'I Want To Marry My Gay Partner' - St James-Based Lesbian Says Marrying Her Lover Would Be A Dream Come True

Adrian Frater, News Editor

(photo selected randomly)

Western Bureau Gleaner:

Buoyed by the recent lesbian nuptial re-enactment in Silver Sands, Trelawny, one member of a local same-sex couple has declared that she wants to get married in Jamaica.

Montego Bay-based lesbian model Adrienne Simpsontold The Sunday Gleaner she would love to have even a token marriage to her partner.

Simpson, whose modelling career has taken her into countries that embrace same-sex unions, says she is eyeing this token marriage and will not allow the Jamaican law to be a "shackle" to her plans.

"I am in a relationship with someone who is giving me love, kindness and all the support I need," said Simpson.

"I have been with men and none of them has shown me the love and respect I am now getting," added Simpson.

Despite her pronouncement, Simpson admits that sometimes her conscience bothers her.

"I know it is not accepted in Jamaica but this is someone I want to spend the rest of my life with," said Simpson.

"Sometimes my Christian upbringing chips in and my thoughts waver, but deep down this is the life I want."

'Token weddings' common

According to Simpson, same-sex 'token weddings' are becoming quite common in Jamaica without attracting much fanfare and publicity.

"This is something that is happening regularly in Jamaica these days. I know several persons who have done it and are living happily. In many instances, these lovers operate similarly to the traditional husband and wife … one goes out to work and the other stays home and does domestic duties," added Simpson.

In the case of the Silver Sands mock nuptials, the 'bride' and 'bride', Jamaica-born Nicole Dennis-Benn and her American partner Dr Emma Benn, reportedly got married in New York, where such unions are legal, and merely came to Jamaica, where there is general intolerance to gays, to re-enact what had taken place overseas.

But many persons, including prominent church leaders, have condemned the recent mock nuptials at Silver Sands as an assault on the Christian way of life and saying they are not prepared to allow gay marriages locally.

"This is something that is not pleasing to the Church as it goes against our teaching, which sees marriage as a union between a man and a woman," said Canon Justin Nembhard, the head of the St James Parish Church in Montego Bay.

"It is illegal … in Jamaica. Marriage is not a union between any two people; it must be between a man and a woman," said Nembhard. "This kind of thing is not the norm and is not something you would expect to see in a Christian country."

Not allowed in Jamaica

Like Nembhard, prominent Montego Bay-based lawyer Nathan Robb has noted that regardless of how close the event at Silver Sands mirrors real nuptials, based on the Jamaican law, no marriage officer could legally perform such a wedding.

Robb also dismissed the notion that a marriage officer from a jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is allowed could come to Jamaica and perform such a ceremony legally.

"That individual (overseas marriage officer) would have to obey the Jamaican law once he comes into our jurisdiction," said Robb. "Once it is taking place in Jamaica, the Jamaican law must be observed and the Jamaican law is clear on marriage … there is no ambiguity."

Legal minds have also noted that Simpson and her partner could never get legally married in Jamaica as Section 18(2) of the new Charter of Rights of the Jamaican Constitution defines marriage as a "union of one man and one woman".

Name changed on request

Lesbian couple forced to move from gated community

So as we continue to trod the sometimes difficult roads of living in Jamaica as same gender loving folks more openly now comes this not unusual case where a same gender loving couple in a gated apartment complex found themselves the brunt of taunts which turned to physical threats in an upscale neighborhood leading to their hasty departure for their own safety. Normally more comfortable members of the community would have been spared the innuendos and threats normally meted out to lgbt people from the lower socio economic strata of society and given our classist/elitist nature in Jamaica generally and the insulation of sorts created by just where one lives it was surprising to hear this episode as reported by one of the victims involved.


She wanted to let persons know that she experienced lesbophobia first hand and that it does not matter where one lives the hate will follow if it wants to, a fact that some activists and influentials have been pointing out but some persons are of a different opinion and so there is a kind of complacency in certain upper middle income lgbt groups. The women who recently rented the flat in upper St. Andrew and are working professionals were pleased they had a home to quietly live away from the hustle and bustle of noisy streets, prying eyes and some privacy in a secured gated setting with a security detail at a button's pressing to summon them. Both had also gone through some rejection from their own families as they made known their decision to cohabit and have a long term relationship, this did not sit well with members of their families but they persisted non the less, now this.


Their new neighbours, mostly males with occasional female visitors who moved in some two months after the ladies settled in their comfi flat however had a different idea of living in an apartment complex, the SGL female couple began to notice the previously absent prying eyes phenomenon, the very thing they were trying to escape, whispers as they alight from their car in the evenings after coming in from work or at early mornings if the ladies had a night on the town. The series of peepings as it were and whispers persisted for some time and even other neighbours began to warn the ladies to be careful after what was alleged to be a spirited conversation by the prying men with their women one late evening after the girls left for a private function. Concerns were expressed to the strata management of the property by the ladies by phone who promised that they would look into the issue, this they did by calling in the main male tenant of the apartment, he was warned of overcrowding his flat with other persons who were not named as cohabitants upon signing the rent agreement where he was warned he was in breach. The engagement by the strata manager with the annoying male tenant about his harboring persons and annoying other neighbours seemed to be the reason for himself and his cronies to turn up the heat on the same gender loving females accusing them of being informants or informers in colourful Jamaican parlance where the ladies saw verbal attacks and the man and his friends almost staking out the ladies as they arrive or depart the complex. He complaine bitterly that the ladies should not have said anything about his visitors etc.


But it was a faithful Sunday morning in April as the ladies arrived home from a weekend out when they were approached threateningly by associates of the man who accused them of being lesbians and the usual ugly anti gay descriptions and threatened the more aggressive of the two ladies accusing her additionally of taking away women from men. The commotion awoke other residents who tried to intervene and demanded the non resident friends of the annoying man to leave the property, the security detail was eventually summoned and the police was also called by a concerned resident. Both units arrived and the non residents numbering five were escorted off the property in a car, the shaken women were thankfully consoled by the other residents while a heated argument persisted with members of the security detail and the prying male resident who hurled expletives at them and at the women continuing to name them as informants and lesbians. He also accused the detail as supporting slackness and that maybe they are gay too, he continued that this was not America and no sodomy will be tolerated.


Things cooled eventually but the women wasted no time in seeking a new flat and moved two days after the incident occurred and a tense calm that followed. I have since learnt that the man has been given notice to quit as a petition letter was sent by the other residents who complained to the strata manger of his disturbance and the disappointment of losing the quiet ladies due to him and his friends behaviour.


Good to see some tolerance coming from the other neigbours and who took action to have the man removed, also I am happy the ladies managed to remove themselves from that situation as quickly as they could, sadly we do have issues like this happening although we often do not have them publicized to show that not only homeless or persons from supposed downtown who are beaten or abused. 


Thanks to the ladies for sharing this and bringing some reality to our situation here. 


Be vigilant, be safe.


Peace and tolerance


H

Lesbian couple celebrate their marriage locally .........

The original Gleaner headline read Lesbians Legally Wed but well not quite as you will realise when you read this Gleaner article, the couple actually did the real deal in New York then came to Jamaica to have their local relatives and friends see them as is done by many Jamaican same gender loving couples who have green cards and can afford to do so. I attended a similar set up some months ago after the male couple made their vows in New York as well, this is nothing new per say but have a read of the piece:

Nicole Dennis-Benn (left) and Dr Emma Benn jump the broom during their re-enacted wedding ceremony at Silver Sands in Duncans Trelawny on May 26. Looking on are close friends and family of the couple. - Contributed

An American couple who tied the knot on Jamaican shores last month has documented their experience getting married in a country whose laws have long been antagonistic to same-sex unions.

But, what took place at Silver Sands in Duncans, Trelawny, was just a re-enactment of the actual wedding which took place in Brooklyn, New York weeks earlier.

"All the paperwork was done here (in the United States). We know Jamaican laws do not support gay marriage, so we had all the legal matters settled before we came to Jamaica," Nicole Dennis-Benn, who made sure her name in the marriage was made clear, told The Gleanerfrom the US yesterday.

Dennis-Benn, who grew up in Jamaica, said she wanted to share the experience with her family and friends who could not make it to the US for the actual wedding.

The couple's loved ones were all open to the wedding, except for both their mothers who did not show up.

"Our mothers accepted the relationship, but they said they could not deal with the wedding part of it," Dennis-Benn said.

Their story, which captured the couple's "blissful" moment on the Jamaican north coast two Saturdays ago, has been documented under the heading 'Revolutionary Love by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn' on her Internet blog.

The article gave a flattering description of the scenery at the venue where Nicole Dennis and her partner, Dr Emma Benn, a US native, dared the unthinkable on Jamaican shores.

Dennis-Benn, 30, grew up in Vineyard Town and left Jamaica for college after completing her studies at a prominent high school in Kingston. It was during her final years in high school that she acknowledged herself as a lesbian.

"I found out in fourth form. When I was coming out, I wondered, 'What the hell?' because I know I couldn't stay in Jamaica and be who I wanted to. I felt I was the only lesbian in Jamaica at the time and I grew up in a Christian home. I knew that most Jamaicans were Christian," she said.

But, despite what some might think, it was not homophobia that mostly fuelled her desire to move to the US, she told The Gleaner.

Classism issues

"It was for a lot of things, but mainly because of the classism. I grew up in Vineyard Town and when I went to (high school), I experienced real classism."

She left Jamaica for studies at Cornell University in New York City. Dennis-Benn, who has her master's degree in creative writing, met Benn while working at Columbia University. The two tied the knot on April 6 before coming to Jamaica to relive the moment a little over a month later.

In her blog, the career writer recalled the moment before the couple dared the unthinkable on Jamaican shores.

"My partner joins me in the water and for the next hour, we swim and mingled with our guests who have also been baked and rejuvenated by the sun. 'You ready?' my partner whispers, swimming up behind me to encircle her arms around my waist. 'Yeah, I'm ready.' We smile at each other, aware in that moment that we're about to do something big, bigger than us.

The Jamaican native shared that it was her partner who helped her rekindle her love affair with the island after living a refugee life for many years."In my vows, I mentioned that because of my partner, I fell in love with my country again. For a long time, I ran away from Jamaica, seeking refuge in the freedom that America offered. However, when I met Emma, she was adamant about visiting Jamaica," Dennis-Benn said in her blog. 'Why not?' she asked when I turned her down a few times. I couldn't tell her then how much I was hurt by the culture, stifled by the seemingly robust structures of colonialism.

"However, when Emma and I finally returned to the island for our first visit as a couple in 2010, something felt different. At the time, I couldn't place what it was. There were no words to describe it since my brain had not yet processed it. I felt beautiful, stronger, empowered."

She said her acceptance of self was part of the reason she decided to have her wedding in Jamaica. However, her decision was strongly criticised by friends in America who claimed to know about Jamaica's anti-gay culture.

"My friends began to question my sanity once I told them that I'll be getting married in Jamaica, a country known internationally for its blatant homophobia. 'Weh di backside yuh mean yuh getting married in Jamaica?'" she further recalled in the blog.

"I had to reassure them that everything would be fine, simultaneously trying to convince myself too. I would constantly ask myself if I'm doing the right thing," she wrote.

No venue

With that decision out of the way, it now became an uphill task for the couple to find a venue in Jamaica that would be accommodating to their lifestyle.

"My partner and I took turns calling resorts in Kingston, the south coast, and the north coast ... . We clutched the receiver with sweaty palms as we prepared to come out as lesbians over and over again. 'Yes, hello, we would like to inquire about hosting our wedding at your hotel. What's the estimated cost for space? Great! Just one more thing you need to know ... my partner is a woman. Yes, that's what I said. A woman. Oh. OK. Uh-huh. I understand. Thanks for your time'," read the blog.

Next stop was at Villa where the two ended up saying "I do".

"I felt like I'd emerged from a dark tunnel, greeted by her radiating light. My father walked me down the aisle while my partner walked down the aisle with her aunt. We walked together as a couple paired with the most significant people in our lives to Whitney Houston's My Love is Your Love, she said of her experience.

To read Nicole Dennis-Benn's blog log on 

Group braces for costly fight against gays ......... Church must be passionate in fight against homosexuality, says pastor

A group opposing homosexuality in Jamaica is adamant that it will not let up on its stance against the gay agenda and is prepared for a costly battle in order to prevent the erosion of family life and the ultimate destruction of the nation.

The group — the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS) — comprises individuals and institutions that act as watchdogs for the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental health of the society.

Vice-president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals Reverend Peter Garth, who is closely aligned to the Coalition, said he has already called on the evangelical community to set aside funding for this uphill struggle.

"I have been saying to the evangelical community that our ministers are going to be dragged in and out of the courts and we had better begin now to set things aside," Garth told the weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange of reporters and editors at the newspaper's head office in Kingston yesterday.

Adding that this will be a costly affair, Garth said the evangelical community must be prepared to pick up the slack.

"It is going to be costly to deal with it and the Church must be prepared to deal with that, which is why we are saying we are going to need funds because they (the gay community) have the funding," he said.

According to Garth, homosexuality is a threat to family life and an issue which he will continue to speak against, regardless of the consequence.

"We are not going to let down or to give up. I am not afraid. I am not afraid to lose my visa; take it away. I am not afraid to lose my life; take it away, but I hold on to my sovereign position and when I speak, one of the things which is amazing to JFLAG (Jamaica Forum of Lesbians All Sexuals and Gays) and others is that I am not quoting biblical scriptures," he said.

Garth said he examines the homosexual issue from a moral, biblical, medical and social point of view.

"I take off my religious hat and put on my psychology training hat where I deal with these matters because I am not only going to be pushing scriptures," he said.

Garth said the Church has to be passionate in its fight against homosexuality when it examines the proclamation of the homosexual manifesto which was entered into the US Congressional Record on February 15, 1987, and which reads in part: "We shall sodomise your sons, emblems of your feeble masculinity, of your shallow dreams and vulgar lies. We shall seduce them in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, in your sports arenas, in your seminaries, in your youth groups, in your movie theatre bathrooms, in your army bunkhouses, in your truck stops, in your all-male clubs, in your houses of Congress, wherever men are with men together.

"Your sons shall become our minions and do our bidding. They will be recast in our image. They will come to crave and adore us.... All laws banning homosexual activity will be revoked. Instead, legislation shall be passed which engenders love between men.

"All homosexuals must stand together as brothers; we must be united artistically, philosophically, socially, politically, and financially. We will triumph only when we present a common face to the vicious heterosexual enemy.

"If you dare to cry faggot, fairy, queer, at us, we will stab you in your cowardly hearts and defile your dead, puny bodies."

According to Garth, the gay community has been instructed to talk about gays as loudly as possible and to portray them as victims, not as aggressive challengers and to make them look good and the people opposed to them look bad.

As such, Garth said the Church is trying to influence others to look at the structure which provides value for our nation.

A former member of the gay community, Rev Dennis Jernigan, said that community has all the creative, financial and intellectual power.

According to Jernigan, an American citizen, the gay community gives more than the 10 per cent tithe that Christians give to the church, as they are very adamant about their agenda.

"If I was still in that group and was still a part of that agenda, of course I would take that as my battle cry and I would do everything in my power to bring it to pass," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Wayne West, founding member of JCHS, said the intention of this Christian think tank is to present research findings to the society to come up with solutions in the public arena.

"People are asking for you to justify your position, not simply to say that this is how it should be, so we thought it important to form a group of persons who would be willing to do some of the legwork and come up with solutions which we plan to put in the public domain for debate and consideration," he said.

The Coalition, he said, will be putting differing worldviews to Jamaicans for them to decide what will inform the laws.

One such view, he explained, is that everything is permissible and the only real important value is autonomy of the individual to do whatever they wish to and tolerance of the community to allow them to do it.

Laws, he argued, would have to be changed to recognise and facilitate the consideration that human beings have no control over their actions as these would be determined solely by chemical reactions. As such, to hold people accountable for what they do would be unfair, and there would be no such thing as morality.

"If at the end of the day Jamaicans feel they will define marriage as between any number of persons of any gender, and throw in Rover or a pig or horse or two... this is what this country is facing, and same-sex marriage and the rights for people to have sex as they choose are really the leaves of a very big tree and we need to expose that tree to the people of the country," he said.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Group-braces-for-costly-fight-against-gays_11518361#ixzz1viRYXnIS 

also see: 

Monday Exchange: Same sex marriage

Anti-gay couple barred - England stops Jamaican-born Christians from fostering 16th child

This is very old news of course but I guess like everywhere else the Jamaica Observer is catching the sensationalism to sell papers and seeing the issue of buggery and gay marriage are hot off the lips of most these days following Obama's personal support of gay marriage which does not necessarily means it will be law in all the states of pushed at the federal level. The Observer however wrote:

JOHNS... gays have more rights than Christians (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

A Jamaican-born British couple say they have been told they can’t foster a 16th child in their Derby County home, because as Christians they don’t believe homosexuality is right.

Owen and Eunice Johns, who are back home in Jamaica, are preparing to take the matter before the European Court of Justice with the support of a coalition of Christian groups who are firmly opposed to the gay and lesbian lifestyle.

“These people (gays) have more rights than Christians. We have been called retarded homophobics because we want to stand up for the truth,” Eunice Johns, a retired nurse who hails from Trelawny, said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

Johns appeared at joint press conference with the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals and the Roman Catholic Family to highlight what they suggested was a “secular agenda” in the fight against HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The group, which consists of several influential Christian leaders, reaffirmed their objections to the lifestyle practised by gays and lesbians.

The Johns have been foster parents to 15 Jamaican children since they started taking children into their home in England in 1992. All went well, they said, until they went back to the Derby City Council to foster a 16th child in 2006.

“They started asking about my Christianity and I told them I was a Christian, I go to church on a Sunday. I told them I was a Bible-believing Christian,” Eunice said.

She was asked: “What if a child of five came to you one day from school and told you that they were homosexual?” To this she responded: “I would care for that child, I would give them love and attention and all that’s required.”

Her response, however, did not find favour with the social worker and when Eunice ventured to ask what her response should have been, she was told: “You would have to tell this child that it is alright to be homosexual.”

Failing to convince Eunice to change her mind on the matter, the social worker said she would have to raise the issue with her manager. Two weeks later the manager came to see her.

“She said to us: ‘Well, Mr and Mrs Johns, we were told that you said you could not tell a child it is alright to be homosexual, and in this day and age you would have to because so many children are not sure where they are and a lot of them are confused. So many people are confused these days, because they weren’t told that their sexuality and what they are feeling is right’.”

She said she and her husband were then taken before a panel of 12 persons at the Council where they were asked to explain their views on homosexuality. Two weeks after that, they got a letter thanking them for withdrawing their application to foster children. The couple were shocked, because they had made no such request. However, they decided not to contest the Council on the matter.

“After they said, ‘thank you for withdrawing’, we said ‘that’s alright, we would leave it, no skin off our nose, perhaps we shouldn’t foster’,” she recalled.

But just a few weeks later, they learnt of another couple whose foster child was taken away because they refused to tell them that homosexuality was right, she added.

After the passage of The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations of 2007, Johns said they began hearing of Christians who were being prosecuted for denouncing the gay lifestyle. Several Christian children’s homes had been closed, Christian pastors were being abused, and several Christian business owners were forced to close because they decided to affirm their belief. Christian marriage counsellors were also coming under increased pressure because of their refusal to marry same-sex couples, she claimed.

The Johns’ case eventually attracted the attention of the Christian Concern for Our Nation, a religious lobby group in London. Their solicitors took the matter before the Nottingham Crown Court in 2009. Following months of court appearances by the Johns, their lawyers, representatives of the Derby City Council, and civil rights group, the High Court, in a landmark ruling in 2010, noted that laws protecting gays from discrimination superceded the couple’s religious belief.

“The judge did not say we could not foster children, but the judge was saying England is no longer a Christian country, it’s now a secular country. He made it quite clear that we have got to adhere to what is being set out,” said Eunice, who came back to Jamaica five months ago with her husband.

Their solicitors are now preparing to take the matter before the European Court of Justice, Johns said, adding that Jamaica was in a good position to refute what she believed was a hidden agenda by the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender community.

“I notice the word that they are using here while trying to push this thing through is tolerance. We are Christians, so we should be tolerant. But it only takes that first door and it’s like a domino effect, all of the other doors are going to be opened,” she said.

Read more:

also see a previous entry on a radio interview they did late 2011

Shirley Richards & The Jamaican UK Foster Parents (The Johns) on Love 101 FM ............. on buggery

Anal Fixation (Tell Me Pastor)

After a long hiatus as you may have noticed my readers and the shouting matches on national radio on Obama's support for gay marriage rights in the United States comes this convenient letter to the Tell Me Pastor of the Star News. With threats to Miss Portia Simpson Miller from supporters and non supporters alike that if she attempts to review the buggery law the PNP may loose support all kinds of antigay drama come flying out of the woodwork.

Have a read of this latest letter to Pastor Dumas and see if it makes sense bearing in mind that anal sex is criminalized in Jamaica whether committed on a man or a woman but the matter of privacy ought to be considered.

Here is the letter and pastor's response

Dear Pastor,

I am 35 years and a Christian. I got married to a man I knew in Jamaica, but he migrated to the United States. We were only acquainted with each other before he went to live in America. He came back to Jamaica and visited me at my workplace. He said somebody told him where I was working. He took my number and, the evening of that very day, called and invited me out. We went to Port Royal and had fish. He told me he was always admiring me when he was living in Jamaica. He also told me that he had got married to an American woman but they broke up. He said that she was too demanding. He was living in New York but had moved and went to another State.

got another girl pregnant

He asked me if I had a boyfriend. I told him no. My boyfriend and I had broken up a year before and I had taken a break from men. I broke up with my boyfriend at the time because he got another girl pregnant.

This man took me out every night because when I met him he only had three days before returning to America. He asked me to have sex with him, but I told him no because I did not know him well enough. We kissed, but that was all. He went back to America and called me two, three times a day. Sometimes at work I had to turn off my phone to do my work. He came back to Jamaica last year and begged me for sex. He brought me a very expensive watch. I had sex with him twice during that visit.

We got married last December. On my wedding night, he tried to have sex with me in my bottom and I strongly objected. He tried to fight me to do it and I told him that I would kill him. We made up.

Pastor, I am now living with him in America and he always wants anal sex. When I am asleep, he is trying to do so. He says everybody is doing it. I told him I am going to leave him if he doesn't stop. He says that is what he likes. I am not working. I am here because I have a visa.

Pastor, please give me your advice. Many nights I have to be sleeping in the couch because I am afraid to go on the bed.

L.S.

 

Dear L.S.,

This man is not going to stop harassing you to for anal sex. He has declared that is what he likes. He tried to coax you into it and you objected. He has not succeeded. He tried to force you and it hasn't worked. He does not respect the position you have taken and is making a big mistake by believing he has a right to have sex with you anyhow he pleases.

I suggest you ask him whether he would go with you to see a therapist. If he objects and continues to demand anal sex, you should seriously consider seeing a lawyer for advice.

Pastor

Layered Stigma among Health Facility and Social Services Staff toward Most-at-Risk Populations in Jamaica

This report was prepared by independent consultants Audrey Brown, MSc, DLSHTM, Althea
Bailey, MPH, and Quaine Palmer, MEd; and by Kara Tureski, MPH, Susan J. Rogers, PhD, Anya Cushnie, MIH, and Abidemi Adelaja, MPH from C-Change/FHI 360.

This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under the terms of Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-00004-00. The contents are the responsibility of the C-Change project, managed by FHI 360, and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Executive Summary

FHI 360’s Communication for Change (C-Change) project, funded by USAID/PEPFAR, in
Jamaica provides technical assistance in social and behavior change communication (SBCC) to
improve the quality and scale of Jamaica’s response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. In keeping with its mandate of supporting civil society and government partners in developing evidencebased programming and in working to create supportive enabling environments for most-at-risk populations (MARPs), C-Change conducted a study in 2011 on stigma and discrimination (S&D) within health and social services settings toward persons living with HIV (PLHIV), men who have sex with men (MSM), and sex workers (SW).

S&D occurs when someone is devalued as a result of practices, behaviors, diseases or other characteristics with which they are associated (International Center for Research on Women 2012). MSM and SW are among the most heavily stigmatized groups due to their own unique identifications and the socio-cultural hostilities and fears associated with them. The resulting S&D creates an environment that is intimidating and that increases vulnerabilities for infection, abuse, and death among these groups as they relate to accessing crucial prevention and treatment information and services, quality of services received, and treatment, among others. S&D norms within health services often mirror and mutually reinforce wider social norms. Within health care settings, S&D is particularly of concern given its impact on the ability of those stigmatized to receive appropriate and quality prevention services, treatment, and care.

Along with examining the level of S&D in within health facilities and social services environments, the study sought to understand the association between staff training, or the lack thereof, and reported S&D. It also sought to explore the degree to which layered stigma existed.

Layered stigma is HIV–related stigma combined with stigma toward marginalized groups—a scenario MSM and SW frequently experience as they are often assumed to be core transmitters of HIV infection. Prevalence data show that close to a third of the population of MSM and 4.2 percent of SW in Jamaica are HIV–infected (Jamaica National HIV/STI Program 2010), and S&D of MARPs is a major barrier to their access of health and social services that can help mitigate the growing HIV and AIDS epidemic. With these statistics in mind the overall aim of the study was to inform critical SBCC interventions for the health and social services sectors.

The study was conducted in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios. It included three components with separate samples: 165 health services staff in 23 public, private, or NGOowned health facilities identified as either MARP–friendly or a general facility; 63 staff members of 12 social services organizations that provided support services to MARPs; and 450 male and female sex workers located in popular sites/locations (i.e., clubs, streets, massage parlors, the beach, hotels, guest houses, and bars). Modified survey instruments were pretested and used for each of the components with items adapted from previously tested instruments (Nyblade and MacQuarrie 2006; Kelly et al. 1987; Berger, Estwing, and Lashley 2001).

DOWNLOAD FULL STUDY HERE

Churches deliver a holy blow to our neighbours UNIBAM

The United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) received a major blow inside the courtroom of Supreme Court Justice Michelle Arana.  UNIBAM is challenging Section Fifty-Three of the criminal code, which bars carnal intercourse against the order of nature. The crime is an indictable matter with the possibility of ten years in prison.  This morning, a ruling was handed down that struck out UNIBAM as an interested party in the case. The attorneys for the Council of Churches submitted that UNIBAM has no locus standing, and therefore asked for their application to be struck out. In January, the Council of Churches’ attorney, Rodwell Williams made the arguments that some expert affidavits were given, contrary to the rules, and without the leave of the court. Outside the Supreme Court another attorney for the Council of Churches, Michel Chebat explained what the ruling means for the interested parties.

Michel Chebat, Attorney for Council of Churches
“The judge handed down her decision today and what she did was she allowed the application by the church interested parties which were twofold. The initial application was to have UNIBAM struck from the case, which was granted and secondly to have the affidavits of the purported experts filed by the claimant for those to be struck out as having not complied with the rules. And so they were both granted. However, the judge has also granted leave for them to re-file in the event they wish to do so.”

Jose Sanchez
“How significant is the fact that the UNIBAM has been struck out? What role does that play in the entire case?”

Michel Chebat
“As I said, I don’t believe it will stop the case from going forward because there is a second claimant. But in terms of—I suspect—in terms of the bigger picture and appearances, I understand UNIBAM is the umbrella organization, so it may or may not be detrimental to them. I am not sure.”

Jose Sanchez
“In terms of your case, where does it go from here? Procedurally, where do you go?”

Michel Chebat
“Our next step is to file our expert witnesses affidavits which will be done within sixty days of today’s date and then we come back to court for a case management at which time the court will set the stage going forward in terms of trial date and so forth.”

Jose Sanchez
“So in essence the victory if there is any is minimal. Would that be correct?”

Michel Chebat
“I would not say minimal. I think the fact that UNIBAM has been removed, may be a significant blow to them and to their financial support because I believe I believe it is through UNIBAM that the financial support is coming for the case. Leave has been granted to all parties to file expert evidence within sixty days.”

Jules Vasquez, 7 News
“Now all your experts except for Mister Henry Lawrence have been accepted. Am I right?”

Michel Chebat
“Yes that is correct; that is correct. All of the affidavits filed on behalf of the Church interested parties have been accepted by the Court except for Mister Lawrence’s.”

In January, attorney for UNIBAM, Lisa Shoman said that it really didn’t matter whether UNIBAM survived as an applicant, because the case would go on. She said, “I rather suspect that at this point, really doesn’t matter how the judge rules and there may very well be an appeal in either case… We’d like to get the matter before the courts; so that we have several options open and we will look at them when that arises.”

Caleb Orozco and UNIBAM issued a press release this evening on the court ruling in Orozco pretrial hearing. In the Caleb Orozco and UNIBAM versus The Attorney General of Belize litigation, the second claimant, UNIBAM was removed. Caleb Orozco, the first claimant, maintains standing under the Constitution of Belize and according to the release “will continue to pursue the case.”  The release went on to say that, “It also provided for reports to be filed by various expert witnesses on behalf of Orozco and various interested parties. It is expected that the matter will proceed to be determined on the merits once those expert reports are filed.” It went on to say that “Section 53 criminalizes consensual sexual activities between adults that amount to ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’, including between men and women. This case is focused on consensual sexual activities between adults. It does not seek to ‘decriminalize’ coerced sexual activities or pedophilia.” Orozco and UNIBAM are represented by a team of regional and local lawyers, including lead counsel Christopher Hamel-Smith, Lisa Shoman and Simeon Samson. The regional team comprises of the Faculty of Law UWI Rights Advocacy Project (URAP).

European Parliament zooms in on LGBT rights in the world ........

Today the European Parliament adopted its annual report on human rights in the world, paying close attention to EU action for the human rights of LGBT people. The report also comments on a range of new measures, including the creation of an EU Special Representative on Human Rights.

In recent years the European Union has taken several positive steps to protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the world.

The European Parliament takes stock of this progress, and suggests additional action in the coming year.

The European Parliament acknowledges that the EU has consistently stood up for LGBT people’s human rights at the United Nations, as well as occasionally in bilateral relations.

The Parliament calls on the Council to change the ‘LGBT toolkit’, adopted in 2010, into binding guidelines, and reasserts that the EU relationship to the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group of states entails non-discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation.

Ulrike Lunacek MEP, Co-president of the European Parliament’s LGBT Intergroup, commented: “The European Union has done praiseworthy efforts for LGBT rights in the world. In particular, the toolkit adopted by the Council Working Party on Human Rights in 2010 has been used efficiently in a number of countries. The Council should now consider upgrading such a useful tool.”

Regarding gender identity, the European Parliament repeats its earlier call to the Commission to work with the World Health Organization to withdraw ‘gender identity disorder’ from the International Classification of Diseases, and seek a non-pathologising reclassification.

Finally, the Parliament also asks that people fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity be granted asylum, and that the Commission produces a comprehensive roadmap against homophobia and transphobia, including in the field of external relations.

Dennis de Jong MEP, Vice-president of the LGBT Intergroup, added: “Of course, the European Union can and should still do more. When it comes to LGBT rights at home, welcoming those who flee genuine persecution in Uganda, Iran or Indonesia is a duty of the EU. We must show international solidarity, and continue improving things at home in the meantime.”

Read more:

The report will be linked here once finalised by the European Parliament services. The LGBT-related paragraphs are:

108a. Commends the Council, the EEAS, the VP/HR, the Commission and the Member States on their engagement in favour of LGBT people’s human rights in bilateral relations with third countries, in multilateral forums, and through the EIDHR; welcomes the reintroduction by the UN General Assembly of sexual orientation as grounds for protection from extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution, and welcomes the EU’s efforts to this end; calls on the Commission to advocate the withdrawal of gender identity from the list of mental and behavioural disorders in the negotiations on the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and to seek a non-pathologising reclassification; reasserts that the principle of non-discrimination, also embracing grounds of sex and sexual orientation, must not be compromised in the ACP-EU partnership; reiterates its request that the Commission produce a comprehensive roadmap against homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, also addressing human rights violations on these grounds in the world; calls on the Member States to grant asylum to people fleeing persecution in countries where LGBT people are criminalised, taking into consideration applicants’ well founded fears of persecution, and relying on their self-identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender;

108b. Welcomes the ‘toolkit’ adopted by the Council’s working party on human rights in 2010 with the aim of helping the EU institutions, the Member States, the delegations and other bodies to react swiftly when the human rights of LGBT people are violated; calls on the Commission to address the structural causes of such violations, and on the Council to work towards binding guidelines in this area;

How I found out my husband was gay

 

Donna Hussey Whyte wrote:

IN her book Man’s Best Kept Secret In The Church — On The Down Low ,Very Down Low, Lecei Wright tells of her struggles coping after discovering that her husband had not only left their marriage bed, but had done so to engage in sexual activities with a man.


“I was in denial for the fact that I saw my husband kissing this man. I would leave for out of town and these men would answer my phone and be in my bed, but I stayed in the marriage and that was only after five years of being married,” said Wright, an African-American who made Jamaica her home.


Wright told All Woman in a previous interview that even though her husband died after contracting AIDS, it took several years for her to get over the devastation of his betrayal.


While many wives may not have written books about their own experiences, they live with doubts and fears for years.


Julia R, says she first suspected something was ‘off’ in her relationship when her husband stopped showing interest in sex completely, choosing instead to fixate on bashing homosexuality, even while commenting on other men’s looks in the way a woman would, and spending most of his free time with friends she wasn’t allowed to meet.


“I’m very perceptive and all the subtle things raised a red flag,” she said. “I knew he wasn’t cheating on me, at least not with a girl, but there was nothing I could do to entice him. I could stand naked in front of him and all I’d get was a hug — in six months I counted that we had sex two times, and it was fast, unemotional, he wouldn’t look me in the face and I knew he was wishing it would be over.”

There was no doubt of his love for her, she said. She got pampered, he bought her gifts, they had a bond, But missing was any real affection or real romantic intimacy as husbands and wives share.


“Then I remember walking with him one day and he was hailed by this man, this very effeminate thing who totally ignored me, and he became flustered. But the man knew his name, they were friends, they hugged.”


She said she questioned him soon after that and he confessed that “maybe” he was bisexual, but he hadn’t gone as far as to definitely find out.


“I didn’t believe him though. He was gay, I knew it in my heart. He was a great friend, one I could labrish with. But I didn’t want that. Whether he had just looked or imagined or kissed, whatever it was, in my book just thinking about someone else is cheating, so we parted ways amicably soon after.”


Marie P, though divorced now, said for years after being married, she suspected her husband was gay. Ninety per cent of his DVD collection was of man on man intercourse, and whenever they were going out he would insist on a male friend coming along. Worst of all, he would always insist on non face to face intercourse when he did accommodate her in bed.


She discovered soon after their parting that he was living as a couple with another man.


Craig McNally, counselling psychologist at WIRED Counselling Agency in Papine, said before wives take action, they should first determine whether or not their husband is gay or same-sex attracted, as there is a difference between the two.


“When somebody finds out that their partner is dealing with that issue, the first thing is that there has to be a whole lot of clarification that takes place and one clarification that has to take place is, ‘is this person same-sex attracted or are they gay/homosexual?’


“There is a difference with being same sex attracted and being homosexual,” he theorised.


McNally said everybody who is homosexual is same sex attracted but not everybody who is same sex attracted is homosexual.


“In other words, not everybody who is same-sex attracted is living the lifestyle and has taken that on and has held on to that as an orientation,” he explained. “If the person is homosexual, which means that they are living a homosexual lifestyle, it kind of implies that they have been living a lie. If they are same sex attracted, meaning that they are sexually attracted to persons of the same gender, that does not mean that this is something that they want to embrace or something that they want as a part of their identity. This is something that wives need to clarify,” he said.


The psychologist said too that wives would also have to clarify whether or not this is something that just occurred and is a one-time episode, or if this is something that has been happening for some time.


He said though that when a wife finds out that her partner is so affected, she will experience a loss and will begin to grieve.


“It is a loss,” McNally said. “Of course the person is thinking ‘how do I compete with this person? What is it about me that led this person to go and get with somebody of the same gender? Is something wrong with me? What is it that I am not doing? What is it that I am doing? And how do I compete?’” he said.


“And they feel helpless because if it was another person of the opposite sex then probably they could try, but how does one compete for their partner’s affection when those said affections are turned towards somebody of the same sex?”


McNally told All Woman that 95 per cent of the cases he has seen, were cases where the person was dealing with this tendency before they got married.


“In most cases, while they did not do anything intentional and specific to resolve their same-sex attraction issues, such as counselling or a support group or some form of intervention, while they did not do anything to work on that, their symptoms might have minimised, but they did not do anything about the issue and so they think everything is OK and some people believe that if they get married it will solve the problem — it doesn’t solve the problem — because same-sex attractions are really symptoms of deeper issues, they are not the condition.”


He advises women who find themselves in the situation to get some support, get friends to rally around them as they begin the grief process.


“Just as with the death of somebody, she is going to need a lot of emotional support,” he said.


McNally said marriages can sometimes be saved after this discovery if one partner is willing to work with the other in seeking counseling.

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) on Government of Guyana UPR Consultations

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) welcomes the commitment of the Guyana government to host consultations on issues related to matters of law reform on sexual orientation and gender identity, as part of its obligations to report back to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on these and other recommendations by September 2012. 

However, we are disappointed that the Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, misled the Guyanese public that the focus of these consultations is on "decriminalization of same-sex unions," as reported by Demerara Waves. The Cabinet Secretary, as well as the Presidential Advisor on Governance and the cabinet sub-committee on governance, should fully well know that same-sex unions, or "gay marriage" as one newspaper headline has already indicated, are not the subject of the state' obligations which are presently being considered under Guyana' UPR.

We are disappointed that such a high-ranking government official would misuse, whether deliberately or unwittingly, the critical politics of language to whip up public hysteria with such snide references to fearful notions of "gay marriage" Having identified itself as the facilitators of this process, the government's actions raise questions as to whether its intentions to consult are genuine, and whether it can be trusted to lead this process. We therefore recommend a more inclusive framework which includes the parliamentary opposition and can also minimize partisan positions when these reforms reach the National Assembly.
Also troubling are Dr. Luncheon's statements that, quoting Demerara Waves,

"we have the remaining months of this year to conclude the consultations, summarise what comes from these consultations and to present those findings as they are grouped and formulated as the State's policy on these three matters." SASOD would like to make its position unequivocally clear, that consultation does not mean referendum, and reiterate our stated position that the Guyana constitution is the ultimate guide on matters of citizen participation in decision-making. As Article 13 states, "the principal objective of the political system is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organizations in the management and decision-making processes of the State with particular emphasis on those areas of decision- making that directly affect their well-being."

The key stakeholders of this consultative process are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Guyanese citizens as these discriminatory laws affect our everyday lives and lived experiences. Our communities and organisations must therefore be able to manage and take centre stage in this process as these decisions affect our identities and citizenship and our views must be heavily weighted.
Guyana formally started its UPR process at the United Nations (UN) in 2010.

The UN Human Rights Council recommended that the state repeal all laws which discriminate against persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. These include sections 351, 352 and 353 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01 which penalize consensual forms of intimacy between adult men in private with prison sentences ranging from two years to life imprisonment, and section 153 (1) (xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act Chapter 8:02 which criminalises cross-dressing. After a targeted police crackdown in February 2009 where seven persons who were born biologically male were arrested for wearing female attire, four of those persons and SASOD filed a suit against the state challenging the constitutional validity of these discriminatory laws. The case is presently before the court where the Attorney General is representing the government in defence of these laws on which it now seeks to consult to determine its position.

ENDS

see a previous post on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch 

Guyana seeks public opinion on controversial laws ..............

on the discussion and also this video of a television program as well:

Many are questioning locally when is our democracy going to at least have an open and honest discourse about homosexuality in general (apart from the consultations behind the scenes) and on buggery and the laws that punish consenting adults? When we see other Caribbean neighbours discussing issues far more maturely, such as school girl alleged coercion, St Lucia had a debate where homosexuality was suggested to be added as a curriculum subject in schools yet some years ago a book on our home economics curriculum that just mentioned homosexual relationships as a family unit alongside heterosexual ones nearly led to anarchy.

Let us also remember the 100 days has passed for this new administration and no sign of any look of a review as promised by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller save and except for one of her own in the form of Member of Parliament Damian Crawford who says it is unlikely that it will happen while poking fun at the idea of his own boss at a function, see more HERE on that including the video news clip from CVM TV.

Peace and tolerance

H

Columbia University professor Dr Robert Spitzer Retracts Infamous ‘Ex-Gay’ Study

Retired psychiatrist and Columbia University professor Robert Spitzer has retracted a much-criticized 2001 study that has been used for years by anti-gay activists to buttress their claims that gay men and lesbians can be “cured” of their homosexuality through therapy.

In the controversial study, Spitzer (photo) claimed that some “highly motivated” LGBT people could become straight. His retraction came in an article about the fringe “ex-gay” movement in the American Prospect. In an interview, Spitzer asked the author, Gabriel Arana, to print a retraction of the 2001 study so that he “wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Since its publication, the study has been one of the major weapons wielded by anti-gay groups, which frequently cite it as “proof” that LGBT people choose to be gay and can thus change their sexual orientation. At the heart of this argument is the belief that homosexuality is an unnatural deviation from normal sexual development, a form of mental disorder.

The ex-gay movement, according to Arana, “has relied on the Spitzer study as the single piece of objective evidence that therapy can work.”

Ironically, Spitzer, who is now 80, was one of the psychiatrists who pushed the American Psychiatric Association to stop classifying homosexuality as a mental disorder, a step the organization took in 1973. His 2001 study came as a shock and disappointment to many, and it received a storm of criticism over its suspect methodology and design.

Participants had been referred to Spitzer by ex-gay therapy practitioner groups like the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) and Exodus International. Their claims were self-reported, and Spitzer did not compare participants to a control group. Yesterday, Spitzer told Warren Throckmorton, a psychology professor at Grove City College, that he “has regret for what he now considers to be errant interpretations” of study participants’ reports. He also said that he had “second thoughts” about the study and now believes that “his conclusions don’t hold water.”

“I actually had great difficulty finding participants,” Spitzer told Arana in the American Prospect. “In all the years of doing ex-gay therapy, you’d think [Joseph] Nicolosi would have been able to provide more success stories. He only sent me nine patients.” (Nicolosi is a clinical psychologist who practiced ex-gay therapy and helped found NARTH.)

Ex-gay therapy, also known as “reparative” or “conversion” therapy, has been widely discredited by the scientific community. Most strikingly, in 2006, the American Psychological Association (APA) stated: “There is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed.” The APA added, “Our further concern is that the positions espoused by NARTH and Focus on the Family create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish.”

Since his study’s publication, Spitzer has tried to make it clear that he didn’t want it used to justify discrimination against the LGBT community, and he emphasized that he did not think that most LGBT people could become heterosexual. Nevertheless, the study became a major part of the anti-gay movement’s arsenal, with claims that here, at last, was “proof” that “all” gay people could become straight through prayer or therapy. Spitzer attempted to point out over the years that such change was either highly unlikely or that anti-gay organizations had misused his research.

It’s not the first time anti-gay groups have used suspect studies or misused legitimate ones to further anti-LGBT sentiment.

In January, Seton Hall professor Theodora Sirota issued a statement taking NARTH’s Rick Fitzgibbons to task for using one of her studies to oppose adoption by same-sex couples. Sirota said that no conclusions about LGBT parents or the “fitness” of LGBT parents can be drawn from her findings. Fitzgibbons has yet to correct his own article or remove the Sirota citation from it

Several other legitimate researchers have publicly asked anti-gay organizations stop distorting their research. Now, with Spitzer’s on-the-record retraction, it remains to be seen whether they will stop using his 2001 study to justify their claims.

Don’t hold your breath.

'Jamaicans For Justice doing church's job' — says Rev Al Miller

Restorative advocate and anti gay pastor Reverend Al Miller is at it again folks this time in a fit of jealousy it seems on the face of it he has come out to say that the goodly Jamaicans For Justice, JFJ is doing the church's job and if one reads the Jamaica observer report on the issue he sounds as if he is saying the JFJ is not fit to do it and it should be him and his church or the church in general. 


Of course he always seems to want to grab attention to himself and the media responds by saying out of the park statements and positions at times, here I would have thought that he would have wanted to have joined the goodly folks at JFJ instead of complaining that they are doing the church's job, if this is not a theocratic thinking move on his part then I do not know what is. Similarly we saw the gentleman also in another forum recently as reported on faith based organizations where he also hinted that they are not morally qualified to be advocating for HIV/AIDS interventions etc.

As in a Gleaner story REPRESENTATIVES OF UNAIDS recently were faced with the dilemma of how to enlist the support of local faith-based organisations (FBOs) in the HIV/AIDS prevention campaign without violating the institutions' doctrinal principles. A major stumbling block, which was identified in a recent consultation between church leaders and UNAIDS officials, is the traditional association of the HIV/AIDS messaging with gay-rights issues.
The views of the clerics are summed up in the comments by churchman Major Richard Cooke: "The perception is that the homosexuals have used AIDS to push their agenda. Allow the Church to speak to the church. When we feel that our help is linked to a gay agenda we do not want to be a part of it." The Rev Al Miller echoed similar sentiments: "Perception becomes reality. Changing the face of the historical sellers of the message of HIV prevention is an important and strategic move. We will, therefore, have to identify faces that can have broader appeal in order for us to be successful."

In other words, the clerics are suggesting that the gay-rights agenda has stigmatised the HIV/AIDS prevention programme, and, consequently, has alienated the religious community.

Ironic twist

This is an ironic twist, as it is the removal of stigma and discrimination from the HIV/AIDS prevention programme that is the goal of the local and international health-advocacy agencies. In fact, that was the purpose of the recent consultation between representatives of UNAIDS and FBOs. The discussions were informed by the findings of a Ministry of Health (MOH)-commissioned study of leaders of FBOs about the level of stigma and discrimination towards the most-at-risk populations (MARPs) in their organisations, including gay men, sex workers, prisoners and people living with HIV (PLHIV).

The study, which is based on a survey of 41 FBO leaders in 35 denominations across eight parishes, found that senior clerics considered it their "responsibility to uphold moral values and hold society accountable to those values." The findings continued: "Issues of faith and belief go deep and most FBOs have defined principles to which they adhere and which they consider divine and, therefore, are not open to discussion. A related finding is the faulty association of HIV/AIDS with sexual promiscuity (which is not always the case) by some church leaders and congregations.

Al Miller points to the dilemma: "If we are going to solve the problem, we cannot create another problem in order to solve it. We have to separate the issues of stigma and acceptance of behaviour. You have to be careful that you are not selling that 'this is good, this is normal, this is an acceptable lifestyle'."


more HERE from Gay Jamaica Watch


However with the JFJ matter here is the Observer report:

OUTSPOKEN Kingston pastor Reverend Al Miller yesterday criticised the church for allowing human rights groups to outdo it in the fight against injustice in the society.

Using local human rights body Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) as his reference, Miller said the church and not JFJ should be leading the charge

"Jamaicans for Justice are doing what the church ought to be doing. It is not their call [but] I thank God for them," the pastor told his congregants at Fellowship Tabernacle during the Easter Sunday service yesterday.

"It is us, it is us who are supposed to be out there, not Jamaicans for Justice," he argued.

Miller's remarks were made after the church offered up prayers for the family of 26-year-old Socrates Johnson who was fatally shot by the police on Clifton Road off Chisolm Avenue on Wednesday. The reverend said the family of the slain man, who are members of his church, were still trying to come to grips with his death. He said he, too, was still in shock as he had spoken with Johnson just an hour before his death.

According to reports from the Constabulary Communication Network, Johnson who is from an Upper Waltham Avenue, Kingston 11 address was fatally shot by the police at around three o'clock. The matter has been reported to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and is being investigated by the Bureau of Special Investigations.

JFJ was among several civil organisations that mounted a peaceful protest outside the offices of the Ministry of National Security on Oxford Road about two weeks ago, to register its concerns about the increasing number of police killings across the island. Twenty-nine persons were killed by police during controversial operations last month, triggering outrage from citizens, JFJ and Amnesty International. The incidents also arrested the attention of Security Minister Peter Bunting.

In a discussion with the Jamaica Observer following the sermon yesterday, Miller registered his own infuriation.

"The ones who are charged with the responsibility for protecting us, cannot be the ones who are destroying us. Something is wrong," said Miller.

He made it clear, however, that he was not bashing the security forces for doing their job and was keen to point out that extrajudicial killing was just one area of injustice in the society.

"I am not into police bashing, because the police have a difficult task in a difficult society because of what we have allowed to develop," he said. "But at the same time, they cannot do right wrongly and we cannot encourage that."

The "we" he referred to extends to the wider society, but Miller, who headed the National Transformation Programme under the previous government, said it was the church's responsibility to fight injustice.

"The issue of justice is one of the main responsibilities of the church, because justice is one of the major pillars of society and because of our commitment to people and particularly to the poor and to the oppressed, we have to stand up and be a voice for justice [and] for truth," he told the Observer.

"We must be prepared to more than just talk about it or feel bad about it, we must be prepared to act," the reverend said.

"The churches are playing a fantastic role in many areas of society, but certainly in the area of justice, there is a lot more that needs to be done. There should be a stronger and more consistent voice against every form of injustice wherever it pushes up it's head," added Miller.