Help LGBTI People in Jamaica with Call to Action (Below)
Editor: With Thanks to Maurice Tomlinson, one of our hero activists, and an attorney-at-Law involved in LGBTI and HIV and AIDS activism in Jamaica and the Caribbean for over 14 years, we are able to bring this post, originally posted at http://dadlandshutup.com/jump-in-reported-gay-attacks-across-jamaica/.
In the past month there has been a jump in reported anti-gay attacks across Jamaica:
1) On July 22, 17-year-old cross-dresser Dwayne Long Jones was stabbed and shot to death and thrown into nearby bushes at public street-dance near the resort city of Montego Bay. The Minister of Justice condemned the barbaric act.
2) On August 1, as reported on CVM TV, a suspected gay police officer was mobbed in downtown Kingston and fellow officers had to fire gunshots into the air and teargas into the crowd to disperse them.
3) Also on August 1, the home of 2 gay men in the parish of St. Catherine was surrounded by an angry mob from the community intent on getting rid of the men. The police had to intervene to rescue the men.
4) On August 6, reggae artiste Queen Ifrica used her performance at a taxpayer funded independence celebration to condemn gays and demand that they be removed. The Minister of Culture who organized the event apologized.
5) On August 10, a cross-dresser in St. Catherine was attacked by a mob and had to be rescued by police.
6) On August 22, the home of 5 gay men in the parish of Manchester was attacked by community members who barricaded the men inside. The police had to rescue the men.
7) On August 26, the Minister of Education said at a press conference to launch the new Health and Family Life Education Teachers’ manual that “we are not grooming children into the homosexual lifestyle” and “the only wholesome relationship is between a man and a woman.” Ironically, the Minister has an adult gay son who lives outside of Jamaica.
8) On August 26, two gay men in the town of Old Harbour had to flee from the scene of an accident when onlookers realized they were gay. The crowd demanded that the men leave their community and relocate to “uptown” areas. The men had to seek shelter in a police station.
Let The Jamaican Government Know You Hate Homophobia
If you feel that this situation is unsustainable and that the government of Jamaica should do more to promote and protect the human rights of the vulnerable LGBT community, please contact the Jamaican government:
The Prime Minister, The Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller, O.N. —http://opm.gov.jm/contact-us/
The Minister of Tourism, The Honourable Wykeham McNeill— http://tourismja.com/contactus/
The Minister of Justice, Senator The Honourable Mark Golding — [email protected]
Excellent!! Reblog: http://hrexach.wordpress.com/
Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Homophobic Jamaica …. closer to home. Still not right … We educated about this.
Reblogged this on JerBear's Queer News, Views & Memories and commented:
This details how YOU can take action against the homophobic and transphobic violence terrorizing Jamaica’s LGBT Communities.
This is absolutely terrible. Another example of religion based violence. Religion is the scourge of the homosexual.