Ragga Muffins festival cancels reggae singer Capleton's appearance over anti-gay lyrics

By Phillip Zonkel (Press telegram Long Beach)

LONG BEACH - Capleton, the controversial Jamaican reggae singer whose lyrics glorify killing gay people, has been booted off the bill of this weekend's Ragga Muffins Festival, organizers said.
Capleton was scheduled to appear on Sunday's portion of the two-day concert, which takes place at the Long Beach Arena. Advance tickets are $38 and $55, and Saturday and Sunday tickets are $45 and $60.

"We can't put people on the show who are advocating violence against any group of people," said Moss Jacobs, co-producer of the Ragga Muffins Festival.
Following Jacobs decision, other reggae promoters have cancelled Capleton concerts scheduled for Feb. 15 in San Diego and Feb. 20 in Oakland, Jacobs said.
Capleton, 42, born Clifton George Bailey III, has been criticized for lyrics advocating burning, lynching and shooting of homosexuals. One song, "Bun Out Di Chi Chi," reportedly translates to "burn the queer."

But in 2007 Capleton was one of several reggae artists, including Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Elephant Man and Sizzla, who signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, pledging not to sing songs "inciting hatred or violence against anyone from any community."
Ragga Muffin organizers first considered Capleton - who performed at the 2008 festival - for this year's Long Beach show about four or five months ago before signing him to a contract in December, Jacobs said.
At that time, organizers "did due diligence. We thought he passed the scrutiny test," Jacobs said.

Since late January, human rights activists have been pushing for Capleton's California concerts to be expunged. Those activists include England's Peter Tatchell, who works with the Stop Murder Music campaign, which watchdogs reggae music for gay hatred, and San Francisco blogger Michael Petrelis, have been pushing for Capleton's California concerts to be expunged.
On Friday, Jacobs cancelled Capleton's appearance after learning the singer had reneged on his promise, he said.

"He has not been able to change his lyrical content," Jacobs said.
Adds Petrelis: "Capleton made cosmetic changes (after signing the Reggae Compassionate Act) because he wants American cash. We in the gay community are not satisfied with cosmetic changes. I applaud the promoters for cancelling Capleton's engagement and not profiting from homo-hate."

These cancellations are not Capleton's first. In 2008, at least two Capleton concerts, one in France and the other in Switzerland, were called off following protests of his anti-gay lyrics.
phillip.zonkel@presstelegram.com,

Shebada's birthday bash 'drags' in crowd says the Star

A few cross-dressers took the excitement onstage.

Actor Shebada may have been billed as the main attraction for many patrons at his birthday bash held last Tuesday at the Green Gables Theatre, but at the end of the night he was not the highlight of the show.

After hours of waiting for the birthday boy to make an appearance, which he did shortly before 3 a.m., Shebada was upstaged by some colourful male cross-dressers who took to the stage in a dance-off. The male cross-dressers were being watched throughout the night as they met and greeted each other energetically in soft voices. When Kartel's Pon di Floor was played, a male in tight white pants became the centre of attention when he started gyrating to the song as women gathered around him to cheer.


In one swift movement as Shebada and Lisa Hyper left the stage as the final act, five cross-dressers showed off their acrobatic moves. Doing a series of splits reminiscent of a cheerleading act, the cross-dressers wined up a storm as they showed off their moves. When Bicycle was played, a cross- dresser pulled up his top to show his waist which was moving at top speed.

Lisa Hyper pins Shebada to the ground during her performance.

The crowd rushed to the stage whipping out cameras and phones as they laughed or watched in amazement. Soon, however, a stage manager rushed on telling the selector to cut the music and the lights were cut onstage. It wasn't the end of the show for the cross-dressers who started a minor stampede when an argument broke out and then gave 'queenly' waves to patrons as they left the venue.

loyal fans

Prior to that, it was a long wait to see the birthday boy who came out in full black when Lisa Hyper was performing. Hyper did a number of songs such as Bills and Champion Bubbler, at which point she called out Shebada to 'dagga' him. Shebada had Hyper on the floor as Hyper showed off her skills but was no match for the flexible Shebada. Shebada showed off splits as well, went on his head top - as did part-time emcee Bad Boy Trevor.

Just before Hyper, Professor Nuts, Apache Sarge and Chief as well as Milk performing her song Flossy kept the crowd occupied. The event, while not rammed was full of loyal fans who kept the energy going throughout the night from when the event kicked off at midnight with host Ragashanti.

Ragashanti was his usual colourful self as said, "All mi ghetto girls sey whooii," which they did. He then called on three girls for a dance-off as they grabbed Raga for a piece of the action. Chu Chu was soon called on as well as he danced for the crowd before Bad Boy Trever took over.

First Case of Gay UK man jailed for 'reckless' HIV transmission

A gay man who absconded to France after being convicted for recklessly infecting his former boyfriend with HIV was arrested when he returned to the UK for cancer treatment.

Mark James, 50, was on the run from police for three-and-a-half years after becoming the first gay man in the UK to be accused of "recklessly" passing on the virus.

Hounslow police arrested him in a hospital bed in Brighton last Wednesday, where he had gone to receive treatment for an aggressive form of lymphoma.

James, who lived with the victim in Brentford, was sentenced last Friday at Isleworth Crown Court to four years and two months behind bars.

He had pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm before he fled the country.

Judge Jonathan Lowen said: “During the three-and-a-half years while you roamed out and about, you represented a substantial risk of serious harm to members of the public were you again minded to commit the shocking crime to which I sentenced you in your absence on August 4th, 2006.

“The victim of your offence has suffered a great deal of extra anxiety and stress, and I have been told it has affected his health, all while you enjoyed your undeserved freedom.”

The court heard that James spent nearly all the time he was at large in Narbonne, south-west France.

James, who lived in Park Road, Burgess Hill, before his conviction, was diagnosed with lymphoma in December last year.

He received two courses of chemotherapy in France, and contacted the British Embassy and Foreign Commonwealth Office before flying to Gatwick on January 18th.

Daniel Robinson, defending, said: “He made no secret of his status to the immigration authorities on my instructions, and was allowed through immigration control because, I’m told, his treatment was viewed as a priority.

“He suffers from the cancer in an obvious way, he has a large tumour to the right hand side of his neck which has caused some facial paralysis.”

Detective Inspector Mike Sunman, who led the investigation, said: “It is obviously quite sad to see the condition he is in, but it was appropriate that the sentence be served.”

8 things not to say to your partner in a heated argument

WE are often told to count to 10 before we say something when we are angry, as words are powerful and once spoken, cannot be retrieved. But oftentimes, in a fit of temper, we say imprudent things that we wish we could take back. Here are 8 things you should never say in an heated argument with your spouse.

1. "That is why your parents never mind you!" -- This is particularly hurtful and destructive if he/she was neglected by their parents and is something they are still struggling to understand. If your spouse told you things about his/her upbringing in confidence, it will make him/her mistrust you in the future for fear you will use it against them.

2. "Get out of my house!" -- While it may be your house, your partner would have already known this. So to remind them makes you appear petty and unappreciative of them being there. If you say this more than once, then apologise for it or you can be certain that one day you are going to get home and find your partner gone!

3. "Your penis is small" -- Many times this is an issue that couples wonder about without asking, especially if sex is not a subject they are comfortable talking to each other about. So when this is mentioned in the heat an argument, naturally the other person will feel it is something that has been on your mind for the longest while and will pull away from you or feel very uncomfortable during intercourse.

4. "You don't serve any purpose!" -- Men especially love to have their egos stroked. It is therefore very damaging to them to be told that, despite their best efforts, they are of no value to society. This is especially damaging coming from the one person they are truly close to and try so hard to impress.

5. "You have no use in bed!" -- Nothing hurts a man more than to be told he has no use in the bedroom. The situation can be of such that he will go outside the relationship.

6. "You can't even half compare to ... (ex-lover)" -- To be compared to someone else, especially someone who poses a threat to the relationship, can be very damaging to the union. This can cause a build-up of anger and resentment towards the third party, as well as make the partner doubt the relationship has ended like you said.

7. "I knew this was a mistake!" -- This is another of the comments that make persons wonder about your true feeling towards them, and give the impression you really don't want to be with them. As the feeling of insecurity grows, the relationship becomes more and more unstable.

8. "That is why I never loved you!" -- If you had doubts about the way your partner really feels about you, this could be very damaging. No matter what they say thereafter, you will always have doubts.

-- Donna Hussey-Whyte

House to refocus on laws including Charter of Rights

THE GOVERNMENT has stated its intention to advance the legislative agenda of the House of Representatives before the 2009-2010 term ends on March 17.

"Parliament will make its best attempt to complete 12 government matters and 44 private members' motions by the end of term," House Leader Andrew Holness declared yesterday.

Among the issues on the parliamentary agenda is a bill titled 'An Act to Amend the Constitution of Jamaica to Provide for a Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms', which is to be read a third time.

Better known as the Charter of Rights, the bill has been sitting on the table - as required by the Constitution - for three months. It will be taken next Wednesday and, if passed, would go to the Senate for its approval.

Jamaica has been seeking to amend the provisions of Chapter Three of the Constitution since 1977.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bruce Golding will today move a motion to repeal the Police Public Complaints Act.

New commission on the books

Government is proposing the establishment of a commission of Parliament, to be known as the Independent Commission of Investigations, to undertake investigations concerning actions by members of the security forces and other agents of the state that result in death or injury to persons, or the abuse of the rights of persons.

The bill has already been laid and is to be read a second time today.

Also on the parliamentary agenda is the issue of the six anti-crime bills that have been lingering on the order paper since December 2008.

This matter is to be considered by the House on March 16, the day before the House rises for recess.

A joint select committee of Parliament has already considered the proposed bills. The People's National Party has expressed discomfort with some provisions in the proposed legislation, and its members who participated in the joint select committee meetings have said they may send a minority report to Parliament.

Gully, Gaza, gays, gender part of Int'l Reggae Conference

Mel Cooke, Star Writer

The second International Reggae Conference begins on Wednesday evening with an opening ceremony at The Ruins, Mona Visitors' Lodge, UWI. Then over the following three days, various persons will present papers and there will also be performances and a visit to August Town.

Topics specific to dancehall music are part of the conference, organised under the leadership of Reggae Studies lecturer Dr Donna Hope Marquis. Gaza and gully, gays and gender are all part of the mix and Marquis will present on the first panel dealing specifically with dancehall. She will speak on 'Dancehall, Violence and Jamaican Youth: An Empirical Synopsis' while Fania Alemanno will present 'Dancehall, Women and Sport: A Preliminary Overview'.

music and youth

These are part of the Thursday mid-morning panel on 'Music and the Youth: Exploring Consumption and Influence', where Lisa Tomlinson will also examine 'Reggae, Resistance and Youth Culture in Toronto'.

Later on Thursday, in the post-lunch session 'Sacred and Secular Iterations in Dancehall', God and the genitals meet as Kenichi Ninomiya deliver 'Dancehall Gospel as Masculine Christianity', Winston C. Campbell discusses 'Suppose a God Song Mi did a Sing': A Case Study on Lyrical Typecasting in 21st Century Dancehall' and Anna Kasafi Perkins asks 'Love the long ding dong - Tanya Transgresses Christian Sensibilities?'

Early Friday morning 'Dancehall Feuds, Factions and Fandom' are up for discussion as Michael Barnett presents 'Prince Buster vs Derrick Morgan: The Original Dancehall Clash' and Sonjah Stanley Niaah comes more 'up to the time' with 'Gully vs. Gaza?: Feuds, Factions and Fuelling Fandom in Jamaican Dancehall Performance'. Annie Paul discusses 'Eyeless in Gaza and Gully: Mi deh pon di borderline' and Kim-Marie Spence's presentation is entitled 'Clash! - Jamaican Artistes in a New Digital Music Market'.

Then in Friday's mid-afternoon session dancehall figures prominently in the Language, Lyrics, Listening and Literary Issues panel. Nickesha Dawkins will look at 'Gender-based Vowels Used in Jamaican Dancehall Lyrics', Winston Campbell asks 'When Did Dancehall Cease to Exist? Thematic Engagement of Dancehall Lyrics of the '90s and 21st Century' and Lloyd Laing presents 'Inoculating the Dancehall Virus: An Introduction to Memetics'. Also in that session are Michael Kuelker (The Many Functions of the Bus in Jamaican Music) and Wayne D. Russell (Paradigm Shifts in Content: Recasting Lyrics and Images in Reggae- (A Video Supported Presentation)).

When The STAR asked Marquis if academic examination of Jamaican music still needs legitimacy and she says "in Jamaica, yes".

"You still have to be explaining why you are studying it. It is still not given the respect it deserves," she said. "I think maybe because it comes from us. It is still being taken way too much for granted."

Former Prime Minister Edward Seaga has not taken music for granted and will be presenting a special session at the conference. He will speak on 'Jamaican Music Industry as a Site of Nationalistic Fervour' in the Friday post-lunch session in the Main Library's Multi-Functional Room. "Mr Seaga understands the music culture very well. He has an understanding of Jamaican culture that many people do not have," Marquis said.

The conference also incorporates the annual Bob Marley lecture, which will be delivered by Tekla Metfet at the Undercroft on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The second International Reggae Conference's final day, Saturday, February 20, will be hosted in the Assembly Hall, beginning with a session on 'Supportive Institutions - The Jamaican Situation'. After lunch, dancehall will once again be in the mix as Ellen Koehlings and Pete Lilly speak in 'Music in Europe: The Homophobia Debate'. David Katz will give the conference's final plenary.

It is hoped that the public and persons who work in the music industry will turn out for the International Reggae Conference 2010. Marquis says that often players in the music industry get so caught up in their projects that they can lose sight of the larger picture. "This is an industry. It has a history and it has a future," she said.

Serial rapist gets 29 years in rape ring, Look out my sisters.

A man was sentenced in February 2010 in a Kingston court after he was found guilty of 4 counts of sexual assault (stemming from previous charges for which he was on bail), illegal possession of firearm, robbery with aggravation and abduction of a woman in particular in June 2009 who was also robbed of valuables resulting from a sinister lesbian rape ring operated in Kingston and St. Catherine.

Confirmed reports reaching GLBTQ are that “an undercover female” who has a profile on a popular social network page has been using the page and their alleged lesbian sexual preference to lure women of gay and bisexual persuasion into the web of deception where the women are abused. In this particular case one woman was raped while another was sexually abused, the latter decided to pursue the case seriously which led the police who were cooperative to smash the ring, a ring that one the face of it was long suspected based on the overwhelming evidence and raft of charges the accused men have to their name, they were on bail for similar abuse charges when the acts were committed.

On June 20, 2009 the sexual abused victim and her friend who accompanied her in Kitson Town at approximately 1pm went to meet the undercover lesbian as agreed she was instead met by an alleged stepbrother of the so called lesbian profiler, they struck a conversation and were walking to the home of his “stepsister” when they were pounced upon by the accused on foot who at gun point ordered the girls and the stepbrother to divert to bushes where the unmentionable acts took place, it was then it became clear to the women that the “stepbrother” was a part of the scheme as he knew where to take captives along with his gun totting crony, the main victim as referred to here was sexually assaulted while the other woman was raped by both men i.e. the accused and the alleged step brother in full view of each other. The women were released by the perpetrators they then made their way to their homes, the matter was then reported to the police.

The case was fast tracked as the accused and the alleged stepbrother were on bail for similar offences and personal belongings of the women were found at the home of the accused including the computer and the cell phone used by the alleged female profiler who is also involved in the ring led to the overwhelming evidence used in the case.

The other victim has not been doing very well emotionally but she has the support of the stronger victim who testified in the case and is being encouraged to pursue here side to bring some closure. The alleged step brother and lesbian profiler are still at large and investigations are progressing. The police in St. Catherine are aware of the ring as several other women are believed to have been either victims themselves or attempts made to trick them into forced group sex activities have been asked to come forward to identify or give a sketch of their abusers.

The very network page in which this incident is said to have stemmed had received previous correspondence from your truly strongly suggesting that the administrators make the site private so the front page couldn’t be seen by just any member of the public and members would have to be vetted and approved before full membership is granted, knowing the sensitivities involved. I also operate a network page and only invited persons who can be verified by other members present on the site can enter, signing in also is a necessary process and profiles must have a face photo present.

Fortunately the sexual assault case was tried “in camera” meaning proceedings were closed to the public so the victim was speared the pressure and embarrassment from the public’s glare and she gave me permission to publish this post as a warning to others who may fall prey to similar schemes. The matter of the victims sexuality however was not made mention as determining factor in the trial specifically, a mature step by court standards but may be hinted to once the lesbian impersonator is caught to establish motive.

The scourge of corrective rape has been covered on this blog as extensively as is possible given the sensitivities involved but these instances have been on a steady rise in severity since 2008. Several other cases have gone under the radar as only recently there was another unconfirmed allegation of a double rape episode in south Central Jamaica where one of the perpetrators was said to be the cousin of one of the victims in a bid to heterosexualize the victim.

This is a stern warning to my lesbian sisters out there please be mindful of the persons and social networks you become associated with, here are some tips I think that are useful:

1) Check the sites and chat rooms to make sure their privacy settings allow for scrutiny of members and their profiles.

2) Be ware of the amount of pictures of yourself you may upload to these open sites,

3) If one intends to meet or hook-up with potential persons from these networks do so in a public place for your own protection

4) Develop a rapport with online chatters or friends before meeting them; get to know the chatter by asking probing questions

5) Use a pseudonym where necessary and ask the administrators to verify members where necessary

6) Use the privacy settings available on your respective social networks so that not everyone can see your page if needed

7) When in doubt just block a suspicious profile user if one if not satisfied that the person is legitimate

8) Be alert to the number of members in your page and try to discern suspicious activity

9) If in doubt leave the respective page and delete all content of you including photos

10) Look for pages that offer privacy settings that are suitable for you protection, pages on NING, Facebook and MySpace offer great privacy settings that can make your profile hidden from all other members

11) Network with those you know so they can verify other folks and tread carefully online.

Thanks to the sister who offered her assistance in preparing this report she is doing very well as she seemed strong in her demeanour and has family support is refreshing as they have been with her through the court cases and relevant activities, this kind of support is not often found in rape cases in general. The police again are to be commended in this case as she said they were helpful including the male officers, a commendation not heard very often towards lawmen from LGBT Jamaicans.

Look out for yourself and others.

Peace and tolerance

H

High Drama as Homophobes attempt to disrupt and picket gay party

High Drama as Homophobes attempt to disrupt and picket gay party
An event that was in full gear in Kingston on February 12, 2010 at around 11:50pm was the scene of a two plus hour protest inclusive of abusive remarks by 2 females and 4 males initially. The angry neighbours who demanded that the Faggots leave their community and no noise or disturbances launched a scaving homophobic protest. The venue which was carefully prepared via decorative cloth on the fencing and gates to privatize the party activities never had any hints of alleged gays and lesbians kissing and carrying on as falsely described by one of the placard waving and shouting residents repeatedly.

The host had on her employ a 5 man security detail who watched with care until they were discharged of duties just before the police arrived to defuse the situation.

The protest apparently stemmed from a party that was held the week before which at its climax had a very public altercation between several patrons of that event, that event indeed was a gay party as I was in attendance but left before the damming proceedings unfolded. The immediate neighbours said that they were upset at last week’s public brawl on the streets and demanded that no other “dutty, nasty Battyman and sodomite come bout yah” (dirty nasty gay men and sodomites come here) the leading female protester said. The host of the current event that was being picketed tried to defuse the situation several times by explaining to the protestors that she only knew of the previous week’s incident in detail on the same night of finalizing her event and couldn’t be held accountable for that. She said she was assured that all would have been well by the respective parties involved in its organizing. The protesters however went into overdrive saying that they didn’t care about that and we must move our nastiness elsewhere among other unmentionables inclusive of expletives.

Machete wielding and threats
At several points during the drama a male occupant, of the property next to the immediate neighbour made threatening assertions and wielded a machete but the party continued despite the five protesters ongoing chants and threats which grew louder over time. They then proceeded to light a bonfire just adjacent to the entrance to the venue and fuelled the fire with petrol as it was evident in the odour coming from the smoke it discharged.

Photos taken of patrons …….
Disturbingly as the impasse slowly intensified three of the protesters and other passers-by dawned digital cameras and camera phones and captured photos of patrons entering and exiting the venue specifically by face and also the license registration plates of vehicles that were parked on the road as there was no available parking inside the venue, later on during the impasse after myself and the host visited the Half Way Tree Police station to get their assistance as we thought the situation needed to be defused as soon as possible the police did turn up after a second visit by the host to the precinct. I questioned the lead officer as to the photography that was done by the protesters and their response to me was that they couldn’t do anything about it as they never saw photos being taken. It was a while after that it was also discovered that photos were being secretly taken by the very high perimeter wall (almost 8 feet in height) by one of the protesting party who turned off his camera flash. Before he had taken shots outside using a flash as the street lighting wasn’t providing a good backdrop.

I am very concerned however about the capturing and possible usage of those photos by the protesters and it is hard to say how many were actually captured and when. The answer as given to me by the officers was not satisfactory at all. I hope to investigate the legal boundaries if any are present and publish same if and where I am successful. In fact many patrons literally when into the focus of the camera totting protestors to show they weren’t afraid of them.
Party patrons tried to in turn tried to take photos as well of the protestors side of things but this was met with resistance from them and threats were hurled at the would be photographers which eventually included myself, photos were then taken of us while we were capturing the scene, it was then things almost took a turn for the worst as heated exchanges ensued this was because several other patrons who were on the inside had left the dance floor to see what was really going down and did not take kindly to their party being obstructed over simple matters. The bonfire continued to burn it had a tyre as its base and lit just on the outside of the venue was fed steady doses of fuel in the form of bushes and petrol.

The Police Action
The police arrived on the scene after myself and the host visited the Half Way Tree station to get their intervention in the matter, upon their arrival the protesters were chanting loudly and hurling homophobic remarks with their bonfire fully ablaze apparently thinking the police would have sided with them, they were ordered to immediately extinguish the fire they had started but unfortunately the party had to end as the host did not have a permit to continue after 2am, the host complied with the police’s request to discontinue. The now 7 officers on the scene maintained a presence to see to it that the patrons left and were not abused as the protesters now 10, were moved several feet away from the original scene of the action, they however occasionally hurled their remarks but the officers kept control of the situation.
Of note the language and tone of the protesters changed immediately to a calm one and the machetes and cameras were no where in sight when the officers arrived much to patrons surprise and humour.

Thanks however to the police for this intervention and cooling a possible serious situation. It shows a vast improvement on the professionalism of the force which is welcomed to bring balance and fairness.

New patrons arriving on the scene soon left without entering while others who were already there left in segments but refreshingly most stayed their ground and partied none the less until it was turned off, others stayed by the gate on the inside determined to get involved if it got ugly, cute forms of passive resistance, I was delighted to see this unity especially from the lesbian community, I surmise that it was this mass ignoring the disturbance outside that got the protestors upset thinking we would have caved in to their demands. I apologized on the host’s behalf to the patrons and cordially asked them to leave quietly without regarding the noisy protestors on the outside. They complied but a few couldn’t resist the temptation to verbally respond and poking fun while leaving. The location of the party is a semi commercial district so I am not sure as to the need for a permit to operate a monitored event over the 2am Noise Abatement Act deadline.

If the protesters had an issue with the event and after speaking directly to its host why is it that a compromise could not have been reached?

I strongly suspect that they never expected the patronage to stay their ground and basically ignore their agitation outside the precincts of the private property bearing in mind the owner was present. While we must respect the right of freedom of speech/peaceful protest, igniting a fire just at the entrance to private property is way out of place and the hurling of threats and abusive remarks dotted with plagiaristic lines to look as if they are tolerant to a point but …. That never impressed me. As one patron commented we are here and we all are going to have to learn to live together and stop this foolishness one day. The action as how it unfolded was totally uncalled for.

Peace and tolerance

H

Uganda's Anglican church wants changes to anti-homosexuality law

Fredrick Nzwili
Nairobi (ENI). The Anglican Church of Uganda says it wants to see changes to a proposed law which would jail homosexuals and even execute them in some cases, which many international church and secular leaders have condemned.

Still, the church has said there is still a need for a law that would clearly address gay issues in the east African country, and that Ugandan Anglicans remain strongly opposed to the acceptance and promotion of homosexuality.

"The Church of Uganda associates itself with the concerns expressed in the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009," Archbishop Henry Orombi said in a 9 February statement.

"However, instead of a completely new bill, the church recommends a bill that amends the Penal Code Act addressing loopholes, in particular: protecting the vulnerabilities of the boy child; proportionality in sentencing; and, ensuring that sexual orientation is excluded as a protected human right," said the archbishop.

Orombi added, "The ideal situation would be one where necessary amendment is made on existing legislation to also enumerate other sexual offences."

In his first official public comment on the subject since the tabling of the bill in October, Orombi said he agrees with the bill's concerns because of what he sees as loopholes in the existing legislation. He explained that his church prefers a revision of existing laws rather than a new one.

"The church appreciates the bill's objective of protecting the family in the light of a growing propaganda to influence younger people to accept homosexuality � to provide for marriage as contracted only between man and woman," said the archbishop.

The Anglican Church of Uganda wants the country's parliament to streamline existing legislation to protect the confidentiality of medical, pastoral and counselling relationships, including those that disclose homosexual practices.

Other proposals by the church include the prohibition of lesbianism and bestiality, together with "other sexual perversion," and a ban on the procurement of homosexual material and the promotion of homosexuality as a normal lifestyle.

"Homosexual practice has no place in God's design of creation, the continuation of the human race through procreation, or his plan for redemption. Even natural law reveals that the very act of sexual intercourse is an experience of embracing the sexual other," said Orombi.

At the same time, the church offered to counsel, heal and pray for people with, "sexual disorientation" in schools and other institutions of learning.

"The church is a safe place for individuals, who are confused about their sexuality or struggling with sexual brokenness, to seek help and healing," said Orombi.

A blog on the Web site of the USATODAY newspaper on 9 February quoted Warren Throckmorton, an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, as saying the, "changes" proposed by the Anglican Church of Uganda only serve to show that the church wants to, "make it more clear that homosexuality is against the law".

Trinidad Leaving a mark: CAISO’s new brand for 2010. We vote, we volunteer, we visible.

The logo was designed by Liam Rezende, who came to CAISO, volunteered to help them develop a brand, and donated his creative services. CAISO 2010

go ahead CAISO

CAISO: The Trinidad & Tobago Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation

their Facebook Page

Peace

Promote tolerance toward homosexuals (Observer Letter)

Dear Editor,

For starters, let us agree that President of the Islamic Council of Jamaica Mustafa Muhammed's pronouncement of death to homosexuals is not representative of the Jamaican society. I further posit that on the average, Jamaicans are no more homophobic than other nationalities. Anyone with supporting evidence to the contrary should share same. We should not be in the business of accepting anecdotal accounts of anti-homosexual behaviour as evidence to be used to draw sweeping and generalised conclusions.

Maurice Tomlinson, in his recent letter to the editor, believes that many Jamaicans merely spout emotional religious rhetoric in defending their objection to homosexuality. For Mr Tomlinson and the likes of Ian Boyne to suggest that religious-based objection to the homosexual lifestyle is unintelligent and mere emotional rhetoric is in itself discriminatory.

Homosexuality is and will remain a vexing issue throughout the world. So let's cease and desist from making this a Jamaican thing. We need to be about the business of promoting tolerance (not acceptance) toward our homosexual brothers and sisters. We need to repudiate those among us who would seek to bring injury and even death to our fellowmen. There should be a law to address my Muslim brother who openly advocates death, because this type of venom and hate is unacceptable in civil society. I must continue to embrace the dogma that dictates that I am my brother's keeper, but I must also retain the right to object to a lifestyle that runs counter to my own.

Our leaders must lead by example and not espouse hate and intolerance. It is instructive to note Prime Minister Bruce Golding's abhorrence at the thought of working with a homosexual in his Cabinet - a statement he made over a year ago.

Dr Richard Kitson-Walters

Maryland, USA

k-w@comcast.net

Mother to sue hospital for HIV mistake

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

A St Ann mother is planning to sue the St Ann's Bay Hospital, alleging that the facility erred when it issued her an HIV-positive result for her son, who was 10 years old at the time.

Sandra Howell, of Shaw Park Heights in Ocho Rios, St Ann, told The Gleaner that she has already contacted lawyers as she intends to seek redress through the courts.

Suzette Morris, regional director for the North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA), which has responsibility for the hospital, responding to queries, said she was aware of the complaints by Howell.

However, she declined to comment further, saying the matter was now a legal issue.

Howell's action stems from a series of incidents that started back in February 2008 when her son broke one of his legs and was admitted to the hospital, where he remained until he was discharged in April of that year.

"While he was there, they called me one day and told me my son is HIV-positive. I said, 'No, how could that be?'" Howell told The Gleaner.

Negative result

She said she was devastated but, spurred by the belief that the results could never be accurate, she went and did an HIV test on herself in Ocho Rios in April 2008. Her result was negative.

This made her even more convinced that there was some mistake with her son's result, so she took it further.

Howell said she took her son from the St Ann's Bay Hospital, without him being discharged, in order to get a second HIV test done.

This time the result was negative.

Somewhat relieved, she returned to the St Ann's Bay Hospital and spoke with doctors there, after which another test was done in May 2008.

"And they say it's not positive," Howell said. "One of the doctors said to me that the first result was a mistake."

Although relieved that her son is not HIV-positive, Howell is still upset with the way the situation was handled and says she plans to seek redress.

"I plan to take the matter to court. I already spoke to a lawyer," she said.

She said the lawyer has already instructed her on how to proceed.

Discussion on HOT 102 FM on homosexuality 11.02.2010

Thanks to my readers who alerted me to this discussion, I managed to catch it in time to record it as best as possible. Please accept my apologies for the poor audio quality (to come)as it was done via cell phone and not sound card streaming.


Host Beverly Anderson Manley on her host station on a program named “Today” talks with several psychologists from Jamaica and in the USA, here is a synopsis of the exchange.

Dr. Aggrey Irons commented
1) We have a difficulty with homosexuality for two reasons because of deep moral revulsion to the act of homosexuality as it affects procreation and the biblical basis of Sodom and Gomorrah.
2) Many homosexuals are rich and powerful people who seek to influence society and they wish to be heard.
3) There are some homosexual paedophiles but not every paedophile is homosexual
4) We are getting to a state of discussing contending views, we need to look at them
5) Hinted at other phobias such as rastaphobia, ganja-phobia once phobia is directed at lifestyles it takes on more complex meanings than when the phobia is directed at places and things
6) Has a difficulty of the labels to Jamaica as homophobic,

Dr. Anderson commented
1) She didn’t see gay and lesbian people as promoting their sexuality on the rest of society
2) Asked if discrimination illegal or morally acceptable because of who people choose to love
3) Anti gay prejudice isn’t always about a pathological or psychological fear but is about bigotry, laws that promote bigotry are inappropriate
4) Gay people want to live their lives they want rights like everyone else
5) We must disentangle paedophilia (adult persons attracted to children) from homosexuality (adult same sex relations)
6) Most paedophiles are heterosexual in adult relationships with women but have sexual contact and abuse children.
7) Gay persons are mostly interested in other adult gay persons
8) Most paedophile victims are female; paedophilia is a heterosexual disorder more than a homosexual disorder
9) Men molest boys because they have access to boys such as coaches or teachers they may not be necessarily gay


Dr. Leachim Semaj (previously named Michael James now a Muslim turned his name backwards)
1) Concerned that paedophilia is being primed as a lifestyle to be encouraged and maybe removed from the DSM
2) Persons cannot question the construct of gay lifestyles persons who question that are considered sick and are ostracized
3) Concerned about the process that deals with murders in the gay community when most deaths are gay related
4) Has a problem with the labeling of Jamaica as homophobic
5) Opposed to the notion that one cannot object to the some of the tenets of homosexuality
6) Spoke to his experience at a conference about same sex marriage from a psychological standpoint
7) Young men in Jamaica are deafly afraid of being stigmatized of being gay

Dr. Peter Weller commented
1) Agreed that society needs to discuss the issues as it is the lack of discussion has led to the problems we face now
2) Fear of homosexuals is inhibiting other developments involving men in general, activities that have men on a large scale are met with deep mistrust such as boys homes and scouts
3) Men don’t want to volunteer for programs where they may be labeled as predators
4)Pros and cons on homosexuality needs to be discussed openly
5) Veil of secrecy needs to be moved to engage issues directly

Peace and tolerance


H

Reflections on Rex Nettleford (Gleaner)

Devon Dick writes

The day Professor Ralston 'Rex' Nettleford, OM, died was the same day I received an advance copy of my book, The Cross and the Machete: Native Baptists of Jamaica-Identity, Ministry and Legacy, in which Rex Nettleford, vice-chancellor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), wrote the foreword. He never lived to see the finished product produced by Ian Randle Publishers, which included perhaps his last published thoughts.

When Rex Nettleford wrote the foreword he was recovering from an eye surgery but that did not diminish his insight. So profound were the observations of the foreword and the implications of the book for today that I told him that I wished I had his skill because some of the things he said I should have said it in my conclusion. In his wide vision, he placed the book as an important contribution to the Americas. No wonder the present vice-chancellor, Professor Nigel Harris, himself no slouch, said Nettleford was the finest mind to emanate from UWI in an interview on TVJ.

And under the difficult circumstances of eye impairment, his foreword demonstrated that he read the 300-page manuscript and understood what I was trying to say and in two pages he grasped in summary form what I was trying to achieve through the book. I also mentioned to him that people would read his foreword and not bother to read the book. He gave his typical laugh. He was a man of generous spirit.

In fact, one of the reasons I asked him to write the foreword was because he offered to read my PhD thesis that I was doing for Warwick University, England, titled 'The Origin and Development of the Native Baptists of Jamaica and the influence of their Biblical Hermeneutic on the 1865 Native Baptist War'. He read it and gave it the thumbs up. I felt good. I knew I was on the right track once this cultural historian gave the approval.

Religion and religious heritage
Professor Rex Nettleford was also understanding of religion and religious heritage. One of the last conversations I had with him was after his mother's death and before her burial. I telephoned him to express condolences, not realising that he was overseas, but he engaged in a long telephone conversation as if he was in Jamaica. He reminded me about his mother's Baptist heritage and was proud of that influence on his life. It is well known that he was brought up as an Anglican and that he had an appreciation for folk religion but there was no question that he cherished the Baptist connection.

'Prof' was also a hospitable man, whether you visited him at his home or office. I recall once he opened his home to host a one-day retreat of the Institute of Jamaica, of which he was a fellow. He was a gracious host. And even if you dropped by his office unannounced he was willing to see you, although he had a million and one things doing and to do.
Prof was a reservoir of knowledge. He knew the history of Jamaica very well and the major players in Independent Jamaica, of which he was one.

Unfortunately for me, Rex Nettleford will not be at the launch of the book slated for next month. However, his ideas live on, his memories will be cherished and we, the heirs and successors, must continue the struggle to appreciate our Jamaican identity.
Walk good, Prof.

Devon Dick is a pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building'. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com

Labour Minister threatens those knowingly spreading HIV

Labour Minister Pearnel Charles has served a stern warning to sexual predators that he could push for legislation to impose criminal sanctions on persons who knowingly spread HIV/AIDS.
"There are some serious people who don't care how they destroy others," declared Charles, as he made his contribution to a debate on the report of the parliamentary committee which examined the proposed National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS.

Charles, however, told the House of Representatives that the Government would initially be pursuing the educational route to prevent the spread of the disease, as well as reduce stigmatisation of infected persons.

"But if it becomes necessary, then this minister will make recommendations for serious sanctions," Charles warned.
He said the parliamentary committee wrestled with whether sanctions should be imposed on employers who victimise persons infected with the disease.
The minister said the policy was intended to set guidelines in relation to the best policies in the workplace.
Charles stressed that the policy does not support random screening of persons for employment purposes.
He lamented that too many Jamaicans have failed to grasp the severity of the fallout from the HIV/AIDS.
The minister said even unsubstantiated rumours have succeeded in creating severe psychological distress to many Jamaicans.

However, as parliamentarians stepped up their agitation for greater attention to be accorded to infected persons, Opposition Spokesman on Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson, has raised concern about the high percentage of homosexual men with the virus.

He made the point at yesterday's House sitting.

At the same time, parliamentarians were at one in their support of the recommendations from the Parliamentary Committee examining the National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS.
Ferguson noted that 69 per cent of AIDS cases continue to be in the age group 20-49.
He said mother-to-child trans-mission dropped from 29 per cent in 2002 to less than 10 per cent in 2009, due, in part, to the efforts of the Jamaica Government over the years.
Ferguson said 31.8 per cent, or one in three homosexual men, have contracted HIV/AIDS.
He said this compares with three per cent of persons with STIs who were found to be infected with HIV/AIDS.

Ferguson added that a similar percentage of the prison population was found to be infected with the disease.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com

Is mere tolerance enough?

So in our deeply homophobic society there are many like me who are calling for tolerance but it dawned on me what happens if and when such tolerance ever comes, the tolerance I speak of is of course not limited to just mere ignoring gay or other lifestyle practices and choices but freedoms as well. I have often hinted in previous posts here and on Gay Jamaica Watch (see the tolerance tab for related posts) in questioning aren’t we already a tolerant nation but just don’t realize how much we are?

Stereotypical gay characters dot our pantomime and arts sections of our society and the public sometimes pay top dollars to see these plays and skits knowing fully well what they are getting as entertainment. To stretch it a little further we accept gay icons in entertainment from other cultures like an Elton John or George Michael even Rupaul whose songs are played on radio daily and we slowly digest soap operas that have gay characters in them as well so what is holding us back from the realities on the ground that gay people exist here?

Persons maybe aware of gays living near or beside them but will be tolerant as long as they don’t show it or display the stereotypical expectations that of effeminate behavior or regular and rapid same sex visitors. So what drives this underlying need to beat or hate LGBT people especially men when they are fingered or allegedly caught in the act is still unclear?

We have a myriad of religions and faiths such as Rastafarianism, Jewish faiths, Muslim (save and except for a few crackpots),Seven Day Adventists, Church of God, Pentecostal etc. while they may all disagree on certain principles and ways of worship we have never in our history had holy wars or any semblance of that between the groups.

So maybe the level of tolerance has to be deeper and not just passing permissions because someone is asking for or demanding it or its done just to keep the faggots quiet so they wont complain too much, it has to be real then, but how de we measure real?

Tolerance or acquiescence?
The Prime Minister during the Sexual Offences Bill debate did exactly that, a kind of patronizing to gays where he hinted that while gays are free to live without being harmed the police must protect all citizens the buggery law will not be repealed or gay marriage will not be allowed, bearing in mind no one asked for gay marriage here in Jamaica. In other words gays and gay groups should shut up because we are lucky to be alive so just deal with it. If we are a nation with a motto that says “Out of many, One People” then why aren’t we really living it to the full extent of the words? There are so many other kinds of intolerant behavior, political, gender, class, religious (towards gays) and even within the LGBT community.

Acceptance of differences maybe a key lesson that has to be introduced to the young and re-taught or reintroduced to the adult population but when this presented as a solution the critics of gay rights and tolerance say gays are trying to force the gay agenda to the population and particularly the young. The notion that homosexuality can be caught or is contagious is a reality for some they are terrified of anything that remotely gives or hints to the gay lifestyle thus again lets go back to the Sexual Offences Bill and the Charter of Rights Debate as well where several clauses that hinted to gender discrimination or equality were forcibly removed by seemingly paranoid religious groups who were bent on making sure that LGBT people saw no chance of ever gaining any hold to rights or freedoms. Religion is often used as divisive and a way to justify imposing sanctions of lifestyles and behaviors that others find offensive, the church which is supposed to be the body incorporating love and acceptance is guilty of this use of divisive rhetoric to keep control of moral authority.

The famous six references that hint to homosexuality in the bible are often used with the greatest of ease to push gay lifestyles into a corner or to cover the closet queens hiding among their midst while heterosexual sins such as premarital pregnancy or fornication are viewed as mistakes and easily forgiven and life goes on. But yet the message of love is contextualized to push religious individuality and nothing else, where is the message of tolerance church? What about the line that God is love or is he considered love only after you have accepted him as Lord and Saviour and throw tides then he loves you?

Mere tolerance therefore may not be enough based on the above reasoning but you may have a different take on it, maybe a deeper appreciation for human beings on a whole and a certain selflessness that makes one open to all, to grow into that being in our context may not be so easy.

Public comments please.

Peace and tolerance none the less

H

Because 2010 Bisexual Conference Information

Bisexual Empowerment Conference:

A Uniting, Supportive Experience

Mark your calendar for April 16-18, 2010

at Hamline University in St. Paul

from the planners:

Spring 2009 marked the 15th BECAUSE Conference. We had a FANTASTIC turnout and look forward to seeing everyone again this year!

The BECAUSE Conference is the premier weekend event in the Midwest for bisexuals, queers, non-mono-sexual, bi-curious, questioning, and all others, regardless of sexual or gender identity. This conference is open to everyone!

This year conference attendees will find an exciting and packed weekend of social and educational programming, including keynote speaker Amy André. Amy is a writer, activist and current Executive Director of San Francisco Pride who will be speaking about health in the bisexual community. In addition to workshops on Saturday, there will be a conference wide panel titled It’s Time: Perspectives on Bisexuality Past, Present and Future. The panel will be comprised of current and past bisexual activists and allies from across the Nation discussing bisexuality, the bisexual identity and the bisexual movement. Also, on Saturday evening we will have our annual Drag Show/Cabaret event.

Keep checking this site for updates on the conference schedule, workshops and other exciting information about BECAUSE 2010.

Planning for BECAUSE 2010 is underway -- this is the time to get involved! Email BECAUSEconference@gmail.com for details.

They thank everyone who attended the conferences in the past and everyone who has worked so hard to make each event such a success. 2009 was the largest BECAUSE Conference in history--they hope to continue growth and service to the bi community. Help them to serve you!

This is an autonomous grass roots conference, so send them a message if your group would like to host it in 2011. This year's planning committee can assist with the transition and get you started on planning!

What vaginas Want slide information on Lesbian interventions

as presented at the LGBTQI Health Summit in 2009

Cherry Bomb Lesbian discussion: "Dating Someone in the Closet"

the ladies of Cherry Bomb welcome their friend and producer/director Mel Robertson to the couches to talk about the pitfalls and positives of dating someone who's still in the closet. Mel lets us in on the details for her upcoming film, Queens of the World, a coming of age, lesbian love story within the world of women’s professional soccer.

And the surprise question of the week: What if a straight girl has a crush on you? Do you try to bring her to the other side of the fence?