Some concerns from Western Jamaica on homelessness and homo-negativity

Readers and listeners welcome to another timely post on homelessness that I would normally cover on my other blog Gay Jamaica Watch but this time I was hauled over the coals by some of my following to also pay closer attention to the homeless and displacement issues in western Jamaica predominantly Montego Bay, Pitfour, Grandville and Savanna-la-mar along with other homo negative issues and a few same gender loving women concerns so I took a two day trip to Montego Bay and overnighted with a friend. From the moment I landed it hit me, why aren't you dealing with us as well on your blogs and audio/podcasts? I was repeatedly asked. So I was taken to task for the very thing I critique lol but such is life, there is always a teaching moment to learn from and I am guided by you my readers and listeners. But also understand that the issues in Kingston require urgent and consistent vigilance as the circumstances change so rapidly.

Indeed the social interventions by the LGBT advocates seem not to be island-wide and merely concentrated in Kingston proper but as we huddled and began to examine what was is really taking place it soon became clear that the same issues and more that were and are bedeviling the homeless msms in Kingston are the same as our western counterparts. Issues such as:

1) Transactional sex and related negotiating issues?

2) Identity issues and effemophobia clashing with hypermasculine types 

3) Gay for pay populations crossing over into the main homeless MSM populations and the subsequent fallouts

4) No permanent shelter and residential access

5) Improper diet and health issues especially HIV positive members of the groups 

6) Homophobic attacks and homonegative responses from the mainstream

7) Inability to reconnect with biological families and subsequent interventions and related social services

8) Non response or aloofness from the LGBT bodies that readily parade the men's issues overseas

9) Increased cynicism and refusal to report incidents to the very LGBT bodies

10) Little follow up from the LGBT legal arms and meaningful assistance from same

11) An unusual phenomenon of stoning becoming a fixture as part of the anti gay response in reported homophobic incidents 

The predicted fallout from the lotto scam crackdown by the authorities and the coming to a halt the informal half way house program that was carried out by a key influential who has been fingered as a key player in the illegal scam has also come to light as many of the displaced and homeless men who benefited from that arrangement have now found themselves having to move to other parts of St James and by extension other parishes including Kingston. This was the same influential who ran a club that was invaded in February 2011 by cops with some awful results, see the link for more: 

Big Blow for homeless/displaced MSMs in Western Jamaica …..

Meanwhile other alleged scammers too have fallen on difficult times financially and are now joining the fold it seems as they were once vilified by the originally displaced that were not helping and selfish while enjoying their ill gotten wealth.

Also with the veiled threat of sorts coming from the supposed criminal underworld as well that was carried in the tabloids recently many persons in the community are also surmising the increased hostility towards perceived LGBTians as a consequence of this threat.

see: 

Thugs warn drag wearing scammers ……………

A few incidents were reported to have occurred over the past few months where the persons so harmed have flatly refused to go into the report their concerns and injuries either to Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays and worst yet the police who in western Jamaica do not treat with any urgency or proper regard the sanctity of ones rights in a precinct of a station instead reportees are ridiculed or made to feel dejected as officers make a mockery of the situation. The untimely departure as well of Manger and his assistant at Jamaica AIDS Support for Life Montego Bay offices as only serve to add insult to injury as he also acted as a crisis intervention contact in western Jamaica often putting his own self in harm's way to offer emergency shelter or relocation for persons who would normally call the office for assistance. He was fired due to internal matters that have left many stunned even now some several months after his departure. The new staff members have been described as out of touch and very snooty and seem not interested for the most part in getting involved in serious cases but those who still do engage have a hard time convincing the homophobic victims to report the issue to JFLAG, the response is usually they feel it will go nowhere than just on paper. 

A same gender loving woman also had to beat a hasty relocation as she was the victim of a stoning incident as well so she took evasive action, she surmises that after the visit of a butch identified friend she became profiled by her immediate neighbours hence the incident that followed. A nurse also had to take action at her place of work where another coworker verbally abused her but the regional authorities quickly diffused the situation and transferred the offending worker to another locale.

With no permanent presence at this time of a crisis intervention team in Montego Bay how are the persons going to report incidents separate and apart from calling in to them. JFLAG has indeed indicated that it will be opening some shelter of sorts finally after 14 years of existence the first time a shelter is being opened after so many years of not addressing the social issues that have grown exponentially. How many beds are there in this project and if it will remain open and close surprisingly and dubiously as the previous Safe House Project we are yet to see. One other issue is will this new shelter if and when it opens will the services be so offered to engage the existing homeless men numbering some thirty or more just by observation and some of whom have been around since 2007 after the exposure of an LGBT party DVD by bootleggers first in Montego Bay then in Kingston leading to an islandwide meltdown. Many persons from western Jamaica had to beat a hasty retreat to come to Kingston hence the explosion of displaced and homeless persons to this day with all the associated problems some internally caused unfortunately.

Please see the following for some background to some of the issues:

Murder, Homelessness and fallouts ..................................

June 13th double murder scene of two homeless msms which was not a homophobic killing

also hear a recent audio commentary on the Trafalgar murder matter and more

and recent issues with the Kingston cohort 

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

There are several things to consider here folks as we navigate LGBT life here on the rock especially for those of us who choose to remain here and battle it out and not run off using the tempting asylum routes being waved infront of some as a dangling carrot but it becoming more clearer is the social fallouts and homonegative issues however small they make look needs urgent attention by the advocacy structures. Influentials alone can no longer take on these matters as they are spent from attempting to do so and resources are scarce on their part yet millions are available from the LGBT groups and they do not act on addressing the glaring issues staring us all in the face.

Think on these things

Peace and tolerance

H