Down low gone mad, Biphobia, or Sexual Abuse?

“Battyman Fi Dead” said publicly “Mi really waan f*** yuh” privately …. problems and abuse in the DL world.

So another horrible case of possible male rape or sexual abuse from within the community this time in a way has been heard, a young Jamaican man whose sexuality is of no major concern to us in as far as this post is concerned has become a victim allegedly of male rape by down-low”heaviot” thugs in Kingston recently, in August I am being told. News of the incident is rife among certain circles downtown and other flash points as it quickly spread on the grapevine but some details are still sketchy I must add. However the main purpose of this piece though is to look again at the issue of clandestine homosexuality or DL as our African American counterparts call it and the possible negative effects that may come out of it such as this allegation of male rape by so called shottas and gangsters.

I doubt this has anything to do with substitutional sex or situational homosexuality (more so in a prison or physical enclosed setting) but you can be the judge while using what basic information that will be shared, it took a while for me to get enough information to prepare this post so please forgive my possible lack of details but I want us to focus on the main issue, that is frankly “bad man battyman” as some in our society call it.

Given the timing of this revelation in the middle of an international controversy involving a powerful Pastor in the form of Eddie Long and some four or possibly more males who have or may take legal action on alleged years of inappropriate sexual advances the varying discussions are abuzz over the internet and social network media with arguments for and against to punish him or finding the Pastor guilty without even seeing the court case through.

This particular incident on the local front however is certainly a reminder to the advocates also that there is another whole world that lgbt advocacy has not even addressed who suffer in silence most times as they do not know where to turn or are they powers that be really interested in taking on this very sensitive and possibly dangerous set of circumstances of male rape by members of the underworld?

In some way I am fortunate to have some insight into this realm without any major harm to my person as yet, thank God, as I usually keep in touch as best as I can with some of the poorer guys around on the streets and in communities who are gay or bisexual but who suffer double or triple marginalization just because of their class.

Here is a basic map of what I mean:

– Gay/Bisexual

– Poor/unemployed or not employable

– Ostracized or displaced by family and community

– Victims of violence

– Overlooked or shunned by the very advocates who say there offer service to lgbt people or misplaced focus by same leaves this group of men out in the cold

– Overlooked and shunned by the LGBT community in general and regarded as misfits and undeserving of existence

– Biphobia by default from general society, the LGBT community and ostensibly the advocacy structure

The Incident in question in summary based on reported accounts, the young man is in hiding.

The 23 year old man plies his rented handcart in a section of the market district and usually returns to his small shack which sits in a depressed section across volatile political boundaries in Kingston. On a faithful Saturday in August of this year he returned his rented cart that he uses in the market district to ply his trade of assisting shoppers to carry produce and organic food items to the bus-stop or car park for a nominal fee, on his way home by foot around 7:30 pm he took a route that he regularly takes to get home, bearing in mind that as early as this time is some parts of Kingston can be very lonely and given the absence of the main don who is away on trial in another country “the order” of things has changed.

There is a fight as it seems for turf and power in the market region which has not escalated to violence due to the strong police presence there and the local authorities push to bring formal order.

The man was approached by three men who questioned him, he answered them telling them what he had done etc thinking he would be OK as it was not customary to abuse anyone in the imaginary safety line of that zone as drawn by the dons. He was robbed allegedly at gunpoint and told to go to nearby bushes where they would decide his fate. The men however at first asked him if him “love man?” somewhere during the conversation although my sources suggest he is not effeminate of looks so either. They eventually attempted to take turns with him at gun point and to carry out anal sex but he resisted as best as he could, the men told him that they were not going to kill him they wanted some “batty” for the night. The ordeal was said to have gone on for almost an hour and after several attempts in trying to penetrate him they gave up it seems and demanded he performed oral sex on them and that he did reluctantly.

The sexual abuse ended but what allegedly happened next is what really sparked this post, the men while smoking marijuana sat and discussed their sexual encounters with other men and their ways of hiding their real sexual desires from their baby mothers and female sexual partners, they tried to enlist the participation of their “victim” in the post sex discussion but he barely answered when prompted to as he was said to have felt bad.

They proceeded to warn him that he must make himself available when they need him and he must keep it quiet, they even asked if he knew other men around the area who may get down (my words)? One of the men in particular was very upset at men who engaged in paedophilia and says he doesn’t like boys as they are too young.

ENDS (updates may follow)

THE MATTER WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE POLICE

Judging by this synopsis we do have thugs who really want to get down but some questions come to mind and I am not an expert so let’s discuss this please send responses or comment if you have such expertise.

Email just in case: lgbtevent@gmail.com

1. Are there men who really want to hit it but due to societal pressure they are prepared to steal it instead?
2. It is a case of abuse due to the power differential of the men in not only numbers but the fact that they are armed?
3. Did you think they surmise that the young man may have been inclined so they didn’t harm him?
4. How should the advocates handle issues like this?
5. Do you think the issue of clandestine homosexual behaviour should be a main discussion point in presenting arguments for gay rights or tolerance?
6. Can this also be categorized as homophobia in a way?

This post may become a running series as we look at these set of issues more closely.

Peace and tolerance

H