Homophobic violence across Jamaica becomes so extensive that even gay police officers are not safe.
Earlier this month a mob of up to 20 men attacked the home of four gay men in Mandeville—three were seriously injured and one killed. Now, one of the police officers who responded to that attack is in hiding after "other officers routinely attacked and abused him" because he came out of the closet. Constable Michael Hayden, 24, a four-year veteran of the Jamaican Constabulary Police Force, says the police do not take anti-gay violence seriously.
A couple of weeks back, a local tabloid, The Jamaica Star, ran a screaming headline when a [Hayden], disturbed by the attack on the dinner party guests, decided to disclose his sexual orientation to the paper. He said he had been harassed regularly by his colleagues because he is gay. He said the police did not take violence against gays seriously.
“Jamaica’s motto is ‘Out of Many, One People,’ and I say, ‘What about us?’ ” said the police officer, Michael Hayden.
"I want to stay here and fight," Hayden tells the Toronto Star in a telephone interview from Jamaica. "But it's not safe for me. My life is in great, great jeopardy." Hayden is hoping to escape to Canada and seeks refugee status.
The New York Times catches up with one of the young men who was slashed by a machete and beaten by the mob. "Andre" says he "fled Mandeville after the attack and found refuge at the home of a pastor, who now delivers at-home sermons to him on how he must change. With the pastor standing over him, Andre said he would try to be attracted to women, if only so he would never be beaten again. But he mentions another option, as well: leaving Jamaica." This story is almost heart-breaking.
Hayden is not the first gay Jamaican to seek asylum out of fear for his life. Two weeks ago, we reported gay activist Gareth Henry, one of several Jamaican gay men who was attacked by a mob of thousands in February 2007, is now safely in Canada seeking refugee status. He says at least 13 of his friends have been killed in Jamaica since 2004.
Gay Jamaican Officer Seeks Asylum [Star]
Easygoing Jamaica is Dire Place for Gays [NYT]
Did You Read? ...
JA Gay Activist Attacked by Mob Seeks Asylum [R20]
JA Mob Attacks Two Gay Men [R20]
Angry Mob of 2,000 Jamaicans Attack Gays [R20]
Did Jamaican Cops "Rescue" Gays? [R20]
JA Leading Newspaper Demands Equal Rights [R20]
Justice, Jamaican Style [R20]
Bloodlust at UWI [R20]
"One Gay is Dead, What's the Difference?" [R20]
"Jamaica, Island of Hate" [R20]
Justice, Jamaican Style [R20]
Jamaican Newspaper Criticizes Anti-Gay Laws [R20]
"Gay Panic" Defense in Brutal Slaying [R20]
Who Killed Ambassador Peter King? [R20]
"Gay Panic" in Killing of Popular Priest [R20]
"Flaunting Sexual Preference May Incite Violence" [R20]
I'm not sure what to do about places like Jamaica, Egypt, Iran and other places who are murderous toward homosexuals. Education seems to be the only answer, but religion stands in direct conflict with education. And idiots are much more likely to believe what's preached to them from religious texts than to use their common sense to figure out that homosexuality, like heterosexuality, is simply an aspect of nature.
Posted by: Robert Jones, Jr. | 27 February 2008 at 22:06
I agree education is the key.
Secular education.
Fundamentalist-based countries where everything taught in schools must be based on millenia-old "scriptures" of desert-cultures scrambling to surive and therefore making now-long-outdated prohibitions on sexuality, full of sexism and homophobia... no wonder the hatred ferments.
This is such a sad story, I hope it has a good ending and he gets asylum.
Posted by: Andy in Seattle | 27 February 2008 at 22:35
Mr. McCullom, I'd like to take a minute to congratulate you for continuing to keep us abreast of the anti-gay antics & atrocities steadily perpetuated by our more warped "third-world-mentally-disorderd" brethren in countries like Jamaica (and parts of Africa). Please persist in informing us, even as we become desensitized; the same way we're emotionally immune as we scroll down further to read of yet another young black gay man here at home. Murdered. We shake our heads and shield our hearts as we surf toward something more satisfying; a fabulous caramel-colored boy with pearly white teeth and beautiful ass cheeks. Wait. There's two. Twins: a tragedy with enough sensationalism and misfortune for us to feed off of and make snide remarks about. (And wow....over 20 replies in the comments section to keep us coming back for more). We then sign off, go back to our own lives, get up in the morning, put on our carefully co-ordinated drag, and sashay off to our (often cute & lucrative) jobs. Until the next time. Until the next beating, the next bash or the next bullet. Until we vomit up enough vitriol and scream Enoughness !!! People are suffering all over the world, yes, but because these tragedies have a black gay spin, they should strike a more heavy chord. What has seemingly worked before is judiciously applied economic pressure by the world's leading economic powers i.e. bustin' them right in the ass of thier booming tourism industry. But do we have enough cohesiveness to make it work. I digress. I apologize. I can only speak for myself can't I? Maybe I'm the one who has to realize that he is impotent and helpless - that all I can do is clutch my pearls or perhaps offer up a prayer (provided it doesn't bounce off the wall). I can recognize or not. And if not....then what ?????
Posted by: Corey @ I'll Keep You Posted | 28 February 2008 at 15:42