Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender & Queer Jamaica: TVJ Wimpy On Gay Ad Furore (Gleaner Letter)

THE EDITOR, Sir:

By refusing to air the public service announcement (PSA) advocating love for gay children, Television Jamaica (TVJ) has failed to live up to what is expected of a modern media house in a democratic society. In my view, TVJ's cowardice has exposed them as sycophantic clowns pretending to be serious journalists.

Of course, Gary Allen sees things differently. He defends his station on three grounds. Those grounds are not only, in themselves, intellectually weak, but are an insult to the intelligence of right-thinking Jamaicans.

First, he complains that the station was not consulted in creating the PSA. Boo-hoo! The fact that the station was not involved at the moment of creation is irrelevant. When the station was approached to air the ad, I am sure there were negotiations, which would have brought opportunities for comment and input by the station. That is, of course, assuming that TVJ nego-tiated in good faith.

Ridiculous arguments

Second, he admits that the station kowtowed to the clerics. This is where my point about failing to meet expectations holds true. The media have always defended their cherished right to broadcast, publish and disseminate ideas and opinions, especially those that are critical of governments. In fact, they cry foul at the first sign of censorship.

But, as we all know, with rights come responsibilities. Given that democracies thrive on diversity of opinions, one such responsibility is to communicate all angles in a debate, so that citizens can make informed decisions. The PSA is one such angle in the debate on homosexuality, and by refusing to broadcast it, TVJ committed an act of self-censorship for the purpose of placating the clerics.

True, broadcasting the PSA would have been controversial, but serious journalists are not afraid to take on controversies. Besides, what was TVJ afraid of: that we would all stop watching the station? Get real!

Third, Mr Allen hides behind "the law". Jamaican law criminalises buggery. The PSA is about family love and unity; it avoids the issue of sex all together. This excuse is baseless and silly.

We may never know the true reasons for TVJ's position, but in the end, history will judge the station on its failure of courage to do the right thing.

V FOR VENDETTA

ja_shogun@yahoo.com

ENDS

My comment to the Gleaner page (which I doubt will be posted)

"TVJ maybe wimpy indeed in sharing this tolerance message (not a gay message as some believe it is before even seeing the clip) but the ad which has the wrong shade of people speaking on behalf of LGBT people to begin with as Miss Straw and her brother are far removed from the realities of real homophobia on the ground and smacks as a kinf of uptowners telling the rest of us how to be mentality. Worse yet given the recent developments with JFLAG & JASL banning supposed bad behaving homeless MSMs and the civil disobedience actions taken by the men over two days who are the ones who face the daily rigours of abuse in various forms I am afraid the NGOs have lost all credibility and moral standing or authority in asking the mainstream to be tolerant." (comment ends)

The ongoing standoff between the men and the organizations seems on the face of it to be cooling now as no reported clashes between the parties have occurred since August 24 despite the Executive Directors of JFLAG, CVC, The Crisis Intervention officer and even the Chairman of the JASL Board direct interface with the men all of whom were forced to speak to them as a way to quell the impasse the men still persisted, guards have been posted on the property and a canine team, a meeting that was scheduled to discuss certain issues with key influentials was also cancelled leaving speculation that this issue is not going to be dealt with by the powers that be. So the very population who are to be directly engaged by the NGOs so set up to do is left to fend for itself and or carried by the influentials with a view to watch them fail as we all know that they do not have the requisite resources or access to funding, expertise and influence to a certain extent to carry out the interventions so urgently required but yet the ad asking for "Unconditional Love" must be aired?

Where is the "Tolerance" or "Unconditional Love" for the least amongst us?

see: The dark side to the homeless issue ..............