Fiyu Pikni has left a comment on my post on gayjamaicawatch "Tell Me Pastor column - 'Gay' problem": in which I hinted that the letters in the Tell Me Pastor column of the Star newspaper are fabricated.
"I have your suspicion as well. Letters to Aaron Dumas are too well constructed to have the right mix of sensational content.
I don't like his advice either. He needs to make it clear that while psychologists can condition people to not act on their homosexual desires, there is no "remedy" for homosexuality.
Homosexuality as an abnormality. Paasta, no mek mi an yu av notn. There is nothing abnormal about me. Humans have a proclivity to describe any variance of what is usual as an abnormality. It's funny how language serves to perpetuate prejudice. If homosexuality had originally been labelled a variance of human sexuality, then homophobic hatred would perhaps not be as vitriolic.
If this guy is even real, he doesn't sound like someone who is grappling with his sexuality at all. I know of gay Christians who are trying to subdue their sexual inclinations. They tend to abstain from sex with other men...not sleep around in the hope of turning straight for god.
I swear this letter is a sham."
Friday, July 10, 2009
Scotland Passes New Sexual Offences Bill, Guyana Tables their own
Scotland's major sex crime reforms
A major shake-up of the law on sexual offences, including a toughening up of rape legislation, has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Sexual Offences Bill will define consent to sex in law, creating a broader statutory offence, including male rape, for the first time.
MSPs also moved to close a loophole in the bill, over Labour fears it could create a "get-out clause for rapists".
The laws won wide cross-party backing at the final parliamentary hurdle.
The bill aims to tighten up current laws by giving a broader definition of rape and consent based on free agreement.
It sets out a list of circumstances where there can be no free agreement - including a victim being incapable through alcohol.
CONTINUE HERE
Guyana - Sexual offences bill finally tabled
rape definition expanded, gender-neutral
The long promised Sexual Offences Bill which proposes a comprehensive overhaul of the current archaic law was tabled in the National Assembly yesterday following sustained calls for urgent reform of the legislation.
The bill, which was read in the name of Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand, was sent to a select committee for further deliberations. Its tabling comes after lengthy countrywide discussions on the subject especially regarding the current system’s inability to offer adequate protection to women and children who are victims of sexual abuse.Escalating violence, including sexual violence, against women and children and the absence of the bill on the parliamentary agenda had prompted a sustained protest by the Coalition to Stamp out Sexual Violence Against Children which routinely picketed the Office of the President. The body accused the administration of “foot-dragging” on important legislation and it continuously pressed for the bill to be placed high on the “political agenda”.
National Assembly
Prior to the coalition’s initiative, the Guyana Human Rights Association had made significant contributions to the sexual reform debate, specifically outlining recommendations with regard to the offence of rape.
The new bill proposes wide-ranging reform of the legislation on sexual violence currently on the books and proposes to change quite a few of them, and at the same time definitively spells out the rights of victims of sexual abuse — raising much needed awareness. It mentions too the establishment of a National Task Force for Prevention of Sexual Violence to address implementation.
One of the more critical aspects of the bill is that it proposes making the criminal offence of rape gender-neutral to include sexual assault on boys and men. The bill is also seeking to bring the offence of rape in line with reform around the world and is therefore maximizing protection by widening the definition.
Section 3 of the proposed legislation says that a person commits the offence of rape if that person (the accused) intentionally engages in sexual penetration with another person (the complainant) or intentionally causes the complainant to engage in sexual penetration with a third person. It is also rape if the complainant does not consent to the penetration, and if the accused does not reasonably believe that the complainant consents.
This new definition caters for any offensive activity as it defines penetration as “any intrusion however slight and for however short a time, of any part of a person’s body or of any object into the vagina or anus of another person, and any contact, however slight, between the mouth of one person and the genitals or anus of another, including but not limited to sexual intercourse…”
CONTINUE HERE
A major shake-up of the law on sexual offences, including a toughening up of rape legislation, has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Sexual Offences Bill will define consent to sex in law, creating a broader statutory offence, including male rape, for the first time.
MSPs also moved to close a loophole in the bill, over Labour fears it could create a "get-out clause for rapists".
The laws won wide cross-party backing at the final parliamentary hurdle.
The bill aims to tighten up current laws by giving a broader definition of rape and consent based on free agreement.
It sets out a list of circumstances where there can be no free agreement - including a victim being incapable through alcohol.
CONTINUE HERE
Guyana - Sexual offences bill finally tabled
rape definition expanded, gender-neutral
The long promised Sexual Offences Bill which proposes a comprehensive overhaul of the current archaic law was tabled in the National Assembly yesterday following sustained calls for urgent reform of the legislation.
The bill, which was read in the name of Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand, was sent to a select committee for further deliberations. Its tabling comes after lengthy countrywide discussions on the subject especially regarding the current system’s inability to offer adequate protection to women and children who are victims of sexual abuse.Escalating violence, including sexual violence, against women and children and the absence of the bill on the parliamentary agenda had prompted a sustained protest by the Coalition to Stamp out Sexual Violence Against Children which routinely picketed the Office of the President. The body accused the administration of “foot-dragging” on important legislation and it continuously pressed for the bill to be placed high on the “political agenda”.
National Assembly
Prior to the coalition’s initiative, the Guyana Human Rights Association had made significant contributions to the sexual reform debate, specifically outlining recommendations with regard to the offence of rape.
The new bill proposes wide-ranging reform of the legislation on sexual violence currently on the books and proposes to change quite a few of them, and at the same time definitively spells out the rights of victims of sexual abuse — raising much needed awareness. It mentions too the establishment of a National Task Force for Prevention of Sexual Violence to address implementation.
One of the more critical aspects of the bill is that it proposes making the criminal offence of rape gender-neutral to include sexual assault on boys and men. The bill is also seeking to bring the offence of rape in line with reform around the world and is therefore maximizing protection by widening the definition.
Section 3 of the proposed legislation says that a person commits the offence of rape if that person (the accused) intentionally engages in sexual penetration with another person (the complainant) or intentionally causes the complainant to engage in sexual penetration with a third person. It is also rape if the complainant does not consent to the penetration, and if the accused does not reasonably believe that the complainant consents.
This new definition caters for any offensive activity as it defines penetration as “any intrusion however slight and for however short a time, of any part of a person’s body or of any object into the vagina or anus of another person, and any contact, however slight, between the mouth of one person and the genitals or anus of another, including but not limited to sexual intercourse…”
CONTINUE HERE
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Disturbing headlines and misconceptions
from Go Jamaica - Pastor found guilty of assaulting child
A St. Mary pastor has been found guilty of assaulting a male child. The pastor, Donald Stewart, who was also a supervisor of a boy’s home in the parish, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a male child a short while ago in the Port Maria circuit court.
He is booked to appear in court this Friday (10.0709) for sentencing. Stewart was originally charged with one count of buggery early last year. However, when his case was called up for mention in the Richmond Resident Magistrate Court last year, it was revealed that other incidents had allegedly taken place between him and other boys at the institution. Stewart was then slapped with 29 additional charges by the St. Mary police.
comment: it's headines like this that leave a bitter taste in the minds of the public and cast a dark shadow over the Gay community making us all look like paedphiles. My heart goes out to those victims and their families but how can we begin to properly address the public's understanding of paedophilia vs a homosexual who for the most part has no sexual interest in children but more so either shun them out of fear of being accused of abusing them or are nuturing towards them. In previous posts on paedophilia I tried to convey what I managed to find on the subject in as far as the differences between the philias and how to seperate homosexuality. Take a look.
Please follow up on this on Homosexuality versus Pedophilia article.
More readingPAEDOPHILIA AND HOMOSEXUALITY, Child Molestation by homosexuals and heterosexuals HOMILETIC & PASTORAL REVIEW
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Star Headline - Residents evict freaky women
Rasbert Turner, Star WriterTwo St Catherine females have been banished from their community after they were alleged to have been caught engaging in oral sex.
The spectacle unfolded at the Rivoli community in Spanish Town on Friday.
Reports reaching THE STAR are that about noon the mother of one of the young women left her 19-year-old daughter at home to run an errand.
She returned home unexpectedly and almost fainted when she heard strange panting sounds inside her house.
After entering the house she could not contain her anger when she saw her daughter naked along with an older woman. Her daughter's head was buried between the other woman's legs.
In her distress, the mother is said to have began shouting and this caused a number of curious onlookers to converge on the home.
The frightened females are said to have left the area and have not been seen since.
When THE STAR visited the community a few days after the incident, residents gave mixed reactions to the occurrence.
''If them want to eat themselves to death this is not the place, yu si mi boss,'' Mark said.
Another resident said; "You can imagine in the boiling sun ... dem need God.''
Checks at the Spanish Town Police Station revealed that while the matter was not officially reported and is not being investigated the police have heard of it.
Comment: Luckily the women were not beaten as lesbians do not get the kind of treatment as gay men do when they are caught in the act. Pity that the mother of the 19yo seems out of touch with her daughter's alleged lifestyle and insensitive exposing her to the whims of the community who could have reacted more violently, who knows? prudence demands though that one should choose a private place to conduct one's affairs and not "steal it" one the side. I am also concerned as to how the story is presented, tact could have been used ( a joke for the Star NEWS) which these days in the face of competition from the other almost xrated tabloids finds itself using graphic language and description to "sell" the stories and keep up with the demand for sleaze from the public.
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Possible for a man to be Raped?
Today's Gleaner Cartoon
The laughing kid says it all, people just don't expect in Jamaica to hear of a man being raped by a woman, probably a man though. There is a story of a taxi driver in Central Jamaica now known as "Roundhole" who was attacked at home with his wife present several years ago by gunmen it is said that he was almost sodomised by two of the men who tried but failed.
read the rest HERE
The laughing kid says it all, people just don't expect in Jamaica to hear of a man being raped by a woman, probably a man though. There is a story of a taxi driver in Central Jamaica now known as "Roundhole" who was attacked at home with his wife present several years ago by gunmen it is said that he was almost sodomised by two of the men who tried but failed.
He tried reporting the matter to the police who laughed at him in disbelief as he was crying and shamed by the incident, if there is any truth to it I am not sure but the other taxi drivers teased him mercilessly whenever he came on the streets, it took him a while to restart his taxi service, even today as he traverse the routes he services you can still hear the occasional taunt "Roundhole" hurled at him.
UPDATE May 26, 2011
Since this original post in 2009 another story this time of more clandestine homosexuality was reported in 2010 and published on my sister blog on Wordpress:
The Incident in question in summary based on reported accounts, the young man is in hiding.
The 23 year old man plies his rented handcart in a section of the market district and usually returns to his small shack which sits in a depressed section across volatile political boundaries in Kingston. On a faithful Saturday in August of this year he returned his rented cart that he uses in the market district to ply his trade of assisting shoppers to carry produce and organic food items to the bus-stop or car park for a nominal fee, on his way home by foot around 7:30 pm he took a route that he regularly takes to get home, bearing in mind that as early as this time is some parts of Kingston can be very lonely and given the absence of the main don who is away on trial in another country “the order” of things has changed.
There is a fight as it seems for turf and power in the market region which has not escalated to violence due to the strong police presence there and the local authorities push to bring formal order.
The man was approached by three men who questioned him, he answered them telling them what he had done etc thinking he would be OK as it was not customary to abuse anyone in the imaginary safety line of that zone as drawn by the dons. He was robbed allegedly at gunpoint and told to go to nearby bushes where they would decide his fate. The men however at first asked him if him “love man?” somewhere during the conversation although my sources suggest he is not effeminate of looks so either. They eventually attempted to take turns with him at gun point and to carry out anal sex but he resisted as best as he could, the men told him that they were not going to kill him they wanted some “batty” for the night. The ordeal was said to have gone on for almost an hour and after several attempts in trying to penetrate him they gave up it seems and demanded he performed oral sex on them and that he did reluctantly.
The sexual abuse ended but what allegedly happened next is what really sparked this post, the men while smoking marijuana sat and discussed their sexual encounters with other men and their ways of hiding their real sexual desires from their baby mothers and female sexual partners, they tried to enlist the participation of their “victim” in the post sex discussion but he barely answered when prompted to as he was said to have felt bad.
They proceeded to warn him that he must make himself available when they need him and he must keep it quiet, they even asked if he knew other men around the area who may get down (my words)? One of the men in particular was very upset at men who engaged in paedophilia and says he doesn’t like boys as they are too young.
ENDS (updates may follow)
THE MATTER WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE POLICE
Judging by this synopsis we do have thugs who really want to get down but some questions come to mind and I am not an expert so let’s discuss this please send responses or comment if you have such expertise.
Email just in case: lgbtevent@gmail.com
- Are there men who really want to hit it but due to societal pressure they are prepared to steal it instead?
- It is a case of abuse due to the power differential of the men in not only numbers but the fact that they are armed?
- Did you think they surmise that the young man may have been inclined so they didn’t harm him?
- How should the advocates handle issues like this?
- Do you think the issue of clandestine homosexual behaviour should be a main discussion point in presenting arguments for gay rights or tolerance?
- Can this also be categorized as homophobia in a way?
read the rest HERE
Well some humour for a serious subject which I will follow up on soon, expert opinions welcomed.
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Monday, July 6, 2009
Senator Lightbourne Tables Child Pornography Act in Parliament
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne
Jamaica is likely to have in place legislation to confront commercial sexual exploitation of children soon, following the tabling of the Child Pornography (Prevention) Bill in Parliament, by Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne.
The Bill notes that Jamaica currently has no law which specifically treats with, or recognizes child pornography as a distinct criminal offence.
However, it points out that international efforts to combat child pornography have resulted in several international conventions, including the 1999 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Jamaica has signed and ratified, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, which Jamaica has signed but has not yet ratified.
"These conventions require member states to take action to criminalize the production, possession, importation, exportation and distribution of child pornography," the Bill's Memorandum of Objects and Reasons states.
"A decision has, therefore, been taken to enact legislation to make the production, possession, importation, exportation and distribution of child pornography a criminal offence in Jamaica," it concluded.
The Bill provides for sentences of up to 20 years imprisonment, as well as fines of as much as $500,000.
Crimes include: visual presentations with children engaged in sexual activities; audio recordings or written material that has, as its dominant characteristic, the description, presentation or representation, for a sexual purpose, sexual activity with a child; and any visual representation, audio recording or written material that advocates or counsels sexual activity with a child.
The Bill describes sexual activities as : actual or simulated - sexual intercourse; activity, other than sexual intercourse involving the penetration of the anus, vagina or mouth with any part of a person's body, or the anus or vagina with anything else; touching a sexual organ or anal region in a manner which is reasonably considered as sexual; bestiality; masturbation; or sadistic or masochistic abuse.
Visual representation includes - produced images; undeveloped film; videotape; or data stored in electronic form capable of conversion into a visual image.
International bodies have frequently criticized Jamaica, over many years, for failing to enact legislation specifically addressing commercial sexual exploitation of children. A Bill was promised in the 2007/2008 Throne Speech, but was not delivered.
Senator Lightbourne disclosed at a Post Cabinet Press Briefing in April, that the Cabinet had approved the tabling of the Bill in Parliament to recognize and treat child pornography as a criminal offence.
She confirmed then that there had been "an increase in the sexual exploitation of children, and more so by the use of technology."
"It is common knowledge now that there are pictures of children involved in sexual acts on your cell phones, and on the internet," she said then.
Globally, child pornography refers to the use of images or films, depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child.
The Bill notes that Jamaica currently has no law which specifically treats with, or recognizes child pornography as a distinct criminal offence.
However, it points out that international efforts to combat child pornography have resulted in several international conventions, including the 1999 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Jamaica has signed and ratified, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, which Jamaica has signed but has not yet ratified.
"These conventions require member states to take action to criminalize the production, possession, importation, exportation and distribution of child pornography," the Bill's Memorandum of Objects and Reasons states.
"A decision has, therefore, been taken to enact legislation to make the production, possession, importation, exportation and distribution of child pornography a criminal offence in Jamaica," it concluded.
The Bill provides for sentences of up to 20 years imprisonment, as well as fines of as much as $500,000.
Crimes include: visual presentations with children engaged in sexual activities; audio recordings or written material that has, as its dominant characteristic, the description, presentation or representation, for a sexual purpose, sexual activity with a child; and any visual representation, audio recording or written material that advocates or counsels sexual activity with a child.
The Bill describes sexual activities as : actual or simulated - sexual intercourse; activity, other than sexual intercourse involving the penetration of the anus, vagina or mouth with any part of a person's body, or the anus or vagina with anything else; touching a sexual organ or anal region in a manner which is reasonably considered as sexual; bestiality; masturbation; or sadistic or masochistic abuse.
Visual representation includes - produced images; undeveloped film; videotape; or data stored in electronic form capable of conversion into a visual image.
International bodies have frequently criticized Jamaica, over many years, for failing to enact legislation specifically addressing commercial sexual exploitation of children. A Bill was promised in the 2007/2008 Throne Speech, but was not delivered.
Senator Lightbourne disclosed at a Post Cabinet Press Briefing in April, that the Cabinet had approved the tabling of the Bill in Parliament to recognize and treat child pornography as a criminal offence.
She confirmed then that there had been "an increase in the sexual exploitation of children, and more so by the use of technology."
"It is common knowledge now that there are pictures of children involved in sexual acts on your cell phones, and on the internet," she said then.
Globally, child pornography refers to the use of images or films, depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sexual Offences Bill Debate - Senator Hyacinth Bennett's Summary Remarks 26.06.09 Part 3
Continuing summary of Senator Bennett's Presentation to the Senate on June 26, 2009 in Kingston. See posts below with previous summaries and responses.
The Bill........she continued
1). Sexual intercourse and gender identity.
End -
more parts to come
My two cents, I am rather disappointed for the kind of reasoning Senator Bennett puts forward, I expected somehting of more substance being the most hailed educator that she is.
The Bill........she continued
1). Sexual intercourse and gender identity.
Section 2 of the bill reads that: "Sexual intercourse" means the penetration of the vagina of one person by the penis of another;
Mr. President I would urge that in these modern times that care be taken to state that the sexual organs of the vagina and the penis be clearly stated as the natural organs as defined by birth. The sex organs should not include any surgically constructed sex organs under circumstances such as where a person underwent a sex change. It is conceivable that a man can claim to change his gender to that of a woman and have a vagina surgically constructed and then seek to be covered under the definition of sexual intercourse. Maybe someone could even rename their sex organ as that of the opposite gender without surgery, based on their change in gender identity. One could argue that one's gender is male even though one was born female and vice versa.
You see the modern thinking by some is that whilst sex is what you are born as eg. male or female, gender identity relates more to which sex you identify with or how the person views himself or herself.
Hence a person could try to challenge the very meaning of the words "he" and "she", such words are used throughout this bill to identify the sex of a person. The definition of "sexual intercourse" must guard against these possibilities. For the avoidance of doubt, I would also recommend that gender be defined to mean the natural gender sex as determined by birth and that the references to words that in themselves do not state the person's gender such as "offender", "victim", "complainant", "adult" and "child" must not be construed in a manner that would in any way refer to persons in a given criminal offence as being persons of the same gender. I have also noticed that section 24 of the bill mentions "anal intercourse" in the same sentence as "vaginal intercourse" as if to say they were alternative forms of sexual intercourse.
So as not to cause any uncertainty as to what is meant by sexual intercourse I would respectfully ask that what is referred to in section 24 as anal intercourse be replaced with buggery which has always been used to describe such acts.
Hence a person could try to challenge the very meaning of the words "he" and "she", such words are used throughout this bill to identify the sex of a person. The definition of "sexual intercourse" must guard against these possibilities. For the avoidance of doubt, I would also recommend that gender be defined to mean the natural gender sex as determined by birth and that the references to words that in themselves do not state the person's gender such as "offender", "victim", "complainant", "adult" and "child" must not be construed in a manner that would in any way refer to persons in a given criminal offence as being persons of the same gender. I have also noticed that section 24 of the bill mentions "anal intercourse" in the same sentence as "vaginal intercourse" as if to say they were alternative forms of sexual intercourse.
So as not to cause any uncertainty as to what is meant by sexual intercourse I would respectfully ask that what is referred to in section 24 as anal intercourse be replaced with buggery which has always been used to describe such acts.
I know that Senator Nicholson on the other side of the chamber had made a similar observation on the last occasion.
more parts to come
My two cents, I am rather disappointed for the kind of reasoning Senator Bennett puts forward, I expected somehting of more substance being the most hailed educator that she is.