a new horizon...or the same old darkness

Jamaica is well known for many things…music, food, sport, and even for its homophobia. In fact, last year, Human Rights Watch published a report on alleged state sanctioned violence against homosexuals in the country.

In the last few weeks, homosexuality has again been the hot topic within popular discourse. Firstly, about a month ago, Brokeback Mountain, the now infamous film about homosexual cowboys, was screened in a Jamaican movie theatre.  A friend and I went the opening night and were greeted at the ticket counter by an admonition about the “contents” of the movie. I remember my friend and I wishing that the same policy would apply for films with profanity, excessive violence and gratuitous sex.  While the movie was as attended as other films, there were threatening calls made to the theatre and one man who staged a personal protest outside of the film for a couple of days.

Then last week Peter King, a renowned trade economist, was murdered in his apartment. Dr. King was openly homosexual and it is suspected that his murder was a crime of passion. What most surprised me was that many of the same individuals that condemned Brokeback Mountain for glamorizing abhorrent and deviant behavior, were deeply saddened by the death of Dr. King, someone they deeply respected and loved…yet, still someone who they knew was gay.

Now this week, a gay student at UWI was badly beaten by a group of other students for “propositioning” someone in the men’s bathroom. A crowd was purported to watch the beating and to throw rocks at anyone who tried to break it up…including the police.

Since I have been here I have been surprised to see men who are openly effeminate in their mannerisms and appearance walk without recourse in the streets. I have been to many a social event to have esteemed politicians, professors, and professions pointed out to me as openly homosexual…and the tone of the reference was not necessarily condemnatory. I had felt that Jamaica had made strides to being less attacking, if not more accepting of gay people within the society. But now I have to wonder if homophobia is just more dormant; waiting for an occurrence to resurrect it and not dying at all. Have strides been made if there are not everyday occurrences of hate crimes? Whatever the case, I hope that this country will become a safer place for ALL of its citizens. 

Comments

[Elspeth]

Sad - the murder, the pelted rocks, the hatred/misunderstanding. What you mentioned of the reaction to Brokeback made me think of the burning of theatres in India for Deepa Mehta's film, "Fire".

[Lor]

Most people are uncomfortable with others who are different from them physically, mentally, etc. Someone who dresses differently is considered eccentric, oldfashioned or countrified. On the other hand we all want to be recognized as unique individuals. We can't be unique and generic at the same time. Until there is deep, true self-acceptance bigotry and hatred will continue to rare their ugly heads. Teach the babies to love themselves warts and all, then they will love others warts and all.

[Bonifide]

Batty bwoy fe dead. Nasty Bastards.