Gay bashing in Jamaica is so prevalent that in 2006 Time magazine wrote an article about the island headlined, "The Most Homophobic Place On Earth?" The New York Times this week showed that the anti-Gay climate has only worsened, with the island caught in a downward spiral of outright psychosis. It is time to hand an ultimatum to Jamaica's public officials: Stop allowing rampant abuse of Gay people or your economy will be crippled.
The Times story is downright chilling. It details how last month five Gay men were having a dinner party when a mob appeared at the front door - kicking it in and attacking the men. While screaming homophobic epithets, between 15-20 thugs beat the victims senseless with sticks and cut them with machetes. One man is still missing, but police found *lo** at the mouth of a deep hole near the yard.
This was not an isolated incident. The Times went on to report a shocking attack on a Gay man's funeral last year, where hooligans trashed the church with rocks and bottles as the service was in session. Of course, this unholy barbarism occurred in the name of God. Interestingly, Jamaicans have turned their sex-fueled island into a heterosexual bathhouse and ganja den, but seem to get sanctimonious and discover the Bible when it comes to homosexuality.
Prior to these incidents, two of the island's notable Gay advocates, Steve Harvey and Brian Williamson, were murdered. Time magazine reported that a crowd celebrated over Williamson's disfigured body. Time also recounted an incident in 2004 where a teen was nearly killed when his father learned his son was Gay and urged a mob to lynch the boy at his school. In the same year, it was reported that police heartily cheered on another mob as it stabbed and stoned a Gay man to death in Montego Bay. In 2006, a Kingston man drowned after a horde screaming "batty boy" (a Jamaican slur for Gay people) chased him off a high dock.
On American docks, six hundred miles west of this homophobic hellhole, tourists regularly line up to board massive luxury liners destined for Jamaica. The tropical island earned $2.1 billion from tourism in 2006, an increase of 24 percent over 2005. More than three million people visited Jamaica in 2006, with 1,025,000 arrivals from the United States.
Clearly, the answer to Jamaica 's love affair with lynching is an aggressive campaign designed to put the clamp on tourism - particularly the cruise industry. The goal should be to strangle Jamaica's economy and force the island to change or suffer severe consequences. With tourism Jamaica 's second largest source of revenue, such a campaign could have a powerful impact that achieves tangible results.
It appears that four major cruise lines are the main conduits in which people infuse Jamaica's economy with *lo** money. They are Carnival, Costa, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. The ports where the ships leave are Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and Galveston.
It is imperative that one of the GLBT international groups or a major U.S. Gay rights group create a campaign to shame these corporations and the passengers that travel on their ships. With so few ports, it would be relatively simple to call for a boycott and picket, while handing out informational flyers to cruisers. A "Boycott Jamaica" advertising campaign would greatly strengthen these actions. Billboards would need to be strategically placed along I-95 between Miami and Fort Lauderdale with the bold headline: "JA-MURDER."
Undoubtedly, there are many passengers with Gay friends and family members who are unaware of Jamaica 's sickening and immoral violence against GLBT people. Once informed, many individuals would opt to vacation elsewhere. There is no doubt that with a concerted effort, Jamaica could be brought to its knees.
To lift such a boycott, Jamaica would have to abolish its "buggery" law. Public officials would have to undergo sensitivity training. The police would be required to set up daily undercover stings - where officers would dress in stereotypically Gay clothing and arrest would-be attackers. Finally, Jamaica 's public officials would have to openly welcome Gay and Lesbian travelers and offer enthusiastic support for homosexuals living within the country.
It is time we stopped vacationing from our responsibility and started holding Jamaica and its corporate enablers accountable. Until anti-Gay atrocities are no longer the norm, Jamaica must be seen as an international pariah, rather than the faux paradise it presents itself to the world.
Click on the link below see the comments from the gay community or Jamaican who respond.
MZJA - What are your thoughts? How would you respond?
K17 said
10:11 03/31 2008
dem fi suk dem mada as me see gay me not even read di rest
Jamecho said
10:11 03/31 2008
I believe, as Jamaicans, we should continue to exercise our beliefs.
Homosexually is an abomination to humanity and God. It is a crime to humanity and should be punished as any other such sin. It is not for me to judge how one should or should not live their life. However, if they choose to live their lives that way, keep it to themselves. Dont try to force it upon me; for me to "tolerate" the lifestyle "they" have chosen.
This article will not make a difference and Jamaica will continue to strive as one of the world's top vacation spots. I just returned yesterday and it is still my beautiful little island in the sun, still my paradise.
Bullet fi di "batty boy" dem!
sub0 said
10:12 03/31 2008
DAT MI A SEH TOO MOVE UNUH b*m**oHOLEE!!!!!!
Djfella said
10:16 03/31 2008
no batty business ah jamaica! bullet!!
KrisMichael said
10:16 03/31 2008
wah wi say.all ba**y man fi get bullit bullit bullit
Jefstar said
17:24 03/31 2008
aaaaaaallllllllllll batty man fi dead!!
Jamecho said
20:00 03/31 2008
a dat mi seh!
Shem1 said
20:03 03/31 2008
batty bwoy
warhawk said
20:05 03/31 2008
yo no batty boy business anywhere not just jamaica.anyweh weh we see it bullet.
Garrick said
20:06 03/31 2008
land fish welcome.
Ambassidah said
21:32 03/31 2008
mi luv di title dem gi wi, Jamaica "The most homophobic place on Earth", how u mean suh it fi set. battyman fi fraidah ja.
" It details how last month five Gay men were having a dinner party when a mob appeared at the front door - kicking it in and attacking the men. While screaming homophobic epithets, between 15-20 thugs beat the victims senseless with sticks and cut them with machetes. One man is still missing, but police found *lo** at the mouth of a deep hole near the yard."
wi ah slip up! wah sticks and machete fah wen man fi ah get bullet
viper_3kj said
22:00 03/31 2008
Weh the b*m**oclaat them a talk bout boycott Jamaica....Keep dreaming p*u**yyhole...mi all a see the comment them mek pon the article a call with jamaican ppl ignorant and nasty...the whole lot a them fi blo*o*dclaat dead....We nuh support unuh f*kery and we never will and annuh just we many ppl all across the world agree. go boycott unnuh momma. .
Casino said
22:04 03/31 2008
dem fi gweh!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shem1 said
22:05 03/31 2008
viper_3kj wrote:
Weh the b*m**oclaat them a talk bout boycott Jamaica....Keep dreaming p*u**yyhole...mi all a see the comment them mek pon the article a call with jamaican ppl ignorant and nasty...the whole lot a them fi blo*o*dclaat dead....We nuh support unuh f*kery and we never will and annuh just we many ppl all across the world agree. go boycott unnuh momma. .
Jamecho said
12:01 04/01 2008
Yeah mi woulda like fi hole on pon some a dem battybwoy supporters inna the comment section of di article!
up2 said
15:23 04/01 2008
wha dem feel like???? bun dem when u kill dem
living it for ever said
15:40 04/01 2008
I wish them would leave us alone. Them go way too far!
Boycott Jamaica: Is Jamaica really Paradise?
by Wayne Besen - SGN Contributing Writer
Gay bashing in Jamaica is so prevalent that in 2006 Time magazine wrote an article about the island headlined, "The Most Homophobic Place On Earth?" The New York Times this week showed that the anti-Gay climate has only worsened, with the island caught in a downward spiral of outright psychosis. It is time to hand an ultimatum to Jamaica's public officials: Stop allowing rampant abuse of Gay people or your economy will be crippled.
The Times story is downright chilling. It details how last month five Gay men were having a dinner party when a mob appeared at the front door - kicking it in and attacking the men. While screaming homophobic epithets, between 15-20 thugs beat the victims senseless with sticks and cut them with machetes. One man is still missing, but police found *lo** at the mouth of a deep hole near the yard.
This was not an isolated incident. The Times went on to report a shocking attack on a Gay man's funeral last year, where hooligans trashed the church with rocks and bottles as the service was in session. Of course, this unholy barbarism occurred in the name of God. Interestingly, Jamaicans have turned their sex-fueled island into a heterosexual bathhouse and ganja den, but seem to get sanctimonious and discover the Bible when it comes to homosexuality.
Prior to these incidents, two of the island's notable Gay advocates, Steve Harvey and Brian Williamson, were murdered. Time magazine reported that a crowd celebrated over Williamson's disfigured body. Time also recounted an incident in 2004 where a teen was nearly killed when his father learned his son was Gay and urged a mob to lynch the boy at his school. In the same year, it was reported that police heartily cheered on another mob as it stabbed and stoned a Gay man to death in Montego Bay. In 2006, a Kingston man drowned after a horde screaming "batty boy" (a Jamaican slur for Gay people) chased him off a high dock.
On American docks, six hundred miles west of this homophobic hellhole, tourists regularly line up to board massive luxury liners destined for Jamaica. The tropical island earned $2.1 billion from tourism in 2006, an increase of 24 percent over 2005. More than three million people visited Jamaica in 2006, with 1,025,000 arrivals from the United States.
Clearly, the answer to Jamaica 's love affair with lynching is an aggressive campaign designed to put the clamp on tourism - particularly the cruise industry. The goal should be to strangle Jamaica's economy and force the island to change or suffer severe consequences. With tourism Jamaica 's second largest source of revenue, such a campaign could have a powerful impact that achieves tangible results.
It appears that four major cruise lines are the main conduits in which people infuse Jamaica's economy with *lo** money. They are Carnival, Costa, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. The ports where the ships leave are Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and Galveston.
It is imperative that one of the GLBT international groups or a major U.S. Gay rights group create a campaign to shame these corporations and the passengers that travel on their ships. With so few ports, it would be relatively simple to call for a boycott and picket, while handing out informational flyers to cruisers. A "Boycott Jamaica" advertising campaign would greatly strengthen these actions. Billboards would need to be strategically placed along I-95 between Miami and Fort Lauderdale with the bold headline: "JA-MURDER."
Undoubtedly, there are many passengers with Gay friends and family members who are unaware of Jamaica 's sickening and immoral violence against GLBT people. Once informed, many individuals would opt to vacation elsewhere. There is no doubt that with a concerted effort, Jamaica could be brought to its knees.
To lift such a boycott, Jamaica would have to abolish its "buggery" law. Public officials would have to undergo sensitivity training. The police would be required to set up daily undercover stings - where officers would dress in stereotypically Gay clothing and arrest would-be attackers. Finally, Jamaica 's public officials would have to openly welcome Gay and Lesbian travelers and offer enthusiastic support for homosexuals living within the country.
It is time we stopped vacationing from our responsibility and started holding Jamaica and its corporate enablers accountable. Until anti-Gay atrocities are no longer the norm, Jamaica must be seen as an international pariah, rather than the faux paradise it presents itself to the world.
Click on the link below see the comments from the gay community or Jamaican who respond.
http://www.waynebesen.com/2008/02/boycott-jamaica.html
© 2008 Wayne Besen. All rights reserved. Anything But Straight | www.waynebesen.com
MZJA - What are your thoughts? How would you respond?
Homosexually is an abomination to humanity and God. It is a crime to humanity and should be punished as any other such sin. It is not for me to judge how one should or should not live their life. However, if they choose to live their lives that way, keep it to themselves. Dont try to force it upon me; for me to "tolerate" the lifestyle "they" have chosen.
This article will not make a difference and Jamaica will continue to strive as one of the world's top vacation spots. I just returned yesterday and it is still my beautiful little island in the sun, still my paradise.
Bullet fi di "batty boy" dem!