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Friday, November 13, 2015

Jamaican deported after beating ex-lover


A Jamaican woman was deported yesterday after confessing that she beat her ex-girlfriend earlier this week.


Why everywhere we go we have to cause problems, I'll never know and now this.

As a result, Kimone Alecia Morgan, 23, spent less than half of the stay of six months granted to her on August 30 when she arrived in Barbados.

Morgan, who was staying at #67 Hothersal Turning, St Michael, pleaded guilty to assaulting Gina Shepherd on November 8, causing her actual bodily harm, and threatening the complainant by telling her: “I gine stab and kill you ****” on that same date.

The woman went before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court this morning, where Sergeant Janice Ifill revealed that the two women were involved in an intimate relationship which ended just two weeks ago.

On the mentioned date, Morgan invited Shepherd to go out with her and other friends but the complainant declined. The accused became annoyed and began beating Shepherd about the body, causing bruising to the woman’s forearm and back.

Morgan later sent threatening words to Shepherd via Whatsapp. The matter was reported to police.

Once the court determined that the complainant did not wish to be compensated, Morgan was reprimanded and discharged and left the courtroom accompanied by Immigration officials.

Earlier this year another case involving a female and her lover just left me disappointed as intimate partner violence raises its head.




A JAMAICAN WOMAN was remanded to Dodds for a month after being charged with causing serious bodily harm to her live-in female companion. 

Kerreon Ishane Kelly, 25, of Barker's Road, Haggatt Hall, St Michael, was not required to plead to the charge of doing serious bodily harm to Tishana Alphonso of the same address, with intent to maim, disfigure or disable her on January 8 this year. 

Prosecutor Acting Station Sergeant Neville Watson objected to bail, noting that the victim was still in critical condition in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and that there was a possibility of the accused leaving Barbados. Kelly, a Jamaican national, was remanded until February 19 2015

I was also made to understand that the alleged attacker later apologised for the vicious attack on Instagram.

She allegedly wrote: "Sometimes we let ignorancy get the best of us n we tend to do stuff we don't wanna do and then having regret ... today (Saturday), I did the most cruel thing of all my life and I just want to take a minute to just say how truly and deeply sorry I am. I never really get the seriousness of it until my fren send me a pic ... I want to make a public apology to my ex. I wouldn't wish such a evil act on anyone."

also see:


Peace & tolerance

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Caitlyn Jenner confronted by trans protesters in angry scenes at LGBT charity luncheon

Well right in the middle of transgender awareness month/week comes this story in the Daily Mail. I kinda had a hunch something like this would happen as in June in a post Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E Jamaica, APJ tackles gender identity, transgender misconceptions & an ignorant sociologist I had expressed some concern with the class issues and other trans persons who struggle where I had said in part:
"I am a bit concerned about the way the story is being carried both locally and abroad as the novelty like creation of this due to the celebrity-dom of Jenner bearing in mind other persons also have come out and tracked publicly their own transitions. The co-modification element of it in terms of her look and comparisons to what he looked like before prior to the change and thus making transitioning seemed limited to someone's vain idea of being different."
The class issues present themselves yet again and it was only earlier today I posted a related story on Gay Jamaica Watch: Rich gays versus poor gays & disconnects reminds me of Jamaica with established agencies and the persons who are privileged versus those who are not.

Daily Mail carried: Caitlyn Jenner was confronted by angry members of the trans community who protested outside a charity event on Thursday.

The demonstrators were angered that the 66-year-old former Olympian, who they dubbed 'a clueless rich white woman,' was being held up as a representative of their community.

The reality star had been speaking at a luncheon held by an LGBT charity in Chicago and attempted to engage with the protesters as she left, sparking a confrontation which was caught on camera.

Shouting slogans such as 'You are an insult to trans people, you are an insult to women,' protesters used a loud speaker to make their feelings known.

In a video of the altercation posted on Facebook by the protest group, Caitlyn can be seen being angrily berated, with demonstrators telling her 'you have no right to represent us.'

In the footage the I Am Cait star, 66, attempts to reason with them, before she is escorted away by her security guards.

Caitlyn had earlier given the keynote address to an audience of 1,000 at the Speaker Series luncheon for the Chicago House.

The charity provides social services for those affected by HIV/AIDS and other LGBT issues.

The protest group, calling itself 'I Ain't Cait', explained in a mission statement that Caitlyn's wealth made her unrepresentative of the average member of the trans community.

'Caitlyn Jenner... lives in a mansion and has a net worth of millions of dollars, while the average trans person has a 41 percent chance of experiencing homelessness and a nearly 50 percent chance of living off less than $10k per year,' they wrote on Facebook.

The group attacked Caitlyn for her past comments on those using social services such as Chicago House, quoting from her show.

The group called her: 'a clueless rich white woman who thinks disenfranchised trans women of color should just pluck themselves up off the street and stop being so lazy.'

And they added: 'Caitlyn Jenner doesn't represent trans people!'
The protester who was seen confronting Caitlyn in the video, later said in a public Facebook post that Caitlyn gave her a 'look of disgust'.

And she wrote: 'I support her as trans, but I won't support her as an act of bravery for transitioning in the public's eye, while millions are homeless for identifying, dead, or dying because they have to do damn near anything just to find a place to sleep at night.

'Those are the folks that I pray respect and support my direct advocacy for humanity and dignity for all. Everyone can be productive if given a chance and left alone to figure it out.'




More HERE from Daily Mail

Washington Blade: Caitlyn Jenner confronted by LGBT protesters: ‘You are an insult to trans people’

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Transgender Awareness Month: A Jamaican Transman's Journey

I was particularly pleased of recent developments of a client who I had dealt with five years ago and was forced to seek asylum in Canada. He has since made some serious changes in his lfie.

 In two previous posts one from my days as Crisis Intervention Officer at JFLAG and another after the renaming of the blogs to reflect my views a stabbing incident was covered and some advocacy and relief was offered to him. At the time he identifed as lesbian given the low radar of transgenderism where he was stabbed multiple times in Half Way Tree instigated by a female clothing vendor nearing the present JUTC bus park beside Burger King.

 the posts in question were:
Alleged Lesbian Stabbed in Open View - Police Uninterested 2008

 Excerpt: 

 On June 23rd a woman who was identified publicly as a lesbian by another woman was stabbed in Half Way Tree, St. Andrew at least 5 times leaving her with a collapsed lung.

 She sustained a stab wound to the buttocks, 4 to her left side and was hospitalised for several days.

 We have since intervened and offered financial assistance and counseling in her recovery process.
She is recouping at a friend's home.

 When she tried to make a report after the incident took place the officers at the post were resistant and not interested as they claimed it was a lesbian matter and they weren't getting involved, only a verbal complaint was taken but no official report documented.

 We are following this incident closely as we deem it to be homophobic in no uncertain terms.
Peace.

 the other post:
Alledged Lesbian Stabbed in Half Way Tree (Update) 2009

 Excerpt:

 We now have permission to post pics related to this incident, here we see her recovering at a Kingston hospital last year. As promised in the original post published August 15, 2008 we managed to learn the real motive behind this case. The attack was led by another lesbian in the Half Way Tree area who incited men to attack the victim on the grounds of alleged hatred of homosexuals, when the real reason was she was in a jealous fit over an alleged ex lover of the victim.

This is a startling discovery to us as to stir up the pot of homophobic hate in our caustic environment to harm another LGBT member is just unacceptable and troubling.

 The woman photographed has recovered well except for occasional pains along the area of the stab wounds and she was told by her medical team that several of her nerve endings will be permanently affected. She was in cheerful spirits when she visited us yesterday to deliver the above photographs for her file.
ENDS

 He known as Jay now resides in Canada and is a good sketch artist as the following from her drawings:

posted with permission

 recent shots of his journey were posted publicly on his Facebook profile and I am pleased with the growth:



getting ready for surgery



good times in Canada


 early photo in first few months in Canada

Mi feel good for him to know that he came to deaths door and survived and was able to rebuild.

Peace & tolerance

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United and Strong launches 15th anniversary celebration




(Castries, November 2, 2015) United and Strong Inc. is celebrating 15 years of existence with intensified connection with the community under the theme “Year of the Community: Education, Acceptance, Love”. The organisation officially launches a month of activities with an open house and community celebration next week.

Founded in 2000 and registered in November 2005, United and Strong Inc is a human rights NGO that seeks to achieve recognition of the human rights of marginalised groups on Saint Lucia with a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people. In a country that still criminalises same sex intimacy and where discrimination against LGBTQI persons remain high, the organisation has struggled to thrive.

“Today we celebrate a milestone in the life of an organisation that one would have never thought would survive past 2008,” states Executive Director of U&S, 


Kenita Placide, “This organisation known in the early days as the AIDS Alliance and formally registered as United and Strong in 2005, has faced many challenges, including their office being burnt and burglarised. However, this has not stopped their mandate to educate and sensitise the LGBTQI community and by extension the the general public.”

Placide adds, “The survival of the organisation is due to the contribution of some key persons including the founders, various people who have conceded to be part of the Board of Directors over the years, partner organisations, funders and most of all the LGBTQI community and allies on Saint Lucia.”

To this end the celebration will recognise the contribution of several key persons during the month as part of the fifteenth anniversary celebrations, which will run throughout the month. The launch of activities next week will include discussions among community members, staff and BOD of U&S on matters related to advancing the goals of the organisations and other issues of mutual interest.

The celebrations have already been launched on social media and the public is encouraged to send their congratulations using #15Yrs4US!”. The year’s theme, #EducationAcceptanceLove, is also a rallying call online.

The theme will in addition inform the organisation’s flagship Red Ribbon HIV AIDS outreach throughout November into December. Begun in 2013, the annual public outreach is a new flourish on the groundings of the organisation. The Red Ribbon outreach will see volunteer peer educators and counsellors taking safer sex information, commodities and voluntary testing to the public across the island.

This forms just part of the organisation’s vibrant roster of activities that includes media advocacy, policy advocacy, documentation capacity building, training and sensitization that extends to regional partners. Among the flagship events are a regional police human rights sensitisation project and the Caribbean Women and Sexuality Diversity Conference (CWSDC).

“We look forward to an additional 15 years to see more impactful change from the work accomplished thus far,” says Placide. She adds, “We continue to work toward a world where equality, security and justice for all persons, inclusive of the LGBT community, is not just a thought but a lived reality.”
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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Transgender Awareness Month .......... Diva Whitney & more

As November is seen as transgender awareness month I decided to highlight Miss Whitney Bowen and the other children with a glimpse of her journey as she now resides away from us (sad face) but life goes on.

She was featured in a video campaign two years plus ago where she came out and spoke to her journey:

whitney by glbtqjamaica
Then she also was an active participant in the Aphrodite's PRIDE Jamaica Seizmic Small Business & Personal Development Training cohort 1:


good times in her new life below





realness in the DAYTIME baby!

Trans lives matter they say but I am saddened that we are losing the open voices to migration where they are forced to leave. 

Tiana Miller also featured in a video some time ago as well:

looking stunning as ever nowadays
Just Tiana archive video
Tiana speaking at APJ's training

Thankfully JFLAG has finally gotten its act up on transgender issues  and with involvement of the senior lady Satiba from APJ in recent training exercises hope remains while company is true.

Ashley aka Borefoot from back in the day is doing quite well nowadays, mi feel good

 here she is (right) when Nina Flowers performed in Jamaica at the now defunct Loft LGBT Club, diva Kerry is on Nina's left

Follow Ahsley's blog HERE





not to be left out is legendary Miss Poochie Lue ... performer at Club Heavens and Kling Kling party days. She too is abroad now.

also see:

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if the button does not work then go ........
by HERE (it should like as the picture above) or HERE
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Outlook Question: Am I a Lesbian?



So a lively discussion ensued on one of my private Facebook groups after a post went up about a curious woman who wrote in to an advice column in the Gleaner as to her feelings and urges towards women; I decided to bring it over here to see what occurs or foster more discussion. The response is a bit interesting, see what you make of it:

(graphics added for effect)

Q. Good day, doctor. I am a bewildered woman, and I would like your advice about my sex life.

I am 30 years old and I have a very good job, a loving husband and two wonderful children. Life has treated me well. My husband and I usually have sex two to three times for the week, and it is very satisfying. I always orgasm, without difficulty.

But recently, things began to go a little awry when my work brought me in contact with an elegant and beautiful Canadian woman. She is just a little older than me, very sophisticated and experienced in the ways of the world.

Two months ago, I had to go to her place, to discuss a business matter. When we were done, she poured us both a drink. Doctor, we were standing very close and talking when suddenly I found us kissing.

I just don't know how this happened, but she put her arms round me and we stood there, kissing passionately, for at least five minutes. Finally, I pulled away. My heart was pounding and she laughed charmingly, and said: "We must do this more often! Can you come back for another meeting on Tuesday?'

Well, I agreed. And the Tuesday meeting turned out to be even more passionate. I am afraid to say that we took off our clothes and got into bed together. I did not really know what to do, but she was obviously very experienced in these matters. To be honest, she had no difficulty making me orgasm - twice.

The reason I am writing to you is that I feel very 'muddled' by all this. I love my husband. And throughout the last few weeks, my sexual relationship with him has continued as normal. I still find him very exciting, and he has remarked that I am 'even more orgasmic' than I used to be.

Meantime, I have continued to see the Canadian woman around once a week, and each time we have a few hours of wild passion.

Doctor, can you help me straighten my head out? What am I? I do not think I am a lesbian, because I like and desire my husband so much. But I feel that I cannot be entirely 'straight' either, in view of what has happened.


Answer: Thank you for being so frank. A lot of people, including men and women, are sometimes a little confused about their sexuality.

A lot of psychologists explain it this way: Human sexuality is like a horizontal line across a page. Most of us are near one end - which is the heterosexual or 'straight' end. But a large minority is at the other end - which is the homosexual or 'gay' one.

However, quite a few are scattered somewhere along the line, so that they are located between 'exclusively straight' and 'exclusively gay.' Interestingly, they sometimes move along that line during the course of their lives, so that they somehow become 'less straight' or 'less gay.' Often, their movement along the line is affected by meeting some very attractive or charismatic individual.

And that is what has happened to you. You obviously started out somewhere near the 'straight' end of the spectrum. But you have been kind of 'pulled' along it a bit because of meeting (and having sex with) this very attractive woman.

A lot of persons would describe you as 'bisexual'. But I am not sure that term is helpful. You see, in another few years, depending on how things go, you could be exclusively a lesbian, or exclusively heterosexual.

The main subject that concerns me is your family. You have two beautiful children, and a husband whom you say that you love. It would be crazy to let these three happy relationships be ruined because of your affair with this woman.

I must warn you that if you continue your physical relationship with her, you may fall in love, and that would make your situation even more complex and difficult to deal with.

Now I mean no disrespect to the other woman, but I do think that for the sake of your family, you should break off the relationship right away. I suggest you do not go to her house anymore. In fact, it would be advisable to avoid meeting her at all.

That may seem harsh. But my experience has been that it is nearly impossible for a wife to maintain a happy sexual relationship with her husband and another person - whether the 'other person' is male or female.

ENDS

Do you think the warning of the continued contact that may lead to client falling in love is a warranted response?

I am not so sure; she needs to be guided by her feelings I guess but I aint no psychologist lol.


Keep chatting folks, there is an online testing mechanism as captioned (I don't know if it actually works) but it seems interesting: Are you uncertain a about your sexual orientation? Than this is the quiz for you! Upon completion, you will find out weather you are straight, bi-curious, bisexual or lesbian: CLICK HERE

Peace & tolerance

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Sunday, November 8, 2015

Golding, Buggery And The CCJ


Source: Gleaner


It is a well-known truth that minority groups are often used as scapegoats when politicians need to leverage the support of the majority. After all, what better way to coerce action than to convince the privileged that a "vile, immoral and downright sinful" minority are a threat to their privilege?

That incessant need to suppress otherness is a central rallying cry; nothing binds us together like our shared prejudices. With all that known to me, I perhaps shouldn't, then, be surprised by Senator Mark Golding's vulgar political ploy regarding the CCJ, the Privy Council and buggery. And yet I am. For in seeking to play to irrational fears, the minister may have done harm to his own cause and, in the process, called into question a central plank of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Speaking at a forum on the regional court, the justice minister made comments warning those expressing a preference for the UK-based Privy Council to tread carefully. According to the minister, and I'm paraphrasing, there will come a time when the country's colonial-era buggery laws will be challenged in the Constitutional Court.

As Mr Golding sees it, the matter could end up before our final court, currently the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Golding goes on to forecast that such an eventuality would all but spell doom for the laws, because, according to him, the UK-based judges are more likely to apply contemporary British perspectives on same-sex relations, rather than any judicial rigour, in interpreting the validity or the laws. Granted. He may well be right.

But the argument becomes curious when the minister goes on to say that he would much rather a regional court that understands our regional realities, culture, history, etc. passing final judgment on the laws rather than an alien tribunal.

What are we to make of this argument? Is the minister suggesting that the Caribbean Court of Justice, far from being an independent arbiter of law, would apply "regional realities, culture and history" to judicial interpretation? For if he is, he is on very shaky ground, indeed.

It is my understanding that judges should interpret what is plainly before them, rather than seeking to create public policy, or satisfy the wishes of the majority. They should, as far as possible, resist the urge to make law. Those judges who breach their role by applying personal preferences should be seen as oddities.

What Mark Golding has done is dangerous. In his indecent haste to win over a majority of the Jamaican people, he has called into question the independence of the regional court. What's more, the minister may have even created unreasonable expectations in the minds of Jamaicans as to the functioning of the court.

It is not an exaggeration to suggest that the naked prejudice that informs attitudes to the buggery law may convince many Jamaicans to get firmly behind the CCJ - no pun intended.

Such an arrangement would force the court into a corner, and quite possibly cripple its hand as it relates to ruling on the law. The minister comes dangerously close to confirming a long-standing argument against the regional court, which is that it would not be immune to political pressure from Caribbean leaders.

Golding is guilty of indirectly applying pressure on the court. To be sure, we cannot know with any certainty how the CCJ would ultimately vote on the issue, but it is enough to be concerned about the effect of Golding's posture, and the reaction of our people to it.

Does this new posture from the minister suggest the CCJ may yet see the ballot? And if it does, what would happen if the people buy into Mr Golding's fearmongering, and the court decides to nullify the laws? Who would soothe the resentment and anger that would rip through this country? It would be something akin to betrayal of the Jamaican people.

Still, Golding is no fool. There is a strategy at play, vulgar though it is. He knows well the prevailing misconception that suggests there is an orchestrated plot by external forces to overthrow our cultural preferences on buggery.

What could be a greater threat than foreign judges, with gay sympathies, overruling our most cherished laws? For many Jamaicans, that idea invokes a strong phobia. The minister may be interpreted to be banking on that fear to bolster the position of his Government.

Finally, politicians must be careful that their actions may be seen as seeking to exploit bigotry and prejudice to achieve a political end. History is replete with tragedies that arose because of that very exploitation.

At the heart of the fearmongering are real people, who are hoping for a fair hearing on the extent of their liberties and freedoms. They deserve no less. If Jamaicans accept the Caribbean Court of Justice, let it be on the merits of that court, and there are many, and not out of fear and lies.

Those of us who accept the legitimacy of the CCJ believe the truth of its worth is enough to win the day. The minister should accept that, too.

Mark, let us not turn this debate into a naked conversation about buggery. The CCJ is worth more, and Jamaicans deserve better.

- Ricardo Brooks is chairman of the Jamaican Association for Debating and Empowerment.

 also see a previous post: Justice Minister exploits homophobia to gain CCJ support on Gay Jamaica Watch and ....

 JFLAG Tries to Clarify its Agenda 2014












an earlier podcast on the history of the law from 1533:
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Intersex Day of Solidarity 2015



This blog stands in solidarity with the allies I have come to know online and in the blogosphere and recognize today's significance in the struggle and advocacy.

Intersex Solidarity day commemorates the birthday of Hercuine Barbin (Adelaide Herculine Barbin). Herculine Barbin, one of the most famous intersex persons in history, and known as the first person with documented personal writings of being an intersex person. After a medical examination when authorities became involved, Herculine was forced to resign from her job and she was then forced to live as a man. Herculine committed suicide following the events that were thrust upon her. 

Today is a day to acknowledge the intersex people of the past who have paved a path for intersex rights, as we continue to move forward to the future.

Brief biographical note about Adélaïde Herculine Barbin

Adélaïde Herculine Barbin was born November 8, 1838 in Saint-Jean-d’Angély (Charente-Maritime) and officially registered as female. She spent her childhood in an orphanage and later at the Ursilines convent of Chavagne.

Between 1856-1858 Herculine Barbin studied at Oléron’s Normal School and received her degree. At 21 she became a school teacher and met Sara, the youngest daughter of Mrs. Avril, the headmistress of the school. Gradually, the friendship between the two girls turned to love. But, when acting on their feelings for each other, Sara realized that Herculine was not made like most girls. Herculine was forced to resign from her job and after a medical examination required by the authorities who became involved in the matter, she was then forced to live as a man. Herculine became Abel but when he returned to the village, Mrs. Avril refused to let him see Sara. On a cold February day in 1868, Abel Barbin’s dead body was discovered, the victim of an apparent suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning from the small stove in his apartment.

Herculine Barbin, one of the most famous intersex persons in history, makes us question whether we can live as we are with our difference. Her life also forces us to question this world which has created standards which we are obliged to try to meet or otherwise face rejection. The individual can exist only by assimilation into these norms and being like everyone else. She lived a life of absolute fear. The agony of seeing her terrible secret revealed. The terror of having to pay for a mistake that she did not make and of the shame for being who she was.

Suffering, endless suffering. He had to leave everyone he loved to plunge into the cold depths of isolation. Her life is a great story of pure love, fatally destroyed by ignorance and intolerance.

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