Men demand ‘Equal Rights’ branded caps in pink .......

pics from the Star news

In a follow up of sorts Effemophobia, RompHim, Sagging, Leggings & Men in Pink concerning the Ishawna matter, I had attempted to address pink, the fear of the feminine I said in part, Bearing in mind we are coming from the days of strong opposition to males wearing, pink & earrings at all to some acceptability to one ear having a knob and it must by the left one to both ears now and even to top parts. Wearing earrings in the right ear was seen as the wearer seen being gay.

clip from the internet

Then there is the business of strident opposition to tight pants, jeggings or leggings wearing by men especially from the older generation of dancehall acts to in their minds legitimise their masculinity, now those very same acts such as Bounty Killa, Beenieman and even Ninjaman (the one who rejected his gay son) all have fallen in line to stay current with trends competing in an ever changing space of dancehall as younger artist rewrite the rules. Please do not leave out the powerful influence by Vybz Kartel who almost single handed changed how male artists are presented in dancehall from the cake soap phenomenon to the Michael Jackson look.

Meanwhile

One group of entrepreneurs who have sought to capitalise on the popularity of Ishawna's controversial single; 'Equal Rights,' says even men have demanded the branded caps sporting the song's title above the peak.

At a price of US$20 or J$2,200, a representative who spoke with THE STAR says the hats are in high demand, with a great number of Jamaican females living locally and abroad wanting them.

But they stressed that orders have been coming in from both genders.

Despite offering promotional services and the creation of visuals (including, music videos and video ads), a representative of the group (Lus TV) responsible for advertising the headwear, says that they decided to dabble in the production of the branded caps because of the slang's popularity.

"You know say this a Jamaica and slang kinda run Jamaica and supm weh people a ketch on to so as a yute inna the street weh no have a nine to five and me see say me can grab on pon something fi mek a income, me try it," he said.

The caps are manufactured in the US and shipped to Jamaica with a merchant based in Westmoreland. But customers who order the product can have them delivered islandwide.

Notwithstanding the division of opinion on the songs, the representative is confident they will generate a profit from the sale of the caps.

"It's a gamble; you don't know if you ago mek back yu money or not," the representative said. And for those who are against the message of Equal Rights, they also have 'counteraction caps'.

"We have 'No Eating Rights' hats fi the man dem," the representative said. "Me give a person who work inna a franchise some to sell and fi har own dem finish."

With the success of the caps, the proprietors of Lus TV plan to delve further into the manufacturing apparel.

"Yea, we intend to produce skirts for females and different styles of hats with Equal Rights. We'll also be premiering our Summer 17 skirts in a few weeks along with His Queen, Her King, Yardie and Stressfree shirts and blouse for males and females," he said.

ENDS

Frankly this entire episode is just showing sheer ignorance and a failurse of our education systems over the year, it is a wonder I have seen no backlash on the pink of the hat, that was once vilified.

Peace & tolerance

H

Effemophobia, RompHim, Sagging, Leggings & Men in Pink

One of Vybz Kartel's early sojourn in his image change after the 'cake soap' and skin bleaching journey where he literally changed right before our eyes to much backlash. now he is the most worshipped DJ

So here we are again and nonsensically so this old familiar place with effemophobia, the fear of the unknown. There are other more important issues that require outrage but get very little or none. We have come a good way yet still from the days of the strong abhorrence to wearing pink especially in the dancehall space where it was seen as an anathema to men called gays or ‘fish,’ and men who wore earrings now earrings are now the norm, I remember an incident just in front the infamous Pernel Charles arcade in 1989 (an arcade often accused of having down-low men and cougarism), after coming from school I witnessed a man was literally mobbed after wearing a knob in his right ear. His American accent was what saved him in part but he was warned about it by men who play dominoes at the entrance. 

Bearing in mind we are coming from the days of strong opposition to males wearing, pink & earrings at all to some acceptability to one ear having a knob and it must by the left one to both ears now and even to top parts. Wearing earrings in the right ear was seen as the wearer seen being gay.

Then there is the business of strident opposition to tight pants, jeggings or leggings wearing by men especially from the older generation of dancehall acts to in their minds legitimise their masculinity, now those very same acts such as Bounty Killa, Beenieman and even Ninjaman (the one who rejected his gay son) all have fallen in line to stay current with trends competing in an ever changing space of dancehall as younger artist rewrite the rules. Please do not leave out the powerful influence by Vybz Kartel who almost single handed changed how male artists are presented in dancehall from the cake soap phenomenon to the Michael Jackson look.

Vybz Kartel when he finally revealed new look after retreating from the public domain and 'bleaching' see: Gay look for Kartel  the tight clothes says it all.

Kartel in the FAG shirt, here is a comment from one of the more cynical dancehall forums as he was slowly changing his image, he looks when darker than the photo above 

 Jamaica's top Controversial DJ vibes Kartel was seen in the weird piece of attire recently at Sebas birthday bash in the Bahamas held at Club "Luna". The words FAG were clearly seen on the purple shirt he was wearing on stage. This latest piece of episode is having people wondering if the DJ is coming out of the closet, is pulling off another publicity stunt (however subtle), whether it is a mistake in not looking at the shirt before wearing it or was it photo-chopped. Whatever the case maybe it should be interesting to see what unfolds from this one.. but Bwoy... i dont know rasta ..  I dont  know!!.. how come the man guh wear a shirt weh clearly seh something bout battyman knowing the phobia and culture of his homeland... anything for a Visa?.. I just dont know rasta... Gaza gone luu... again. LoL

A CNN story on the Rompers outfits for men has stirred up a major firestorm on the dancehall circuit and wrapped into it as the other ignorance laden nonsense is that the clothes effectively reflect one’s sexuality automatically; when are we going to get over this I don’t know. The CNN article read in part:

"CNN)Male romper. RompHim. Bro romper (bromper?). Public onesie. Jumpsuit, variety: short. Or, perhaps, just a romper that happens to be worn by a man."

Whatever you call it, the one-piece clothing item preferred by babies and women at outdoor concerts has officially hit the male fashion mainstream

Backward reactions

Damion Crawford, former MP, and who was accused himself of being gay and a divisive contrarian writing on Facebook, said

".........if u are a man and own/owned or intend to own a romper unfriend me NOW ... not only on social media unfriend me in real life".

I wonder if he only did that to get more attention to himself especially after the discontinuation of his talk show on Nationwide radio? Although he lectures at the University of the West Indies. I still think it is some closet queens who are the problem people in a form of internalised homophobia This is the same Damian Crawford by the way how shot down the so called promised or suggested conscience vote made by then opposition leader of the PNP Portia Simpson Miller just two months after it was made, which made it clear to me that no such vote would have occurred. If Mr Crawford was so squeaky clean and purely heterosexual why would an accusation thrown at him questioning his sexuality come about? see: Former PNP MP Damion Crawford dismisses gay rumours and  PNP's Damion Crawford on Homosexuality's legality ......................... 2012 and PNP's Damion Crawford says it's highly unlikely buggery review will happen ........ it's not important now

There has been a huge wave of memes about the idea of male rompers, called Romphim, becoming a new fashion trend.

also see: 

when it was in October 2009 that the Elephant was called a "Fish" by another artist. 

Clearly not amused about the fashion, Jesus Alarcon, a Facebook user, said that 

"With every year that passes man get gayer and gayer."

Reginald C Mcgee, another Facebook user, said the wearing of male rompers is a sure telltale sign of homosexuality.

"Ladies if your man wears one of these ... he has a boyfriend," he wrote. The backwardness is disturbing in a sense to watch was one would have thought in this social media age and access to a wealth of information we still have stigmatization as this despite the previous waves as hinted to above.

bear in mind they are not as tight as jeggins and such, it looks more like a sleepwear item.

ACED Design, which has placed the product on crowdfunding website Kickstarter, said the RompHim as "pretty damn comfortable, and it may just be the start of a fashion revolution."

So far so 2,054 backers have pledged US$234,742, far surpassing the US$10,000 that was targeted. Well at least someone sees a major opportunity and has acted but when our education systems over years do not properly teach sexual orientation matters we are bound to have nonsense like this continue.

However, if the strong sentiments being expressed on social media are anything to go by, the Romphim will die of suffocation. "Weh romper a go??? Not here," (Where is romper going, not here) user Jerome West wrote on Facebook. I say let us what happens when the dust settles, there was opposition to pink worn by men but when some realise the world was not going to end pink became OK, let us see. As far as I am concerned the Rompers or influenced by or are an extension of the braces worn short pant often worn on golf courses or by the upper classes at brunches, tea at high noon or picnics.

Women were also indignant at the idea. Millicent Needham posted: "Real man nuh play romper, leave it to the ladies".

Aneisha Smith wrote on her Facebook page that: "If I ever have a man and him wear this kmt".

a comparison with short pants with suspenders and a version of Romphim it is clear to me some influence of the shape

I remember for example Beenieman’s song on fashion designers where he said in part:
............ Versace ah bugga man but yet still it wear by big badman (Versace is a gay man but yet its gansgters who rock the brand) listen the song HERE:

here are the two at a lyrical clash in 2004, Beenieman was ridiculed about his pink hat and dancehall forums had a field day questioning his sexuality

Yet although these artists promote murder music in their repertoire they wear the designs and also have songs about the brands as a form of legitimizing affordability and wealth associated with being a star. Monster Shack Crew had a song called ‘Bad Man Nuh Dress like Girl’ which spoke to some anti gay tight pants but shows clear hypocrisy as the fashion designers praised in the song are foreign gay men, it reads in part ...... (translation attempts)
 the lead singer at the time, pay attention to the look

Verse 1:

Mi look bush and bashy

Inna mi Moschino and mi latest Versace

We nuh bore nose an wi nuh too Jheri

Natural as mi born a so mi gal dem tell mi

Hey yow,

Some bwoy get drawn out

Face guh bleach out, deh pan a wrong route (face bleached out as they seem to go the wrong route)

Look like a gal when him a guh out

Dem mistake him tek him fi gal inna crowd (Looks like a girl & mistaken as a girl in the crowd)

Chorus:

Badman nuh dress like girl

We nuh bore nose an wi nuh bleach face an

We nuh wear drop curl

Some freaky freaky bwoy fi stop dress like girl

Verse 2:

Nuh man nuh look suh

See dem up suh, see dem dung suh

Know say Monster Shack dem naah dress suh

Yes yes, di wrong song him guh sing

Him nose guh bore him a wear belly skin (a man's nose of pierced and wears belly skin)

Fi lef dat to Cicilyn and Jacqueline (leave that to Cicilyn & Jacqueline)

Scare Dem knock him out with a cold Heineken .. (knock him out cold with a Heineken)

his more modern look

Male skin bleaching which was strongly frowned upon and drop curls of long hair for men outside of Rastafarism. Men now are putting in extensions and sitting in hair dressing parlours (which could explain why so many barber shops converge with hairdressers) as men get shaved and the traditional lining up services but simply walk over to the mostly female hairdresser and put in or touch up the rope twists. Male skin bleaching is now the rage alongside near full body tattooing but with stiff competition out there acts some without any serious creativity gifts have to do all kinds of gimmickry to gain a following, going to ever more extremes. But most of those elements are near normative, the aging members of that group all have dyed hair even from in their heyday and at one point wore bubbles, all bleach their skin and as for tight pants and sagging they have to keep up toe to toe with the current crop.

A video had surfaced on Youtube with Ninjaman and Beenieman in a verbal altercation, the same Ninjaman who years ago was in strong opposition on a murder music trajectory offered death threats in song for men who violate, he was wearing a very skin hugging pants that he once abhorred:

The matter of Romp(him) (er) came up discussion on Nationwide radio, the Miss Kitty show and misguidedly so, as nearly all her guests we exuding fear, subtle homophobia of a simple outfit in its original form which is not even as close fitting as the RompHim version of it. According to the gospel of Miss Kitty, she was not into those ‘Aquarium ting deh’ and other similar comments obviously thrown a homophobic barb, for someone pursuing law that is not the kind of behaviour that should be coming from her; for my international readers the concept of an aquarium is homophobic speak for a ‘fish’, one of the ever changing stigmatizing terms used to compartmentalise homosexuals, we have moved from She-Fu man that originated mostly in the rural parts through to ‘number two’ to ‘funny man’ to ‘chi-chi man a term not so used anymore as before to ‘Shim’ but the traditional ‘battyman or batteyman’ still reigns.

Of note Nationwide radio has since apologised only this morning at around 8:20am during the ‘This Morning’ show when co-host Dennis Brooxs (actual spelling) without naming Miss Kitty’s show said that they were sorry of the offensive content broadcast on May 23(Labour Day) during 3:20 pm to 5pm. By the Broadcasting Commission’s guidelines radio stations have to run apologies after questionable content. Apparently some music played on air with rather was not so pleasing to the air. At least some sense has prevailed in reigning in some seemingly wayward DJs who apparently should not be even behind a microphone.

Meanwhile to think it is not even a month since I did a post on 

Gay Jamaica Watch of an incident in Spanish Town that I witnessed just outside the Tastee Patties store on Burke Road, a tight pants sagging character clashed with another man and was for all intents and purposes was humiliated to much laughter by others and labelled as gay (battyman).

Lil Wayne (from the internet)

The African American influences from such as Little Wayne and newer acts where leggings and sagging are markers of a legitimate but fashion forward thug as usual has had an impact on cultures in the Caribbean. Our dancehall acts look up and follow very closely the trends and copy or adjust their image to match as close as possible ‘the look’. Sagging was last thing I expected to in Jamaica especially how low the jeans, leggings hang as the buttocks covered of course in the brand name boxers shorts to show the affordability of the brand; now more and more men despite that fear cycle seem quite proud to show their covered cakes and it also shows some legitimacy of a fashion forward thug as well.

For god’s sake when are we as a nation in greater numbers; just get over some of the nonsense.

Mek we see nuh

Peace & tolerance

H 

also see:
Vybz Kartel lashes back with "Woman Wi Love" song, has he forgotten it is he who blurred the lines of his own sexuality? 

Vybz Kartel from Anti Bleaching advocate to The King of "The Rub" 

Battyman bashing while ‘cakes’ are out .. 

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:

Lesbophobic Rant on RJR’s Afternoon Flagship Program by Broadcasters

Easter Monday around 4pm we were subject to the most ignorance laden lesbophobic stigmatization and homo-negative rants I have heard in a long time on radio and to think this happened on one of Jamaica’s longest running radio stations that has set the standard for broadcasting in terms of quality. I was taken aback by it, this one almost went unchecked for the heightened fever and anticipation of President Obama’s visit to Jamaica that has overshadowed near everything else, maybe the hosts of the show thought such an exercise would have gone unnoticed; if anyone was having traditional bun and cheese for the season and are right thinking they might have felt nauseous after hearing the poor broadcast quality from a supposedly reputable station.

The infraction was platformed on a pretentious search for feedback on a news story carried on social media of a female student identified as a lesbian in the United States who was barred from wearing a tuxedo to a prom when what really it turned out to be was an avenue to push as mentioned before homo-negative rubbish on the strength of the heckling exercise of the Prime Minister in New York by some gay rights activists in March and the expectation that talks may occur now that President is here on law changes, Jamaica’s homophobia and the perception of bullying by LGBT advocacy local and overseas.

Markland ‘Action’ Edwards and co-host Mark Marshall set the tone for the call back section and of the first callers went straight to the old stupid beliefs of a Keep it to yourself mentality or stay in the closet rebuke as is customary; she said ‘if they are two gays they must go in their dress and carry their man things to dem yard.” In other words the hetero-normative modes of dress must remain and no accommodation must be given to other forms of gender or sexual orientation (stereotypical sometimes) in the present rapidly changing environment challenging long held traditions.

Other phone in comments for example that were allowed to reinforce the homo-negative beliefs were:

“Not In my Cabinet .... no woman inna tuxedo”

“She can go wear her tuxedo somewhere else.”

“if she register at the school as a man she should wear her tux.”

“The school must stand up for what they stand for; if you is a girl you is just a girl; you must dress like a girl; no girl must dress inna tuxedo like a man, they must stay aside with it.” That comment again reinforces the stay in the closet mentality and that affirmation via public display of dress or openness is unaccepted, in other words the Keep it to yourself mentality. Sadly the stereotyping of LGBT life by LGBT entertainment has aided such negative perceptions to cement themselves.

“Keep your dirty laundry in your household”

RJR Markland Edwards on Female in Tux Story in US Feedbaack 06.04.15 

There was on sensible caller (with an American accent) brought home the point of freedom of choice @ around 15:25 in the audio posted above.

Mark Marshall was the more offensive of the hosts where he clearly displayed his ignorance suggesting that if he had to give a ride to a man who was known to be gay and members of the public were also aware then he would not engage that man publicly suggesting some predatory intent by homosexuals when in close proximity of someone else. I wonder if the exercise was a way to raise listenership as well as the stiff competition from others northwards on the radio dial is strong and the previous host of the show in question just departed the station so this show is pretty much new. Such types of phobic and stigmatizing rants and broadcasts are often used both in print and electronic media and dancehall music to revive or increase market share and sales capitalizing on the national perception of male homosexuality in particular.

Marshall in response to a caller in his disgusting display of ignorance said “when some girls want to exhibit a certain lifestyle they don’t wear dresses anymore,” clearly the man is not up on his understanding of sexual orientation and using ‘lifestyle’ to imply change is possible to convert persons to hetero-normal socialization. The caller continued and identified himself as a club owner and he knows how lesbians run yet he is offended at a lesbian overseas wearing to tux to an event but has no trouble while turning his head away accepting the patronage of the same group he is upset with.

It was after the aforementioned sensible caller that Marshall pretentiously again went on his poor broadcasting style as if to suggest he has no problem with homosexuals then the preverbal but. He also issued veiled threats that no group or activists can remove him and that he is willing to leave the station if necessary.

Sadly this is what our broadcasting standards have fallen to, I intend to send a copy of this entry to the station manager Francois St Juste to see if he will or can act on this; a warning perhaps and it is left up to us to monitor this duo as clearly they have some agenda as evidenced in this incident. The repeated reference to bullying by lobbyists for example was somehow being made out to be justification for no change of laws that criminalize acts associated with male homosexuals; hence Jamaicans must resist any talk of tolerance or homosexuality came through loud and clear to me in the 25 minute plus segment of the show.

This isolated incident though in earshot of thousands of listeners (mostly older folks) is a clear indication to activists that we have a long way to go in changing hearts and minds and not just amending or repealing archaic laws buggery legislation.

Peace and tolerance

H

Schoolboys in custody for assault of soft spoken male student

another incident with students from the same school

Two male students from a prominent high school in St Thomas have been taken into custody, after a video surfaced that showed them assaulting another schoolboy.

The incident happened last week and was recorded and posted on several social media sites, including Facebook.

The video shows the students striking another male student with a belt, while other students watched without any rebuke or defending him.

The video caused outrage among many social media viewers, who denounced the boys as bullies and troublemakers. Sadly this is just another example of what students experienced thankfully it was captured and shared. 

There was a previous case without a video however in 2014: 

3 Schoolboys face the court for beating other male student allegedly for calling them "battybois" from sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch and Safety month in schools, bullying, oral sex and such .........

Deputy Superintendent Charmaine Shand of the St Thomas police confirmed that the incident was under investigation. She said officers have also received a statement from the boy who was assaulted.

The St Thomas police also said that they have expanded their support to the school, offering aid in conflict resolution and violence reduction.

Shand is also appealing for the individual who recorded the incident to make a statement to the police to assist with the investigation.

Therein lies my challenge as if they recorder of the video under Jamaican law does not turn up in court with the actual device to verify its authenticity then this matter may just filter away. 

We saw a police beating matter (non LGBT) where a phone was also used to capture the event yet because the operator of the device did not come forward the cops though seen clearly in the video walked free as the Director of public prosecution could not bring an action against the men.

Bullying in schools and indeed outside as this case shows us is a growing monster it seems based on the reports and especially for young soft spoken or effeminate boys in particular. 

My own experience at school in the 80s due to my body size and my then soft spoken demeanour I was teased at some points until I decided to take matters into my own hands, not all persons can or are willing to do that not because they are afraid alone but the effort maybe too painful for them to retaliate or react.

I hope that the case really goes through to trial and phone that was used is presented in court so to make the charges stick.

also click: The Lady’s Not For Bullying from the Gleaner penned by hypocritical journalist George Davis of Nationwide radio. He seeks to reinforce old beliefs of bullying by LGBT advocacy local and abroad.

also see in the meantime:
Zero Tolerance For Homophobic Bullying by Jaevion Nelson of JFLAG.

Peace and tolerance

H

Man reportedly mobbed while dressed as woman case heard in court

A woman and her two daughters accused of beating their alleged gay relative and biting him on his ear told the court that they never touched him and that he was beaten by a mob after he showed up at nine-night dressed like a woman.

Patricia Bignall, 51-year-old construction worker of Cockburn Pen in Kingston, is accused of using a stone to hit her nephew on his hand while one of her 19-year-old daughters, Carlene Thompson, is accused of holding the complainant's hand for her sister, Pollyanna Osbourne, to bite the complainant on his ears.

Bignall is also accused of threatening to kill the complainant.

The trio however denied beating the complainant, claiming that he was attacked by a mob of men who saw him in his female attire.

“A him come a de people dem nine night dress up like him a woman," Bignall said. “A de nine-night me deh when me daughter dem run come tell me say him dress up like woman and dem a beat him.

“My daughters then go up to him and say, ‘yeah man, you seet we tell you fi stop gwaan like girl’, and him say that im ago f... them up,” she added.

Bignall said the complainant then wrongly told the police that they were the ones who had beaten him.

“We didn't beat him and all him do a dress up like girl. Him a 29 and him put on uniform and gwaan like him a girl,” she said.

She also told the court that the complainant was a troublemaker.

“Up to yesiday dem charge him fi loitering in New Kingston, him lurking, him thief, this bwoy,” Bignall said.

The complainant however maintained that they had beaten him.

“Har daughter dem gang me a Three Miles and bite me behind me ears,” he said.

Bail for the three accused was subsequently extended for them to return to court on August 11 for trial.

According to the complainant in his statement, on June 10 around 11:45 pm he was at a nine-night in the community when his aunt approached him and told him that she heard that he wanted to beat her. The complainant denied the reports and told the aunt that there was nothing on her to beat.

The aunt reportedly got upset and started cursing the complainant who traded words with her, which resulted in her throwing a stone and hitting him on his hands before leaving.

Shortly after, the complainant was reportedly confronted by the sisters and was bitten on his ears by Osbourne after Thompson held his hands behind him.

The matter was reported and Bignall was charged with unlawful wounding and threatening the crown witness while the others were charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

Homo Thugs, Observer claims Gun-toting gays creating fear in Kingston ........ endgame here?

Dear @JamaicaObserver : You have sunk to a new low. @equality_JA @HRC @destroy_time @KateChappell @PanosCaribbean pic.twitter.com/oCf8J3n9Gd
— Emma Lewis (@Petchary) June 8, 2014

One of the many reactions thus since the headline was splashed across the Observer's frontpage and online. The timing of this could not be more opportune for the paper as the religious opposition continues on the Bain conflict of interest matter, the bizarre incident of yet another cell phone found in the rectum of an male incarcerated inmate with some weird public discourse and effemophobia stemming from the former matter with homeless cross dressed youth in New Kingston.

The Observer clearly was trying to get some mileage from this as I discussed with my colleague from Aphrodite's PRIDE Jamaica earlier similar to the Star News and defunct tabloids XNews, EXcess and Enquirer who had a a uninterrupted run thriving on stereotyping male homosexuals (with present generational consequences) but amidst the sensationalist writing and poor continuity (not that my writing is the best either) is are the allegations true and why the stress on the perceived orientation of these "thugs?"

The writer also seems to want to discount the truthfulness of homophobia and related violence in Jamaica.

also see: Phone Found in Prisoner’s Rectum for a Second Time in Lockup now to the matter at hand.

"DESPITE claims from local and international gay rights activists that Jamaica is a fiercely homophobic country, recent evidence is suggesting that homosexuals are living openly in some of the country's notoriously tough garrisons without hassle or intimidation. Police have confirmed that gay men are left alone, either because they have heartless thugs as their lovers or their relatives.

The Jamaica Observer came face-to-face with the situation recently while gathering information at a crime scene in the Gem Road/Texton Road area of South St Andrew.
As a group of residents stood behind the police yellow tape watching intensely while scene-of-crime detectives processed the area where Tashoy Lawrence and another man identified only as 'Roland' where shot dead and two others injured, an effeminate man came on the scene.

He was dressed in a tight pair of knickers and an equally tight sleeveless T-shirt. When he started speaking it was hard to believe that he was male as he displayed all the attributes of a woman, down to the gesticulations.

A member of the news team noticed him and wondered aloud if he was gay. A woman who was in earshot answered his question without flinching.

"A b...man dat. Nuh look pan him too hard," the woman said, "a pure bad man him tek."

As the man engaged in conversation with some of the women present, no one even flinched or displayed any sign of antagonism toward him.One of the women even joked that he was boasting a 'hickey' on his neck.

"But you have hickey, man?" the woman said.

"How you mean? You no see rain a fall an' me haffi get me hickey," the man said.

The Sunday Observer was on the scene for about an hour and for the entire time the man traipsed freely through the crowd.

"Nobody nuh business wid him," the woman said.

Assistant Superintendent Omar Morris is a career cop and has spent years beating back criminality. Now in charge of operations at the St Andrew South division, Morris has seen it all. In that police division there are more than two dozen troubled communities and according to Morris, the police have knowledge of persons who are said to be homosexual who live openly and are not mobbed, beaten or heckled.

"I know of at least one person who is rumoured to be diverse and he is living in one of those communities and nobody has ever attempted to use violence against him. That is because he has relatives who have fearsome reputations," Morris said.

One homosexual man who is wanted by the St Andrew Central Police for a string of robberies in the New Kingston area is known to hang out in a tough downtown Kingston community.

"We have information that he lives there and is always there in the days. We know he has relatives there and that no one in that community would dare to bring violence to him. As a matter of fact, we have been hearing that he may very well be a gunslinger, but in time we will bring him to book," a policeman told the Sunday Observer.

One resident of the community spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity.

"The people get used to him. Nobody don't trouble him and, worse, the woman dem love the almshouse. The boy dem might run him but nobody nuh beat him and, worse, dem look up to him father when him was alive," the woman said.

Weeks ago, the police reported that they received information that a man, who appeared to be homosexual, was brandishing a gun inside a car park in New Kingston. The police said that they chased him but he eluded them until he was nearly caught at an area close to a gully on Trafalgar Road that has been a known hangout for gays.

The man, the police said, then opened fire at them before escaping in the gully. A reliable police source said that it is common knowledge in the constabulary that some of the top names in the criminal underworld were homosexual and had relations with multiple gay partners. However, because of their fearsome reputations, many persons who know of their lifestyle keep their mouths tightly shut in fear for their lives.

"You would be surprised at some of the names. This is not new. However, in law enforcement, sometimes it is not what you know but what you can prove. A lot of them pose as thugs but behind closed doors they are different characters," one senior cop said.

"On the other hand, those who act feminine are living in some bad communities and living freely. We know this for a long time," he added.

In September 2006, the Jamaica Observer visited a crime scene in St Andrew where a man was killed. The victim was stabbed 17 times and his penis was severed and shoved in his mouth.

On that scene was a young man who was behaving 'ladylike' and after being chastised by a cop began to tell of his experiences.

The man admitted to being a prostitute and said that his "best" client was a leading member of a popular gang.

"When him come him rent big hotel room and him just take out him gun put it pan the dresser and deal with me. If yu see him the next day and call him b... man yu dead," said the man who gave his name as 'Emily'.

Murdered People's National Party (PNP) activist in Montego Bay, Kenley 'Bebe' Stephens, was a known member of the homosexual community and one of the western city's prominent cross-dressers, who was also connected with the criminal underworld, police said.

Stephens was fingered in the illegal lotto scam, the stealing of electricity, among other illegal activities. He had strong connections in the ruling PNP, as he was one of the main fund-raisers in that part of Jamaica, and was recently elected vice-chairman of the party's West Central St James constituency, headed by state minister for industry, commerce and investment, Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams, who is also MP for the constituency."

ENDS

To add insult to injury yet again on the part of JFLAG's recently released media guide on appropriate words for media houses on LGBTQI matters the Observer's resident cartoonist Clovis (photos above) has ridiculed the action and sought to further stereotype leading transgender spokesperson Tiana Miller again obviously to sell papers, I wonder if the recently concluded pension scheme court matter with the boss of the paper has anything to do with the stance so as to rank up sales? after all accusations by the attorneys for the three accused are that the reporting on the case was riddled with innuendo and half truths. 

very suggestive old Clovis cartoon showing romantic embrace of male prisoners implying substitutional sexual activities

this photo had worldwide reaction some years ago

The bigger issue though for me that might get lost in the reinforcing of effeminate stereotypes in gay men is that the hypermasculine ideal is playing out well here in Jamaica and seeks to reinforce the homo-negative perceptions that some persons feel justified in continuing. Even gay or bisexual men also have this ideal of a man's man, strong, masculine individual on the strength of sexual prowess hence the porn industry thrives using the perception or aspirational desires linked to the ideals.

also see: 

Is Freedom Of Expression At Risk? asks JFLAG advocate

More so called homo-thug materials:

Thugs caught lovemaking forced to flee for their lives

Should we care about dancehall acts & rumours of gaydom?

Gunmen force oral sex on male victim? 2014

Outdoor sex and the issues to being caught

So thugs do love too ...... After being caught in bed...Naked thugs pull guns on residents 2011

Cross Dressing Dildos & Thugs 2010

USED DILDOS IN TIVOLI THUG’S HOUSE?

The drip dry boyfriend vs. the ever increasing Jamaican Metro sexual

Doing 'business' in New Kingston ... Jamaica Observer on MSM Homelessness ..... JFLAG should be ashamed 2011

Some concerns from Western Jamaica on homelessness and homo-negativity

Fame FM's "Uncensored" on Piercings, Men fighting for mirror time & dancehall's changing aesthetics

Busy Signal's "We Nah Dweet" hits out at Down Low life & a certain Kartellic act

Down low gone mad, Biphobia, or Sexual Abuse?

Cross dressing or forced feminization to commit a crime: 'Sexy Dumb Robber' tricks man

Bad men seem to love women's wigs (Observer opinion piece)

Stigmatization on Effeminacy in Gay Jamaican Culture (REPOST)

Dr Heather Little-White on Down Low Men

The curious case of these "Curious Heaviots" Part 1

The curious case of these "Curious Heaviots" Part 2

Peace and tolerance

H