Jamaican Gay Lynching : Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of Michigan Citizens for Science and co-founder of The Panda's Thumb. He has written for such publications as The Bard, Skeptic and Reports of the National Center for Science Education, spoken in front of many organizations and conferences, and appeared on nationally syndicated radio shows and on C-SPAN. Ed is also a Fellow with the Center for Independent Media and the host of Declaring Independence, a one hour weekly political talk show on WPRR in Grand Rapids, Michigan.(static)

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Jamaican Gay Lynching

Posted on: May 2, 2007 9:38 AM, by Ed Brayton

Terrance at Pam's House Blend has an appalling report of a brutal anti-gay beating in Jamaica by an enraged crowd of bigots. He even has video of a crowd of people beating the man with sticks, throwing stones at him and kicking him as he lay on the ground. Here's a report from Jamaica on the incident. And even after police intervened and rescued the man, the mob didn't stop:

The man was admitted to hospital. However, a police spokesman said last night that a group of people, who wanted to beat the man on his release, were waiting outside the hospital, which, he said, could delay his release from the health facility.

And in a follow up post, things get even worse. Terrance quotes this article from a public defender in Jamaica:

Public Defender Earl Witter resorted to the vernacular yesterday as he advised members of the gay community to "hold your corners", and avoid flaunting their sexual preferences in the face of those who are repulsed by their behaviour.
Condemning violence in all forms, particularly against homosexuals, the public defender, however, warned members of the gay community that if they continued to shove their tendencies on others who found it repugnant, it might incite violence.

"It may provoke a violent breach of the peace," Mr. Witter told The Gleaner yesterday evening.

Earlier in the day, he had addressed the hot-button topic during a Rotary Club luncheon at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester.

During the luncheon, Mr. Witter said that, as with most things, "tolerance has its limits" and gays and lesbians should be sensitive to the "repulsion that others feel" and should not be so "brazen".

"What takes place behind closed doors between consenting males is ordinarily beyond the reach of the law so they (gays) should confine their activities to their bed chambers and not, by their conduct, provoke disapproving reactions. In other words 'hold yu corner,'" Mr. Witter said.

Translation: stay in the closet or bigots will beat you up. Stop being so "uppity" and thinking you have the right to be who you are, you're only here by our indulgence and if you dare to offend us we will attempt to kill you. Pure barbarism.

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Comments

Pretty disgusting. I don't want to make generalizations, but they were probably "good Christians" as well.

Posted by: dogmeatIB | May 2, 2007 10:00 AM

It's pretty amazing that he tells them to be sensitive to the repulsion toward them. Can you imagine if someone said, "Muslims should be sensitive toward the repulsion that others feel", or "Black should be sensitive toward the repulsion that others feel." What an idiot.

And how are those people not all in jail? Assault is freaking assault, lock them all up.

Posted by: Stuart Coleman | May 2, 2007 10:14 AM

dogmeatIB--If you don't want to make a generalzations, then why the hell did you?

Posted by: David C. Brayton | May 2, 2007 10:22 AM

Oh, come now. Everyone in Jamaica knows that straights don't kill gays, gays do.

Posted by: Skemono | May 2, 2007 10:28 AM

"they were probably "good Christians""

Good Abrahamic, maybe. Rastas cite Leviticus in support of their anti-gay sentiment. Google "rasta" and "homophobia."

Also see these articles:

Time Magazine: homophobia in Jamaica
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1182991,00.html

Village Voice article
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/9925,noel2,6628,1.html

Posted by: Colugo | May 2, 2007 10:52 AM

Andrew Dice Clay, ca. 1989:

You want rights?! I'll give you rights! Here's a coupon for 10% off Vaseline, now get the fuck back in the closet!

How is what Mr. Earl Witter said any different? Oh--he didn't use the word "fuck."

Posted by: Shawn Smith | May 2, 2007 11:18 AM

Shawn-

It's not any different. And Dice is a pathetic asshole and always has been (and now, of course, he's a has been).

Posted by: Ed Brayton | May 2, 2007 11:39 AM

However, a police spokesman said last night that a group of people, who wanted to beat the man on his release, were waiting outside the hospital...

Here's an idea: arrest them.

Posted by: Ginger Yellow | May 2, 2007 12:51 PM

Well, I can guarantee that I will not be visiting Jamaica until they get their act together (which means I won't be visiting in a long time most likely).

If enough people boycotted Jamaica as a tourist destination it might put some pressure on them to clean up their act.

Posted by: Robert | May 2, 2007 1:03 PM

I think that this whole issue should be raised a few notches in the international human rights community.

But, it won't because of the ick factor. GLBT life is cheaper than dirt.

: (

Posted by: SharonB | May 2, 2007 1:50 PM

I've known for a few years that Jamaicans seem particularly homophobic, but hadn't really thought about why. I wrote to a former professor of mine who spent some time studying and living with the Rastas and asked him about it...he said:

A long story, G, and part of the answer lies in the island's long-standing patriarchy. My year there, not forgetting the Jamaicans I grew up with, teaches me that there's a strong division of labor, deep paternalism, and very fixed gender and sexual roles/expectations. Even Marley, for all his liberationist rhetoric, refused to sleep near his missus during the menstrual cycle, citing some verse in Leviticus.
Jamaica is African diaspora, of course, and who knows if some of what
we see in Africa -- there's a strong dislike of gays in parts of Africa
too; think Mugabe and Mbeke -- survived the Middle Passage. I am sure
some of it did. And then, frankly, popular culture has fanned the
flames. Dancehall reggae acts, like Buju Banton and Shabba Ranks, have been
very successful at creating tunes based around guns and girls. Banton is
notoriously famous for his homophobia. Records don't make culture, of
course, though sometimes they do; more often than not, they mirror it.
What sells is what appeals. But music and culture are inextricably
intertwinned. Rastas I know decry Dancehall, for its sexism and homophobia.
In the end, though, why do large mobs take it out on one or two others?
That's why we read Rene Girard, right?

Impressionistic, I know, but it's how I see it from here.

Posted by: Gretchen | May 2, 2007 2:08 PM

He's lucky he didn't find himself arrested in addition to being beat up. There are still anti-gay laws that make most homosexual relationships a felony in Jamaica.

Posted by: Dan R. | May 2, 2007 3:21 PM

It doesn't count as "inciting violence" if the mob has gone dispersed and then individuals make the conscious decision to do violence.

Posted by: Grumpy | May 2, 2007 4:47 PM

QUOTE[...] that there's a strong division of labor, deep paternalism, and very fixed gender and sexual roles/expectations"

I agree, my pop was from the islands and his favorite statement (and the bane of my teenage existence during the womens lib 70s) was, "Girls can't do that!!!"

there's is also a very rigid traditionalist mindset based on what they think is "correct and proper behavior"...woe betide you if you kick against the traces

Posted by: brightmoon | May 3, 2007 8:22 AM

I was born in Jamaica. I left there as a young boy, for Canada - my HOME away from home. I went back once 15 year ago - I was shocked at how open it was to be homophobic.

As a proud, gay, black man now 46 years old, reading articles like this one tells me that I am not in a hurry to go back to Jamaica or to call it HOME. It saddens me to know that the 'out of many one people' does not include gays and lesbians.

What is worse is that the society at-large accepts this as 'normal'. It sounds to me like Jamaican Gays and Lesbians need a STONE WALL - take up arms and take it to the streets. After all, it is a Jamaican tradition to FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. Remember that nasty little episode of slavery. Our forefather were not handed their freedom - THEY FOUGHT FOR IT. IT IS TIME TO TAKE A STAND.

Also, if the every parent, aunts and uncles came out of the closet with their sons, daughters nieces and nephews - things would change. Our Children are the one of the greatest gifts that God has ever given us. Parent who turn their backs on their children should know shame. These people are the future of that country. If people like me - educated and successful see no place FOR US in that society, (except for a closet) we are not going to return home to share our wealth. As so many governments of the the Western democracies are starting to realize, diversity equals strength.

Closet is for clothes not people.

Posted by: Anthony | May 22, 2007 5:43 PM