Should gays serve in Parliament? ...... Under certain conditions, new candidates say (Observer)

(From left) Dr Winston Green, the PNP’s candidate for St Mary South East, makes a point at the Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue offices last week, while other fresh candidates on the election campaign trail, the PNP’s Leonard Green, the JLP’s Camile Buchanan and Keith Blake listen attentively. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
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FORMER prime minister Bruce Golding's infamous 'Not in my Cabinet' statement to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2009 when pressed about gays in Jamaican representational politics, ignited fiery discussion on the previously taboo subject which drew widespread reaction.

Golding came out forcefully in the BBC interview, stating that he would not allow known homosexuals to be a part of his Cabinet, a sentiment lauded for the most part in Jamaica, but shredded in parts of Britain and the United States, countries that are tolerant to such sexual conduct.

The thorny, yet delicate issue of showing tolerance to politicians with homosexual or gay tendencies has become more topical in recent years, with claims of irregular conduct among members on both sides of the Jamaican political fence.

Three aspiring parliamentarians in the upcoming general election have said that unless it can be proven that homosexuals were using their behaviour in an offensive way, and their conduct could be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, it should not prevent them from entering the Jamaican Parliament.

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for the redefined St Catherine East Central constituency, Camile Buchanan, along with People's National Party (PNP) representatives, Leonard Green — who will be the face of the party in St Thomas West — and his namesake, Dr Winston Green — the PNP's point man in St Mary South East — agree that homosexuals have the right to choose their sexual paths and should not be persecuted and prevented from serving nationally, as long as they conform to the laws of the land.

“I do believe that it's your personal life,” Buchanan told Observer editors and reporters at this paper’s Monday Exchange last week.

“However you choose to live, it is entirely up to you. I think if you are representing your party and the country and not representing your sexuality, that is fine with me. It is your personal choice. Who you really choose to sleep with is not my business,” said Buchanan, the former chief executive officer of Caymanas Track Limited, who will be challenging the young PNP attorney, Arnaldo Brown.

Petrol station operator, haulage contractor and farmer, Leonard Green, said that he would not aggressively oppose homosexual behaviour, as long as citizens who are so inclined, operated under certain terms.

“My position is simple. Every citizen has privileges under the law. If there is no law preventing this (homosexuality) and if the person is not in breach of any law, then I have no problem at all.

“If however, the laws that exist are against certain behaviour, then I couldn't sanction it at the highest level of the land,” said Green, who will go up against the JLP's deputy leader James Robertson, whose United States visitor's visa was cancelled last April for unknown reasons.

Green is firm in his view that punishment should be handed down to offenders if proof is found that Jamaican law has been breached.

“If you find out and know and it is proven that the person is doing this, then there should be action,” Green said.

For his part, dental surgeon, Dr Winston Green, said that homosexuals had the right to choose the way they wanted to live, as long as they do not break the law.

“Where do we go from here? Is it that at some time we are going to say no Catholic can be a representative (in Parliament), or no Pentecostal?

“A person's private life - how does that affect his ability to represent? It's not that he is convicted of something and it's against the law. How would you prove that he is operating against the law in private?

“What about the person who uses drugs, smokes ganja for example and you cannot prove it?” Dr Green asked.

The fourth guest at the meeting, the JLP's representative for St Catherine South East, Keith Blake, did not offer a view.

ENDS

My two cents:

I consider this article's position as frankly a non issue and a smoke screen in a sense to continue to perpetuate institutionalized homophobia. Why would there need to be special conditions for LGBT people if they should serve and serve openly at that in a country such as ours? We all know somewhere in the back if our minds that persons have already served who are gay or at least involved in same sex activity, lest we forget it was some time ago a Jamaica Labour Party councillor found himself in trouble with the law on a serious charge of buggery, not to mention the rumour mill by local standards that if it doesn't go as is whispered then it is true that certain names are in gay activity.

Why this fear of us, do persons think we are going to try to find every available excretory orifice to plug with out penises or vice versa in our supposedly over sexed lives and veracious sexual appetite, as many think we have far more sex than heterosexuals. And why should sexual orientation be a criteria for serving ones country? this comes close to the debate in the United States don't ask don't tell policy in the military but we have many examples of LGBT people serving in government businesses around the world and even a transgender representative in France recently who offered herself as a candidate for a leadership race. 

also see: French transgender woman hopes to run for president

and

All smiles: The election of Robert Biedron (left) and Anna Grodzka (right) first transgender member of parliament in poland shows how far the notorious Roman Catholic country of Poland has come in social change Read more HERE:  Europe's first transsexual MP takes her seat in Polish parliament

Elio Di Rupo the man tipped to be Belgium's next PM is openly gay , they would become the 2nd country to have one, Iceland is the 1st way back in 2003. The small European country has shared its neighbours’ economic woes over the past several years. A year and a half has gone by since it’s last national election without a government being formed. But now the majority Dutch speaking country has settled on a Prime Minister, a French speaking son of Italian immigrants

Johanna Sigurdardottir, named as Iceland's prime minister on Sunday, is the first openly lesbian head of government in Europe, if not the world - at least in modern times. The then 66-year-old's appointment as an interim leader in February, until their elections in May 2009 was seen by many as a milestone for the gay and lesbian movement. According to reports at the time few Icelanders were worried about her orientation SEE HERE The successful ones have not damaged society or become drunk with power and run afoul of protocol to "infect" others around them or infuse ideology so much so to cause or topple so called values held by the majority.  Lets us not forget the several US gay representatives from both the Democrats and even the republican sides. 

As far as Bruce Golding's Not In My Cabinet rant is concerned that was just a political move out of expediency to sure up support soon after winning a small majority in our parliament and he got the right stage via the BBC's Hardtalk to do it as watched by millions around the world. As for "....homosexuals using their behaviour in an offensive way..." what about heterosexuals who abuse their power to impressionable minds or the gun culture previous so called honourable men in the houses of parliament have aided greatly to stain our psyche and nation with? thus impeding our growth over these many years.

See what you make of it readers.

Peace and tolerance

H