Cuba hosts first transgender Mass .........

So or friends in Cuba are moving on quite nicely and making major strides in the realm of a tolerant church, I wish more of our local churches just get with it. This news is timely indeed as a previous post left me a bit down where a pastor is accused of committing buggery on a fifteen year old boy in Trelawny.

By Sarah Marsh and Anett Rios | MATANZAS, CUBA (Reuters)

For decades belonging to a religion and being anything but heterosexual was stigmatized in Communist-ruled, macho Cuba, making the Mass held by three transgender pastors in the western Cuban city of Matanzas all the more groundbreaking.

Trans pastors Cindy Bourgeois from Canada (C) and Alexya Salvador from Brazil listen to trans Baptist reverend Allyson Robinson from the U.S. during a mass in Matanzas, Cuba, May 5, 2017. Picture taken on May 5, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

Rainbow flags decorated the chapel, while the pastors, who had flown in from Brazil, Canada and the United States, wore stoles in the trans hues of light blue, pink and white and the congregation swayed to Caribbean beats.

Friday was the first time a trans pastor held a Holy Communion in Cuba, highlighting how much the island nation has changed since both religious believers and homosexuals went to "correctional" labor camps in the early years after the 1959 revolution.

"Tonight has been a night of celebration of equality between all people, marking a new era for Cuba," said Alexya Salvador, a Brazilian trans pastor, born Alexander, wearing a black dress with a white clerical collar and lacy sleeves she made herself.

"God's love is radically inclusive."

The Mass on Friday was the highlight of a three-day conference on transsexuality and theology organized by the Matanzas-based Cuban branch of the international Metropolitan Community Church.

"This is not only a first of its kind event for Cuba, but certainly one of the very first ever to be held anywhere in the world," said Allyson Robinson, a trans Baptist reverend from Washington.

The conference took place ahead of the 10th anniversary, next weekend, of Cuba celebrating the global day against homophobia, and included a raucous "transformist" party as well as a variety of panels on theology and personal experiences.

In one, Salvador argued God was transgender, given the Holy Trinity was made up of the Holy Spirit, which she views as feminine, the Father and the Son.

Elaine Saralegui, a lesbian pastor who founded the Cuban branch of the MCC nearly two years ago, said she hoped the conference would foster greater inclusion of trans people and prove that being trans and Christian were not incompatible.

"I leave with having learnt a lot of things I can share with other trans," said one participant, a 26-year-old Cuban trans woman called Malu Duardo, "in particular that there is a God for everyone."

Saralegui's congregation numbers around 35 but she said she also gets asked to hold Mass at lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) activist events around the rest of the island nation of 11 million inhabitants.

"Nearly always they ask me to hold a liturgy there, so we have to improvise wine, bread and hold a (Lord's) supper anywhere," she said.

The trans pastors said they were impressed by Cuba's progressiveness in some respects, for example providing state-financed sex reassignment.

The country was clearly lagging the rest of the Americas in other ways though, they said. Same-sex couples may not marry or adopt children and a promised update to Cuba's family code has been slow to materialize.

"Everyone should have the right to have a family," said Salvador, who has adopted two children, including a trans girl. "I believe this touch of God will also happen in the Cuban community."

Buggery accused pastor relieved of pastoral duties

A 27 year old pastor of the New Testament Church of God in Bonkers Hill Trelawny has been relieved of duties after he was charged with sexual assault & buggery of a minor being a fifteen year old boy. Percy Smith has been slapped with buggery, gross indecency and grievous bodily harm, the acts allegedly occurred between 2016 to earlier this year. In a press release yesterday the Administrative Bishop of the church Reverend Wellesley Blair confirmed that Smith was removed from conducting anymore pastoral duties, he said the church disassociates itself from immoral, unlawful or reprehensible acts unbecoming of a pastor; he said the church is willing to cooperate with the investigators in whatever appropriate or is necessary and that the church is also expressing sympathy to the family affected, the accused pastor is to face the court sometime this week.

I hope that the youngster is being properly counselled and engaged towards some recovery, also I hope the court systems are taking into account the sensitivities involved and that the matter is tried ‘in camera’ (the accused and the victim) so as to avoid any unneeded exposure. The repeated mention dates and or preliminary hearings can be daunting for the victims in particular, to be asked to go to court to face the evil one or made to relive the matter. I can only imagine the state of affairs in that household and by extension the rest of the church community and the condemnation on their part of the accused pastor seeing it is same gender sex matter, I raise that because of the justification of an ongoing matter of the Moravian pastor who was accused of assault of a fifteen year old girl. Many commentated openly that nothing was wrong with ‘a little sex’ and after all she is a girl and the accused pastor in that matter should be forgiven; the efforts by some who ought to know better to seemingly protect that pastor only threw salt in the wound and has left me wondering what other dark secrets ad out there that church boards are aware of but cover them up so as not to ruffle feathers. Apparently hetero-paedophile appearing abuse cases can or should be allowed some leeway because it the accepted straight sex but mention a male and all hell break loose. Comments made by overly fanatically sympathetic congregants and others that the Moravian pastor blasting those who accused them shows up the kinds of control some have over those who are easily led.

Something seems off when it comes to the Moravian church in recent times as such clerical abuse is mostly linked to the Catholic Church but in this year alone we have seen Pentecostals, now this New Testament Church and even non traditional denominations. Priests continue to clothe themselves in piety but use their power and privilege over the weak. Simply put abuse is abuse no matter the gender of the victim or the perpetrator and a pastor is the last person one would expect to hear being accused of such issues, are pastors joining or hiding in the church just to gain access to the weak, the very weak Christ’s teachings encouraged that should be reached?

This is not the best time for awful news such as this given it is child’s month and the disturbing set of inappropriateness of pastors or persons purporting to be men of the cloth who abuse the weak psychologically and otherwise. On one hand it is good that such hidden actions are being exposed but on the other it sends a wrong message to persons in terms of the trust of the church and has indirect implications towards the national discourse or shouting match on the buggery law amendment or repeal depending on which side one is on. Some members of the public have been up in arms since the story broke suggesting that no change whatsoever must come to the law; it is cases like this one that makes it all the more relevant to amend the law as in the amendment it should take into account (non) consent for adults while also making it very clear the protection of children under the age of consent which is 16 years old. One also hopes that if and when there is some amendment that there is no hetero or homosexual buggery demarcation as was done in the UK before the ages of consent were equalized in the 1980s.

There is another ongoing matter for some years now in the St Andrew parish court involving a female victim who was also buggered by a pastor, sadly the creaking court systems and yet to be properly updated ways of doing business still escapes our justice systems overall. That case is being tracked but in the twenty first century why are some judges still taking notes by hand despite smartphones with voice recording capabilities, laptops with powerful microphone ranges and the promised video cameras in court to track hearings so judges can go back and review the materials. Only a few courthouses have been updated to meet the relevant changes and make them fully operational. Another challenge I have is the business of follow-up of older cases and their outcomes in terms of the victims, the system is so overwhelmed that it is next to impossible to keep up.

The sexual offences bill review is on and many like me are not so optimistic on any positive movements similar to reviews passed but hope remains while company is true.

Peace & tolerance

H

That oral sex debate again with Ishawna.......

I was not going to enter the whole Ishawna controversy on her song on ‘Human Rights’ power negotiations and oral sex in heterosexual relations. I was asked what I thought about it and frankly it just shows how backward we are yet still as a nation and have a long way to go on supposed taboo subjects including homosexuality despite major increased visibility and social media to boot. To easily measure the place in terms of changing hearts and minds I try to encourage persons to look at the oral sex debates when they occur and or reactions when it comes to public attention. The very Ishawna of which I speak is the very same and relatively a newcomer in dancehall female arena who had shot a lesbian themed video with another female dancehall female DJ which also caused a major firestorm, bearing in mind that the previous queen of dancehall Lady Saw now known as Marion Hall has converted to Christianity so the rawness of the sexually explicit and undiluted lyrics so I guess the gloves are off for beef manufactured or not is the way to stay in the marker or on the radar, attention span by the easily bored public these days is short so I guess any drama goes as entertainment. Lady Saw had made it clear of her songs in her heyday that she not ‘cleaning any rifle’ 

also see: We're not lesbians - Stylysh clarifies song with Ishawna .......... 2014 and "Rimming" promoting DJ gets blamed for freaky singjay's ostracism & death threats and Alkaline (Rimming DJ) gets a homophobic response from newcomer Dwayno's track 2014

Comments are still pouring in days later, 

Pamella Parks
"Ishawna, remember the kids them cause them a listen it behind the door so yah fi cut down pon it, but mi like yu music. Princess Street girls them love it. Bag juice and Pepsi...Wow!"

Christine Hall
"Mi a no a fan of but the song just nice and right on point. Mi honestly believe say she deserve a Grammy because she brave. Other [male] artiste a sing bout them thing deh and no body nah lick out pon them."

Audrey Crossman
"To each his own. When people inna dem bedroom a dem private thing. I don’t have a problem with it, she a make her honest bread. I would buy the song, I sent it to my boyfriend yesterday."

Javae Simms
"The song deh weh she do a fi man who freaky. A freaky man song dat. But true me know mi a straight foward man. A da thing deh we use fi wul the girl them, we nuh use we upright."

Keron Woods
"I think it is full time a female should actually step up to the plate and show the men in the industry that a nuh only them can come and talk about oral sex. I stand with Ishawna on that song. Equal Rights and Justice."

Ray Buchanan
"People do all sought a foolishness and a mek money offa it. Is just a musical thing and I feel like she just want attention."

Lest we forget another female veteran in the business Cecile had done her song on oral sex and it too had a major firestorm of a reaction from the public but was well accepted within the lesbian community especially when I was more active as a DJ, the drawback for her however there was no social media on a wider scale as know but online blogs and gossip sites and Yahoo groups had the Youtube videos had heavy rotation. In 2013 Female dancehall artistes Tiana, Angelina, Destiny and Cecile are poised to make oral sex a norm locally. Cecile effectively started the movement years ago with her song Do It To Me, however she received backlash from the dancehall community. Sting saw up-and-coming dancehall artiste Angelina performing a song called Head Mistress, in which she said "Mi deep throat it from the root to the stem and mi nuh hav gag reflex problem...mi roll mi tongue like a dice." According to the deejay Jamaica is becoming more liberal with sexuality.

Destiny recently released a song called FUCK, in which she states that she knows to work it on her knees. According to Destiny, Vybz kartel made oral sex a norm for females to speak about, however the males are still skeptic about the matter, even though they might be taking part in oral sex.

Outaroad recording artiste Tiana also toys with the topic of oral sex in her rendition of Vybz Kartel's Freaky Gyal. She says she loves a man that uses his mouth in bed.

Tiana's song then had over 20,000 views on YouTube.com in one hour and had mixed views from the dancehall fans. 

It’s a bit hypocritical to me however that the sex industry or aspects of it heavily encourage the performance in strip clubs and such and even to the point of the ‘Madames’ and in private relations it is strongly suspected that oral sex by way of a man ‘eating out’ his female partner or even going as far as rimming (oral/anal sex); dancehall artist Alkaline got himself into a rut some years ago as well when he was said to be promoting nastiness. Want more hypocrisy just visit the strip clubs in recent years and watch heavily tipping males who go crazy when lesbian themed live sex on stage is presented. Another male artist who openly promoted oral sex found himself the subject of adoration and backlash mostly by men and other DJs and his career has stalled as he has been unable to have a follow up hit. I just cannot wrap my head around what’s the big deal on oral sex made public at least, that’s a decision between the parties involved as consenting adults. Men feel that the woman must always play the subservient sexual role by cleaning the stick as it were; a recent motor vehicle crash where the driver died was said to have been caused by a woman performing oral sex from which he was distracted which led to the unfortunate end.

The Star had carried this: Not all rights are equal - selectors, deejays shun Ishawna's oral sex song. 

DIFFERENT VIEWS 

Artistes like Bounty Killer's protege Prince Pin, KipRrich, and Don Vital have begged to differ with Ishawna's position.

Their response songs have ranged from outright disrespecting Ishawna, to simply trying to steer her in the direction the artistes deem appropriate.

Carlington Wilmot, who produced KipRich's song No Eating Rights under his label Wilmot Records, told THE STAR that Ishawna is rightfully using controversy to regain attention in the dancehall.

"Some artistes have to realise that when controversy got you out then you have to keep being controversial, so I guess she is going that route now. KipRich's song is representing for the man dem weh know that they stay healthy by working out so they know how to satisfy their women without having to do certain things. It's not every woman want oral sex," Wilmot said. 

GOING TOO EASY 

Prince Pin, however, held no punches. He believes KipRich and other artistes were going too easy on Ishawna and only counteracted her song for attention.

"You have to send a clear message, we can't mek dem mash up wi music, suh mi a fight fire wid fire. Some things yu see in the world, don't bring it in dancehall. We can't allow her to mislead the kids and I have a daughter so no bumpa inna face. Mi nah fake nothing, mi a be real and buss it for rights. " he said.

Ishawna couldn't be reached for comment. However, she did post a video on Instagram claiming the song was rising despite backlash.

"When dem seh your song nah go ever play in parties. Who vex? I love my fans," she captioned.

Her ex-boyfriend, selector Foota Hype, who was drawn into the mix by Prince Pin, who mentioned his name on his record, declined to comment.

"No comment bout certain people," he said.

The ‘dem bow’ or ‘nyam under two foot table’ resistance towards a man performing oral sex on a woman is so real and dated that men feel they will be reduced in terms of the power dynamics play out in the liaison. This is outside of the cougar phenomenon (older more financially stable woman with a younger male as a stud); this latest episode is showing me at least the more things change the more they stay the same given the exposure to matters of sexuality on social media but sheeesh we are right back at the 1980s. I can remember the Shabba Ranks massive hit anti oral sex anthem “Dem Bow” and then subsequent younger DJs who made sure that in their repertoire there must be songs blasting oral sex (openly that it) and of course murder music to be considered a legitimate star, art imitating life or what? Then there is the blackmail component of all of this, if word hits the streets that Tom or George is an eater it can literally lead to ostracism from social circles combined with merciless ridicule. It is easy to say one does not condone oral sex but privately you just never know.

Strangely in the face of the anti oral sex wave a short lived imported billboard dancemusic #1 hit in the 1990s from a group called 20 Fingers ft Roula entitled ‘Lick It’ which goes straight to the point and was heavily rotated on the club and ironically street dance circuit however but that could have been the aftermath from their massive hit prior “Short Dick Man” with Gillete on vocals; which also influenced the role play emphasis but the female in the song is emphasizing power in the penis. Roula’s demand prior to her partner penetrating her is quite clear, the lyrics says it all:

“You gotta lick it so we can kick it, you gotta get it soft and wet so we can kick it ................ give my cat a taste you gotta face it so that I can get high...........”

There is a clearly defined prerequisite before any penetration which if we are to go by local standards my turn off many men on the face of it, then again we are not in the room when the act if about to unfold; the intervening factor must not be there in the eyes of some Jamaican men. The demand by Roula also could be a function by some women of feeling unsatisfied by men who do not engage in foreplay which makes the session just a walk through on the woman’s part as arousal is low. Porn globally definitely has helped to set that timetable for sex, oral action comes first then penetration follows thereafter. Sex is seen more as a violent act more than that of pleasure and even in lesbian relationships in some sense that thinking comes through; the concept of sex toys by way of strap-ons and effectively mimicking heterosexual sex and harder the wearer of the device goes during the act then more legitimate she will be seen. 

A fight at a strip club in Kingston some time ago involving a butch identified woman (yet again) and the comments made during the melee was enough to give a picture of who is the ‘boss’ in the bigger scheme of things despite the butch woman allows her partner to dance on stage but complains when a male patron tipped her and openly engaged the stripper when sent the butch woman into a rage. The aggressor repeatedly reminded those in earshot who was ‘pushing wood’ (penis) and she was proud of doing so but no woman is going to perform oral sex on her but she will proudly perform it on another woman; that seems to be the near opposite of the current Ishawna hetero-normative power differentials. It gets further complicated when the demarcations of studs and butches as the former is not considered legitimate enough as a bonafide lesbian but can be flexible in terms of oral sex, dominant role play, femme aesthetics and community acceptance in some sense. 

meanwhile Nationwide radio did this discussion:

and the so called Messiah of freak J Amsterdam on his pro-oral sex song

Let us see where this goes as change is so slow when it comes to enlightenment.

Peace & tolerance

H