'BISEXUAL CLAIM NOT TRUE' - J'cans bash recent survey report

UPDATE 6:49pm UNAIDS Caribbean has debunked the original story go HERE for more but still read on below as the discussion has already commenced so might as well we continue to raise the issue(s)

Well I sort of expected this biphobic reaction laced with anti-gay insinuations in a sense as it seems to be founded on a fear of persons being perceived to being on the downlow so as to avoid being outed as gay. There maybe some truth to that though as the gay for pay phenomenon is real, these days one only has to listen and hear the one liners in the latest dancehall songs hinting to supposed downlow men forcing or using wealth and materialism to "change" other men to commit same sex acts. I wondered aloud in a Facebook group if the study took into account behavioural bisexuality as well, which I doubt as bisexuality on a whole is not given the attention it deserves in general LGBT discourse or rights agitation and as for social interventions and recognition to double gender loving persons we know all too well the agencies here pay scant regard to that except for the occasional time as this or when bloggers mark the respective calender events.

One also has to take a look at how even the gay community views bisexuals or for all intents and purposes pansexual people who see no gay or bisexual label entrapping them. 

also see: 
Bisexual and pansexual identities often look the same

Lady Switch Hitters & the Boyfriends who complain ...

The Biphobia in the community (Gay, Lesbian) maybe higher than thought

Anyone remembers this cartoon when the Vybz first made the trek to the slammer?

also see: Kartel on lockdown and that suggestive cartoon .....

Hence when issues/discussions like these come forth there is silence as all things gay and beautiful pervade the great and small all things wise and wonderful buggery repeal superceeds them all. This shows once again a clear lack of interest in general LGBT issues and not just the "G" in the struggle for recognition and rights. Bi-erasure and subsequent biphobia by default, a complaint raised by some community members for several years, where is the leadership?

see this older entry: “LGBT” advocates – nonengagement of bisexual issues = Biophobia by default

The Star News carried the following today in a follow up to the precursor to the Caribbean online study whose results are expected to be out by September of this year according to a recent communication with an officer close to the group responsible for its execution.

PAULA GORDON, Staff Reporter

Several Jamaicans are questioning the credibility of a recent study that claims that one in every four Caribbean men is a bisexual.

The online study conducted by the Caribbean Men's Internet Survey (CARIMIS) has become the hot topic on the lips of many persons since yesterday and has sparked some level of controversy.

About 2,560 men are said to have participated throughout 33 territories. This would possibly mean that the survey included men from Jamaica as well.

questioned credibility

Though the findings are preliminary, it was revealed that 15 per cent of those surveyed said they had sex with men but gave no labels, such as homosexual or bisexual to their acts.

Subsequent to the news being broken about the study, our news team sought to get some comments from several Jamaicans.

A number of the persons interviewed questioned its credibility and the sampling methods used.

Kirk Thomas, a bank employee, told THE STAR, "I don't believe in that survey because it doesn't identify the territories examined, ... one in every four ... my crew consist of 13 and mi sure I am not bisexual and none of my friends are so I can't agree with that survey."

Andrew Henry, a taxi man, expressed, "I know about myself, I don't think it is right. I think they did that survey down in the Lesser Antilles."

Interestingly, the gripping results have also resulted in numerous comments being left on Facebook.

Several males blasted the group that carried out the study on the social networking site.

One male wrote, "Lol ... these statistics are so dumb, would love to know how they came up with this ... The truth is we don't know squat, could be even more or less or not at all ... Personally I don't even accept it one out of four ... Come on."

Another wrote, "Not Jamaica ... Don't mix we up ... ."

On the other hand, several women proved to be more receptive to the findings.

One woman said, "Is true! Unno man is in denial"

In the meantime, THE STAR understands that the project, which was launched in November last year, was funded by the UNAIDS, the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

It is expected that the results will be handed over to regional governments in short order.

article ends

Given the homo-negative and sometimes caustic environment here in Jamaica it only stands to reason why same gender loving men overall tend to be closeted in a sense and take on heterosexual partners even have offspring so as to take the social pressure of their backs, the proverbial why don't you have a child yet or girlfriend taunts from parents or sibblings. Is it time we begin to have a serious national discussion on coming out and remaining out and also here on the rock instead of having to run or seek asylum elsewhere? be you of whatever sexual orientation, it is time we start living our truths?

Bigger issues here are on the horizon to me than just a survey on how many bisexuals that there are.

All of a sudden the Star News "Tell Me Pastor" has a letter from a man claiming his female partner is a deceptive bisexual, how convenient, see more here: Deceptive bisexual one wonders is these letters are real sometimes.

Peace and tolerance

H

One in four Caribbean men bisexual – survey

There seems to be some foul up going on here as the original information was as follows:

Almost one in four Caribbean men today describe themselves as bisexual, a new study suggests.
The preliminary findings of the regionwide Caribbean Men’s Internet Survey (CARIMIS) are in stark contrast to the Caribbean’s traditional image of a macho society with sparse tolerance for homosexuality.

“We have a fair population in the Caribbean that identify as bisexual. Across the entire sample … about 20 to 23 per cent say they are bisexual,” facilitator of the CARIMIS project and director of UNAIDS, Caribbean Regional Support Team, Ernest Massiah said.
The CARIMIS study is being touted as the “largest sample” of the Caribbean MSM (men who have sex with men) population of its kind, done via Internet—surveying 2,560 men throughout 33 territories in the region.

Massiah also revealed that 15 per cent of the men did not define themselves in any category. Although they engaged in sexual activity with other men, they “do not want a label”, he said.
According to the director, the most “shocking” aspect of the study involves the amount of physical and verbal abuse and visual intimidation levied against MSMs in their respective countries.
“What we are seeing across the region is that between five and 10 per cent of people have been assaulted because they were perceived to have a different sexual orientation,” Massiah said.

In some nations half of the MSM population identified with being verbally abused and visually intimidated.
“What we are seeing is that as a society, if you have a sexual orientation that is perceived as different, you can be physically abused and in a lot of cases you receive verbal abuse,” he said.

For the first time, the study identified a new population of men – the educated MSM man.
“We are getting a population that we have not been able to get data from before, that is men with secondary and tertiary level education. We have a very educated sample here,” the director said.

Previously, face-to-face surveys were the norm, but only accessed “certain members” of the MSM population. Massiah said that the use of the Internet and redefining their target populations was the key to the survey’s success.

“It is a good way of doing research because you can get to people in a much quicker way than you would have if you tried to do an interview with an individual person,” he added.
The study’s results will be given to governments of participating nations to help develop policies and initiatives that will protect and service the MSM community.

The UNAIDS-funded initiative was launched online last November and concluded in June.
The MSM population is defined by the survey not only as openly gay men but also men who do not self-identify as gay or bisexual but participate in sexual activities with other men. The survey is being implemented throughout the English, French, Spanish and Dutch speaking Caribbean countries.

The survey is now closed and will be out by October.

New developments - August 16, 2012

After communicating directly with the UNAIDS Caribbean media representative to verify the story yesterday via email the following Press Statement was sent to me from their Trinidad office as other media outlets had it wrong it seems, the problem is the damage has been done but let's make it right as local discourse is already high since the story broke with even our Jamaica Observer carrying the piece:

PRESS STATEMENT

MSM data due by the end of October

PORT OF SPAIN, 16 August, 2012— UNAIDS Caribbean wishes to debunk a news story circulating in the regional media over the last 24 hours under the headline “One in every four Caribbean men bisexual”. The story’s claim that a UNAIDS study found that quarter of the region’s men are bisexual, is misleading and of no merit.

The Caribbean Men’s Internet Survey—the first ever online study of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the region—has not yet been finalised as country-specific data are currently being analysed. Of the overall sample (of MSM who responded to the survey), 23 percent declared themselves to be bisexual. This is far different from one in four Caribbean men being bisexual as suggested in the story. Additionally, the sample size of the survey was 3,566 and not 2,566 as the report stated.

Findings will be finalised by the end of October 2012 and will be released to the regional media directly through the UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team. For factual information on the study methodology and preliminary findings please visit www.unaidscaribbean.org

Contact

UNAIDS Caribbean | Cedriann Martin | tel. +868 623-7056 ext. 283 / +868 371-7195 | martinc@unaids.org

UNAIDS
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Learn more at unaids.org and unaidscaribbean.org

ENDS

My question is who made these grave errors in numbers and the time of the study's release? UNAIDS, the media or is Dr Massiah The Regional Director as quoted is being reigned in as he has been saying alot lately, case in point his pronouncements that the PNP, Peoples National Party offers hope for repealing the buggery law while revealing his hand that he has had conversations with three sitting unnamed Prime Ministers (to be named), an observation I made that he should have held that to his chest while continuing the talks.

 here is the actual newscast on the PNP matter from Nationwide News

also take a look at a thread from the Antiguan Observer HERE