Jamaicans attitude towards homosexuality: part 3?

Question

Yesterday's Star:

http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20080501/news/news1.html

Todays star:

http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20080502/news/news1.html

With news like this coming to light in Jamaica, how can ANYONE expect that Jamaicans will become more tolerant of homosexual orientations and lifestyles?

I invite anyone to comment: Jamaican, International, Straight or other.

Answer 1

"The whole point of my posting these questions is to get people to UNDERSTAND why Jamaicans are the way they are."

That sounds a bit stereotypical nuh true?I agree with webangelpb.You make it seem as if ALL a Jamaica are supposed to feel so.But I cannot lie.My grandpa is homophobe who jst so happens to be Jamaican...But he STILL go and love me and feel no way about it.I never go to Jamaica before.(I live in the States) So I dont know how it is there really.But to me,I say for ppl to bash g**s and HATE them and consider them "perverts" is jst as bad as racism.Its pure discrimination.Regardless if society feels that it is right to do so.

And them a go and say "God didnt make Adam and Steve or Eve and Evette"Look.Jehovah made everyone.And everyting.See?If God didnt make g**s then who inna h**l did?People only use religion as an excuse.

Answer 2

I am not Jamaican but i currently live here and i know tonnes of g*y Jamaican men and women, especially in Kingston, on UWI campus .  I have also found that the individuals with the most money are the ones that lead the most alternative lifestyles when they think no one is looking.

I have seen nothing that leads me to believe that most Jamaicans are more intolerant than anyone else of homosexuality. I have been to car racing and seen g**s in low rise jeans openly having fun. I see them everyday in the supermarket with bleached faces and all.

g**s arent wanted or accepted in most places in the world , Jamaica is just much more vocal about there dislike. In many places the homosexual act is illegal ( * Afghanistan * Algeria* Angola* Antigua and Barbuda* *Bahrain* *Bangladesh*Barbados* Belize *Benin* Bhutan* Botswana* *Brunei * Cameroon * *Cook Islands * Djibouti * Dominica * Eritrea * Ethiopia * *Gambia * *Gaza * Ghana * *Grenada * Guinea * Guinea-Bissau * *Guyana * *India * Iran * *Iraq * *Jamaica* *Kenya* *Kiribati* *Kuwait* Lebanon* *Lesotho* Liberia* Libya * *Malawi * *Malaysia * Maldives * Mauritania

* *Mauritius * Morocco * Mozambique * *Myanmar * *Namibia * *Nauru * *Nepal * Nicaragua * *Nigeria * *Niue

  * Oman * *Pakistan * *Palau * Panama * *Papua New Guinea* Qatar* *Saint Kitts and Nevis* Saint Lucia

  * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines * Sao Tome and Principe * Saudi-Arabia * Senegal * *Seychelles

* *Sierra Leone * *Singapore * Solomon Islands

  * Somalia * Sri Lanka * Sudan

* Swaziland (female/female-unclear)* Syria (female/female-unclear) * *Tanzania * Togo * *Tokelau

  * *Tonga* Trinidad and Tobago* Tunisia

    * Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (plans to repeal the law)* *Turkmesistan * *Tuvalu * Uganda * United Arab Emirates * *Uzbekistan * *Western Samoa* Yemen *Zambia

    and Zimbabwe)  but i cant say i know anyone who was arrested for doing what they what they want to do in private .

Secondly , i don not believe that g*y ppl are especially peverted at all. I know many a man who when they wre younger , been molested by big old women, i mean big women and 10 yr olds. And men molesting little girls is frequent especially in rural areas and more likely to occur among family members..( grandfathers, uncles, stepdad).

And they are all perverted, as such the issue is not that anyone was g*y.

I personally dont agree with a homosexual lifestyle but i dont agree with what  you seem to be saying, that by accepting g**s you will be accepting creeps and perverts. As far as i have observed it will continue to happen and in different places in Jamaica it will be more accepted than in others. As in most countries.

Some ppl that beat on g**s are even g*y themselves i dont know whats the point in being overly vocal about the hatred  because it still continues in increasing amounts and Jamaica has bigger issues.

Answer 3

I was disturbed by the second article (the one from Today's star). I have no problem with people being g*y. But what King did was vile, repugnant, and blasphemous. Videotaping his sexual acts, and yelling "Jesus Christ!" in the middle of the obscene act? That offends me deeply to the core.

But having said that, these articles and the Jamaican media seem to be quite different from the media here in America, where it is, by and large, extremely liberal. But judging on the premise of these two articles, Jamaican newspapers seem to want to enrage the masses, and bias them against g**s.

It's no different than the muslim "bogeyman" here in the United States. Probably, people who don't think for themselves assume that many Muslims are actually terrorists (which is completely false!). But the way that the media portrays them alters the way that people see them.

As I have said before, I believe in compassion and love. g*y people are to be loved just like everyone else. What would Jesus say to those people? We are all sinners, and so I am no better nor worse than they are.

We should love and tolerate g*y people. News like this isn't helping to promote these ideals.

Answer 4

OK here we go again.

stingjam, I see you're still trying to bolster your "theory" about why Jamaicans hate homosexuals.  :o)

However, here's my problem with it.  For every story about someone being sexually abused by a homosexual, there are 100 about someone being sexually abused by a heterosexual.  Why, then, aren't we just as hateful towards heterosexuals?  Why are they treated as individuals and not as a group....since, according to your reasoning, the actions of one is a reflection of the whole?  Please help me to understand that.

Shanica....Jamaica is just a piece of land in the sea.  It cannot accept or tolerate anything; only JamaicaNS can do that and since you're one, that means you and the rest of us.  It is very common and convenient for people to project their own prejudices and biases on inanimate or intangible objects so as to relieve themselves (and sometimes their conscience) of any responsibility for their thoughts and actions.  It does not surprise me, therefore, that you share the attitude most Jamaicans have towards homosexuality.

Fatdude....would you've been equally offended if he'd yelled out "Jesus" while fornicating or committing adultery with a woman? Furthermore, when someone yells "Jesus" or "God" while having s*x, it's usually just an expression of sheer pleasure, nothing else. ;o)

I do agree with your point that the media does play its part in getting people riled up about the issue.  This, like any other crime, should be reported; but the way it's done can make a difference in how people respond to the story.  Every writer/editor knows exactly what she is doing when she chooses to write certain stories the way she does.  Also, often it is either a reflection of her own thoughts or what she thinks her audience wants to hear/read.

**EDIT**

stingjam......I'm sure Cootie Queen can respond for herself but from what I read in her response, she didn't say you said anything about religion.  She is right in saying that people use religion as a crutch on which to justify their homophobia.  That is, and has always been, the MAIN reason Jamaicans think the way they do about this issue.  This, coupled with the fact that many Jamaicans are frustrated with the way things are going in our country so they look for ways to vent their frustrations (either consciously or sub-consciously) and, inevitably, the weakest group feels the brunt of it.  I bet if the economy were thriving and people could find decent jobs and get paid decent wages, they'd care a lot less about who's sleeping with whom.

Yes, discrimination/violence is "unchristian", however it has always been deemed OK to kill "sinners" in the name of Christianity.  This is a belief and practice that continues even to today.

You are correct.  Homosexuals are no more perverts than heterosexuals; therefore, to say that the perverted actions of a few are the reasons most Jamaicans hate the group is illogical. This is especially irrational when you consider that most of the "perverted" crimes are committed by heterosexuals yet they're not subjected to the same treatment.  Unless you're also saying that most Jamaicans cannot reason sensibly......to which I would strongly disagree.

I don't see anyone here "defending the perverts" unless by that you mean "disagreeing with your stance......."

Yes, Jamaicans are the way they are.  You're Jamaican and so am I; yet we have opposing views on this subject.  The picture that you're trying to paint is not taking shape because your theory is based on a false hypothesis.  Once we are willing/able to look at the REAL reason(s) behind the virulently homophobic atmosphere in Jamaica, we will be able to look into ways of moving forward.

Oh, and there's nothing perverted about video taping yourself having s*x with a consenting adult partner in the privacy of your own home.

Answer 5

It is stereotypical of people to say the media wishes to enrage the Jamaican public by writing the article. However there is a little thing called freedom of the press and we cannot think to suppress the views of anyone. All we can do is continue to preach tolerance if not acceptance. I am confident in my own sexuality and as such can say I am against homosexual type behaviour. However just as I believe I should not exhibit my heterosexual behaviour in public I expect that the homosexuals of our societies will do the same.

Answer 6

yardies wah gwan

most americans dem think we poor and rasta wid weed

dem a likkle idiot caa dem nuh kno nutten bout we

a tru ting  bout the homosexaul ting

caa if dem see a batty man deh inna jamdown

they will beat dem to death

Answer 7

I don't see Jamaica ever becoming tolerant of homosexual lifestyles at all. Anyone in Ja who is g*y, will not speak for fear of abuse, and if anyone know anyone who is g*y, more than likely they won't be friends anymore, because the straight person might get beat too. Mi nuh mad seh ja nuh talarate di battymanism, God neva mek adam and steve r eve an evette, dats y wi naw guh put up wid nuh chi chi behaviour