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,
Thursday, February 18, 2010
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
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.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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.Monday, February 15, 2010
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.
Peace and tolerance
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.
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
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