Lobbyists split on Queen Ifrica’s Canada performance

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There are diverging views this Thursday morning from the gay community about the attempt to deny a permit for Queen Ifrica to work in Canada, because of her comments at the recent Independence Day grand gala. The attempt is being made by the Canadian-based Jamaica Association of Gays and Lesbians Abroad (JAGLA). The group feels her comments were anti-gay and she should not be allowed to perform in Canada.

However, doctoral candidate in Sociology at Yale University, Javed Jaghai, who is also a claimant in the case challenging Jamaica's buggery laws, does not believe that differing views should prevent artistes from travelling.

“I don’t think anyone has a right to violate someone’s right to travel and share their art just because they share different world views. But at the end of the day, this is a very complex issue, and it really irks me every time we reduce it to the gays trying to force their lifestyle on us, because that is what it really turns into,” said Mr. Jaghai.

He said as a nation we often communicate by inflicting pain on each other and said it is time we start acting like the adults we are.

However, member of JAGLA, Ralston Chamberlain, insisted that the group should at least get an apology.

“Let me declare; our aim and our mission is not to have Queen Ifrica’s travel documents revoked. Our aim is for her to either apologise to the gay community about the anti-gay remarks, or not be allowed to perform at the event,” said Mr. Chamberlain. He was speaking on Wednesday on RJR’s Beyond the Headlines.

And, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender supporters, along with Amnesty International and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, on Wednesday demonstrated in front of the Jamaican High Commissioner's office in Ontario. The demonstration was aimed at bringing attention to the July 22 murder of 16-year-old cross-dresser Dwayne Jones in Montego Bay. The teenager was beaten, shot, stabbed, run over and thrown into bushes after appearing at a party dressed as a woman. A peaceful protest will also take place in London on August 28 to demand justice for the death of the teenager.

Organized by African Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans-genders Out and Proud Diamond Group, the protest is to be held outside the Jamaican High Commission.

also see from Gay Jamaica Watch: Queen Ifrica's "Freedom of Speech" & advocacy found wanting 

UPDATE: August 23 Queen Ifrica's work permit was cancelled so she could not perform.

also see: Shirley Richards breaks silence on the Queen Ifrica fiasco

There is some talk now of launching a boycott from Canada of all places lest we forget or learn for the uniformed we have gone down that road before, we had a near diplomatic nightmare and a major spike in homo-negative incidents at the time between 2008-9 then I was full time at JFLAG doing ADMIN/FINANCE/Crisis intervention:

1) JFLAG did not support a tourism boycott as suggested by EGALE formerly Equality for Gays And Lesbians Everywhere Canada in 2008: CLICK HERE

2) Jamaican hotels fear boycott: CLICK HERE

3) Canadian Boycott called off: CLICK HERE

4) Posts from the Canadian and San Francisco boycotts in 2008 on GLBTQJA Wordpress: CLICK HERE

5) Gay rights activists clash over tackling Jamaican homophobia

6) Gays won't boycott Jamaica ..... EGALE cancels push

7) Gay rights activists clash over tackling Jamaican homophobia

also see: Gov’t Hush Hush On Gay Pressure …As Promoters Forced To Pull Queen Ifrica From Canada Show 

The Jamaica's Observer cartoonist Clovis penned this cartoon, a balance must be struck I say with second tiered homo-negative artists versus more really vitriolic ones such as Buju Banton, all artists who express anti gay sentiments cannot be treated the same in terms of boycotts or cancellations of work permits, each infraction MUST be carefully examined and the appropriate response given. Overseas folks need to take their cue from locals on the ground as there are consequences for agitations as serious as previous cases have shown.

UPDATE - August 26, 2013

Nationwide radio's Emily Crooks during her What's On My Mind segment of her show gave her two cents alongside Naomi Francis co-host, I am total agreement with her, JAGLA over reached in this case:

Update August 24, 2013

Sexual Orientation Beyond Athletes (Gleaner Editorial)

On the face of it, the Jamaican Government cares naught about the sexual orientation of the country's athletes and feels there is no need for any special policy to protect gays in sports.

Sport, says Natalie Neita-Headley, the minister with responsibility for that portfolio, "is a right and privilege" of all Jamaicans.

"We have not been in the business of seeking to find out who is this and who is not and what is your sexual preference," she told this newspaper.

We agree with the principle.

Indeed, no one, we can recall, asks about the sexual orientation of our athletes or rejects the glory they bring to sport.

But this fact, and the non-discriminatory sports policy highlighted by Mrs Neita-Headley, masks the crisis of discrimination faced by gays in Jamaica, which the State has done too little to tackle.

The greatest metaphor for Jamaica's anti-gay discrimination is the maintenance of the law against buggery, which makes anal sex an offence.

STATE AS PEEPING TOM

Despite its potential for trapping heterosexual couples, this legislation is primarily aimed at homosexual males, presuming their relationship to be criminal. Further, it casts the State as a voyeur and, in a sense, helps to give credence to Jamaica's thick overlay of homophobia.

So, it is good of an athlete to run fast and jump high and win medals for Jamaica, for which he or she is likely to receive great adulation.

Yet, if that athlete, say, a male, were to cross-dress and attend a dance, he could well be beaten, stabbed, shot, his body dumped in bushes, then have people rationalise his murder. It would be hardly surprising to anyone if the investigative authorities were lethargic in pursuing such a case, especially if the victim was not socially high-placed and of renown.

Attitudes towards gays in Jamaica have indeed improved in recent years, but real transformation and full acceptance of their rights as individuals in accordance with the Constitution demands leadership. That, primarily, is the responsibility of the Government, from which it has been lacking.

DELAYED VOTE

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller made a small, but politically courageous step in this direction during the campaign for the last election with her declaration that sexual orientation would not be an issue in determining her Cabinet.

She also promised a parliamentary conscience vote on the buggery law. But the prime minister has caused her administration to do little about arguing the logic, morality, in terms of human rights, and other merits of the law's repeal. In this respect, it is perhaps a good thing that the vote has been delayed.

Additionally, there is the matter of the Government's Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) being joined in a constitutional-rights case for having refused to broadcast an advertisement promoting tolerance and respect for gays. It may be by statute that the PBCJ is barred from accepting paid advertisements.

However, it would seem to us that a policy directive could be for such a programme to be aired as a free, public-service broadcast. In any event, the Government, as a signal of its moral leadership, could direct PBCJ to, if not concede the legal issue, negotiate settlement of the matter.

The opinions on their page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email them: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.