feels.

Diana King, has found herself in hot water on social media because of a slew of posts she made in regards to Jamaica’s attitude towards homosexuals.

“JAMAICA is TOLERANT of RAPE & SEXUAL ABUSE of CHILDREN even INCESTS but NOT of SEX between CONSENTING #LGBT ADULTS,” King wrote.

That post infuriated social media users who vehemently denied her accusation of rape and sexual abuse being accepted among Jamaicans.

One user berated her for post.

“@DIANAKINGDOM this is nonsense--rapists and child molesters get beheaded before the cops come get them--nonsense--don’t speak ill of JA.”

Another user questioned King’s method of speaking on Jamaica’s attitude towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

"@DIANAKINGDOM your way of speaking out on a issue is to attack the entire country to gain what? hostility, more resentment toward LGBT?”

Tweets laced with expletives, were used to bash King for her perceived attack on Jamaica.

The 45-year-old was not phased by the persons who denied her allegations.

“I DON'T NEED SURVEYS • IF U CONSCIOUSLY OBSERVE U WILL SEE the TRUTH • ITS UP to U IF U CHOSE (sic) to ACCEPT IT or DENY IT,” she tweeted clearly not deterred social media users.

In 2012, King declared on her Facebook page that she was a lesbian, much to the attention of Jamaicans, with a number of persons reacting in a positive manner.

She is the first Jamaican artiste to publicly declare a same sex preference.

She also replaced Beenieman in November 2015 in New Zealand.

also see: Beenie Man off lineup, replaced with lesbian singer.

Gotta keep pushing on. While I understand there is a need to vent and the comments sometimes tests anyone's patience Miss King needs to also be mindful that she is in a position to teach; given her reach and visibility. 

Peace & tolerance.

H

Ian Boyne: Gay-Friendly Counsellors For Students? ............

In a way I am some agreement with Ian Boyne on this and it reminds me of the unlikely support in the lead up to the decriminalization of sodomy in the UK and the intervention of the Arch Bishop of Cantebury then Michael Ramsey in the 1960s.

Trouble who will listen really?

Have some of us learnt from previous happenings with schools, students and guidance counsellors, firstly here is Mr Boyne's piece:

The National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) has reacted with alarm to the offer of help by Jamaica's gay lobby group to ease the plight of gay students in schools who are allegedly being shunned by guidance counsellors.

"The NPTAJ rejects totally the offer made by J-FLAG (Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays) to conduct counselling in schools," its president, Everton Hannam, said in a release last week. "If J-FLAG is serious about counselling, they can offer those services privately," Hannam counselled. (Of course, Hannam misinterpreted that J-FLAG was itself offering to counsel students; it didn't.) But not in our schools. "Let the guidance counsellors do their job."

But what exactly is their job? What exactly is expected of them vis-·-vis gay students or students struggling with their sexual identity? This has not been clear in all the discussion taking place on the issue. There has been much obfuscation and talking around the issues.

Fellow Gleaner columnist Jaevion Nelson laments, in his column last Thursday, that what is required of guidance counsellors is "simply for them to do their jobs - provide an open, safe space for students to seek support when they need it". But exactly what kind of support? Support to accept their gay identity? For failure to do so can, indeed, cause deep psychological trauma. Is it just "support" to deal with the prejudice and discrimination that gay people in Jamaica face?

WHAT KIND OF GUIDANCE?

Michael Abrahams says in his Monday column that "in counselling gay students, one is not obliged to say that homosexuality is good, right, natural or moral. But these students need help and guidance". But what kind of guidance, if one is to avoid touching what is "good, right, normal natural or moral"?

Abrahams goes on to muddy the water further by saying of these students: "Many suffer from guilt, shame and loneliness ... ." Now, how can the conservative or fundamentalist Christian help that student to overcome his "guilt, shame and loneliness" without that counsellor's abandoning his world view? That guidance counsellor can be professional, "objective", detached, value-neutral and all those fine things, but how does he help that child escape "guilt and shame" when that counsellor's religion sees homosexuality as morally unacceptable? Be realistic.

People have not thought through this issue very carefully. Junior, an online respondent to my column last week, says, "Yes, I expect Christians to leave their beliefs and Christian positions at home or church when they choose to serve in certain positions."

Junior goes on to say the point is not whether homosexuality is illegal or immoral: "It should be the psychological welfare of the child." But I put it to you that what constitutes "the psychological welfare of the child", according to "enlightened, scientific" folk, is precisely what no conservative Christian can fulfil. In the cultured despisers' view, the psychological welfare of the child is synonymous with that child's accepting his homosexuality and abandoning the futile struggle to suppress it. He must "come to terms" with his sexuality, rather than be blinded by a Bronze Age book with thousands of years of knowledge deficit.

Christian guidance counsellors remain Christian. They can't check their beliefs or values at the door of their offices. Their ideology maintains that homosexuality is disordered, unnatural, immoral and psychologically unhealthy. But I still say that there are some things which even conservative, fundamentalist Christian guidance counsellors can and must do in the discharge of their professional duties.

The minimum is that they must never, never ever shun any gay student. If they do so, they must be fired. It's dereliction of duty and gross irresponsibility. Second, they must maintain strict confidentiality. They must not disclose what these students are struggling with or even what they accept and practise. That's fundamental in counselling. A breach in that area should also result in dismissal.

The Christian guidance counsellor must work passionately to inculcate a culture of tolerance for gay people. He must let prejudiced, bigoted heterosexual students know there is no place for bigotry, let alone violence. We must make bigotry shameful and reprehensible. Bullying, teasing and mocking must be absolutely scorned in the school environment. Christian guidance counsellors must regard it as a part of their Christian duty to stand against any discrimination against gay students. Bigots must not feel that they have any allies in Christians - least of all guidance counsellors.

Guidance counsellors must be held to very high standards. They must be models of tolerance, openness, cosmopolitanism and anti-prejudice. If a guidance counsellor hears that a gay student is being persecuted at home; if parents are threatening to put him out of the house, ill-treating him, scandalising him, etc., that counsellor must immediately meet those parents and show - even from the Bible - how utterly wrong those approaches are. That guidance counsellor must use sources these so-called Christian parents believe in to show them the folly of their ways.

The Christian guidance counsellor must do everything to ensure that the gay student is not harassed, victimised, publicly shamed or discriminated against. He must ensure that family members treat that gay student no less than other members of the family. The guidance counsellor must help students, teachers, administrative staff at the school and members of these gay students' communities and families to eschew violence, discrimination and harassment. He must help them to embrace these gay students as full, equal human beings worthy of all love.

CHRISTIAN LOVE

The curious thing about this is that it is precisely in this area of love, tolerance and forgiveness that Christianity is most rich and resourceful. The Christian guidance counsellor should be the most compassionate and loving of all counsellors. Christian theology is based on love, mercy, forgiveness. At the heart of Christian theology is teaching on brokenness, our proclivity to mess up - and the enormous power of the Gospel to save people from all kinds of sinful conditions. Now it is here that my gay readers will scream condescension.

For I bet you that after I have outlined the most compassionate and tolerant approach to gay students, pro-gay readers will still not be pleased. Nothing less than full acceptance of their "enlightened, scientific, non-Stone Age view" will do. Talk about imposition! But, of course, their view is simply scientific truth - or, better yet, common sense. (I am grateful to Marx for helping me to understand the hubris of what he called 'false consciousness'.")

Gay fundamentalists will accept nothing less than the full acceptance of homosexuality as normal, moral and acceptable. There is no room for disagreement. Saying otherwise is like saying the Earth is flat. There should be no more tolerance for the view that homosexuality is immoral or abnormal than the view that the Earth is flat, gay fundamentalists believe. But conservative Christians will never accept that homosexuality is morally acceptable.

Quite frankly, gays should be happy that some fundamentalist guidance counsellors are shunning students. For what some would tell them if they did not shun them would cause those students far more damage and hurt than shunning them. I am a Popperian and an ardent believer in pluralism and the Open Society. Perhaps J-FLAG needs to organise its own counselling services where its own gay-friendly counsellors can offer a counterview to what is being offered in our schools, many of them Church-based.

Publicise your counselling services. Make use of social media heavily so that gay students have an alternative. For you can't depend on Christian guidance counsellors to go beyond tolerance and compassionate engagement to full acceptance of homosexuality. In a pluralistic society, we have to live together. Some Christians will be annoyed that I would countenance gay counselling services in the society. But this is not a theocracy. It is a democracy.

Some fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist gays will not be pleased with this column, but as Karl Popper would say, they are enemies of the Open Society.

- Ian Boyne is a veteran journalist working with the Jamaica Information Service. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and ianboyne1@yahoo.com.

ENDS

How comes JFLAG with their foot in mouth again with their statement withou checking their own archives

and here is an excerpt of the goodly GAJ President:

but she has changed her tone since.

But what about those previous instances that I hinted to?

Such as:

LESBIANS & LEARNING – SITUTATIONAL HOMOSEXUALITY AT A KGN ALL GIRLS SCHOOL ? 2012 (GLBTQ Wordpress blog)

The Star News also carried a VERY similar story in October 2011 posted HERE on GLBTQ Jamaica a press release from the J 11.03.12 entitled: J-FLAG CONDEMNS SEXUAL COERCION AND CALLS ON SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATORS TO DIALOGUE, this response to me shows the the lack of forward thinking and understanding of initiation, situational homosexuality and experimentation issues. Then again SGL women’s issues were never something they have dealt with effectively. 

Check out this old post as well which includes the late Dr Heather Little Whyte's intervention which aided the incremental strengthening of the GAJ, Ministry of Education and referrals which was being abused by counsellors who are refusing to or uncomfortable in engaging LGBT students:

also see:

URGENT NEED TO DISCUSS SEX & SEXUALITY NATIONALLY PART 2

ALLEGED LESBIAN COERCERS IN SCHOOL – SHOULD GET PROPER HELP – EXPERT ………

International Day of Tolerance 2015

On the day of its fiftieth anniversary, 16 November 1995, UNESCO's Member States adopted a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. Among other things, the Declaration affirms that tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.

The Declaration qualifies tolerance not only as a moral duty, but also as a political and legal requirement for individuals, groups and States. It situates tolerance in relation to the international human rights instruments drawn up over the past fifty years and emphasizes that States should draft new legislation when necessary to ensure equality of treatment and of opportunity for all groups and individuals in society.

Along with outright injustice and violence, discrimination and marginalization are common forms of intolerance. Education for tolerance should aim at countering influences that lead to fear and exclusion of others, and should help young people develop capacities for independent judgement, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. The diversity of our world's many religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities is not a pretext for conflict, but is a treasure that enriches us all.

How Can Intolerance Be Countered?

Fighting intolerance requires law:
Each Government is responsible for enforcing human rights laws, for banning and punishing hate crimes and discrimination against minorities, whether these are committed by State officials, private organizations or individuals. The State must also ensure equal access to courts, human rights commissioners or ombudsmen, so that people do not take justice into their own hands and resort to violence to settle their disputes.

Fighting intolerance requires education:
Laws are necessary but not sufficient for countering intolerance in individual attitudes. Intolerance is very often rooted in ignorance and fear: fear of the unknown, of the other, other cultures, nations, religions. Intolerance is also closely linked to an exaggerated sense of self-worth and pride, whether personal, national or religious. These notions are taught and learned at an early age. Therefore, greater emphasis needs to be placed on educating more and better. Greater efforts need to be made to teach children about tolerance and human rights, about other ways of life. Children should be encouraged at home and in school to be open-minded and curious.

Education is a life-long experience and does not begin or end in school. Endeavours to build tolerance through education will not succeed unless they reach all age groups, and take place everywhere: at home, in schools, in the workplace, in law-enforcement and legal training, and not least in entertainment and on the information highways.
Fighting intolerance requires access to information:
Intolerance is most dangerous when it is exploited to fulfil the political and territorial ambitions of an individual or groups of individuals. Hatemongers often begin by identifying the public's tolerance threshold. They then develop fallacious arguments, lie with statistics and manipulate public opinion with misinformation and prejudice. The most efficient way to limit the influence of hatemongers is to develop policies that generate and promote press freedom and press pluralism, in order to allow the public to differentiate between facts and opinions.

Fighting intolerance requires individual awareness:
Intolerance in a society is the sum-total of the intolerance of its individual members. Bigotry, stereotyping, stigmatizing, insults and racial jokes are examples of individual expressions of intolerance to which some people are subjected daily. Intolerance breeds intolerance. It leaves its victims in pursuit of revenge. In order to fight intolerance individuals should become aware of the link between their behavior and the vicious cycle of mistrust and violence in society. Each one of us should begin by asking: am I a tolerant person? Do I stereotype people? Do I reject those who are different from me? Do I blame my problems on 'them'?

Fighting intolerance requires local solutions:
Many people know that tomorrow's problems will be increasingly global but few realize that solutions to global problems are mainly local, even individual. When confronted with an escalation of intolerance around us, we must not wait for governments and institutions to act alone. We are all part of the solution. We should not feel powerless for we actually posses an enormous capacity to wield power. Nonviolent action is a way of using that power-the power of people. The tools of nonviolent action-putting a group together to confront a problem, to organize a grassroots network, to demonstrate solidarity with victims of intolerance, to discredit hateful propaganda-are available to all those who want to put an end to intolerance, violence and hatred.

also see and hear previous rantings from me:

International Day of Tolerance 2012 ............... How Can Intolerance Be Countered? & more

Perkins scolded for his "tolerance"

Leighton Levy on Gays are not our problem .... JCHS told to check the mirror

Tolerance Doesn't Mean Agreement (Gleaner opinion) 2011

The Walk for Tolerance ...... scenes and more part 2 2010

Is mere tolerance enough? 2010

Tolerance or acquiescence? 2009

'Homosexual has right to life' says DPP assistant 2009

Why is "FUNNY" so funny? 2009

remember this poll from TVJ:

Christians say ... Don't force gay agenda on them ........ lol

Hardened Positions by Religious Fanatics & Their LGBT Detractors Will Only Leave More Blood on the Floor

We have some way to go with all the hardened positions out there I am wondering how long it is going to take to change hearts and minds; with poor crisis communications from advocacies and a strident anti gay movement I am still hopeful.

Peace & tolerance

H

Dancehall meets house music part 2: Artistes, Producers Willing To Try EDM

So a full five years has passed since my first post on this fusion I saw from way back and where I questioned whether some tolerance could come from same? my post then was Dancehall meets house music: Is Tolerance already there in the fusion but unrecognised? and a follow up entry that same year Jah Cure goes techno with Never Say Never ..... remember the dancehall meets house post? with the upcoming EDM Festival in Jamaica finally some pundits are saying persons are just riding the trend for now until it changes again.

I have been spinning dancemusic for some twenty years now and had stopped playing dancehall because of the murder anti gay elements of it; it just turned me off and I zoomed in on house (which I already was a HUGE fan of) and ballroom with Euro Techno and nowadays Electro, Trance, Nu Disco, Filter and Deep Tech alongside the bootleg community's output.

The Gleaner carried this yesterday:
Now that it has been confirmed that EDM (electronic dance music) originated in Jamaica and with a steady increase in the popularity of EDM parties and festivals locally, The Sunday Gleaner has sought to find out from artistes and producers if more of them would now be willing to branch out into the genre.

DJ Sunshine: I would consider producing EDM rhythms. For me, music has no colour. I don't set limits or boundaries on my creativity. I'm open to new ideas of expressions. I just let the music take me wherever. Given the fact that EDM was created in Jamaica, I would definitely explore the option of producing music with that flavour.

Macka Diamond: I think I did an EDM style song a few years ago, but if it's the new thing coming in, we have to work with the flow. We can't just stay back and flop. Music changes over time. Artistes have to keep up with what is going on. Mi fit inna everything. A me name water.

Stacious: I love EDM and the vibe and energy that come with it. I did an EDM track with a Swiss-based artiste called Fat Cat which we are currently promoting. I think a lot of music forms originate in Jamaica. We have influenced reggaeton, rap, hip-hop, etc. We are the mother of music.

CeCile: I didn't know that the origins of EDM could be traced back to Jamaica. That's actually very exciting to hear. I've always done EDM and I've performed at EDM festivals also. It's not new to me.

It's something that I've already done, been doing and will continue to do.


Seanizzle (producer) : I'm a lover of music. I enjoy every genre. If you listen to Bugle's Rasta Party, which I recently produced, there are traces of EDM in it. It's something I've been messing with a while now.

ENDS

The interviewer did not it seem approach the real caustic artists such as Elephant Man, Beenieman (despite his dancehall queen song with Chevelle Frranklin being remixed by the house music prince remixer Maurice Joshua) and Capleton, I guess artistes would be against it as the old beliefs that dancemusic overall is gay music which in truth is so as it was founded by the DJs then. The Gleaner played it safe and spoke to friendly acts to the LGBT community it seems but it would have been good to balance it out.

There was a dancehall riddim some years ago that easily could be considered dancehall/house as I played it in my house sets at parties. The $20 Bunch riddim has artists like Macka Diamond 

Just speed up the BPM settings and it becomes a nice house bouncer, the Scoobay Riddim was another riddim I and other DJs would speed up while time stretching the vocals etc to avoid the Mickey Mouse or chipmunk voice. Unfortunately Beenieman's murder music track which is still available "All Battyman fi Dead (All gays are to be killed)" was released on that riddim. Here is one of the most popular tunes on that riddim.

another track I used to mix with songs like Rosabel's Cha Cha Heels sped up to 132 BOM both with tribal/Jamaican revival but house music feel.

perfect combination of dancehall and house/dance includes the infamous tracks:

 and the hard to find Johnny P's Look Good Metro Club Remix go HERE of HERE

Embracing the genre is one thing but the fusion so early in the years has not really slowed the homo-negativity in a large sense; I hope the EDM festival will enhance that part of the discourse and I want to go to see the DJs especially King Jammys who is a dancehall veteran but was asked to spin EDM see Many Battle To Be First - But Paradise Lost Takes Dibs On Three-Day EDM Festival In Ja from the Gleaner.

Also hear some of my set mixes:

DJ Howie's Pussy DaaaaHlinG! Vogue Battle Bitch Femme RunWerQables for a Cunty Setmix April 2015 by Djhowiejam on Mixcloud

DJ Howie's Peter Rauhofer 2nd Annivesary RIP Tribute Set May 2015 

DJ Howie's Please Don't Turn Me On Nu Disco, Deephouse, Progressive Set July 2014 

DJ Howie's More Entourage, Heavens & Loft Favs Set 03.05.14

DJ Howie's Club Entourage Quick Review Pass Set 17.04.14 

DJ Howie's Push Me & then Just Touch Me Till I Can Get My Satisfaction SambataSet August 2015 

DJ Howie's Dutch House, Filter House, Electro, Discohouse, Nu Disco & More Set Oct 2015 

Let there be HOUSE as they say and enjoy. I can be reached on 1-876-841-2923 or email lgbtevent@gmail.com

Peace & tolerance

H