Jamaica: "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth"

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Jamaica is considered to be the most homophobic place on earth. It is a place where people who follow other sexual preferences that are not deemed appropriate by the Jamaican society, are beaten, raped, burnt, and killed. A person visiting Jamaica will find that homosexual acts are criminalized, police homophobia, gay bashings, and a government who has no intentions of changing the law or the harsh treatment that gay people continually face in the country. ^[1]

The law against homosexuals in Jamaica “prohibits acts of gross indecency” (generally interpreted as any kind of physical intimacy) between men, in public or in private, which are punishable by 10 years in prison.” ^[2] In order to understand Jamaican’s attitudes towards homosexuality, the cultural and historic background of the island needs to be taken into consideration. The law against homosexuals is based on the “English Law” where buggery, the sexual act between two men is a crime. Secondly, part of Jamaica’s hatred towards homosexuals is based on the country’s historically Christian culture. Jamaicans are very religious people and most of them carry a small Bible with them at all times. Religious leaders will never agree for homosexuality to be accepted in the Jamaican society because it is going against the Words of the Bible. ^[3] The country also has very strong male-dominant social values. Homosexual practices are seen as going against that male “ideal”, and therefore seen as unacceptable. In Jamaica, music is also responsible for the anti-homosexual sentiments in the country. Reggae musicians often write songs that encourage citizens to murder LGBT people. Banton is one of Jamaica’s most known musicians. One of his fist hits, 1992’s Boom Bye-Bye had explicit lyrics that gave pride to the shooting of gays with Uzis and burning their skin with acid “like an old tire wheel”. Another popular singer known as the “Elephant Man”, is also very influential on his music showing his hatred towards homosexuals. One of his songs includes such lyrics as “When you hear a lesbian getting raped / it’s not our fault…two women in bed/ that’s two Sodomities who should be dead”. ^[4] Jamaicans major political parties tend to incorporate such songs to their campaigns, hoping to encourage people’s attitudes against homosexuals. In the past two years, polls have shown that about 70% of Jamaicans strongly believe that gays and lesbians are undeserving of any equal rights and absolutely no legal protection. Within the last year, four LGBT people were murdered and more than 100 suffered both physical and verbal abuse. ^[5] The majority of cases that involve gay men and lesbian women are ignored by Jamaican communities and most of the times are seen as an incident that never took place. The policemen in Jamaica are considered to be very anti-homosexuals as well. There have been reports that show that they do not protect or serve homosexuals, instead they attack, punish, and ridicule them. One example of the police brutality can be seen in the following incident.

On the afternoon of June 18, 2004, a mob chased and reportedly “chopped, stabbed and stoned to death” a man perceived to be gay in Montego Bay. Several witnesses reported to Human Rights Watch that police participated in the abuse that ultimately led to this mob killing, first beating the man with batons and then urging others to beat him because he was homosexual. ^[6]

Many Jamaicans believe in the spiritual theory which suggest that “demon spirits possesses all homosexuals, and they only way to deal with them is through exorcism”. ^[7]There are certain TV Jamaican broadcast channels that talk about the need to lay hands and cast out the demons that those gays and lesbians posses. Also, many of the harsh treatments are very common towards children. Smith, a lesbian from Jamaica, says “many parents disown homosexual children because of the violence that fuels homophobia.” In 2004, there was a case that involved a teen who was almost killed when his father learned that his son was gay. His father invited a group of boys to lynch his son at his school. ^[8] “Somewhere between six and 15 men are lynched in Jamaica’s cities every year simply for being gay.” ^[7] Such treatments against homosexuals are very common in Jamaica, and are supported by the communities.

The gay culture in Jamaica is hardly ever visible. Gay clubs and parties are hidden from communities and have little access to get to them. Homosexuals tend to stay underground and gay men are forced to stay closeted. Lesbians are not as visible in Jamaica as gay men are. But they are still condemned by the people are often raped and beaten to death. ^[9] According to TIME Magazine, two of the most prominent gay activists have been killed in the past two years. It quoted, “Brian Williamson and Steve Harvey, have been murdered – and a crowd even celebrated over Williamson’s mutilated body”. Jamaicans have very strong feelings towards homosexuals and feel a sense of righteousness when someone is hurt or killed.

J-FLAG, is the most known organization in Jamaica. J-FLAG stands for Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays. This organization consists only of a few members and their mission is to:

Its first major undertaking was a submission to the Joint Select Committee on the Charter of Rights Bill seeking to amend the non-discrimination clause of the Constitution of Jamaica to include ‘Sexual Orientation’ among its protected groups. ^[10]

Members of J-FLAG are aware of the constant fear that surrounds them. Many of them fight for their lives, as they have been targeted by Jamaicans. J-FLAG members also suffered attacks on their property, home intrusions as people demanded to know the number of persons and beds in a home, and in one instance, a fire bombing at the home of two men that left one of them with burns on more than 60 percent of his body.

It is hoped that Jamaica may eventually begin to change its ways. About 96% of Jamaicans are opposed to any move that would eventually lead to legalizing homosexual lifestyles and relationships. ^[11] When most of a country is against homosexual rights, it is very difficult to be able to achieve equality. Sadly, Jamaica’s perceptions and believes against homosexuals are stoned and unchangeable. The following shows a Jamaican male response to the future of Jamaica.

When people say gay men and lesbians are looking for special protections, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, “ said Gareth. “When the authorities completely fail to acknowledge us as human beings, what choice is left but to call for such protections? I have been beaten by the police and witnessed them help kill a man who was perceived to be gay. I’ve accompanied people who are refused health care and are denied the opportunity to file police reports. To live free of such discrimination is a basic human right. I anticipate a Jamaica where there is a celebration of difference. How many must die before we realize we are one? ^[12]