"Corrective Rape" in Jamaica? ..... Yes

Yet again another lesbian has suffered at the hands of men who think they can rape away lesbianism out of a woman. The sick act took place in a rural community in upper St. Andrew hills. The woman who is a visiting Jamaican student from a University on study leave resided in her family home and was scheduled to return to the Unites States this September for continued studies.

According to my source she returned from a house a few chains away where she had gone to ask a favour about 7pm on July 31, 2009.

She was met at her gate's entrance which was dark by two men who tried the usual improper Jamaica male advances with suggestive remarks. Other family members had gone out, apparently she has been eyed by the men in the area since her arrival. It was mentioned that she went to the local shop where men heckled her after she ignored their verbal advances again laced with suggestive remarks.

The accusation of her lesbianism began there actually but she ignored the remarks thinking her family's name and reputation in the community would be a buffer for her. Jamaican men are notorious for accusing a woman of being a lesbian if she ignores his public utterances usually laced with sexual overtones.

The men as it turns out where apart of that group who heckled her before and they reminded her before and while committing the gruesome act. The men took turns assaulting the woman before threatening her not to say anything or they would get other men to kill her. The family is stunned. Unfortunately this is the third major case of Corrective Rape this year to my knowledge, the other two involved lesbian couples living together and were committed in Kingston and Portmore communities.

So as it stands our sisters in South Africa aren't the only victims (sorry to use that term but it is what it is) of this awful practice and we must now face yet another ugly reality of homophobic violence towards lesbians. There has been a steady increase in homophobia resulting in violence towards lesbians since my time at a GLBT organisation to present, from stabbings to illegal evictions and beatings.

Just earlier this year a "butch" was beaten as she was told to leave her community of her birth as she was nasty.

The men couldn't physically handle her to rape her so they treated her as a man based on some of the comments that came to my attention as the act was committed. Cases like this leave many women scared and they don't even bother to report these issues to the police as mistrust is a primary reason and the slow pace of the justice system is another.

I haven't been able to contact the woman in question and I wouldn't want to rehash the event with her either, she has since removed from the town but her father is livid and has vowed that it is not over. One of the men in question has been seen leaving the area with a large bag. Wonder where is he going? At least in this case she has a father who has shown some concern other incidents over time have revealed un-supportive families and siblings which sometimes lead to displacements or self imposed exile by the person(s) involved.

I am praying for her speedy recovery so she can return to building her life, sad that in the land of her birth this is the gift she receives for a coming home visit.

Stay strong people, why can't we be tolerant for god's sake.

Peace and tolerance.

H

Sexual Dysfunction & the Gay Man

by the love coach

Sex is all the craze nowadays! Everybody wants to be having it and they want it to be out of this world with eyes rolling into the back of their heads and throats sore from all the unbridled shrieking of ecstasy. While sexual bliss seems to be glamorized in our society, what if you and your partner are experiencing troubles in the bedroom behind closed doors? This can be quite traumatizing and a blow to one’s self-esteem and sense of masculinity, particularly since we men are socialized to be adept and skilled at sexual prowess and conquest.

These stereotypes of men “always being ready” and “virile with lots of stamina” put a lot of pressure on men to sexually perform like gods and threatens their identity as a man should problems arise in that part of their lives; they can feel like a failure or that they don’t “measure up” because so much emphasis is put on perfectionism in this area.If you are going through a rough patch in your intimate life, you are not alone! Sexual dysfunctions are very common, but the good news is that they are usually very treatable! This article will offer gay men a glimpse at some of the more common sexual problems that exist and will provide some tips for coping and potential resolution.

The Clinical Syndromes
In both my therapy and coaching practices, sexual issues make up a large percentage of the relationship problems that clients bring to the table, whether it’s the primary emphasis or a side-symptom of something else that’s going on between the couple. At some point in their lives, most men will experience some kind of sexual-based problem and this is perfectly normal and to be expected. It is when these issues become frequent and the predominant norm in your sex life that you will really want to take notice and take some steps toward addressing it.

In her book (*)“The Art of Sex Coaching”, Dr. Patti Britton, PhD (“The Sex Coach”) outlines nine common sexual concerns that men can experience. I agree with her naming these issues as “concerns”; the medical field has long used such words as “dysfunction” and “problems” to label peoples’ sexual impasses and this only serves to pathologize them. What’s important to understand is that these sexual “bumps-in-the-road” are very common. Buying into the concept that there’s something wrong with you because this is happening to you will only perpetuate your struggles and keep you trapped in a vicious cycle of shame and belief in yourself as being deficient. Couldn’t be further from the truth! These issues can be overcome! The popular concerns cited include:

1. Low or no sexual desire (low sex drive, infrequent sexual urges)

2. Early ejaculation (coming sooner than wanted)

3. Erectile dysfunction (impotence, unable to produce or maintain an erection)

4. Delayed ejaculation (inability to ejaculate)

5. Sexual inhibitions (unable to be free and “let loose” during sex due to past trauma or having internalized negative messages/values about sex being “bad”)

6. Body dysphoria (worries about sexual performance, penis size, masculinity, or adequacy; vanity, body image issues)

7. Social/dating skill deficits (lack of experience, awkwardness, lack of confidence, poor communication)

8. Desire for enhanced pleasure (wanting to become a more skillful lover)

9. Sexual trauma (difficulties with intimacy due to past history of rape or childhood sexual abuse)

CONTINUE

Elephant Man axed from Canadian Concert

By Julie Bolcer
Complaints from Toronto LGBT rights advocates prompted concert promoters to oust a high-profile Jamaican dancehall artist known for antigay lyrics, reports the Toronto Star .
Elephant Man (pictured), also known as O’Neil Bryan, was scheduled to perform at the Caribana Celebrity Ball this Sunday at Circa nightclub. A spokeswoman for the club told the Star that after gay activists complained to the venue, Circa asked the outside promoter to remove the artist from the lineup.

In a hit 2001 track called “Log On,” Elephant Man sings "Log on, and step pon chi-chi man / Dance wi a dance and a bun out a freaky man.” According to numerous sources, including the 2008 book Dark Side of the Tune: Popular Music and Violence, the Jamaican patois lyrics celebrate stamping on a gay man and setting him on fire. Critics have charged a number of dancehall artists with inciting mob attacks against gay people in Jamaica.

Protests also greeted Elephant Man when he was issued a visa to perform in Canada in 2007, resulting in police monitoring his concerts for antigay lyrics

MORE:

Homophobic dancehall musician Elephant Man was booked to perform at Circa nightclub on Aug 2 as part of Caribana weekend. But after some in Toronto’s gay communities expressed outrage, Circa staffers say they cancelled his appearance. Even so, independent event promoters say Elephant Man is still planning to appear.Circa staff released a schedule of events for Caribana on Jul 28 that included a poster for the Celebrity Ball, a Sunday night event featuring a photo of Elephant Man as the headlining performer. Minutes after the material was sent, the Twitterfacefriendspacebook-o-net twitched to life with outrage among some of Toronto’s gay people. Circa staff quickly backpedalled, telling the Twitterfacefriendspacebook-o-net that his booking was cancelled. On the promo poster, the musician’s image was replaced by a question mark. “Elephant Man will not be performing,” Circa staffer Tika Simone told Xtra on Jul 27.

Staff at Circa say they were unaware of Elephant Man’s homophobic lyrics prior to the backlash and pulled him from the lineup as soon as they realized what a fuss it would create.However, when Xtra called some of the event’s independent promoters they sang a different tune. “As far as I know, he’ll be there,” said Prawjectz, one of the Celebrity Ball’s promoters and MCs, on Jul 29. “If there was a change we would have known about it by now.” Xtra contacted Jag a promoter for Soulshock, the promotion company behind the event, to ask if Elephant Man would be performing at Circa’s Celebrity Ball, but he refused to comment and hung up. Three other promoters linked with Soulshock who spoke with Xtra said they were unaware that Circa had dropped Elephant Man from the bill, and that the event was going ahead as planned, Elephant Man included. Xtra contacted Elephant Man’s booking firm, Solid Agency, but after some back and forth calls, no one returned our inquires.

In all of Xtra’s inquires there is so far no indication that Elephant Man will simply be performing in another venue.The controversial musician last made headlines in 2007 when he was scheduled to perform at Koolhaus in Toronto after the concert club cancelled his appearance because outrage erupted from some in the gay community. Elephant Man has been the target of international activist organization Stop Murder Music. The Canadian branch of the coalition helped convince Apple i-Tunes to stop selling songs that incited violence against gay and lesbian people. Matt Thomas, an associate editor of Toronto’s fab magazine, which is operated by Pink Triangle Press, which also publishes Xtra, says he posted a note on his Facebook account about Elephant Man performing at Circa soon after he received the promotional material from Circa. He was surprised by how fast word spread online and by how fast Circa acted. “As an activist I’m used to not getting what I want,” says Thomas. However this time, “I didn’t have to leave my desk and it took three hours.”

Thomas says banning homophobic artists, like Elephant Man, from entering Canada isn’t a good way to oppose homophobia. He says in this case the protest is about putting “socio-economic pressure” on businesses that make a living partly from the support of gay people. Thomas says he wants to encourage venues to think twice before booking homophobic musicians. “It’s about targeting people who profit from hate,” says Thomas. Akim Adé Larcher of Stop Murder Music Canada says that some Jamaican dancehall artists with homophobic lyrics will pull their homophobic songs from their show when performing in some countries. However, “They sing those songs when they return to their home countries,” he says. “The songs still incite violence and hate.” Some of Elephant Man’s lyrics include lines such as, “Battyman fi dead! Tek dem by surprise” (queers must be killed! Take them by surprise) and “When yuh hear a Sodomite get raped/but a fi wi fault/it’s wrong/two women gonna hock up inna bed/that’s two Sodomites dat fi dead” (“When you hear a lesbian getting raped/ It’s not our fault ... Two women in bed/ That’s two Sodomites who should be dead.”)

Lesbian, Seventh Day Adventist and beliefs

More and more Jamaicans are expressing themselves about issues affecting them and it's refreshing to hear some. This particular post is birthed from an exchange I had with a Seventh Day Adventist who is also a lesbian. I tried to invite her to a series of GLBT events slated for the Emancipation weekend where she responded that Saturdays are out as she respects her faith and keeps the Sabbath. The conversation went on to the role of the church and what it ought to be concerned about which is winning souls fopr Christ despite orientation or the profile of the individual.

Read more on What is the church really about? on my other blog gay Jamaica Watch.

Over the past months Jamaica has been having a dialogue overall about morality and Christianity and the various doctrines that obtain from the many denominations that co-exist here. My lesbian friend pointed out that the church is too busy dipping it's hands into state affairs it seems and I concurred referring to the much debated Sexual Offences Bill and the Abortion issue now in the public domain.

Read more on Theocracy issues and How Christians deal with law

Her personal path is that of handing over to God what she feels is an unchangeable course in her life that of being a lesbian, she says she prays to God for whatever should happen however I questioned her as to why she would do that, it's as if she concurs that her lesbianism is a sin thus making her unfit and unclean for the church and evangelism. I pointed out that many who are in the business of evangelism may never see the gates as that much coveted position alone in my view doesn't guarantee salvation in the end as the bible puts it. She recovered herself and went on to state that she believes God never made a mistake in creating her as she is and she feels her calling is to serve but the institutional structure of churches in general choke and exact bigoted positions to persons who seem different than the "holy" individual.

Frankly the church has no business in judging people if it does it is no different from the sinner folk it is to reach or to infuse love and peace in the lives of men.

Walk good.

H

Women's groups react to Senate passing Sexual Offences Bill

THE landmark Sexual Offences Bill, which reforms and amalgamates various laws relating to rape, incest and other sexual offences, was finally passed by the Senate last Friday.


WEBSTER... [the Bill] has been a long time coming

The Bill will repeal the Incest (Punishment) Act, as well as several provisions of the Offences Against the Person Act. It also provides for the establishment of a Sex Offenders Registry, which will maintain a register of sex offenders.

It was passed in the House of Representatives on March 31, tabled in the Senate in April and the debate started in May. However, over a lengthy process in the Senate, 28 amendments were made before the Bill was passed.

These amendments cover a number of crucial provisions, including: violation of persons suffering from mental disorders; procuring violations by threats, fraud or administering drugs; abduction of children to have sexual intercourse; unlawful detention to have sexual intercourse; living on earnings from prostitution; and protecting the anonymity of complainants and witnesses.

VASSELL... when women's rights are advanced, it provides a wake-up call to men
The Bill also provides a statutory definition of rape, as well as provisions relating to marital rape, specifying the circumstances in which such rape may be committed.

It was piloted through the Senate by Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, who is also the leader of Government business.

Lightbourne noted that the Bill was examined rigorously by the Senate and that the members had, in large part, made useful comments on the provisions.

HERON... there are still a few provisions that could have been less restrictive
Senator Navel Clarke who spoke on behalf of the Opposition members, welcomed its passage. He described the Bill as being "in the interest of the people", and expressed the hope that the Senate will continue in that direction.
- JIS

Gender experts weigh in

EXECUTIVE Director of the Bureau of Women's Affairs (BWA), Faith Webster, said the Bill would go a far way in protecting the women in society who are often times victimised.

"It has been a long time in coming, but we have reached there; and I think now in Jamaica we are even ahead of some of our other Caribbean counterparts. They have been watching closely too and commending us to know that we have reached this stage now, and now we are looking forward to the drafting now, and the finalisation of this Bill, so that it can be implemented," she said.

She said she was especially pleased with the fact that consultations had taken place on all levels before the bill was passed and that parliamentarians were able to work with other stakeholders to ensure that it was okay.

"I was heartened to see the level of discussions, and the dialogue also that took place even at the parliamentary levels. That showed that there was keen interest in what was happening," she said.

She said while there were reservations on some aspect of the bill, it was able to capture most of the essential issues that Jamaican's had to grapple with.

"I can't say that any piece of legislation is ever fool-proof or perfect and the laws to me are not static. This is why we have a mandate as a country at large to constantly review and to assess, and to analyse and to see what's happening in the law, what's happening in the courts with the piece of legislation, to ensure that if it is not working as it should, what it is that we need to amend," she said.

Former president of Woman Inc and attorney-at-law Dundeen Ferguson, said she was especially pleased with the fact that the Bill dealt with the issue of marital rape, which has been a major concern for persons who worked in gender-related fields.

"In terms of our working with women and the increases in sexual assault against young girls and women who are being abused by their husbands, I think the legislation would work very well," she said.

"We are very happy that it's now coming into law. When you talk about almost 15 years of advocating for amendments to the Incest Punishment Act and amendments to various sections of the Offences against the Persons Act, looking at the central issues regarding women and sexual offences, we are very happy that it has passed," she said of the bill.

Director of the "men's desk" at the BWA, Dave Williams, said he too was in support of the Bill.

"Anything that protects the rights of women, we feel that it is a victory for men as well, because we believe in gender equality, and so if it protects one, then it will protect all. Anything that empowers women, we are happy for that and we welcome that," he said.

Meanwhile, women's activist and chairperson of the Women's Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC), Linnette Vassell believes the legislation was gender neutral. Furthermore, she noted that, "When women's rights are advanced, it provides a wake-up call to men on a whole to allow them to know about what is permissible within the law.

"It is a family law and healthy families mean healthier communities and nations on a whole," she said.

Other reactions

"FINALLY! There are still a few provisions that could have been less restrictive/more liberal but perhaps on a next round when can expect (more) enlightenment. Big up to the Bureau, the women's NGOs, the concerned ministries and individuals who really pushed this through from start to finish.
Now for implementation and monitoring - and training of course - so the work will continue."

- Taitu Heron, manager, Social Development & Gender Unit, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ)

"Aaaaat laaaast! We have come a long way. Congrats are in order for all who truly hold on to the dream, that one day we will reach the mountain top."
- Lana Finikin, SISTREN Theatre Collective

"Remember that several amendments were made to the Bill by the Senate which now need to be studied carefully. These amendments also mean that the Bill goes back to the House for approval before it is law, therefore the celebrations may be a little too soon."
- Nancy Anderson, IJCHR

Insensitive parents & Displaced MSM

Many Jamaican adolescent gay men are the victims of displacement and or ostracism by family members and others when they are found to be gay. A most recent case that came to my attention is that of a 23 year old male who frequents his family home and stops in to supervise his other siblings. According to him in a recent conversation his mother demanded he leave the home as she told him she found out about his lifestyle after years of rumours and suspicions of his orientation. She told him that she doesn't intend to share even utensils with him thus he cannot stay in the home.

Suprisingly his father is much more understanding in this case as usually fathers are much more angered by their son's homosexual lifestyle. The difficulty with stories like this one is that many of the displaced males are usually in their teens and who find themselves in difficult situations to eek out an existence for themselves, they are taken advantage of by other gay men who prey on their weakened positions and often use them for sexual favours.

It is an admission that many in the GLBT community don't really want to discuss directly and sad to say there are very little social intervention strategies that can capture these young men and women who fall through the cracks. Lesbians tend to fear off better as there support systems are usually emotionally connected and they tend to be nurturing thus outcomes yield more positive results. Another reason also could be that lesbianism is tolerated much more than male homosexuality so the girls can "survive".

Other accounts speak of parents checking emails of teens while they may have left the computer, browsing text messages of cell phones without the victims knowledge, scrutinizing phone calls and listening in on conversations. There was an incident several years ago where a father allegedly handed his gay son to students at his school to be beaten but was rescued by compassionate ancillary staff who took several blows to shield him and called for police intervention.

Jamaica Observer article 19/02/04: Father encourages students to maul 'gay' son

"According to students and teachers at the school, the boy's father apparently found pictures of nude men in the boy's school bag.
Infuriated, he turned up at the school yesterday with the pictures and encouraged the mob to turn on his son. As students began to maul his son, the man is reported to have driven away."

In notoriously homophobic Jamaica gay men can hardly expect protection even from their parents - as was made very clear yesterday.
A father, concerned that his son might be gay, turned up at the Dunoon Park Technical High School in east Kingston and apparently encouraged other students to beat the boy, an eleventh grader.

"Them bruck up desk and bench and beat him up badly," one Dunoon student told the Observer. "Him get nuff lick, box, kick and thump from boy and girl."
The boy's name was withheld by school officials and the extent of his injuries was not immediately known. But whatever they were, it would have been worse were it not for the intervention of ancillary staff.
According to students and teachers at the school, the boy's father apparently found pictures of nude men in the boy's school bag.

Infuriated, he turned up at the school yesterday with the pictures and encouraged the mob to turn on his son. As students began to maul his son, the man is reported to have driven away.
In the frenzy, students hurled stones at police who were called to the school to restore order, in the process damaging police cars and motorbikes. The police eventually were able to rescue the youngster from the other students, most of whom wore uniforms, and whisked him off the campus.
According to a teacher at the school, people from outside the school joined in the fracas.

"They were intent on killing him," this teacher said. "They were like a pack of wild animals who had smelled blood and if it wasn't for a staff member who jumped on top of him, you would be reporting on a mob killing."
The teacher described the behaviour of the student's father as "careless".
"A me save him," an ancillary staff member told the Observer. "Me have to jump on him and shield him cause them was going to kill him. Me get a whole heap of licks, but me push him in the office and lock him in."
School authorities were forced to call the Elletson Road police to escort the boy off the compound when the angry mob became uncontrollable.

But the cops were also attacked, leaving some with minor injuries. After calm was restored, at least a dozen Dunoon students were taken to the Elletson Road police station where they were given a stern warning by officers from the station's Criminal Investigation Bureau before being released.
"We went to the school to calm down a situation and protect the students and they turn around and fling stones on us," an Elletson Road police office complained. "What has the society come to?"
The parent who has been accused of ordering the students to maul his son, reportedly drove away from the school as soon as the fracas started.

Read more:

I don't know where to begin as to how to address this issue, why cant we just be tolerant and try to understand the issue of homosexuality before cursing it?

Peace and tolerance

H

The reasons and realities behind the ex-gay movement

By Ramsey Dehani
source: Pink News
The ex-gay movement, which professes to 'cure' homosexuality, is in the news yet again following the disappearance of American student Bryce Faulkner, who is thought to have been sent to one of the controversial centres by his parents after they discovered he was gay.

Ex-gay ministries were founded in the mid-1970s in a reactionary move against the advance of the gay rights movement in America. Rather than focusing on any biblical exegenesis or psycho-biological studies, the movement focused on popularised stereotypes of gays and lesbians, concentrating their actions on such things as 'gender-specific' role playing and ways of thinking.

The ideals of what the movement preaches, a move from homosexuality through to heterosexuality, are said to be ineffective and "potentially harmful" by American psychologist groups such as the American Psychological Association, which claims that such direct intolerance and lack of acceptance can cause mental health problems.

PinkNews.co.uk spoke to Dr Adrian Coyle, a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Surrey and co-author of 'The Social Psychology of Sexuality', about how these negative connotations affect the person involved.

With regards to reparative therapy, Dr Coyle said that there is "no evidence it works" and that the "research evidence just isn't there".

"As a psychologist and a scientist, I want to know about the evidence they have," he said.

"I don't think its wise to engage with the desire to change, the reinforcement of pre-existing negative ideas of one's sexuality presents a huge risk.

When asked further about ex-gay treatments he said that the only positive outcome would be that "conceivably, once, say, a religious Christian who is forced to go or chooses to go [to a centre], engages with it and tries their best only to find it doesn't work . . . it could be a catalyst for some critical thinking and a realisation that maybe they are not 'wrong'".

He went on to stress: "The risk is so huge for feelings of complete isolation of social context and the implications for a person's life and wellbeing."

He added that this could potentially lead to suicide.

Ex-gay groups tend to say that members who come to them want to change, and lose their "unwanted same-sex attraction", but when reading accounts from these people, many of whom come from small towns or cities throughout America where there is harsh intolerance towards gays, one can see reasons why they think that this is their only option.

The groups themselves often cite personal trauma as reasons for undertaking the therapy, with the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) claiming: "Early [during childhood or adolescence] sexual experiences with an older, same-sex person are commonly reported by our homosexual clients."

Peterson Toscano is the co-founder of beyondexgay.com, an online community for people who have gone through the ex-gay process and found it unsuccessful.

He submitted himself to reparative therapy, and spent 17 years of his life attempting to address his same-sex attraction, before finally coming out as openly gay in 1999. He told PinkNews.co.uk about his experience at ex-gay residential programme 'Love in Action' (LIA), as well as the three exorcisms he went through.

Describing a reparative therapy session, he said: "In LIA a typical day meant group sessions where we talked about our issues and get teachings about why we are gay based on the template they provide. Often parents get blamed and participants need to match their personal histories with the template the programme leaders provide thus creating a new mythology about themselves.

"We had to spend a great deal of time writing about our former sexual experiences," he continued, "and then filtering them through a lens that deemed such activity as sinful, dysfunctional and addictive.

"We also had to stand up in front of family and friends and share one of the most shameful sexual experiences we had, much like people do at AA when they talk about hitting rock bottom. This is a devastating and shaming event for both the participants and the parents".

Toscano talked about how they were given training in "proper" gender roles and personal presentation, and "how to dress, walk, act like proper men and women". Examples included men going to football "clinics" and women receiving baking lessons.

However, it seems that LIA itself does not even believe gays can be changed.

Toscano described how John Smid, the director of LIA, announced in a welcoming speech to them that the goal of heterosexuality was "unrealistic" and added that many would struggle with their desires for the rest of their lives.

Even Exodus International, the ex-gay group that is one of the largest of its kind and also the place where Bryce Faulkner is said to be being 'treated', now teaches this very message: "Change in orientation is not possible.”

Alan Chambers, the president of Exodus International, spoke at the Love Won Out conference in 2007 and said: "Heterosexuality shouldn't be your number one goal . . . the opposite of homosexuality isn't heterosexuality. It's holiness."

Mr Chambers continued: "I think we in the church often get that wrong. We think, 'okay, the best thing for this person who's involved with homosexuality or involved with lesbianism is that they come out of that lifestyle and go into heterosexuality'".

He added that this was "setting people up for a terrible fall".

So the president of the group itself is saying that the heterosexuality that he is attempting to push on gay and lesbian people is unattainable.

Bryce Faulkner has been criticised from a number of quarters for not choosing to leave therapy.

However, Toscano warned of the difficulties of trying to leave ex-gay ministries.

"Cut off from the world - friends, TV, news, etc -the teachings of the programme fills the head. You get trapped in a world within a world," he continued, "an alternate universe that warns of all sorts of dangers outside, that to leave, one is also leaving God's will for your life."

"Looking at it from the outside this may seem silly," he went on, "but inside that world that is filled with shame and fear, it becomes harder and harder to think clearly for one's self."

"Also, to know that once you leave you may be destitute . . . without the support from your parents . . . it makes it all the harder to get out," he said.

"Some kids do resist their parents and make it, but there are also far too many homeless LGBT people out there."

With the case of Bryce Faulkner still ongoing, and people such as his boyfriend Travis Swanson saying that he was "allegedly brow beaten, manipulated and economically bullied into 'agreeing' to an intervention to 'cure' his homosexuality", one can see that the movement continues.

Despite the assertion from its leaders that it doesn't work, ex-gay therapy continues and more and more people like Bryce Faulkner are sent there every day.

The movement in the US, and indeed, the UK, is going stronger, something which undeniably calls for more research into such false 'cures', which even the centres' leaders say does not work.

NARTH and Exodus did not return calls for comment.

The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir by Staceyann Chin

Order Book HERE

WIKIPEDIA Says:

Staceyann Chin is a 35-year-old spoken word poet born in Jamaica and living in New York City. Chin is a full-time artist. Openly lesbian, she has been an "out poet and political activist" since 1998. In addition to performing in and co-writing the Tony-nominated Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, Chin has appeared in Off-Broadway one-woman shows and at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. She has also held poetry workshops worldwide. Chin credits her accomplishments to her hard-working grandmother's and the pain of her mother's absence.
Her work has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Pittsburgh Daily, as well as being featured on "60 Minutes." Her poems can be found in her first chapbook, Wildcat Woman, the one she now carries on her back, Stories Surrounding My Coming, and numerous the anthologies, including Skyscrapers, Taxis and Tampons, Poetry Slam, Role Call, Cultural Studies: Critical Methodologies. Staceyann's voice can be heard on CD compilations out of Bar 13- Union Square, Pow Wow productions and many more. She is a host on Logo's After Ellen internet show "She Said What?" and a co-host of BET J's My Two Cents.
Chin's "activist driven"work has garnered praise in various publications. Of her one-woman show Border/Clash, The New York Times wrote that Chin "is sassy, rageful and sometimes softly self-mocking." The Advocate wrote, "With poems that combine hilarious one-liners ("I told her I liked the way she made that pink push-up bra look intellectual") with a refusal to conform ("I want to be the dyke that fucks men"), Chin is out to confront more than just the straight world." And in the book, Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam, author Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz referred to Chin as "definitely the prize to win" among the three New York City Poetry Slam venues during the years she competed, adding:
“
To watch Chin perform is to watch the very essence of poetry manifested: her performances are imperfect, volatile and beautiful. Chin's poetry is passionate and well-written, sure; but it's her ability to communicate that passion in performance that is unparalled. She becomes the poetry.

Big up sista!

Guyana - Sexual Offences Bill Developments

Letter to the Editor from the only source it seems that is following the Bill's run.

Proposed Sexual Offences Bill most advanced in the Caribbean

Dear Editor,
If the Sexual Offences Bill 2009 laid in Parliament last week is passed in its current form, Guyanese will benefit from the most enlightened legislation in the Caribbean.
Currently before a Parliamentary Select Committee, the Bill addresses all of the obstacles which have made court proceedings almost as traumatic an experience for women and girls as the original crime.
Apart from more certain justice, the law also provides for extensive awareness and training mechanisms to prevent the incidence of crimes of sexual violence.
An important innovation of the Bill is shifting the burden of proof away from the victim onto the accused by a new definition of rape.
At present sexual offence trials, especially rape cases, focus on whether or not the victim consented to the sexual activity.

The spotlight, therefore, is on the victim rather than the accused.
The new Bill requires that the first thing to be established is the presence of coercive circumstances. Only when an exhaustive list of such circumstances has been ruled out, does the question arise of consent taking place.
The court must ask whether violence was used or the victim had cause to fear violence (art.7(2)(a); was violence threatened against others (7(2)(b); ‘the complainant was, and the accused was not, unlawfully detained at the time’ (7(2)(c); was the victim overpowered by drugs (7)(2)(d); was the presence of other people used to intimidate (7)(2)(e); was the complainant asleep (7)(2)(f); was she unable to refuse by virtue of physical or mental disability (7)(2)(g,h); abuse of a position of authority which the complainant could not resist. Should any of these circumstances be present, it can be conclusively presumed that the complainant did not consent to sexual activity.

These features of the Bill have assumed greater significance in recent years because availability of DNA testing has foreclosed on many accused denying that sexual activity took place.
The issue of whether it took place with consent then becomes the centre of attention. The proposed legislation ensures the focus remains on the accused.
Although the threat or use of violence renders women largely powerless over their own physical and sexual integrity, the concept of consent presumes a woman can control the situation if she really tries hard enough.
This myth then encourages exploration by the court of women’s attitudes: was she impulsive, provocative or passive, why didn’t she scream, did she fight, has she consented before? Introducing the element of coercion into the assessment starts to right this balance.

Many features of sexual offences investigations and trials will become more sensitive in future: giving evidence from behind a screen, or by video-link will be available for children (below the age of 18 years); confrontations in police-stations are abolished, as are references to previous sexual history of the victim.
Abolition of Preliminary Inquiries finally takes the Guyanese judiciary from the oral into the print era.
This long-overdue step ought to eliminate a major cause of attrition in rape cases, namely, the interminable delays allowed in the Magistrates’ Court which, along with the casual humiliation by uncaring lawyers, contributed to the abandonment of countless cases.
Measures to address grooming of young girls by male predators are a welcome addition to the law, providing the police with an instrument to counter the growing number of solicitations, abductions and seduction of young girls.

Despite these proposed sweeping changes to procedures in police-stations and courts, victims of sexual offences still have to contend with ingrained and widespread public prejudices.
Public surveys from other societies show that 1 in 3 persons believe a woman is partly or wholly to blame for rape if she flirted with the man and 1 in 4 if she wore revealing clothing or had been drinking.
These figures translate into one-third and one-quarter of jurors sharing these prejudices.
The only weakness of the Bill lies in the multiplicity of official mechanisms charged with promoting sensitivity training, awareness, data-collection and community support.
Too many official agencies charged with vague mandates and dependent on uncertain funding is a recipe for duplication and vacillation.

A more sustainable approach might have seen attention focused on ensuring greater integration of existing services for victims of sexual crimes, leading up to the creation Sexual Assault Referral Centres in which victims can have all their needs addressed in one place and in an integrated manner.
The Bill stands as testimony to the fact that sustained effort can pay dividends.
In this respect the GHRA wishes to recognize the 160 organizations and community groups who supported the ‘Stamp It Out’ campaign, helping to create an environment from which such a Bill could emerge.
In particular we acknowledge Rights Of Children (ROC) activities outside of Parliament on International Day to Stop Violence Against Women in 2006 in which the slogan “Stamp It Out” was coined when women were invited to stamp painted footprints on large zinc sheets.
Executive Committee
Guyana Human Rights Association

Guyana - Sexual Offences Bill GHRA lauds

`An important innovation of the Bill is shifting the burden of proof away from the victim onto the accused by a new definition of rape’
The Executive Committee of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has lauded the tabling of the Sexual Offences Bill 2009, and said that if the bill is passed in its current form, “Guyanese will benefit from the most enlightened legislation in the Caribbean. “
The bill was tabled last week Thursday and was sent to a Special Select Committee of Parliament for deliberations.

According to a release from the GHRA, “the bill addresses all of the obstacles which have made court proceedings almost as traumatic an experience for women and girls as the original crime. Apart from more certain justice, the law also provides for extensive awareness and training mechanisms to prevent the incidence of crimes of sexual violence.”

The GHRA identified an important innovation of the Bill as the shifting of the “burden of proof away from the victim onto the accused by a new definition of rape.” The body noted that “at present sexual offence trials, especially, rape cases, focus on whether or not the victim consented to the sexual activity.” According to the GHRA, this means that the spotlight is on the victim rather than the accused.
The new piece of legislation requires that the first thing to be established is the presence of coercive circumstances. “Only when an exhaustive list of such circumstances has been ruled out, does the question arise of consent taking place.”

The body has acknowledged that the “abolition of Preliminary Inquiries finally takes the Guyanese judiciary from the oral into the print era. This long-overdue step ought to eliminate a major cause of attrition in rape cases, namely, the interminable delays allowed in the Magistrates’ Court which, the casual humiliation by uncaring lawyers, contributed to the abandonment of countless cases.”

Additionally, “measures to address grooming of young girls by male predators” were acknowledged as “a welcome addition to the law”, as it provides “the police with an instrument to counter the growing number of solicitations, abductions and seduction of young girls.”

Meanwhile, according to the GHRA “the only weakness of the Bill lies in the multiplicity of official mechanisms charged with promoting sensitivity training, awareness, data-collection and community support. Too many official agencies charged with vague mandates and dependent on uncertain funding is a recipe for duplication and vacillation”, the GHRA stated.

He said that “a more sustainable approach might have seen attention focused on ensuring greater integration of existing services for victims of sexual crimes, leading up to the creation [of] Sexual Assault Referral Centres in which victims can have all their needs addressed in one place and in an integrated manner.”

The GHRA added that the bill is testimony that sustained efforts can pay dividends. “In this respect the GHRA wishes to recognize the 160 organizations and community groups who supported the `Stamp It Out’ campaign.”

It acknowledged in particular the Rights Of Children activities outside of Parliament on International Day to Stop Violence Against Women in 2006 when the slogan was coined after women were invited to stamp painted footprints on zinc sheets.

Sexual Offences Amendments Passed 16/07/09

The senate passed the Bill to amend the Sexual Offences Act with 28 amendments.

The passage followed rigorous debate in the Upper House for more than three weeks.

During this morning’s sitting, Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne morning drew the ire of Opposition Senators after she accused former justice ministers K.D. Knight and A.J. Nicholson of failing to provide effective leadership of the justice portfolio.

Senator Lightbourne was hard put to explain why prepared modifications on the Sexual Offences Bill were not submitted to the Senate in a timely manner.

Senator Lightbourne launched a verbal attack on the former Justice Ministers who served during the People’s National Party administration over the 18 year period.


However opposition Senator KD Knight would not allow the Justice Minister’s comments to pass.

Despite Senator Lightbourne’s resistance to Senator Knight’s intervention, he was given the green light by the President of the Senate, Oswald Harding to respond.

Senator Lightbourne later apologized for her ministry’s tardiness.

The proposed statute now gives a definition of rape, as none existed in the Offences Against the Person Act, which covered sexual offences.

The Bill also makes provision for a range of new types of sexual offences, which are not covered under the new definition of rape and makes marital rape a criminal offence.

The amendments deal with, among other things, sexual violations of persons suffering from mental disorders and allowing convicted sex offenders to apply to the court to terminate his or her registration.

Another change seeks to protect victims of sexual offences, and witnesses, from having their names and addresses disclosed in the media.

The Bill, which was passed in the House of Representatives on March 31, seeks to amalgamate various laws relating to incest and other sexual offences.

It also includes provision for a Sex Offenders Registry and a Sex Offenders Register to monitor offenders.

Sexual Offences Bill - Comparison & Readings

The last two senate sessions have been moved up on the agenda so no new developments yet, The debate should have continued last Friday (July 10), but was deferred to allow members time to study proposed amendments to the Bill, which arrived late for that sitting.
The amendments deal with, among other things: sexual violations of persons suffering from mental disorders; allowing convicted sex offenders to apply to the court to terminate his/her registration; as well as to protect victims of sexual offences, and witnesses, from having their names and addresses disclosed in the media.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne, advised members that the amendments incorporated proposals resonating outside the Senate.
The Bill, passed in the House of Representatives on March 31, seeks to amalgamate various laws relating to incest and other sexual offences, and includes provision for a Sex Offenders Registry and a Sex Offenders Register to monitor offenders, please see below the recent Scottish Amendments/Passage to their bill(s). It is with great interest that I note the speed at which hansards and other notes relating to the Scotts' debate is readily available to the public while here in Jamaica it's sometimes a three week wait for hard copies and very little online references for perusal. Anyway let's compare notes, shall we? to see what we can learn from the Scotts, I am also trying to track the Guyanese debate as well. see posts on sexual offences bill so far

Please also see the UK's 2003 Sexual Offences Bill

Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill (SP Bill 11)
Related Links
Understanding bills
A Bill to make new provision about sexual offences, and for connected purposes.
Current status of Bill: The Bill passed Stage 3 on 10 June 2009.
Current version of Bill: Bill (as passed) (549KB pdf posted 11.06.2009)

Contents:
Introduction
Stage 1 After Stage 1
Stage 2 After Stage 2
Stage 3
Introduction
This Executive Bill was introduced by Kenny MacAskill MSP on 17 June 2008.
Bill (as introduced) (898KB pdf posted 18.06.2008)
Explanatory Notes (718KB pdf posted 18.06.2008)
Policy Memorandum (466KB pdf posted 18.06.2008)
Delegated Powers Memorandum (54KB pdf posted 19.06.2008)
SPICe briefings on Bill (as introduced)
SB 08-48 Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill (258 KB pdf posted 17.10.08)
SB 08-57 Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill: Children (122 KB pdf posted 23.10.08)

Stage 1
The lead committee for Stage 1 was the Justice Committee. The deadline for consideration of Stage 1 was extended to 13 February 2009 (the previous deadline was 23 January 2009).
Lead committee: Justice Committee's Stage 1 consideration
Lead committee Stage 1 report
The Bill was also considered by the following committees:
Equal Opportunities Committee on 30 September 2008.
Finance Committee on 24 June 2008.
Subordinate Legislation Committee on 9 September 2008, 7 October 2008, 28 October 2008 and 4 November 2008.

Chamber proceedings at Stage 1 (12 February 2009): Official Report and Minutes
The Bill passed Stage 1 on 12 February 2009.

After Stage 1
The Subordinate Legislation Committee considered the Scottish Government’s response to that Committee’s stage 1 report.
Subordinate Legislation Committee meeting, 3 March 2009

Stage 2
The Bill was referred to the Justice Committee at Stage 2.
17 March 2009 (Consideration of amendments, Day 1)
1st Groupings of Amendments for Stage 2 (91KB pdf posted 13.03.2009)
1st Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2 (113KB pdf posted 16.03.2009)
Minute
Official Report
24 March 2009 (Consideration of amendments, Day 2)
2nd Groupings of Amendments for Stage 2 (74KB pdf posted 20.03.2009)
2nd Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2 (144KB pdf posted 20.03.2009)
Minute
Official Report
31 March 2009 (Consideration of amendments, Day 3)
3rd Groupings of Amendments for Stage 2 (109KB pdf posted 30.03.2009)
3rd Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2 (129KB pdf posted 27.03.2009)
Minute
Official Report
The Bill passed Stage 2 on 31 March 2009.
Bill (as amended at Stage 2) (443KB pdf posted 31.03.2009)
Supplementary Delegated Powers Memorandum (18KB pdf posted 18.05.2009)
Revised Explanatory Notes (158KB pdf posted 04.06.2009)
The deadline for Stage 2 was 1 May 2009.

After Stage 2
The Subordinate Legislation Committee considered the delegated powers provisions in this Bill after Stage 2.
Subordinate Legislation Committee meeting, 2 June 2009
SPICe briefing on Bill (Parliamentary Consideration prior to Stage 3):
SB 09-39 Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 (233 KB pdf)
Subordinate Legislation Committee 31st Report 2009: Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill as amended at Stage 2
Stage 3
The Stage 3 meeting was held on 10 June 2009.
Groupings of Amendments for Stage 3 (128KB pdf posted 08.06.2009)
Marshalled List of amendments for Stage 3 (73KB pdf posted 08.06.2009)
Chamber proceedings at Stage 3 (10 June 2009): Official Report and Minutes
The Bill passed Stage 3 on 10 June 2009.
Bill (as passed) (549KB pdf posted 11.06.2009)

COPFS Progress on the Recommendations of the Review of Sexual Offfences

Sexual Offences Bill Debate - Senator Hyacinth Bennett's Summary Remarks 26.06.09 Part 4

2) Anal Sexual Activity

"Section 4(1)(c) and (d) reads as follows:

Section 4(1) - a person (hereinafter called "the Offender") commits the offence or grievous sexual assault upon another (hereinafter called the "victim") where in the circumstances specified in subsection (3) the offender -

(c) penetrates the anus of the victim with his penis;
(d) causes another person to penetrate the anus of the victim with the penis of that other person;

Mr. President, we already have the common aw and also sections 76 and 77 of the offences against the person act which provides the penalties for buggery and the attempt to commit buggery.
Buggery is anal sex between two males, a male to a female and a male to a female with an animal. In other words it covers unnatural offences. Buggery is a crime whether or not one consents. On the other hand, grievous sexual assault would be an act done without consent. If we implement paragraphs (c) and (d) which in effect is buggery without consent I am of the view that some good lawyer can one day use it as the basis for an argument that the existing anti-buggery law ought to be replaced concerning consenting adults in private. Such a result would not be in keeping with the common good. I would therefore urge this house to take the view that paragraphs (c) and (d) should be deleted entirely.

3) Other Sexual activity between males

Paragraphs (g) and (h) of the same section 4(I) that defines grievous sexual assault require scrutiny. Paragraphs (g) reads:

(g) places his mouth or her mouth onto the vagina , penis or anus of the victim ; or

Paragraphs (h) reads:

(h) causes another person to place his or her mouth onto the vagina, penis or anus of the victim.

Mr. President these sections speak to what is now commonly termed as oral sex. At present such acts are committed with the use of mouth on the penis or the anus and they are between two male persons, it is captured by section 79 of the offences against the person act under the offence of gross indecency. That offence also does not require consent. Similarly, by including such acts under grievous sexual assault we would also be setting up the basis for the argument that since consent is an issue we should do away with the gross indecency provision which does not require consent? Again we must tread carefully. I recommend that the references to the penis and anus in paragraphs (g) and (h) be deleted.
Now let me hasten to say that I am not insensitive to any cases where maybe a man may be "raped" by another man. I know that the maximum penalty for buggery is only (10) ten years whilst maximum penalty that would be imposed for rape or grievous sexual assault is imprisonment for life. I am however pointing to the possible dangers of going down the road of including anal sexual activity or other sexual acts between males in this bill. As a concession, the proposed section 4(I) (c), (d), (g) and (h) could remain with a provision that nothing in the new law should be construed to reverse the common law or repeal sections 76, 77 & 79 of the offences against the person act that address buggery and gross indecency. However, I am not sure if such a proviso could remain indefinitely in light of what I understand are recent utterances by the privy council that legislation must be in keeping with new human rights thinking which may find buggery provisions repugnant. The legal luminaries can help me with that. We cannot assume either that a Caribbean Court of justice will necessarily take a position in keeping with the values of our people since judges are supposed to think independently and some judges may be of a liberal mind set. An individual judge may take a position that is not shared by the majority."

She continued with Gender neutrality rape and Marital rape.

The END

On the down low: Men sleeping with men - another view

On the down low: Men sleeping with men

March 15, 2009

Heather Little-White, Ph.D.

'Men sleeping with men' is an established homosexual activity. Sex between men has been recorded in almost every human society and at every stage in history, accepted in certain cultures and repressed and denied in others. However, the real dilemma is for female partners in a supposedly heterosexual relationship to discover that their partners are also having sex with men. These men who sleep with men and women are bisexual, a sexual orientation which many women cannot tolerate.

Sophie was engaged and just a week before her wedding, She began packing to move to her new home. Sophie found pictures of her fiancé in a compromising position with a male friend of the couple. She found it hard to believe and when she confronted her fiancé, he broke down in tears and admitted that he enjoyed bisexual relationships for most of his adult life. The wedding was cancelled and Sophie has since lived a celibate life as she works through her pain in therapy.

Business associates

Men who have sex with men find a certain kind of fascination with this lifestyle. Bernie admits that he became involved in having sex with men because his business associates who were involved with powerful people got him in places and positions that he never thought would have been possible. He has plans of marrying one day to improve his social standing and the woman he dates now also share those plans, unknowing of his other sexual orientation, sex with men.

The secret world of men who lead a double sexual life is known as the Down Low in the United States. What is the Down Low? Men who have sexual relationships with other men while in a sexual relationship with women. They are said to be on the Down Low or DL for short. Often, these men do not consider themselves gay or bisexual and their female partners are unaware that they are having sex with other men.

Down low

Men on the 'down low' believe that women are for relationships and men are for sex only. They get the balance of having a woman for the benefits of a relationship with the caring and 'mushy' stuff, and the raunchy sex with men. Living the double life is very easy to do, according to one DL man. "As long as you are not suspected of having sex with another man, you are safe with your woman and society. If you dress effeminate, you place yourself at risk of being beaten because of the homophobic society in which we live," he added.

The Down Low world includes a surprising array of men in academia and business to homosexual thugs, often unemployed. The Down Low has taken centre stage in discussions on the increase in HIV/AIDS, especially among black women. Data show that the main mode of transmission is through heterosexual sex, moving from the former popular mode of transmission - drug use.

HIV transmission

The practice of straight men secretly having sex with other men is common among African American men, but it is seen across all ethnic groups. Experts have attributed the high rates of HIV to down-low practices where men have sex with other men then go home to their wives or girlfriends and infect them with HIV, never having told them that they have unprotected sex with other men.

How many HIV-positive black men consider themselves heterosexual? According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is difficult to quantify this population, but the tendency is for a good portion of men who have had sex with men to consider themselves heterosexual or straight. Black men do not like to be termed 'gay' or 'bisexual', as it makes them think of white guys wearing pink. They also feel that the terms rob them of their masculinity. In order for the AIDS prevention messages to be effective, health workers now use the term 'men who have sex with men' (MSM) to make men feel more accepting of the messages for safer sex and HIV testing.

Old boys' clubs

Men continue to lead a double life in secrecy and it is a place where they find acceptance in a highly homophobic society. Historically, it has been found that men who sleep with men find fraternity with members of the 'old boys clubs', sporting bodies, fellow deacons, work colleagues and friends, many of whom are known to their female lover and accepted as a 'good friend/colleague'.

Writing in the Invisible Life, author Lynn Harris posits that several cases of MSM were best men in the wedding of a male friend and wife. Several of the men in this 'secret' world, hang out together, drink, get drunk and end up at a secret apartment. "The next morning their underwear is on the floor and they just get up and put it back on as if nothing happened," Harris adds. What is dangerous about men having sex with men is that no condom is used. Some men admit that getting the condom forces them to think about the DL behaviour and may hinder their performance and achieving orgasm.

Precautions for women

Women, who fall in love, should take more pains so as not to end up with men who sleep with other men. Therapist Brenda Wade writing in Essence magazine suggests the following:

Do some groundwork during dating before engaging in sex. Dating gives a woman time to determine if her date is sane, available and compatible with her.

What if your date reveals that he has had sex with men or has an attraction to female? You may feel that you have to move on, but the real issue is whether you can have a committed, monogamous relationship and to determine what is needed to take it to another level.

Explore the reasons your date started the 'down low' and it may be possible to help him overcome it and women can go on to establishing healthy relationships with HIV tests. Some say that the only thing difficult as not knowing is knowing.

The issue of bisexuality is often shunned because of shame and the fear of being ostracised by the public. However, with the increases in HIV transmission, the group of men who sleep with both men and women can no longer be ignored in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

No vagina registry, Muddled discussions in the Senate on the Sexual Offences Bill

Glenda Simms (article in the Gleaner)

The current debate on the Sexual Offences Bill which was recently introduced in the Senate has frequently provided the television-viewing public the opportunity to either raise their eyebrows or drop their jaws. These responses are related to the bizarre comments of some of those who purport to bring sober and intelligent responses to the policies that are designed to bring decency, sobriety and balance to societies which adhere to the Westminster parliamentary model.

Some of the sensational sound bites emanating from the pristine upper chamber include visions of:

Scrotums on silver platter delivered to conniving wives

Wicked women who tell lies about rape

The spectre of the need to differentiate between real vaginas and surgical ones

The sound knowledge base of a non-biased woman who knows that having a sexually transmitted infection is not a death sentence

The idea that, without a change in the current definition of rape, men can be raped in some circumstances such as when a female uses "date rape drugs" to overpower a hapless and unsuspecting guy in the bar

The laying of criminal charges against bisexual men or those "on the down low".
All of these muddled discussion points demonstrate a serious and severe lack of understanding of human sexuality and the historical sexual atrocities that are designed and executed to keep women and girls in their place in patriarchal systems.

Sexual Offences Bill

These systems are still rigidly cemented in individual psyches, in the religious institutions and in the fundamental social, economic and political structures of the nation state.

Perhaps, before they continue to debate such an important piece of legislation as the Sexual Offences Bill, the members of both esteemed chambers of Parliament should take a refresher course in human sexuality before they speak to complex issues which should not be defined in terms of any indivi-dual's sexual experience or belief systems.

Edmond Campbell, Gleaner staff reporter, enlightened the readers of the June 28 edition of the attempts by some of the honourable Senators to block loopholes in the proposed sex laws which are now before them.

It is these attempts that have shown the Jamaican public moments of hilarity in the Senate. We observe men bent over in laughter slapping their chests and thumping their desks at some of the most titillating of comments.

These responses are rather disheartening to those who have worked so hard over the years to ensure that our decision makers take seriously the issue of sexual violence against women and children in the Jamaican society.

These are not laughing matters, nor should they become hysterical sound bites in the Upper House.

One of the most controversial and unclear notions put forward by one of the female senators is the concept of the real versus the surgical vagina. Of course, the gender of the senator should be important to such a 'red flag' idea. In some quarters it might be argued that it would have been inappropriate for one of the male 'landed gentry' to even imagine the difference between a real vagina and a fake or surgical one.

God-given special body parts

Indeed, only those who have the real ones can describe the feel, the contours and the authenticity of their God-given special body parts.

It is this issue that jumped out at me because it calls into question the human reality of transgendered individuals, hermaphrodites and others who have no control over how the Creator designed them.

Perhaps members of the medical fraternity who understand the notion of sexual identities and who would have the data base to enlighten us about the demand for operation to change the genitalia in the Jamaica society should lend their voices on these issues.

These professionals should be able to join this debate in order to ensure that sane, sober and informed interventions will lay the base for the justice inherent in the Sexual Offences Bill if and when it sees the light of day.

Against such intervention by the medical specialists, the question of false genitalia could be discussed in a more gender-neutral framework.

For instance, the fact that it has been reported in popular media that entertainer Cher's daughter is now transitioning from female to male, the spectre of surgical penises committing sexual crimes is a real possibility. The society would, therefore, be challenged to examine all our body parts in order to establish their authenticity.

Engaging in hysteria

Obviously, we are not serious about the issue of the distortion of human sexuality that has forced the Jamaican society to enforce a Sexual Offences Bill at this time in our history.

Rather than engaging in hysteria we should stand back and remind ourselves what healthy human sexuality is all about.

To this end, we might find some enlightenment in the discussion on 'Sexuality and Development' carried in the April 2006 policy briefing issued by the Institute of Development Studies.

The following point was highlighted in this document.

"While it is a fact that sexuality and gender is a defining characteristic of every human being in every culture, we are predisposed to ignore important aspects of human sexuality or alternatively to discuss sexuality in relationship to population, family planning, disease and violence."

Limited view

It is this limited view of human sexuality that prompted the World Health Organisation to present the following working definition to guide its work in all regions of the globe.


Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction.

Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships.

Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, ethical, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors.
This local struggle to define the parameters of the Sexual Offences Bill must be framed in the context of the criminal deviation from healthy sexual relationships between consenting adults of whatever sexual identity and within the established formats of human relationships.

We, the women of Jamaica, look forward to a Sexual Offenders Registry, the understanding of marital and other forms of rape as forced sex against our will, and appropriate punishment to deter the predators who think they own bodies besides their own.

Reject 'vagina registry'

We do not want to be lured into complacency or side-tracked by the possibility of registries of surgical penises, men on the down low, conniving wives and women liars.

Most definitely we reject any 'vagina registry' to identify real and false versions of the female genitalia.

The trouble with such a registry would not only be related to the costs of identifying real vaginas but the stress that would be placed on the prime minister in consultation with the leader of the Opposition to recommend to the governor general an appropriate, qualified citizen to become Jamaica's first Vagina Registrar.

Glenda P. Simms is a consultant on gender issues