Ragashanti on "Old Harbour bisexual mix-up"

Right in the middle of Bisexuality month with the 23rd being bisexuality day comes another trope from controversial online radio man Ragashanti who loves the gossip it seems regarding gay and bisexual issues, why this constant and or steady stream of stories in a supposed homophobic environment? and when these stories come out the participation from the audience quadruples and is far more intense than normal. 

Strange......

Biphobia or just poking fun?

Have a read and see:

Old Harbour bisexual mix-up

with Ragashanti 

Brap! Brap! Brap! Move! Move! Move! Fast! Fast! Fast! An mind unu kin ova! LOL. Mi deh ya. Mi deh ya. Mi deh ya! Wa a gwaan peeps. Right ya now mi jus a give tanx seh mi live through anneda birthday an mi deh ya wid mi belly full. Mi jus bax dung some dumpling wid cabbage weh well steam dung wid black peppa, scotchi peppa, thyme an some oda seasoning. It noice nuh faaleetee! A mi fi tell yuh!

Anywayz, mi waan big up all a unu who celebrate mi birthday wid mi pon Outa Orda! ova Tambareen Radio pon Tuesday night. An tonx to everybody who sen een dem blessings. Mi very grateful fi true. May God bless unu always, an all obeah weh set fi unu get tun back an claat up unu enemies.

Next ting, big up all a unu weh sen on unu responses to di dead matey mix-up. As unu can see fram some a di responses weh mi publish inna Tuesday's Star, dere was a lot a different perspectives. Big up unu self.

Awright, kicky back an medz da mix-up ya fram Old Harbour.

Old Harbour Bisexual Mix-UpRaga mi and dis bwoy did deh enuh. Di bwoy walk and call up mi name behind ma back bout how mi swipe him and mi a lesbian and how nuff man a sort me out. Him all call mi motha and tell mi motha how mi a sort out nuff man and mi swipe him and seh mi wud a sort out mi own motha. Anyways me feeel like —— and thing, fi know seh nuthing nuh guh suh enuh Raga. The bwoy mad, caah all a weh him do, him still a call me bout him love me and want marry me, etc. So Raga u nuh know seh mi a look revenge.

Anyways the bwoy a bi curious. Me run joke wid him and ask if him wud let a man sort him out and him seh no. After a while him seh him wud a love to dweeet. Anyways him call mi one night and mi record the convo how him a seh him want 2 man ram him and him want swipe dem. And mi mek him co-workers dem hear it. Anyways, sum believe and sum nuh believe caah him tell dem seh a me do sinthing pon computer mek it sound like him. Afta that the bwoy still a call me enuh bout him still want relationship. But all I wanted was revenge for what he did. So mi chat to him ova di phone and fren him, until mi seh to him one day fi stop call me and him seh him will do anything fi mi talk back to him and have a relationship.



So mi seh what cums to ur mind that u want to do? Him seh him want a guy sex him. Him seh him want feel all di pain weh mi feel wen him did call up mi name. I said ok. Wen the night cum an him do dat mi record it Raga, and u nuh know seh mi av it pon mi phone and thing. The bwoy then guh tell smaddy how mi swipe him the night. DWL! Who guh tell him fi do that? I circled Facebook with the picture, not the video though. Anyways the bwoy had to run weh; right now him deh a MoBay a hide out. And all dis mawning him call me a ask y mi neva answer him last nite. Damm idiot. If mi record him voice mek people hear, y wudnt I record a video and show people? Idiot! Raga dis happen inna Old Harbour.


Aaaaaay bwoy! First, mi did have fi edit yuh letta cause yuh use a whole heap a hot wud weh cyaan publish inna diStar.

Next: HOW YUH FI SEN MI DA PITCHA DEH WID DI BWOY A SWIPE A NEXT MAN??!! Mi nuh waan see dem ting deh, wid man have dem big helleva sinting deh inna dem mout. Yuh neva did haffi sen di pitcha, di letta was enuff. An look how him face all well exposed an everyting. If a da pitcha deh yuh post pon Facebook, den yuh well cold. A really revenge yuh a tek.

Now hear dis, da bwoy deh a muss mad man fi guh mek yuh sweet talk him an win back him trust an guh sleep wid man roun yuh an mek yuh video it - AFTA YUH DID DONE ALREADY RECORD AN EXPOSE HIM. Is eeda him desperately in love wid yuh fi true or di man mussi dagga out sense out him.
Next: yuh a guh really haad wid di revenge ting, an yuh definitely need to be more careful. Di two a unu fi lowe di almshouse, cause unu may gwaan an gwaan till di ting get wicked an one a unu get physically hurt.

Finally, of course there's much more to di story weh yuh neva share, including details surrounding di fact dat yuh nuh have any problem a sleep wid a man who also loves to sleep wid oda men. A WEH YUH A HIDE??!! Write mi back an tell mi di rest.

Bless up.


Reach Ragashanti at mixupraga@gmail.com or 
PO Box 5866, Liguanea PO, Kingston 6.

Busy Signal's "We Nah Dweet" hits out at Down Low life & a certain Kartellic act

So another tune from the dancehall hits out at down low gay life In Jamaica and certain references in the song are clearly directed at Metrosexual demi god, Erotic sexually laced tunes DJ and King of the Rub (skin bleaching) Vybz Kartel 

Vybz Kartel changed image that caused some negative reactions

who continues to blur the lines of male sexuality in Jamaica while still remaining ever popular, that is also not to say he is the only one as others before such as Elephant Man (orange hair and pink clothes etc), Harry Toddler (blonde hair with puffs and ribbons) to name a few, Kartel in this instance has merged the public persona of Michael Jackson one of his favourite artists into his own while keeping a metro-sexual/hyper-masculine tinge to it as well while also breaking the rule of colour clothing and dawning the sometimes male despised PINK with the transformation right before our eyes all the time promoting the "Cake Soap" he is loved by gays and straights alike although in some circles his heterosexual following has been uncomfortable with his ever changing and seemingly outrageous appearances and his stereotypically gay themed clothing as described in some quarters, his songs are played repetitiously everywhere more than any other DJ right now which makes him the envy of many not to mention how infectious they even children know them verbatim. 

The Busy Signal track which first came out in July 2011 has been getting some attention both on radio and in the dancehall inclusive of the ever popular mixtape marketing tool. Apart from hinting that there are thugs or hyper-masculine types who are on the downlow he also hits out at oral sex which is a regular formulae used by dancehall acts to not to make the message exclusively anti gay but mixed, possibly to avoid direct criticisms and scrutiny from pro gay activists.

 

Busy Signal's song lyrics goes as follows: (the subtle hints are translated)

Hothead
See it deh
Caw from wah day
di man dem lock di music star
and dem nah, yuh see it
Deam a lead di yutes dem astray
caw yuh see it, caw
Alrite hey shane, Stephen

Chorus
Well a dis unnu fi know
gangsta nuh walk wid dem pants drop down

(gangsters do not walk with their pants dropped down)
and dem boxers a show
Dis unnu fi know, kiss gal pon dem mout lip
all di navel me nah go below
Dis unni fi know
no bo can chat bout dem sign me
and beat me like damn poppyshow
dis unnu fi know star a star,
we shine bright but some boy link wid di 

(we are shinning bright while some boys link with rainbow) [suggesting gaydom]
rainbow. Hothead.

verse 1
Boy a boy, big man a big man
bait a bait, see dem deh inna fish pond

(bait is a bait see them in the fish pond) [FISH in dancehall suggests homosexual] 
dem a walking dead, john crow soon pitch pon
We nuh haffi sey a word, caw unnu know a which one
What a ting, oh what a ting
only ting missing from dem a di scale and a fin
Hold on, stick a pin mek me ask assassin
A nuh dancehall dat? no a blues dem a sing
Di CD a spin and di fans listening
see di closet fly deh, unnu sight everything

(see the closeted fly we are seeing everything) [suggesting Vybz Kartel is in the closet]
Dem bite everything
Dem a use di wrong marketing
Paparazzi a write everything
Ha
Tell dem dis keep yuh lifestyle to yuhself

(tell them this keep your lifestyle to yourself)
Wha gwaan in yuh room, no show nobody else
Mi nuh waan see what some boy a do fi gain wealth
Mi linky,

Refrain
Wha me hear dem a drink and eat

(what I hear them drink and eat)
we nah dweet it, we nah dweet it

(we not doing it we not doing it)
Di dutty lifestyle dem a force pon di street

(the dirty lifestyle they are forcing on the street)
We nah dweet it, we nah dweet it
Mi linky
Wha me hear dem a drink and eat
we nah dweet it, we nah dweet it
Di dutty lifestyle dem a force pon di street
We nah dweet it, we nah dweet it
Mi linky

Repeat Chorus

Verse 2
Hothead
Wha dema bring to di yutes pon di road?
Hardcore yutes, a nuh fruits pon di road

(hardcore youths are not fruits on the road) ["fruits" is another name for gays in the dancehall]
yuh can't lef out yuh roots pon di road
nuh follow dem get confuse pon di road
Wha yuh a teach do di pickney
blues, fi dem lifestyle nuh fit me , refuse
Di way dem talk, di way dem laugh
dem a nuh gangsta, nuh bwoy can trick mi
yutes

Refrain

Chorus

Rept Verse one

Refrain

ENDS

Vybz Kartel's public persona being feminized by possibly his detractors as the source of origin of this one of many replaced head images are unknown.

Overall the song also represents a backlash of sorts of the protectionism of the much guarded "Jamaican machismo" that is so cherished that even hyper-masculine types on the down low will resort to public homophobia to protect their space or person from any effeminate references or acts from other males viewed as lesser than male.

Peace and tolerance

H

Prejudices prevent recognition of LGBT rights, ..... Mariela Castro

Prejudices prevent recognition of LGBT rights, Mariela Castro tells Fernando Ravsberg in this interview with Havana Times.

Mariela Castro is the director of the National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), from where she along with hundreds of activists struggle to ensure respect for the rights of Cuba’s community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBTs).
The daughter of the president of Cuba, Raul Castro, she has achieved important advances in making homophobia socially visible, authorizing free sex-change operations and bringing the community out of its marginalization by organizing its members in the defense of their rights.

This past weekend, activities centered around CENESEX during the observance of World Sexual Health Day, where books and audiovisual materials were presented, as well as workshops organized for young rockeros (rock fans), punks and emos – whose place in society is being questioned by part of society.
Taking advantage of the occasion, Mariela granted us an exclusive interview.

Q: When did you begin work in the defense of the rights of the LGBT community?

A: Starting in 2000 we begin working more directly to give visibility to sexual rights, especially those of LGBT people, which had been greatly hampered by the prejudices of Cuban society.

Q: How much progress has been made since then?

A: Our ties with institutions have strengthened our position in society for bringing to light the issues we’re dealing with. This has served in training more professionals and strengthening the network of activists who work with CENESEX.
The dialogue that we’ve achieved with the Ideological Department of the Communist Party has been very important because, though at the beginning they were quite alarmed, now they’re our allies.

Q: But all those relationships haven’t served in getting the National Assembly to pass the Family Code, which is legislation that includes the rights of the LGBT community …

A: These obstacles demonstrate that the prejudices are even stronger than the institutions we hope to develop.
The Family Code is already edited but we know that in the Ministry of Justice is re-editing it in an attempt to change it — based on their own prejudices — to make it different from what we’ve proposed. But if what they approve doesn’t respond to the rights of LGBT people, we won’t accept it.
We regret that they haven’t included us in that debate, because they’re creating a puzzle out of what we proposed and their prejudices.

Q: How might this affect the alliance between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government?

A: I believe there should be alliances between all institutions in a society. The Catholic Church has been consistent in outlining its disagreement with what we’re doing, but it isn’t waging war against us. I don’t feel that they’re the obstacle.

Q: Your dad has spoken about discrimination against blacks, women, religious believers and even the youth. 
How is it that he hasn’t gotten to the point of mentioning the LGBT community?

A: Because evidently there are still many people close to him who are homophobic, so for him to achieve consensus is not going to be so easy. He’s introducing the issue, though he hasn’t been able to throw it open all at once. According to what delegates who attended the 6th Party Congress told me, he spoke about the issue and said that it was now necessary to make decisions in this respect and to overcome those problems. That gave me a great deal trust and faith. I’m hoping this issue will be raised in the upcoming party conference [scheduled for January].

Q: What are the main obstacles?

A: The obstacles exist because prejudices dominate institutional decisions here, something that can change beginning with this general process of change that Cuba is going through. To the degree in that it continues to be participatory, like it began, that will facilitate this issue entering into the wheels of decision making.

Q: Many people complain that it’s a waste of Public Health resources to provide free sex-change operations.

A: Here in Cuba, we don’t lack resources for life-or-death operations; if we don’t have them we go look for them. That was a position championed by Fidel and one which fortunately has remained. Also, sex-change operations are not so expensive and they’re not performed on mere whims.
This is a question of law, and if public health is a right of everyone then people who are transsexual cannot be excluded.

Q: I remember hearing many of those same concerns of yours reflected in your mother’s (1) thinking?

A: Her work at the head of the Federation of Cuban Women gave her the opportunity to understand other problems, like those that stigmatize the LGBT community. Even in the era of UMAP (2) and the Quinquenio Gris (the Gray Five Year Period) (3), she was one of the voices that opposed those processes.

When the Family Code approved in 1974 or ’75 was presented, my mother proposed that marriage be considered “a union between two people,” so that homosexual couples wouldn’t have any problems.
My dad also conveyed much to me. Although people don’t know it, he was not in favor of many of these things (repression against gays) but he had to move within the consensus of a very complex circle.

Thanks to my mom, he didn’t agree. He came from a patriarchal and homophobic culture but he recognized that it could change thanks to her influence.

For the original report go to http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=50300

From the pen of one of our homeless brothers ........

Some background to the homeless issue

As we continue to highlight a dark chapter in our LGBT history that on the face of it some would rather kept hushed this matter of homelessness among our same gender loving males and teens has created deeper rifts between supporters of the established LGBT organizations Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays its parent Jamaica AIDS Support (for Life) and others in the trenches both NGOs were set up originally to deal with and included in their mission aspects of front-line activism for seriously marginalized individuals or groups, sadly the systems have seriously fallen down in that department with a glaring absence of psycho social interventions and at least a resident social worker to deal with the psychological and behavioural problems that has beleaguered the aforementioned NGOs from the men but what does one expect if there are no behaviour change mechanisms in place? 

J-FLAG, among other things:

1. provides support in the event of a crisis or impending crisis; emergency housing assistance, counselling and assistance with medical bills

2. does significant personal development and community building in the gay community;

3. offers counseling and referral services to gay people and their families;

4. has consultations and collaborations with noted local and international figures and human rights/health/political interest groups, in the process of working for constitutional and other legislative changes;

5. has made written submissions to the Joint Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament for the inclusion of “Sexual Orientation” as a basis on which the Constitution of Jamaica prohibits discrimination;

6. has provided documentation for asylum cases based on sexual discrimination and violence in Canada, Great Britain and the United States;

7. maintains a library and archive of resource for academic research 

According to their website:

J-FLAG’s mission is to work towards a Jamaican society in which the Human Rights and Equality of Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays are guaranteed. To foster the acceptance and enrichment of the lives of same-gender-loving persons who have been, and continue to be, an integral part of society. J-FLAG holds the vision to move forward in a spirit of oneness, love, dignity and respect towards the establishment of a Jamaica, and world, devoid of prejudice, injustice, discrimination and oppression. And, furthermore, to ensure the human rights of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays, as set out in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This vexed issue of homelessness which has driven an even sharper wedge between present and former advocates close to the populations has been of concern for some including yours truly who saw the trouble of the rapid growth of the group some two and half years ago with the outright closure of a pilot Safe House homeless project in 2010 due to "bad behaviour" as the given reason, remember all this with the long standing absence of sustained resident social services towards the population and the subsequent displacement from a gay party DVD that ended up on our streets for sale thus exposing persons to violence many fled their homes to other parts of the island and finally landing in Kingston adding to the already displaced . August 23 and 24 has gone down in history as the second civil disobedience action by this group (this time they had no allies) (the first being in January 2010) and was spontaneous which leaves us to ask what are the NGOs whose remit this population falls under are doing? given the ban is still in effect and no public utterances on the matter since the damning Jamaica Observer article some say deliberately as the focus is transfixed on the rejected tolerance campaign advert concerned persons have lashed out at the ineptitude of the advocacy groups towards this population in particular and the insular way business is conducted. In the midst of all this was a protest in western Jamaica as seen below by the groups combined and joined by AIDSFREEWORLD who sometimes seem to be the public relations arm for JFLAG: 

Please also see:

Hypocrisy, Continued damage control via stands or a genuine call for inclusiveness in western Jamaica?

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

To ban the men is one thing which has caused strong reactions in opposition to the decision from some quarters but  then to turn and protest "exclusion" from  a conference on HIV in Montego Bay (photo above) using of all things "homelessness" which was never used as a reason for previous protests and stands before when they knew all along they were not apart of that conference, the timing of this is most inopportune and hypocritical and smacks of an unethical culture that seems to permeates the groups as more and more strange posturings have been brought to bear. At the very top of this post is a scanned hand written summary of how one of the homeless men felt entitled "Homeless Homosexuals" as penned on Tuesday August 31, 2011, barring the slight grammatical errors it is clear this nineteen year old man is not off with his expression and given the right assistance can assimilate into society to make something of himself:

Our brother wrote (abbreviated and errors corrected):

"It's difficult being homeless and a homosexual in Jamaica an anti gay country first you have to be dealing with homelessness and its hardship then secondly being a homosexual people look down on you for being gay and to top that homeless being gay and on the streets means you have to keep an open eye out for the police, straight men, cocaine addicts. We are all Jamaican citizens that are entitled to our rights like everyone else but yet society looks down on us, sometimes we are attacked by men and when we go to the police to seek rescue we are then beaten again and sometimes shunned. It's hard to know you can't even run to the police for safety when that's what they are there for "To Serve, To Protect, To Reassure" is their motto and we get the opposite, even they themselves beat and assault us at times and there is no one to say stop and show some sympathy. We are not having sex in the public and whatsoever we do in private is our business.  

We are living in a civilised world and should be treated civilised. At times we behave boisterously and indecent because because of things happening but the citizens say we are good for nothing and should be got rid of. Being in the streets require street behaviour to survive sometimes we use the boisterous behaviour as protection and to let our voices be heard, I think that the Prime Minister needs to do something about homosexuals being mistreated in the country as is we are alienated. We as gay people aren't the ones bringing in the guns and cocaine in the country and we are not the ones forming the garrisons. We are amicable people and it's full time society looks at us for what we are. 

The Prime Minister needs to decriminalize the country by dismantling the garrisons so that we can go home back to our family and friends and feel more comforted and love. The Prime Minster accepts dons and garrisons but not us and it's sad. Lots of us on the streets are educated,  creative and talented it's just the helping hand we need to become someone meaningful to society and show that we are human beings and we can be successful and contribute to society in a positive way. My message to country is to stop and listen we have issues that need to be dealt with."

ENDS

 Rowdy Gays Matter 21.08.11 by glbtqja2 

Homeless MSMs Saga Timeline 28.08.11 by glbtqja3

 Other sides to the msm homeless saga by glbtqja2 

 Other sides to the msm homeless saga part 2 by glbtqja2 

I hope who has ears to hear let them hear or who have eyes to see let them see.

Some of the homeless men came from a party DVD going public as highlighted in this video report from 2009 when JFLAG kinda still meant something and even then the cracks were widening. Other men joined the population afterwards from their own respective cases of forced evictions and ostracism from their homes.

Peace and tolerance

H