Previously denied transgender claimant in Guyanese court case allowed in court

In a closely watched case transgender in Guyana a new development has come to the fore, also see a previous entry as prepared by SASOD: Cross-Dressing Appeal Case for Judgment in 2017 

Starbroek News carried a more balanced nuance to the matter. After coming under fire in the past by members and supporters of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community for not allowing transgender persons to enter his courtroom while cross-dressed, Magistrate Dylon Bess yesterday appeared to back down from his previous stand.

The complainant, Petronella (second from right) in conversation with SASOD Director Joel Simpson and other supporters.

“Today we saw a number of transgender women presenting completely in female attire. Twinkle was in a dress. Some of them were dressed, I would say in a unisex manner—pants and t-shirt—but still wearing long hair, earrings and makeup in some instances and so on [and] were allowed to enter court,” Joel Simpson, Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) commented yesterday.

Simpson, along with members of Guyana Trans United (GTU), SASOD and the Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP) were present at the Georgetown Magistrates Court for the hearing of Petronella, born Ronell Trotman, who is the virtual complainant in an assault case with a Jamoul Franklin.

According to a statement sent out by the three groups, Petronella was allegedly physically assaulted on January 26, 2017 by an acquaintance and the matter was reported to the Brickdam police station. It went on to state that on January 31, she made an appearance at the city court dressed in female attire but Magistrate Bess had refused to address the matter. 

It was further stated that the magistrate asked that on Petronella’s return to court on the next occasion, she do so dressed in pants and a shirt and without earrings. Failing to do so would result in her being dealt with accordingly.

At yesterday’s court hearing, Petronella wore unisex clothing—a pair of jeans and t-shirt. Her alleged assailant was granted a reduction in bail from $50,000 to $40,000 and the matter was adjourned to February 27 for commencement of trial.

Simpson noted that there were three incidents in March, 2016, involving transgender women where Magistrate Bess denied them the opportunity to enter the courtroom. “We don’t think it’s enough to only facilitate and tolerate access when there’s media attention or when activists are in attendance in court. Magistrate Bess needs to understand that the Guyana constitution guarantees the right to equality before the law for all persons regardless of who you are,” Simpson said.

In April, 2016, the LGBT community held a talk in observance of International Transgender day of Visibility during which this very issue was addressed.

At the talk, organised by SASOD and the USAID’s Advancing Partners and Communities (APC) Guyana Project, it was noted that the litigant, David Bissoon, known as “Twinkle,” had been disallowed from entering Magistrate Bess’ courtroom on three separate occasions, and on the third occurrence, she, along with other members of the LGBT community took to the streets to protest what is purported to be a discriminatory stance taken by the magistrate. The matter was subsequently dismissed.

Simpson had agreed that the issue goes deeper than simply a matter of cross-dressing. For him, the deeper issue is the denial of a more specific kind of access to trans-people, whom he said tend to face a high degree of hate crimes and violence. “…Now we have a situation where an officer of the court is saying you can’t come to court as who you are. For me, the issue there is not even about cross-dressing, it’s about accessing justice.”

The Demarara Wave seemed to take a different spin on the case: 

Transgender woman appears in ‘unisex’ clothing at Court after warned by Magistrate 

Petronella was physically assaulted by a known acquaintance last year. The matter was reported at the Brickdam Police Station and the perpetrator was charged for assault.

The case was heard before Bess on January 31, but according to Petronella, she was admonished for attending court dressed in female attire, consistent with her gender identity.

“I am only aware of two types of genders; that is male and female. I don’t know about any transgender,” Magistrate Bess reportedly told Petronella in January.

He reportedly admonished Petronella that she must attend his court on the next scheduled date (February 7) dressed in pants, a shirt and without any earrings. Petronella complied today with the request.

Petronella had said Bess warned if she failed to comply with his instructions, he will deal with her accordingly.

Cross-Dressing Appeal Case for Judgment in 2017

The case McEwan, Clarke, Fraser, Persaud and SASOD versus Attorney General of Guyana was heard on Friday, November 18, 2016 before Guyana’s Court of Appeal. The hearing was presided over by Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh, Chief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justice Brassington Reynolds. 

Gulliver McEwan, the first-named appellant, other representatives of the Guyana Trans United (GTU) and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) were also present at the hearing.

The Chancellor noted that the Court had received extensive submissions from both the appellants and the state, which did not require rehashing orally. However, Dr Bulkan, counsel for the appellants, noted that there were two issues in the state’s submissions that were raised for the first time and to which he would like to respond. He was permitted to address these issues, but after doing so the Court indicated that these new submissions should be recorded in writing, and both parties were given four weeks to present their further written submissions to the court.

The Court questioned counsel for the appellants on their contention that the law was uncertain, asking whether it was not possible for a Magistrate to define the term ‘improper purposes’ on a case by case basis by reference to its dictionary meaning. Dr Bulkan responded that permitting this would offend the requirement of the rule of law, since penal statutes had to be defined with sufficient clarity to give citizens prospective notice of how to conduct themselves. 

He pointed out that even if a person was eventually acquitted by a Magistrate, the fact of being charged and subjected to the state’s coercive powers would have already resulted in violations of their fundamental rights. He added that the term ‘improper purpose’ had no boundaries whatever, and thus gave police unfettered discretion in enforcing the law.

University of the West Indies' Faculties of Laws Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP) co-coordinator, Dr. Arif Bulkan, and Litigation Specialist, Westmin James, in discussion after the Court of Appeal hearing with Managing Director, Joel Simpson, and Advocacy and Communications Officer, Schemel Patrick.

In his response, Counsel for the state, Kamal Ramkarran, insisted that since the appellants had pleaded guilty before the Magistrate, they were barred from bringing this constitutional action. He added that the case was hypothetical and academic and should be thrown out. Mr Ramkarran further stated that in order to bring a constitutional claim a person had to allege a past, present or future breach of their rights, whereas the appellants provided no evidence that they were likely to be charged in the future. Ramkarran stated that there are far more serious crimes deserving of a constitutional challenge, “like the buggery law”. 

He pointed out that a conviction for cross-dressing is punishable by only $15,000, whereas a conviction for buggery carries life imprisonment. He concluded by saying that to charge the police would have to peep in someone's room to see them committing the act, at which point the court indicated that it was obliged to consider the case before it

This case was initially filed in February 2010, following the widely reported arrests and convictions of seven trans persons for the 1893 summary offence of ‘being a man’ and wearing ‘female’ attire in a public way or public place, for an improper purpose.’ Four of the convicted persons filed this action, along with SASOD, after approaching the Faculty of Law UWI Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP) for legal advice. Thereafter, with the assistance of U-RAP and local counsel, a constitutional challenge to the cross-dressing law was filed.

Even since the case was filed in February 2010, transgender persons are overpoliced, underprotected and have suffered physically and mentally because of the vagueness of the cross-dressing law in Guyana. The McEwan case argues that the archaic cross-dressing law, found in section 153(1)(xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act 1893, is inconsistent with the Constitution of Guyana. It also argues that the conduct of the Chief Magistrate, who told the individual appellants that they were confused about their sexuality and should follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, was also not consistent with the Guyana Constitution.

The legal team for the appellants included Mr. Nigel Hughes, Dr. Arif Bulkan, and Mr. Gino Persaud.

The Court of Appeal is expected to set a date for judgement in early 2017 after both sides have presented their further written submissions.

Implicit Transphobia or sheer ignorance .......

both perhaps

So Dr Glenville Ashby had a piece he penned published in the Sunday Gleaner dated September 25, 2016 entitled “Transgender: denying reality” where he insidiously went off on Transgenderism and so near effortless displayed sheer ignorance on the subject(s). He was quite prepared to conflate transgender with intersex and committed the ultimate infraction when it comes to the latter that of using a now well accepted stigmatizing term as ‘hermaphrodite’ and the faux pas of transgender(ed) as if to suggest someone can be a past participle of who one is, the ‘ed’ at the end is still a problematic issue in terms of designation prior to or after re-assignment surgery or feels.

‘Hermaphrodite’ has been removed from the LGBTQI toolkit in as far discourse surrounding such physiological issues attends since 2005. The word is seen as a stigmatizing terms as it conjures up mental images of someone with merely two sex organs when the issues attendant to such matters are not ones of sexual orientation and or gender identity in as far as psychological considerations are concerned. While Dr Ashby has used the correct term ‘Intersex’ he has misdirected it to mean something else and ends up concluding some sort of abnormality or as the article is subtitled ‘denying reality’

For example he wrote:

“Transgender should not be confused with transvestite

Then he both Transgenerism and intersex as one, he wrote:

“Transgender is invariably referred to as intersex (a person that has non standard genitalia), or transsexual (a person who expresses a gender identity that is different to his or her gender at birth).”

He could have simply done some basic research on this just as how he was able to site opinions of the likes of neuroscientist Tad Pacholcyzk or Dr Paul McHugh. We have been subjected to a series of very deceptive writings and outward transphobic pronouncements by some persons pointing to Transgenderism as madness of some kind; the leader in the wave of the intellectually driven hatred is Dr Wayne West of Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS fame. He has been given support by sociologist and radio show host of Everywoman on the sometimes progressive Nationwide News Network, NNN Radio one Miss Georgette Crawford.

Here is the Gleaner article in question:

The highly publicised sexual transformation of United States Olympian Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) has ignited a bruising political and cultural debate on gender dysphoria and 'transgenderism'.

Academicians, scientists, theologians and laypersons have weighed in on a phenomenon that is as old as civilisation.

With a shift in the cultural paradigm, transgender rights are slowly being accommodated. Federal laws prohibit discrimination against transgender individuals, and bathrooms at most public places in the United States are required to accommodate new 'gender realities'.

Not surprisingly, political, academic, and judicial activism has advanced a new confrontational liberal zeitgeist that has made it difficult to have a dissenting opinion for fear of being maliciously labelled. The same held true when conservatism was universally dominant.

There are key questions surrounding this debate. For example, is surgery appropriate in dealing with somatic dysphoria? Also, is being transgender a psychopathology? What is needed is a sober discussion based on measurable arguments and not malleable evidence fashioned by individual and social leanings.

Transgender should not be confused with transvestite (a man having pleasure in dressing like a woman), homosexuality (having sexual feelings for the same sex), bisexuality (having sexual feelings for both sexes), or hermaphrodites (a person having male and female genitalia).

Transgender is invariably referred to as intersex (a person that has non-standard genitalia), or transsexual (a person who expresses a gender identity that is different to his or her gender at birth).

In many of these cases, gender transition is made possible through surgery.

Orthodox religions have long expressed paradoxical views regarding abnormal sexual identity, not unlike its position on homosexuality. The actions of the so-called sinner are vehemently condemned, although love is professed for the perpetrator.

Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the southern Baptist Convention, said: "The transgender question means that conservative Christian congregation must teach what's being handed down to us, that our maleness and femaleness points us to an even deeper reality, to the unity ... of Christ and the Church.

"A rejection of the goodness of those creational realities, then, is a revolt against God's lordship, and against the picture of the gospel that God is embedded in His creation."

In marginal cases, pastors have been accused of fomenting a climate of hatred and violence towards transgender people who are deemed morally bankrupt and evil.

James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family, declared: "If you are a dad, I pray that you will protect your little girls from men who walk in unannounced, unzip their pants and urinate in front of them ... . If this happened 100 years ago, someone might have been shot."

WORSHIPPING IN CHURCHES

 

Sensing and experiencing slight from mainstream Christianity, many in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community have begun worshipping in churches and temples where sexual orientation is inconsequential.

Secular society, though, has pushed back forcibly against what they call intolerance and bigotry. Prominent businesses are boycotting states, such as Georgia, Indiana, and North Carolina that uphold the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that is arguably discriminatory and unconstitutional.

While battlelines are drawn, some are critically measured, preferring to understand the sexual dynamics and overall psychological profile of the transgender community.

Among those is priest and neuroscientist Tad Pacholczyk, a Yale and Harvard graduate and education director at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. His scientific and theological background offered a unique insight into this highly charged subject.

In the article, 'Seeing through the intersex confusion,' he acknowledged that confounding physiological (hormonal) triggers and cultural forces lead to psychological discordance.

Comparing somatic disorders to other developmental disorders that should never "be subjected to bias or mistreatment", he argued that "while a newborn's 'intrinsic maleness' or 'intrinsic femaleness' may be difficult to access in certain more complicated intersex cases, the point remains that there is an 'underlying' sexual constitution that we must do our best to recognise and respect and act in accord with".

Equally important is his far-reaching assertion that "wilfully (denying this reality) is a prescription for disillusionment and dishonesty".

Pacholczyk has oftentimes referred to the work of the eminent Dr Paul McHugh, the former psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, who has been in the cross hairs of liberal professionals.

His detailed study of transgenderism and sex-reassignment surgery has produced some explosive assertions.

McHugh observed that after transitioning, individuals are still plagued by psycho-emotional and identity problems; that there is an absence of maternal characteristics and desires in transgendered individuals; and that despite haute couture over compensation there remains definitive, irreversible indicators of their maleness or femaleness.

Writing for the Wall Street Journal, McHugh likened the transgendered to "anorexia nervosa patients who believe that a drastic physical change will banish their psychosocial problems".

"At the heart of the problem," he argued, "is confusion over the nature of the transgendered."

McHugh continued: "Sex change is biologically impossible (and) people who undergo sex-reassignment surgery do not change from men to women or vice versa. Rather, they become feminised men or masculinised women."

He concluded that the transgender issue "is not a civil rights matter and encouraging surgical intervention is in reality to collaborate with and promote a mental disorder".

VERY REAL PROBLEM

 

McHugh has always emphasised that a diagnosis of mental illness should be met with the most appropriate means to address a very real problem.

Lending support to McHugh is the conservative American Association of Paediatricians.

Featured on its website is the article, 'Gender Ideology Harms Children', in which we read that "gender (an awareness and sense of oneself as male or female) is a sociological and psychological concept (and) not an objective biological one".

It also highlighted the disproportionately high rates of suicides among those who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex realignment surgery, "even in Sweden which is among the most LGBT- affirming countries".

As both sides of the debate harden their position, the words of Pacholczyk invite reflection: " ... allowing people to 'define their identity' ignores the crucially important truth that numerous aspects of our identity, especially those related to our bodily and sexual identity, are predetermined, objective goods that we are called upon to recognise and respect in the choices we make".

I am sure as we wade through the sea of ignorance and the bliss that accompanies it we are going to see more nonsense such as this article so worded to give support but the true reasons becomes clear.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Jamaican human rights advocate uses the "H" word in submissions on intersex/lgbt issues a ..... 2014

Five Myths that Hurt Intersex People 2010

Intersexuality, Ambiguous Genetalia & Psycho-social issues Discussion on Nationwide Radio 2009

Lesbophobic Rant on RJR’s Afternoon Flagship Program by Broadcasters

Easter Monday around 4pm we were subject to the most ignorance laden lesbophobic stigmatization and homo-negative rants I have heard in a long time on radio and to think this happened on one of Jamaica’s longest running radio stations that has set the standard for broadcasting in terms of quality. I was taken aback by it, this one almost went unchecked for the heightened fever and anticipation of President Obama’s visit to Jamaica that has overshadowed near everything else, maybe the hosts of the show thought such an exercise would have gone unnoticed; if anyone was having traditional bun and cheese for the season and are right thinking they might have felt nauseous after hearing the poor broadcast quality from a supposedly reputable station.

The infraction was platformed on a pretentious search for feedback on a news story carried on social media of a female student identified as a lesbian in the United States who was barred from wearing a tuxedo to a prom when what really it turned out to be was an avenue to push as mentioned before homo-negative rubbish on the strength of the heckling exercise of the Prime Minister in New York by some gay rights activists in March and the expectation that talks may occur now that President is here on law changes, Jamaica’s homophobia and the perception of bullying by LGBT advocacy local and overseas.

Markland ‘Action’ Edwards and co-host Mark Marshall set the tone for the call back section and of the first callers went straight to the old stupid beliefs of a Keep it to yourself mentality or stay in the closet rebuke as is customary; she said ‘if they are two gays they must go in their dress and carry their man things to dem yard.” In other words the hetero-normative modes of dress must remain and no accommodation must be given to other forms of gender or sexual orientation (stereotypical sometimes) in the present rapidly changing environment challenging long held traditions.

Other phone in comments for example that were allowed to reinforce the homo-negative beliefs were:

“Not In my Cabinet .... no woman inna tuxedo”

“She can go wear her tuxedo somewhere else.”

“if she register at the school as a man she should wear her tux.”

“The school must stand up for what they stand for; if you is a girl you is just a girl; you must dress like a girl; no girl must dress inna tuxedo like a man, they must stay aside with it.” That comment again reinforces the stay in the closet mentality and that affirmation via public display of dress or openness is unaccepted, in other words the Keep it to yourself mentality. Sadly the stereotyping of LGBT life by LGBT entertainment has aided such negative perceptions to cement themselves.

“Keep your dirty laundry in your household”

RJR Markland Edwards on Female in Tux Story in US Feedbaack 06.04.15 

There was on sensible caller (with an American accent) brought home the point of freedom of choice @ around 15:25 in the audio posted above.

Mark Marshall was the more offensive of the hosts where he clearly displayed his ignorance suggesting that if he had to give a ride to a man who was known to be gay and members of the public were also aware then he would not engage that man publicly suggesting some predatory intent by homosexuals when in close proximity of someone else. I wonder if the exercise was a way to raise listenership as well as the stiff competition from others northwards on the radio dial is strong and the previous host of the show in question just departed the station so this show is pretty much new. Such types of phobic and stigmatizing rants and broadcasts are often used both in print and electronic media and dancehall music to revive or increase market share and sales capitalizing on the national perception of male homosexuality in particular.

Marshall in response to a caller in his disgusting display of ignorance said “when some girls want to exhibit a certain lifestyle they don’t wear dresses anymore,” clearly the man is not up on his understanding of sexual orientation and using ‘lifestyle’ to imply change is possible to convert persons to hetero-normal socialization. The caller continued and identified himself as a club owner and he knows how lesbians run yet he is offended at a lesbian overseas wearing to tux to an event but has no trouble while turning his head away accepting the patronage of the same group he is upset with.

It was after the aforementioned sensible caller that Marshall pretentiously again went on his poor broadcasting style as if to suggest he has no problem with homosexuals then the preverbal but. He also issued veiled threats that no group or activists can remove him and that he is willing to leave the station if necessary.

Sadly this is what our broadcasting standards have fallen to, I intend to send a copy of this entry to the station manager Francois St Juste to see if he will or can act on this; a warning perhaps and it is left up to us to monitor this duo as clearly they have some agenda as evidenced in this incident. The repeated reference to bullying by lobbyists for example was somehow being made out to be justification for no change of laws that criminalize acts associated with male homosexuals; hence Jamaicans must resist any talk of tolerance or homosexuality came through loud and clear to me in the 25 minute plus segment of the show.

This isolated incident though in earshot of thousands of listeners (mostly older folks) is a clear indication to activists that we have a long way to go in changing hearts and minds and not just amending or repealing archaic laws buggery legislation.

Peace and tolerance

H

Dancehall DJ Tony Matterhorn gets backlash ... for posing in female wig on Instagram

Years ago if someone had told me I would see braggadocios DJs such as Tony Matterhorn in the misogynistic world of dancehall dawning a wig complete with realness I would have not believed it, shows how slowly persons seem to be getting comfortable with once tabooed practices especially owing to strong fear of feminization of any sort which is usually met with strong backlash.  This case shows forced and unforced feminization supposedly in the name of entertainment especially from this character who has a streak of effeminacy of his own it has sparked a major public response. The timing of this couldn't be more apt as the cross dressing matters of late be they associated with homeless MSM/Transgender persons, popular sports stars and drag queens in mainstream entertainment the discourse is on, will it soften the effemophobic position as associated with male homosexuality is another matter and Matterhorn's effeminacy does not suggest he is gay or at least on the face of it.

The Star News carried this today:

Tony Matterhorn

When sound system selector Tony Matterhorn decided to wear a female wig in an Instagram video posted recently, he may not have expected that the backlash would have been so great.

Matterhorn's wig-wearing stunt was done in an attempt to entertain his over 30,000 Instagram followers on his nightly Instagram show called After Dark.

The purpose was to show how a wig had the capability to conceal a female's true facial features when she was in a party and how females were not as beautiful when they slept in their wigs overnight.

However, unlike several of Tony Matterhorn's fans who found the wig wearing stunt hilarious, there was one fan who found it distasteful, and his utterances have led to an explosive war of words via social networks.

Florida-based DJ Nasheen Fire was that irate fan, and he made his thoughts abundantly clear via his Instagram profile by posting a self-made video in which he made disparaging comments about Tony Matterhorn's wig.

Tony Matterhorn then took Nasheen's comments to heart and retaliated by hurling several verbal blows at the DJ, during which he insulted Nasheen's mother and iconic dancehall artiste, Bounty Killer, who earlier, had shared Nasheen's video bashing Matterhorn's wig-wearing stunt.

strong female following

In one of his Instagram videos, Matterhorn said he wore the wig for entertainment and his fans were loving it. The selector also believes his detractors are only bashing him because he has a strong female following on social networks.

"Listen! Mi born March and mi nuh hate pon people, yu hear. Yu see After Dark, it's entertainment and mi keep it professional. Some a unno man vex because unno see gyal a comment and unno might like da girl deh. Then suppose unnu see mi messages them? Unno would a dead?," Tony Matterhorn questioned.

And as for his attack on the Florida-based DJ, he said: "Nasheen and Bounty Killer already know mi a sick head. Unno nuh waah mi guh back to wey mi used to duh. Just leave it alone. If unnu see mi a entertain and unno have a problem with it, pick a number and join the line. If yuh want some followers tell mi and mi mek unnu get some followers. Him talk bout a gyal alone talk up inna video and him duh six video pon him page ... talk up," Tony Matterhorn said.

When contacted, Nasheen told THE WEEKEND STAR that he had not intended to start a feud with Matterhorn but only wanted to make him aware that wearing a female wig did not look good for the gangster selector image that he so often portrayed.

"I want the world to know that I don't have a personal beef with Matterhorn, but from how I see he reacted, it's clear that he has a problem with me. I know Matterhorn for years and he and I both know that I'm not a follower and I speak my mind at anytime whenever I feel like. He was the one who blew this out of context when he made his first video dissing me saying I should gomy mother, and I would never dis Miss Maggie," said Nasheen.

dissing bounty killer

The DJ also said Matterhorn simply could not handle a taste of his own medicine and was out of line when he disrespected Bounty Killer, who had no part in the Instagram argument, except for sharing his (Nasheen's) video. He also wanted to remind Matterhorn about the contribution that Bounty Killer made to his career during his formative years.

"He is out of place for dissing Killer, but Matterhorn just feels guilty because he dissed Killer in a song last year, which he never responded to. So this is just another attempt to try get Killer to diss him back. Matterhorn just wants the attention that he is not getting.

Let me remind you, Bounty Killer is responsible for making the entire world know about Dufton Taylor a.k.a. Tony Matterhorn. Killer will never answer him on wax because him (Matterhorn) a lose him way. Not because you have a big female fan base you should do anything to keep them entertained. You control your fan base. Don't get caught up and let them control your mind till you start doing things you would not have done before," Nasheen said.

Nasheen Fire and his sound system, Innocent Sound, are now calling for a sound clash with Tony Matterhorn to settle the argument.

"Tony Matterhorn, I challenge you to a clash with my Innocent Sound and we can settle this musically. If not, shut yuh big mouth and go back to making skits with wigs and low selecting life. Big up Team Innocent Sound, Fada Taylor di boss, Juxxy Fire, Dappa lee-Neely and the whole squad," Nasheen said.

curtis.campbell@gleanerjm.com

ENDS

 He is known for controversial clashes with other DJs but he has never gone this far into transvestitism albeit dancehall as effemophobic as it is has had cross dressed characters as part of the landscape but not by the artists themselves save and except for Ninjaman who in his outfits will dawn a wig for his karate persona. 

Iconic DJ Ninjaman in costume .... he too has come in for some "faggy" backlash in times gone by

The infamous clash with himself and Supercat back in the day comes to mind as well where he removed the wig and twirled it in hand which had fans tongues wagging for weeks. Side show performances from the likes of "Granny" who was a fixture at teens splash sponsored by Pepsi with his (I mean her) padded posterior to various dancehall beats, had the audience laughing. But it was her rapid wig flipping and then removing the wig of some lady in the audience that had the howls reaching to the roof at times.

That photo above however I am unsure of the actual year but there are others such as that which indicate the change in aesthetics once in costume, check the finger "cocked off" suggesting some sort of femininity. 

Professor Nuts also employs feminized characterization in his performances sometimes

Another act who has employed some sort of effeminate characterization in their performances is the legend Professor Nuts who with his animated face, sometimes feminized vocals to match the subject matter/social commentary he delivers and props in a few instances he stands out and is respected for his ability to construct a piece on spot.

In a sense it is good to watch the very slow changes and smashing of taboos in dancehall will they be rebuilt is another question left to be answered over time. 

Additional reading also see from some years ago on being Homophobic yet homosocial in Jamaica and on Gay Jamaica Watch an older post: "I love you man" - J'can men afraid of saying it openly.

Peace and tolerance

H

Female cisgender imperative thwarted: 17y/o trans-woman murdered

Condolences to the family and friends of Dwayne, firstly;

IRIE FM reported on Monday the following:

Cross dressing teen killed by mob

A teenager was set upon by a mob and killed at a party in St. James overnight.

Reports are that between a 10:00 p-m and 3:00 this morning (July 22), there was river party being held in the Irwin community.

It's reported that the 17-year-old was dressed as a female and was dancing with a male, when a woman at the party recognized him and told other patrons that he was not a female, but a male.

It's understood that one of the men at the party, held on to the teen, searched him and discovered that he was in fact, male.

Some of the patrons reportedly set up on the teen, and chopped and stabbed him to death.

His body was then dumped in bushes along the Orange Main Road.

Police discovered the body about 5:00 this morning.

The police have said they will be increasing their presence in the Irwin community, as two brothers were also murdered there just over a week ago.

ENDS

JFLAG now jumps on it with the following:

Violence is an Affront to Democracy

J-FLAG is appealing to Jamaicans to be more respectful of persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) and encourages all persons to stand up for justice.

J-FLAG notes with deep concern the recent mob killing of Dwayne Jones, a teenager in St James who is gender non-conforming; the recent murder of two gay men at an anti-gay religious rally organized by a coalition of evangelical churches in Haiti; and the continued misuse of medical data by some members of the faith-based community to fuel anti-gay animus in society.

We send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the teenager who was slain as well as to our friends in Haiti. We call for a thorough investigation into the murder of the teenager in Montego Bay and hope that the family and loved ones of the slained teen will find the justice they deserve. We encourage persons in the Irwin community of St. James to support the police with any information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators .

It is time that these murders, beatings, and evictions are seen and treated as an affront to democracy, peace, justice, harmony, and freedom of our society.

Jamaica cannot become the place of choice to raise families if we continue killing our children, expelling our most productive, and perpetuating a divisive atmosphere through the skewing of objective truth to suit subjective prejudices.

In response to the mob killing of two gay men on the weekend, the Haitian Government issued a release which is most instructive to us in Jamaica: “The country is in effect at a stage where it needs the energies of all its citizens to undertake great and true battles: the battle against extreme poverty, against illiteracy, against hunger and malnutrition, against ignorance and intolerance. In such a context, tolerance, being a necessary virtue for the establishment of a just and democratic society, becomes a patriotic duty to the extent that a society that is not just cannot progress, and there can be no justice without tolerance.”

Tolerance underpins democracy. Tolerance protects justice. Tolerance promotes harmony.

Our National Anthem beseeches ‘true respect for all’ and our National Pledge urges us all to ‘stand up for justice, brotherhood and peace’.

J-FLAG therefore urges the government, churches, and other stakeholders to join with us in our ongoing commitment to be faithful to these principles for the future of our nation.

Editors Note:

“Gender non-conforming” refers to people who do not follow other people’s ideas or stereotypes about how they should look or act based on the female or male sex they were assigned at birth (Silva Rivera Law Project).

ENDS

Also more dishonest reporting by overseas LGBT outfits that seem to want to capitalize on the homo-negaitve situation here by hopping on an old perception of Jamaica being the most homophobic place on earth as done by Queerty: Jamaica Still “Most Homophobic Place On Earth” As Cross-Dressing Teen “Chopped And Stabbed” To Death but I am not surprised as some of our advocates have prodded them to do so hence it continues.

Frankly speaking young cross dressers or indeed pre-operative transwomen in their quest for the female cisgender imperative to live their truths need to be careful of the spaces they choose to do so especially in Jamaica with a general population not yet educated or sensitized enough about such issues, if deception was the deal here where the deceased was with a man who did not know "she" was a cross dresser or pre-operative transwoman that perceived deception is used as justification to attack such persons. If the partner knew he could may have to pretend he didn't in order to avoid attack on himself as well as has happened before. Older cross dressers or pre-op transwomen know all too well this business of passing or operating in stealth and know how to do so based on experience, this young one was not so lucky.

This also shows the lack of interventions towards the groups of pre-opertaive trans and cross dressers and understanding how to use stealth or passing in a public place, there are consequences (sadly death) in this case, this is not the first time in Montego Bay there has been such an incident but we always have to wait until something goes horribly wrong then the knee-jerk reaction comes. 

To ask for the public here in this case the perpetrators to stop as such awful acts are indeed not needed without the necessary interventions towards the young transwomen and cross dressers about navigating public spaces presenting themselves as they see fit is ridiculous in my view. Taking it on a wing and a prayer and hoping that one survives in the end is not the way to go here; we must teach our younger peeps to pass easily in open spaces but be weary of enclosed spaces and events especially where one may be identifies easily by others who know such persons. We have too many examples of abuse, attacks and ghastly outcomes by attempts at passing in public spaces and places of entertainment; it is yet to be seen if proactivism and the relevant forumatic response towards younger pre-opertive transwomen and crossdressers/drag queens to avoid entertainment spots that one is not sure of and if one chooses to go to them they do so at their own risk.

One cannot be foolish and give away ones life so easily. Where are the older more experienced voices in this department to bring some enlightenment on this issue of feminine aesthetics in public? besides effeminacy in men is not proof of them being homosexual.

Justice Minister condemns killing of St James cross-dresser on  so late in the day Monday, July 29, 2013 

KINGSTON, Jamaica- Justice Minister Senator Mark Golding has condemns the brutal slaying of 17-year-old Dwayne Jones by a mob at a dance in St James on July 22.

"Given our country's history of brutality and the pluralistic nature of our society, all well-thinking Jamaicans must embrace the principle of respect for the basic human rights of all persons," Golding said.

"This principle requires tolerance towards minority groups, and non-violence in our dealings with those who manifest a lifestyle that differs from the majority of us".

It was reported that Jones was beaten to death by the mob after it was discovered that he was dancing with a man while wearing women's clothing.

"Depraved acts of violence against individuals such as Dwayne Jones have to cease. The police must spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice, so that any persons who may be inclined to indulge in such vile brutality will know that they cannot do so with impunity," the Justice Minister added.

The United Nations Jamaica Office issued a statement:

UN Jamaica Statement on the Murder of Dwayne Jones

The United Nations in Jamaica condemns the brutal murder of 17-year-old Dwayne Jones by patrons gathered at a dance party in St. James in the early hours of 22 July 2013.

Dwayne was reportedly chased and attacked by a crowd of assailants after it became known that he was male and dressed in women’s clothing.

We welcome the statement issued by the Minister of Justice, Senator Mark Golding, denouncing the killing and calling on the police to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The Government should ensure that the investigation proceeds without delay and is conducted in an independent and thorough manner. Those responsible for this heinous crime must be held to account for their actions.

Dwayne Jones is, sadly, only the latest in a long line of individuals in Jamaica assaulted and killed apparently because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

Tolerance, acceptance of diversity and respect for others are all underpinnings of any free and equal society. They are also essential for everyone to enjoy their human rights on an equal footing. The need to ensure human rights for all and to respect the principles of non-discrimination, including for people belonging to sexual minorities has been consistently underscored by the United Nations Secretary General.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has launched the Free & Equal campaign designed to raise awareness of homophobic violence and discrimination, and promote greater respect for the rights of for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.

Here is the last video of Dwayne Jones aka Gully Queen inadvertently done by a television crew when they came across the homeless youths at an abandoned housing scheme in Western Jamaica, little did we know in death he would make such international headlines. He was laid to rest on August 25, 2013. May his soul rest in peace

Peace and tolerance

UPDATE July 2014:

One year review television special

A recent television special one year since the murder shows up the carelessness frankly of Gully Queen herself and friends that faithful night but who is going to say it openly? that in a sense she gave her own life away in a sense as they clearly thought they understood how to "pass" in public which clearly they didn't. See that documentary HERE or HERE ........ Host Dionne Jackson Miller takes a look at the issues of the murder of Dwayne Jones aka Gully Queen one year ago and some other related issues to do with homelessness, displacements and forced evictions of LGBT youths with guests, issues to do with passing in public, honesty & integrity about one's real gender scream for attention in this presentation which warrants better programs from LGBTQ advocacies & interventions specific to transgender individuals navigating public life in Jamaica as misdirected homophobic violence can lead to more incidents such as the tragic murder of Gully Queen,

H

The difficult task of separating drag culture from transgender identity .......

A long standing tense relationship between transgender activists and some popular cross dressing or drag queen icons continue and with an egregious error made recently by a JFLAG representative at a symposium on identity where they lumped transgender individuals as drag queens, the invisibility issue with local transgender persons has been an issue for me as LGBT is conveniently used as the call letters for the struggle but the actual inclusion is far from happening just yet in all the years of pressing on-wards.

I thought it appropriate to post this entry from leading African American trans blogger Monica Roberts, where she wrote:

Trans Womanhood does not equal drag

TransGriot Note: My guest post that is up at the NBJC blog commenting on Monica Beverly Hillz's recent trans coming out announcement

With Monica Beverly Hillz coming out as trans onRuPaul's Drag Race on February 4, it was seen as a good news, bad news moment by much of the trans community.

While we celebrate our trans sister taking such a huge step in her life, the irony of the moment wasn't lost on many of us in the trans community.

She was coming out as trans on a show in which its creator has a contentious relationship with the trans community, and has repeatedly uttered problematic transphobic comments..

The trans community also has a love-hate relationship with the drag community as well for the rampant transphobia and misogny in elements of that world.

That's why many of us in the trans community (myself included) refuse to watch or support Drag Race. But I also realize there are enough people who do regularly tune in to the show to where it has now survived on LOGO for five seasons.

So taking it into account Drag Race has a large viewership who could use a little Trans 101 education, it's time for the trans community and our allies to take this opportunity Monica's coming out presents us to put a major dent into the long held myth that drag queens and trans women are exactly the same and far too often conflate the two..

So lets start with the major difference between an trans woman and a drag queen.

A trans woman is someone born in a masculine body at birth with a feminine gender identity and expression that lives full time in the feminine gender role. They may seek gender realignment surgery, counseling, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other medical procedures to facilitate the process.

That is light years difference from a drag artist who generally loves everything about being in the masculine gender role, blanches at the thought of genital realignment surgery and have no desire to present as female except on stage.

There are and have long been trans women like Monica who perform in the drag world for various reasons. Some do so because they simply enjoy the experience of being on stage and the confidence boost it provides. Some do so because it's a job that helps them earn the money to pay for their hormones, other medical procedures to perfect their feminine presentation and eventually get to the point where they can have genital surgery.

Trans women who are on that drag stage when the performance is over wipe the excess stage makeup off their faces, hang up the beaded gowns and gaudy costumes and head outside the club in their regular clothes and stripped down makeup to live their everyday feminine lives in a world that is indifferent and in many cases hostile to them. And far too often some of that hostility directed at trans women comes from people in the same gender loving (SGL) and cis communities. It also manifests itself in terms of discrimination and off the charts levels of violence and death aimed at us. 

image not included in original article

It has long been an irritant to African-American trans women that cis people will easily let the 'she' pronoun slide off their lips for a RuPaul, Madea or any assorted drag queen but can't bring themselves to do the same for a transwoman in their midst who is living her everyday life in the female gender role.

Trans woman does not equal drag queen. It's past time for people to get that fundamental point and give trans women the love, respect and codified human rights as members of the community they deserve.

Jamaica Places third in Miss Gay Caribbean 2012 competition

Yes our representative this year in the Miss Gay Caribbean Detoxx Bústi-ae did us proud non the less and right in LGBT History Month at that as the show was held in New York recently in September, Miss Trinidad came in as first runner up while St Lucia won this year's competition which was hot from the get go. (see full video below)

Our girl was stunning!!!!!!! as shown below with shots courtesy of her Facebook page

This year we have been given a treat by the organizer as they have uploaded the full show for us overseas to see and judge for ourselves. I was not particularly pleased with some of the responses to our girl but overall we are there in the top three. Many persons said she was not "yard" enough and too American to bring off the local swag but she was ok for me and her fierceness was great in my view not to mention her makeup skills are awesome

Yeaaaahhhh

I was taken by her original interview and her bubbly personality as shown here:

Meanwhile here is a shot of the winner from St Lucia

Congrats to all the gurlz who entered. They really stepped up this year.

FIERCESS IS ALWAYS WELCOMED

Here is Miss St Lucia "December Snow" coverage in her home country:

Peace and tolerance

H

Fish, Foul Swimmer And Scammers .............

Orville Taylor, host of RJR's Hotline has added his voice to the scamming and LGBT matters.

I would have loved to continue the analysis of the shame in Parliament last week, but the despicable, recalcitrant and unexemplary behaviour of one particular parliamentarian doesn't deserve more of my intellectual attention. Needless to say, I accept the apology of Lloyd B. Smith, except that he omitted to address his initial denial that he had instructed the marshal to remove J.C. Hutchinson.

Raymond Pryce's homage to his gentlemanly, St George's roots is also well received. However, his winding, though eloquent prevarication about the Christian symbolism of the fish was amusing and trifling as he skilfully avoided making a straight and direct response to Hutchinson's. However, if 'LLyde' B could not remember the point, it is quite possible that Pryce forgot too.

Nonetheless, we know, in popular parlance, what is meant by a 'fish', and it is defined by my tongue-in-cheek linguist friend as "a male who exhibits 'feminish' (effeminate) traits or who copulates with members of his own sex". It is a derisive term, and given the illegality of male homosexual intercourse, any reference to a member of parliament as this aquatic creature is serious. It means that such person is engaged in criminal behaviour and thus unsuitable to be seated there. Free speech carries major responsibilities, and parliamentarians must not use their tongues loosely.

BAILEY'S BOLD STATEMENT

But since we are on the topic of criminal behaviour and homosexuality, let's rewind the tape to a year ago. Then, Fitz Bailey, senior superintendent of police (SSP) in charge of the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID), made a bold statement based on the intelligence he gained. Bailey was trying to break the back of the scourge of the notorious lotto scam, which threatens the very stability of our democracy. In the Second City, Montego Bay, gangs and other criminal networks stepped up their activities over the past few years.

A well-organised and lubricated network, it involves the contacting of unsuspecting victims, in mainly the United States, with lies about their having won millions. This windfall is only collectible by the 'winners' sending money, usually through one of the money-transfer institutions. Around 30,000 telephone calls are made each day to the United States by these criminals.

Most of the people contacted are not sufficiently gullible to be caught by Jamaicans who do a very poor job 'imidaydin di amerikan hacksent'. However, some are dumb enough to be trapped, and others, usually senior citizens, with a touch of dementia and no means of earning back their nest egg, empty their accounts in pursuit of an illusive and elusive golden-age fortune.

Estimated by the American authorities as raking in a stunning US$300 million each year, it is big business and has changed the lifestyles of anouveau riche set of young men, who own cars and houses well beyond the means of many an executive. Scammers are the new dons, and with their wealth in a sub-economy which has not grown in decades, distort the price of goods and services, making it too expensive for the average citizen to cope. Furthermore, by becoming the wrong type of role models, they potentially derail the next generation. Moreover, the US is issuing warnings which can also erode our image even more than the exaggeration of our homophobia.

Yet, the scammers are another threat. Disputes resulting from the distribution of the spoils invariably lead to conflicts, and violent crimes are the direct result.

Furthermore, as Bailey noted, "The scammers ... use a portion of their ill-gotten gains, either to purchase guns or to pay for protection. When the Stone Crusher gang was very active, that gang was supported from the proceeds of the lottery scam. So we have no doubt it is funding other illicit activities."

Let's be honest, though. Jamaican culture discourages fluency and good communication skills among males, and it is considered by many to be unmanly for young men and boys to speak proper English and to do so in an accent that is mild and pleasant to the ear.

Sociologists and anthropologists such as the late great Barry Chevannes have demonstrated that we raise our boys wrongly. Please correct me, but effeminate men tend to be more orally competent than macho youth who speak as if they possess goat DNA.

LIPPY PRO-GAY LOBBY

Last year, brave Bailey boldly declared that gays were "prominently involved in the 'lottery scam". With a knee-jerk reaction and Jamaicans for Justice's (JFJ) backing, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), with some interested lawyers in tow, jumped on him like a donkey found by mischievous schoolboys.

Labelling his comments as irresponsible, the groups, which have their own 'agender', and not necessarily a penchant for objectivity, complained that they further served to stereotype and thus, I imagine, stigmatise gays.

Refusing to budge, Bailey declared, "I have empirical data to support that. We have the responsibility to investigate these cases ... . We're not targeting any specific group or saying people should go and attack anyone. All I'm talking about is the profile of the individuals ... ."

This is what police do, and social scientists do it, too. We try to look at trends and tendencies. It was a rational comment, as offensive as it was. When the police say that the typical fraudster is a middle-class, computer-literate youth, they are not saying that all, or even most, persons of that category are crooks. Indeed, the majority of people of any demographic classification are law-abiding citizens.

And here I make the disclaimer that the buggery law, routinely breached by gay men, is not one of the points of reference. There is no special gene which gay men have which predisposes them to, or excludes them from committing, crimes.

True, it is difficult to know whether or not a person is gay because sexual activity is 99 per cent private. A self-declaration is unreliable, because only a small minority leave the closet, and there are some, such as asylum seekers, who paint their homeland as the most homo-antipathic country on earth. With regard to the lotto scammers, it is also likely that men will crossdress and exhibit unmasculine behaviour to deceive the police. After, all, there is evidence that at least one organised gangster has used female attire to elude capture.

BUILDING PROFILE

What was funny about the comments made by Bailey in July last year and in April this year is that nobody doubted that the scam was pulling so much from the Americans, although there was no independent confirmation. There was no debate that it was connected to the spate of shootings and killings, nor when it was suggested that it was a well-coordinated web, involving perhaps employees of some of the remittance outlets. And when the tentacles were revealed to even touch members of the constabulary, a few cringed, but none called Bailey a liar.

Inexplicably, as Bailey pulled together his information and attempted to build a profile of the typical person who was entangled in the scamming network, people looked askance at his utterances and, eventually, the commissioner issued an apology and withdrew the gay-association comment. Though conciliatory, the statement from the top cop never said that Bailey was wrong.

Then, two Saturdays ago, the police, acting on intelligence, raided a dance organised by suspected lotto scammers. At the end of the operation, more than 130 suspects were detained. Although most of the patrons were dressed in female attire, only 11 had the necessary biological paraphernalia to be called women, although they might perform female roles. While most of them were processed and released, as is the norm with any police raid, credible sources from the police suggest that charges are going to follow and breakthroughs made.

I think we will soon owe Bailey an apology.

Dr Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in sociology at the UWI and a radio talk-show host. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.

original article ENDS

here is another cartoon on the matter as the talk heats up:

UPDATE July 19th
....... now comes Clovis cartoons with the "fish" connotation carrying over from the recent parliamentary debate uproar and long-winded apologies, I suppose Clovis (the cartoonist) is trying to put a spin on the men held in custody, chiefly the deputy mayor of Montego Bay and the supposed closeness to the LGBT community?

see more here:

MoBay deputy mayor arrested