Buju Banton Starts Facebook page

Buju stands against gays according to today's Star News

Using the popular website Facebook, Buju Banton is taking a stand against gay rights activists by forming the 'We Support Buju Banton' group. This comes shortly after the singjay was forced to cancel his seven-city tour of the United States due to protests from gay rights groups.

However, Banton's Gargamel Music
yesterday confirmed that the tour is still on, and that Banton will be kicking off his anticipated 'Rasta Got Soul' US Tour on September 12 in Philadelphia.

It was reported in The STAR earlier this week that The New York Times and major networks like NBC had confirmed that promoters in Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Dallas had called off shows Banton was scheduled to headline.

violence against homosexuals

Banton's 'Rasta Got Soul' tour was to have begun on October 2 at the House of Blues in Chicago. However, protests from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center stopped the tour due to claims that Banton's 1992 hit Boom Bye Bye encourages violence against homosexuals.

A release sent by Gargamel Music stated, "We are disappointed by the hasty cancellation of a few shows by Live Nation/House of Blues and Goldenvoice/AEG, but fans will be happy to know we have over 30 confirmed shows that are definitely playing and we are working to replace the cancelled dates."

The release further explained the reason and meaning of the infamous song. "Buju Banton was all of 15 years old when he wrote Boom Bye Bye in response to a widely publicised man/boy rape case in Jamaica. It was not a call to violence. The song was re-released on a popular dancehall rhythm in 1992 and caused a huge uproar after receiving commercial radio play in the States. For the record, it is the only song he ever made on the subject - and he does not perform it today," the release said.

facebook group

While Banton has been promoting his own Facebook group calling for support, NBC reported that the gay activists also recently launched a campaign on the website to block the US tour.

In the meantime, the 'We Support Buju Banton' Facebook group already has over 500 members and the names and contact details for members of the various Live Nation groups. Fans are asked to, "Stand up and make your voices heard by flooding their phones, email boxes and fax machines with testimonials in support of Buju Banton. Remember to be respectful when contacting these executives. We want them to take us seriously."

This is not the first time Banton has had tour dates cancelled due to efforts by gay and lesbian lobbyists. Since Banton's career took off in the US in 1995, gay rights activists have targeted his shows in that country.

my two cents: I hope facebook monitors carefully the verbiage coming from that group and do not allow any patois laced cleverly with intent to kill actions.

.....and the Circumcision discourse continues

Is circumcision no longer recommended, let's take another look, thanks to my avid reader Schifrah here is another point of view from the Huffington Post dealing with that and the HIV myth as written by Ali A. Rizvi. (click image or follow the links for the full take)

Previous posts on the subject from here:
Male circumcision no silver bullet ...
Male Circumcision opposing views
Stephen Lewis : Male Circumcision & AIDS Prevention (FORATV)
Should men be circumcised (Gleaner article 2008)

Here is an excerpt from the Huffington Article:

This year, 1.2 million male babies in the United States will have between 35 and 50% of healthy, functioning penile skin -- containing over 20,000 nerve endings and the five most sensitive areas of the penis -- removed in a procedure that all of the major medical associations in the world, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society, have deemed medically unnecessary.
Overall, routine, non-therapeutic circumcision costs over $2 billion a year; in most states, it is still covered by Medicaid, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars to the taxpayer. Despite near-universal recommendations against performing it routinely, it is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States.

Having started among ancient Egyptians and ancient Semitic peoples as a religious sacrificial ritual, the practice didn't take hold in Western societies until the late 1800s, when Western society was mired in masturbation-related hysteria. Dr. John Kellogg (yes, the Corn Flakes guy) was seminally (ahem) influential in the fight against what he called the "practice of solitary vice", to prevent which he ardently recommended circumcision, writing:
"The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anesthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment, as it may well be in some cases. The soreness which continues for several weeks interrupts the practice, and if it had not previously become too firmly fixed, it may be forgotten and not resumed."

This recommendation was accepted and implemented widely for male children, likely buoyed by the belief that circumcision was, after all, part of Abraham's covenant with God, who doesn't really like dickheads. Because the application of phenol to a girl's clitoris wasn't part of this covenant, this second recommendation from Dr. Kellogg to prevent female masturbation -- an "excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement" as he wrote in his book Plain Facts for Old and Young -- wasn't embraced as enthusiastically.

How medical male circumcision reduces HIV/Aids risk

How medical male circumcision reduces HIV/Aids risk

JANE NAFULA

Three studies that were done in Uganda, Kenya and South African confirmed that Medical Male Circumcision reduces the risks of a man who is circumcised to acquire HIV virus from a woman or partner who is HIV positive by at least 60 percent. But many of us have been wondering how this works.

The Assistant Commissioner Health Services (National Disease Control) in the Ministry of Health , Dr Alex Opio explained that the inside part of the uncircumcised penis is rich in cells known as Langerhans cells which are normally targeted by the HIV virus.

The removal of the foreskin through medical circumcision, reduces on the number of these cells and the only place where they can be found in the meatus(opening of the penis)

Dr Apio also says the removal of the foreskin exposes the tip of the penis to the underwear and fresh air. When the tip of the penis is exposed, it becomes thicker than the one which is covered by the foreskin.

When it is thicker, it becomes less susceptible to bruises that a penis may sustain during sexual intercourse and ease the transmission of the virus. In medical language, the thickening of the penis is called Keratinization.

He further explains that when a man is not circumcised, a large surface area of the penis tends to be exposed to the vagina during sexual intercourse because the foreskin is over pulled back and incase the woman is infected, the chances of a man contracting HIV would be high because during sexual intercourse, the fiction between the vagina and the penis may create tiny tearing which can only be seen through a microscope thereby exposing the man to infection. However, the risks would be minimal if a man is circumcised since a smaller surface of the penis would be exposed to the vagina.

An uncircumcised man is also said to be more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases especially those that cause sores in the private parts (genital ulcers). Examples of such diseases include syphilis and Herpes Virus. The wounds ease the penetration of the virus into someone’s body. Dr Opio also explains that circumcision doesn’t prevent HIV transmission 100 per cent.


Other benefits of circumcision

* A circumcised penis is easier to clean and is normally free of smegma that may cause the cancer of the penis, says Dr Alex Opio. Smegma is a sticky white thick secretion that is accumulated under the foreskin of a penis of an uncircumcised man. Many older men, who have bladder or prostate gland problems, also develop difficulties with their foreskins due to their surgeon’s handling, cleaning and using instruments. Some of these patients will need circumcising. Afterwards it is often astonishing to find some who have never ever seen their glans (knob) exposed before.

* If man continues injecting smegma in a woman, her risks of her getting cancer of the cervix are increased, Dr Opio adds. Cancer of the cervix in women is due to the Human Papilloma Virus. It thrives under and on the foreskin from where it can be transmitted during intercourse. An article in the British Medical Journal in April 2002 suggested that at least 20 per cent of cancer of the cervix would be avoided if all men were circumcised.

* Lots of men, and their partners, prefer the appearance of their penis after circumcision, It is odour-free, it feels cleaner, and they enjoy better sex. Awareness of a good body image is a very important factor in building self confidence. Sexual function is not adversely affected by circumcision. On the contrary, published evidence shows that circumcised men have a wider variety of sexual activity, and women prefer circumcised men, mainly because of better genital hygiene.

* Balanitis is an unpleasant, often recurring, inflammation of the glans. It is quite common and can be prevented by circumcision.
* Urinary tract infections sometimes occur in babies and can be quite serious. Circumcision in infancy makes it 10 times less likely.

Gender Selection - Are you male or female?

(hhmmm the debate continues on embryonic development, female by default?)

Eulalee Thompson - BE WELL

It is generally believed that the embryo by default is female. Females carry two X chromosomes (XX) among the 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell. In about the seventh week, the embryonic presence of the Y chromosome (XY) provides instructions for the development of male characteristics. The hormone, testosterone is produced and the structures become male.

However, as Dr Leslie Gabay, Kingston-based paediatric endocrinologist, points out, many things can go wrong in the change process.

"On the Y chromosome, there is a code that converts the primitive gonad to testicles. The testicles then produce testosterone then change (the embryo) to male," he said. "(But) we could have XY but don't get the code across so stay female ... or hormones are like keys that (have to) fit in a lock so that we can get the effect of the hormones. So we could have normal testicles, testosterone but don't have the lock to fit in, so don't get the conversion to male. This is called androgen insensitivity syndrome," he added.

The literature points to many chromosomal conditions of the sex chromosomes that affect sex deter-mination (that is the display of sexual characteristics of male or female), sexual development and fertility. Some of the conditions are mild, others severe and can be associated with either structural changes in the chromosomes, missing a copy of the chromosome, or having extra copies.

Sex verification tests

This topic of what makes us male or female would be an ongoing interest of genetic scientists, but has become an issue of public discussion after the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) announced that South African Caster Semenya, the 800m women world champion, was undergoing sex-verification tests. The athlete looks male but, in various published interviews, her father and other relatives indicate that she is in fact female and considers herself female.

"What makes us male or female? That is like saying, 'Who is God?' Or, 'Who am I?' As I say to people, you have to look at what the purpose of your sex is. If the purpose of chromosomes is to transfer genetic material from one generation to the next, then you will take a particular perspective," Gabay opines.

He believes that at the end of the day, socially, it is one's body type (how we look) and genitals which are important in determining sex. A recent issue of The New Scientist reports the case of a unnamed seven-year-old girl with a Y chromosome, accidentally discovered when she was genetically tested before birth. The report indicates that the child "doesn't have ambiguous gonads, shrivelled testes or other developmental defects. She instead has a normal vagina, cervix and set of ovaries". A team led by Anna Biason-Lauber of University Children's Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, thinks the patient's normalcy is due to mutations in a poorly understood gene on chromosome 17 called CBX2.

Sex vs gender

Any good student of sociology knows that sex, the biological designation of male or female characteristics, is different from gender, a social construct ascribing roles, behaviour and relations between men and women. Gabay believes that superimposing the issue of gender on sex further complicates the question of what makes us male or female.

"We now have gender, and that is how we see ourselves. I may be in a male body but my psychology is female and how I see myself is female. And a lot of people will want to make the link between this topic and homosexuality, but it is not the same thing," he said.

Jamaica has its fair share of unclear sex-identification issues. Gabay indicates that between four to six cases of ambiguous genitalia (which is where the clinician is unable to clearly define the sex of the child) are identified here each year. The diagnosis of androgen insensitivity syndrome is less common and is only seen about once every five years.

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor. Email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.

Transgenderism in Jamaica

With gays, lesbians and bisexuals holding prominence in the fight for rights and freedoms here transgendered persons often get overlooked or totally ignored even at the advocacy level. It was not until some time last year that trans persons have begun to get some well needed attention from groups here on the island. That however has since wained as funding problems and the prominence of homophobia always seem to overshadow this group.

Tolerance levels for gays in general as we know is very low here let alone for other variants so I can imagine many trans persons who would like to seek some sort of intervention but not knowing where to begin to do so.

The two most prominent transgendered persons so far are pre-operative male to female individuals with one hosting their own ning page to link with other trans persons from the Caribbean. The other I know personally came to me via a crisis intervention case I was involved in almost two years ago where "she" was attacked by two men in Kingston on the streets.

Very little information is available to the gay community who finds it remarkable that someone would want to change their gender via re-assignment surgery and some of the comments at first glance of the latter of the two are mean.

It is strange that gays and lesbians wish to be tolerated by the main stream but can't tolerate another variant within or close to our own group. Sad, we have a long way to go to realise our country's motto "Out of many, one people" it's an awful set up.... the mainstream hates us as gays and lesbians, then trans people are ridiculed, vilified and insulted by gays.

The unamed transgendered grouping had begun a series of meetings to discuss their own issues through JFLAG but I don't know what has happened since last year as I have left the organization, funding is a problem for them like many other Non=governmental Organizations. So I should think things are on hold for now.

The group consisted of 14 members at my last count mostly Females (FTM - female to male) and the two males (MTF - male to female) all preoperative many were not sure if they wanted to go through full gender re-assignment surgery but most were not happy with their physical presentation versus their feelings "between the ears" (what they feel themselves to be). We don't have a fully transgendered Jamaican on record as yet.

One of their man concerns is to separate trans issues from gay issues and to show that trans people are not homosexuals wishing to be drag queens or butch lesbians hence changing their physical gender to be satisfied. They want to reach out to the GLB community and dispel the misconceptions.

All in all I will try on this blog to present positive issues regarding this group as too often they are overlooked.

Check out http://transcaribbean.ning.com/

This Site's Main purpose is to bring all people of the transgendered community in the Caribbean together at one central place where we can share information, start friendships, air our concerns and hopes for a more understanding, tolerant Caribbean and world for the larger part.

Peace and tolerance.

H

Dissecting “Gaydar”: Accuracy and the Role of Masculinity–Femininity

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Gerulf Rieger Æ Joan A. W. Linsenmeier Æ
Lorenz Gygax Æ Steven Garcia Æ J. Michael Bailey
Received: 5 November 2007 / Revised: 5 May 2008 / Accepted: 5 May 2008


for more on this study & to purchase the Journal and other articles click the images. It's an interesting read. Priced at $34.00

Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008
Abstract ‘‘Gaydar’’ is the ability to distinguish homosexual and heterosexual people using indirect cues. We investigated the accuracy of gaydar and the nature of ‘‘gaydar signals’’ conveying information about sexual orientation. Homosexual people tend to be more sex atypical than heterosexual people in some behaviors, feelings, and interests. 

We hypothesized that indicators of sex atypicality might function as gaydar signals. In Study 1, raters judged targets’ sexual orientation from pictures, brief videos, and sound recordings. Sexual orientation was assessed with high, though imperfect, accuracy. 

In Study 2, different raters judged targets’ sex atypicality from the same stimuli. Ratings of sexual orientation from Study 1 corresponded highly with targets’ self reports of sex atypicality and with observer ratings of sex
atypicality from Study 2. Thus, brief samples of sex-atypical behavior may function as effective gaydar signals.

AbstractSex-typed behavior

Introduction
‘‘Gaydar’’ refers to the ability to distinguish homosexual and heterosexual people using indirect cues rather than explicit information about sexual orientation. Gaydar encompasses at least two distinct phenomena. First, gaydar may reflect the detection of intentional interpersonal signals. For example, flirtation may be associated with unusually long eye gazes and other nonverbal behaviors (e.g., Moore, 1985, 2002), and the sex of the targets of such signaling may provide information relevant to sexual orientation. 

Second, gaydar may reflect the detection of stable behavioral or psychological differences between homosexual and heterosexual people. 

For example, there are stereotypes about gay men’s (and hence heterosexual men’s) patterns of interests, movement,and speech. To the extent that such stereotypes correspond to actual differences between homosexual and heterosexual people, information about a person’s behavioral patterns and psychological traits may also provide information regarding sexual orientation.

Little research has been done to date regarding gaydar via intentional interpersonal signaling. Nicholas (2004) conducted an ethnographic study of gaydar involving participant observation and interviews with gay men and lesbians. Based on this research, Nichols described the use of the ‘‘gaydar gaze’’ to signal a homosexual identity to other homosexual individuals. The idea that individuals from marginalized and partly hidden minorities may attempt to find and communicate to each other in this manner seems eminently plausible.

We note, however, that there is likely nothing specific about the association of lengthy eye gazes and homosexuality. For example, heterosexual people with a romantic or sexual interest in a person of the other sex may also signal their interest in this way. The other subtype of gaydar, as noted above, may depend in part on the validity of stereotypes regarding behavioral and psychological differences between homosexual and heterosexual
people. 

These stereotypes include a variety of phenomena that have been explored in two, almost completely separate, research programs.