Observer Chat publishes: Gay Rage Story

So another story from the Observer but appearing in full in the Observer Chat's print edition on an alleged gay on gay violence episode. Pieces liked this further fuels the public belief that gays only fight amongst ourselves and viciously so, while there maybe some truth to that it doesn't discount the reality of homophobia and the violence associated with it that are sometimes vicious in nature or even have ended up in murder. The most recent murder on record was the man who was found decomposed in the hills St. Andrew last year after he was accused of making a "move" on another man in his community, the man and his friend befriended the perpetrator and lured him to a spot where he was believed to have been killed and his body dumped.

What is also disturbing in this story seen below is that the person described as "Emily" has been written about in the Jamaica Observer some time ago in a piece called "Confessions of a Homosexual Man" (- Says gay men are most often killed by their jealous lovers) which the online version seems to have mysteriously disappeared. It was published in December 24, 2006 written by KERRY MCCATTTY where he (Emily) was quoted as saying
"Our love is unusual. It's not normal .we don't even want our partner to have a best friend, to even be close to somebody, the moment we realise we start assuming........."

I remember it well as the original article also contained a photo of the funeral home team removing Brian Williamson's body from his home where he was murdered on June 9, 2004 in New Kingston. Also two photos of "Emily" was present as well with his face blurred to protect his identity.

See the comments on the Observer page and decide for yourselves as to the public's cynical views on homophobia in Jamaica.

We have a long way to go in just to gain peace with each other despite our differences.

What is also sad is that we cannot rectify relationship issues in a peaceful manner, where is JFLAG with the conflict resolution interventions that are required in the community?

For academic purposes I recommend an old article by Mr. John Maxwell from late 2004 entitled

The Abomination of Cowardice


The Observer story reads in part:
Purchase the printed version to see the entire piece.
BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE
Observer staff reporter
husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com

Man says his lover and friends beat and cripple him

A 25-year-old homosexual man who said he was left crippled from a brutal attack by his lover and four other men has forgiven his attackers and has resumed the relationship with his boyfriend.

The well-known Kingston gay man, who goes by the name Emily, told Chat! that the assault, carried out last October, was the third act of violence meted out to him by jealous gay lovers since 2007.

Emily, who is now confined to a wheelchair, said he suffered spinal injuries in the October 2009 attack.

He said he was at his Stony Hill home on October 12 when his lover, along with four of his friends, armed with weapons, forced their way into his apartment.

“I don’t know what they came to do. I don’t know if they wanted to kill me, but I saw them with the weapons,” he told Chat! from the compound of a rehabilitation centre Tuesday. “I remember seeing my lover with a machete and one of the others with acid and other things.”

Emily said he remembered being pushed from his second floor balcony and falling to the ground, then waking up in the Kingston Public Hospital.

“I held onto the rail trying to escape, but because it was so many of them I fell from the second floor to the ground. I was unconscious, I knew nothing,” he said.

It wasn’t until January, after being unable to move his body for over two months and developing severe bed sores, that Emily was discharged from the hospital. Since then, he has been forced to use a catheter.