Amnesty International Report - Jamaica 2016/7

Unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions continued. Violence against women and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people persisted. Children continued to be detained in violation of international standards.

Background

In February, the Jamaica Labour Party won the general election and Andrew Holness became Prime Minister.

Despite committing to the establishment of a national human rights institution, Jamaica had not established the mechanism by the end of the year.

Jamaica continued to have one of the highest homicide rates in the Americas.

Police and security forces

In June, a Commission of Enquiry published its much-anticipated report into the events that took place in Western Kingston during the state of emergency, declared on 23 May 2010, which left at least 69 people dead. Almost 900 pages long, the report identified a number of cases of possible extrajudicial execution and produced a number of important recommendations for police reform.1

In an official response, the Jamaica Constabulary Force accepted a number of recommendations, such as committing to hold administrative reviews into the conduct of officers named in the Commissioners’ report. However, the police continued to refuse to accept any responsibility for human rights violations or extrajudicial executions during the state of emergency. By the end of the year, the government had still not officially indicated how it would implement the recommendations of the Commissioners.

While the number of killings by police have significantly reduced in recent years, 111 people were killed by law enforcement officials in 2016, compared with 101 in 2015. Women whose relatives were killed by police, and their families, experienced pervasive police harassment and intimidation, and faced multiple barriers to accessing justice, truth and reparation.

Violence against women and girls

According to local NGOs, national legislation to address violence against women remained inadequate. For example, the Sexual Offences Act continued to narrowly define rape as non-consensual penile penetration of a woman’s vagina by a man, and to protect against marital rape in certain circumstances only. By December, over 470 women and girls had reported rape during the year, according to the police.

Criminalization of women engaged in sex work continued to place them at risk of discrimination, arbitrary arrest and violence by the police.2

Children’s rights

The NGO Jamaicans for Justice reported that children were still being detained in police lockups for being “uncontrollable”, often for illegal periods and in inhumane conditions.

Rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people

There remained no legal protection against discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Young LGBTI people continued to face bullying and harassment in the absence of legal protection. Consensual sex between men remained criminalized.

Between January and June, 23 people reported to the LGBTI rights NGO J-FLAG that they had been physically assaulted or attacked because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

A survey published by J-FLAG found deeply homophobic attitudes. For example, only 36% of Jamaicans surveyed said they would allow their gay child to continue to live at home. Almost 60% of respondents said they would harm an LGBTI person who approached them.

In June, the Attorney General used social media to criticize the US Embassy for flying a Pride flag after the killings of LGBTI people in a nightclub in Orlando, USA.

In August, for the second year in a row, J-FLAG held activities to celebrate Pride Week.

International Justice

Jamaica again failed to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, signed in September 2000, nor had it adhered to the UN Convention against Torture or the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Jamaica: State of Emergency 2010 – ten things the government must learn, and ten things it must do (AMR 38/4337/2016)

"I feel scared all the time": A Jamaican sex worker tells her story (News story 27 May 2016)

LGBT Birth Tourism too far-fetched an idea for Jamaica?

I am still a little befuddled at the fact that Jamaica is still seemingly reluctant or afraid to diversify the already successful tourism product. The matter came up for mention this morning on radio. Given the recent introduction and active business of AirB&B catering to middle class vacationers who cannot afford five star hotels and that traveller who is seeking a more earthy real world exploration it has helped in the sub categories of LGBT visitors as well who like the rustic charm & scenery away from the inclusive concrete jungles that a mere marble and artificial beauty with some flora and fauna. Jamaica does facilitate birth tourism but obviously for heterosexual couples. We must not leave out the fact that gay marriage is a done deal by way of the US SCOTUS in that historic judgement. The smaller guest houses or homes linked to AirB&B model are all over the place and have been doing pretty well as some 1,500 properties or more have qualified and are actively accommodating persons. The pink dollar component of it though somehow we as a country have not capitalized on even in the face of pre-US embargo pressure on Cuba the island was doing relatively well in the LGBT guest department. Of course with the visibility and intervention of the daughter of the late Fidel Castro, Mariela that has helped greatly in attracting support and visitors.

Cuba’s national awareness programs on sexual health also includes LGBT matters so the population being so exposed does have the kinds of caustic homophobia when compared to ours with sometimes disastrous outcomes. They still do have the occasional slip up but that problem won’t disappear altogether. Now that the embargo has been lifted there is almost a flood of persons overall but includes savvy and monied LGBT persons including newly minted married couples who seek the destination for their honeymoon and I have since gathered birth tourism where couples either by insemination or surrogate arrangements either way i.e. male couples who use their sperm with a paid female carrier go to other countries from the US; as for US citizenship the child’s citizenship is dual if the family allows it or as for future educational opportunities prudent planning is crucial. Trouble is if one is from outside the US going to that destination to have the baby must have strong financial backing and insurance coverage not from the country of origin. However in reverse let’s say in Jamaica where a US or Canadian or British couple gets here the private hospitals is what they have to contend with and some insurance would have been included in the ticket purchase and so on.

Another drawback for US couples in particular especially heterosexual and lesbian couples where one of the lesbians will be the ‘mother’ is that unlike our three month maternity leave automatically granted to women not all US states offer such extended leave; some only give a month which may not be enough time to have the baby do relatively well before time of travel. Canada has a similar arrangement I gather but if mothers-to-be entered into contractual arrangements the there may be implications. Some prudent planning has to come into play I imagine. 

Also other health reasons can come into play such as is the expectant person can travel or is deemed fit by a doctor so to do?; especially if there is a requirement for multiple trimester visits in the desired destination. With stability and state recognition in LGBTQ family life with sometimes a disturbing feeling of homo-assimilation couples want children or are going about it the original route of adoptions. With proven stem cell research and birth methods guided by strict codes of conduct since the mid 2000s, surrogacy maybe a thing of the past in years to come as couples can create eggs and sperm from said stem cells thus having their own DNA in that newborn.

also see: Sexual Reproduction for Same Sex Couples? 2010

Possible spin-offs

A newly pregnant or new baby couple may need bedside attention outside of the private hospital care, and after discharge from the facility may need some help and guidance navigating local cultural considerations such as diet, climate management and or a security detail if necessary; all of whom can earn from providing those side services.

Homophobia doesn’t impede the destination

Despite Jamaica’s homophobia the island is somehow still loved a every year the figures look impressive, recent cruise ships stop-over to the point of lack of space for porting is visible evidence of that. Despite attempted tourism boycotts such as the major one in 2008 and the Red Stripe Beer dump in protest which drew major attention visitors still come for the flora and even commitment ceremonies and civil appearing weddings. Apart from a few of the big players that accommodate LGBT guests and host private events such as raves (Bloom events hosted by a Jamaican living in NY), beach parties and such there are other mid priced villas that also cater to such markets. A recent clothing option event was held at property in St. Ann. Visitors are willing to spend on security as I have seen over my 21 years in LGBT event planning and DJing. Investment though is not so readily available for persons such as myself who may want to expand to a LGBT specific venue and accommodation to hosts such guests thus capitalizing on the pink dollar.

Far-fetched?

Definitely not but the lack of forward thinking in both the business community, elites, LGBT NGOs and government is still a challenge; as the visits and privacy attached to same is already happening but one of the challenges is that visitors are used to public displays of affection in their own countries and sometimes to ask guests to suppress their ODA might be a little challenging. 

A year 2000 case comes to mind where a Caucasian male couple in Ocho Rios by what is now Pineapple Place or thereabouts after they inadvertently appeared to be too affectionate to each other, were spared a thrashing by visibly upset mostly males who left the shaken men with a strong warning to not show ‘it’ up; I guess they were not about to interfere with the visitors seeing they were foreigners and they would have left soon afterwards. The outrage that flowed when the story made the tabloid however was another matter as the usual ‘thrown in our faces’ abhorrence was the main homophobic driver at the time. I would like to see more natives getting involved in this pink dollar tourism arrangement specific to LGBT guests, no offence to our expatriate friends please as there are a couple already utilizing the AirB&B model after they came to Jamaica and invested in property and linking to influential gay tourism books such as the Spartacus, problem is some of these AirBnB outfits seem not to want to cross fertilize by having natives also as guests, something that needs addressing. The last time that Jamaica had a listing of LGBT outfits before recent times was when the co-founder of the now closed Club Entourage Brian Williamson managed to get the New Kingston business district venue on there; it attracted the occasional foreign guests.

Oh for that pink piggy to get fat.

Peace & tolerance

H

More on power bottoms .......................

In a follow up to a previous post on power bottoms HERE or (Bottoming Doesn’t = Power) Bottom are some more considerations.

1. What is the difference between a bottom and a power bottom, or how is power bottom defined?

In gay sexuality terms, a “bottom” is understood to be the male partner who is on the receptive end of anal intercourse and enjoys being penetrated. A “power bottom” could be defined as a bottom who has a strong enthusiasm and drive for engaging in long sessions of anal penetrative sex, whether as an extended single encounter with no interruption of being “topped”, or having the desire and ability to engage in multiple instances of anal sex over a long period of time within a sexual episode. A man who can accommodate penile thrusting for long periods without stopping and shows exuberance, lack of inhibition, and active participation in the sexual encounter are characterized as “power bottoms.”

We may have an issue outside of the sex of it and related psychologies; as in Afro Caribbean or Afro American culture if one was to unpack some of this. That rigid role play conformity pinned to the power is in the penis thinking can be challenging. Some so called exclusive tops who do not want to ‘bottom’ insist on keeping the sexual department pure with him in charge. He may be intimidated by power bottom who is too assertive sexually or not and he must be submissive on many fronts.

Many tops who have endurance and enjoy long sessions of anal intercourse commonly complain about bottoms who have to terminate penetration because of discomfort, pain, or exhaustion. Conversely, power bottoms can also be discontented with a top who ejaculates too quickly during sex and halts the sexual encounter before he has been thoroughly satisfied.

2. Is it possible for a heterosexual male to be a power bottom or a woman? Is it exclusively a gay man’s thing?

“Power bottom” is simply a label attached to a sexual preference and taste that differentiates specific needs and desires for sex. The terms are primarily used in the gay community to help men distinguish between those partners that would be most compatible for their sexual needs; “top vs. bottom” is typically used as a screening tool to ensure goodness-of-fit with obtaining just the right sexual partner or prospect for a partner for a possible long-term intimate relationship. They can define particular sexual roles if that’s the route that’s chosen in a given sexual situation.

Though not as widely pronounced or publicized, I believe that heterosexuals also can be viewed as “power bottoms.” Sexuality is not cut-and-dry (non-binary).

Many straight men enjoy being penetrated by their girlfriends/wives with dildos and vibrators. While “power bottom” conjures up images of strictly penis-in-anus, the advent of sex toys has added another dimension to the sexual needs of bottoms. The sensation of being “filled”, whether by a penis or some other object, meets a psychological need and fuels the sexual desire for this type of sexual activity. Additionally, in the heterosexual S&M community, the terms “top” and “bottom” are designated to either the man or woman who has the preference to live out these roles in either a sexual arena, or even in their general lifestyle and daily living practices. They espouse issues of power and control as opposed to being linked to any particular gender.

What kind of endowments?
Is bigger better? More simply:
What is a power bottom looking for in a partner?

There are certainly those men out there who classify themselves as “size queens”, preferring male partners with large penises for anal sex. This is not a golden rule, however, to be considered a power bottom. Gay men love penises of all shapes and sizes and despite the stereotypes about “bigger is better”, many men find these phalluses difficult to accommodate and less pleasurable than an average-to-smaller sized member. Others love the feeling of being “filled” and “stuffed” by an over-sized appendage. The preference is as unique and individual as people are. It just depends on the role, if any, that penis size plays as a fetish or fantasy for the specific man.

The type of man sought is also just as varied depending on the individual’s specific erotic blueprint for what he finds attractive and a turn-on. Typically, a long-lasting top who is attentive is favoured. Variables like masculine vs. effeminate, body build, hairy vs. smooth are all unremarkable and specific to each person’s unique idea of what’s “hot.”

4. Do power bottoms ever get to/want to go on top?

Absolutely! A power bottom doesn’t solely have to be on his back to have a good time. In fact, mixing it up with different sexual positions adds more spice and variety to the encounter. While there are certainly those bottoms who enjoy taking a passive role in anal sex, many others are quite aggressive in getting their needs met or creating a sexual scenario that’s enjoyable for both men involved. There can be more of a sense of urgency with the power bottom’s active participation and he can actually take on more of dominant role.

One of the beauties about gay sex is that there are no specific rigid gender or sex roles that have to be played out. This means that there is more versatility with sex play and sexual positions and roles can be mixed and matched depending on the situation, preference, and need. While some power bottoms may predominantly favour being topped on most occasions, this does not preclude them to only being pigeon-holed into that one position and many enjoy the option of being able to switch-hit from time-to-time as a “power top.” Versatility can offer more options for sexual satisfaction and variety.

5. I’ve heard that often more dominant men, in terms of look and personality, like to be power bottoms. Does the power bottom ‘role’ exert more dominance over the top, or do these people enjoy the role reversal?

There is no specific type of man who can be generalized as being a “power bottom.” Men of all personality types and creeds vary in their preference of whether to be a “top” or a “bottom”. Some dominant men do enjoy relinquishing control in the bedroom to tap into a more submissive side than they ordinarily exude in their public life, but this does not necessarily target them as being power bottoms. And as indicated earlier, a power bottom often times does not have to be passive and submissive; they can also be quite a delicious aggressor.

6. Are power bottoms rare? Do they have a “type”–that is, could you recognize one just by looking at them, or is it something you discover when having sex?

While it’s difficult to ascertain the number of power bottoms that exist, it is believed in some circles in the gay community that bottoms tend to outnumber their top counterparts. By scanning the sex personal ads available on the Web, one can frequently see that posts for bottoms seeking tops are in the majority. This is certainly not representative though and there are no statistics that I’m aware of to verify that as being an absolute truth.

And just like it’s impossible to detect who is gay from straight when out-and-about, it’s also impossible to determine who is a top vs. bottom by physical appearance. Effeminate men are often times stereotypically viewed as being bottoms (even in the gay community), but look out when one grabs you, throws you on your back, and gives you the ride of your life. He’ll debunk all those myths!

Much of the negotiating of sexual activity and what will happen is typically communicated before a sexual encounter. There are always those times as well where the sexual preferences and behaviours evolve in-the-moment of a heat of passion and the men follow suit with cues from body language and gestures. In some bar settings and gay community events, some men wear handkerchiefs, leather straps, and other insignia around a specific arm to advertise their specific sexual preference as a way to attract potential sexual partners or to define their identity.

Cheers! Power to the bottoms!

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Oh tops & bottoms and rigid role play again

Tops, bottoms, power differentials & restrictions in gay relations

On white men as bottoms in interracial gay porn (strong content)

The THOT of the walk who is oral

Stigmatization of Effeminacy in Gay Jamaican Culture Part II 2012

A Male Whore ........ who defines him & perceptions 2014

Are you a top or a bottom? 2010

4th Annual Lesbians Who Tech + Allies Summit 23rd to 26th Feb 2017

It's conference season as usual and the CROI 2017 just closed or about to, now comes the technology driven 'Lesbians Who Tech(nology) Summit invloving lesbians and bisexual women in the ever evolving Tech world.

ABOUT THE LESBIANS WHO TECH + ALLIES SAN FRANCISCO SUMMIT 

The 4th Annual Lesbians Who Tech + Allies Summit from February 23rd to the 26th, 2017 in the Castro District of San Francisco will bring together over 2,200 lesbians, queer women + allies across all areas of technology. 

Some years ago we had a Jamaican representative who did us proud there and made a Caribbean mark as well. 

Topics include: Technology + The Resistance, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Data, Hardware, Machine Learning, A.I., Healing + Community, Virtual Reality, Engineering and Entrepreneurship.

At the heart of our Summits is a deep commitment to women in tech, LGBTQ women and women of color. We do that by showcasing top tech talent who are changing the world, and happen to be LGBTQ women. Our goal is to push the industry towards a higher standard, a technology sector that is representative of the people who live in this country.

Because the world changed, our strategy for this year’s Lesbians Who Tech + Allies 2017 San Francisco Summit changed.

After the election we regrouped and approached the Summit with a fresh point of view to take the Summit beyond technology. We reached out to leaders who are rising up and using tech to lead the fight on issues of reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, systemic racism and sexism, and more issues at the intersection of power and freedom.

Basic Agenda, see the detailed registration/agenda HERE

THURSDAY | FEB. 23
6:00-9:00 PM
Tech Crawl
Badge Pickup

FRIDAY | FEB. 24
VIP Breakfast
TED Style Talks
Technology Demos
Recruiting Zone
Executive Diversity + Inclusion Forum
After Party

LevelUP Leadership Lunch

SATURDAY | FEB. 25
TED Style Talks
Workshops
Panels
TechUP Career Fair
Hackathon

SUNDAY | FEB. 26
Lesbians Who Hike
Lesbians Who Bike
Lesbians Who Rock Climb

Closing After Party

Scholarship Applications HERE

Bottoming Doesn’t = Power Bottom

In a follow up to a post on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch (Bareback popularity concerns) and subsequent convos, a rather animated exchange ensued since and some strange interpretations also were revealed. I thought I'd try to set the record straight on some of this. As per usual your feedback is welcomed. 

What is a Power Bottom?

If you are a true power bottom, you are gay man who has a huge appetite for being penetrated by another guy (or guys). You can last for extended periods of time without having to take breaks.


Power bottoms tend to last longer in the sack when the top is confident during intense jack-hammering (read between the lines). Power bottoms are ready to take it day or night and commonly like to skip a lot of foreplay and get right down to business.

Power Bottom Myths

Let’s first dispense with some of the common myths that are often associated with being a power bottom. While I can’t list them all, here are some of the biggies.

Power bottoms are:

Effeminate

Selfish

Meth addict

Unable to feel pain

Totally submissive

Slutty

Effeminate

A lot of people see to think that guys like me who power bottom are “queens” or “big girls”. That’s totally false. I would argue that guys who mostly or exclusively bottom are perhaps some of the most masculine guys on the planet. This myth can be traced to harmful stereotypes about gay men – pure and simple.

Selfish

I’ve had friends say that power bottoms are bigtime selfish whores. This one is BS too. That’s because being a power bottom isn’t so much about the activity but instead, about the mindset.

Just because we like to bend over doesn’t mean we can’t or won’t top. It does mean that we prefer to riding a guy and doing so for long periods of time.

Pain

Perhaps the worst stereotype associated with this bit of lingo relates to physical pain. For some stupid reason, a lot of gay tops have it in their mind that power bottoms don’t feel pain.

I’m here to tell you that’s total B.S. because we do. It DOES hurt if you just jam it in or suddenly yank it out. Nothing pisses me off more than a top thinking he can do whatever he wants to me because the guy thinks I’m impervious to pain, you know?

And hate to break it to you but not all of us are hooked on crystal meth, causing us to get “tina d*ck”. I don’t know if that myth came from videos or an urban legend but it’s crap.

Submissive

Containing on with the stereotypes, power bottoms can be submissive but that doesn’t mean they are totally submissive. Sure, I suppose if you hypnotize one of us, we could turn into some freakish zombie bottom but in the real world, that’s not been my experience.

Slutty

Finally, not all guys like me who are power bottoms are slutty. I hate when gay men think this but apparently, many do. Remember, it’s not about the number of guys we can take but instead, our ability to be ready and last for the long term.


To be this type of bottom, it means you have personal POWER. Here, I am talking about a high degree of self-esteem and self-worth. Not the other way around.

Power Bottom Truths

As mentioned earlier, a gay man who identifies as a power bottom has adopted a mindset. This way of thinking takes years to develop and has nothing to do with the top’s size or girth.

Instead, it’s about the pounders ability to jump into action at a moment’s notice, allowing someone like me to be equally ready.


This means we’ve educated ourselves about digestive health, allowing us to do our thing without worry. 

On a related note, a true – and I mean absolutely true power bottom knows all about the things that turn off guys who are tops. One of the big ones is never making the mistake of referring to our man holes with effeminate terms.

Another one is understanding the importance of thorough douching!

Bottoming Doesn’t = Power Bottom

What really pisses me off is running into guys on hookup apps like Grindr and Scruff who claim they are power bottoms when they simply aren’t.

Just because you rode a guy for 20 minutes doesn’t entitle you to claim the label. And so what if you can sit on a giant toy! That doesn’t mean you are one either!

So gay men everywhere, please, for the love of all that is good, please stop calling yourself a power bottom when you aren’t.


This is a very special title should be reserved for gay men who have put in years of effort while educating themselves on how to be masters of their craft.

also see: