JFLAG …… In Gratitude (10th Anniversary & More) 2008

from JFLAG

We wholeheartedly like to thank all our well wishers and supporters for your kind words over the past week as we celebrated our decade of existence in the struggle for LGBT tolerance here in Jamaica on December 10, the same day as World Human Rights Day.

We are looking forward to your continued presence as we strive for a better jamdown for peace and tolerance. The boxes upon boxes of greeting cards already in the season show us that you care and we are grateful, make no mistake about it.

All the best for the season as well and tuck in a love gift for us to remain active.

Thanks and peace be with you.

Admin

Author: GLBTQ Jamaica Moderator

Activist and concerned gay man in Jamaica with over 19 years experience in advocacy and HIV/AIDS prevention work, LGBT DJ since 1996. View all posts by GLBTQ Jamaica Moderator

One thought on “JFLAG …… In Gratitude (10th Anniversary & More) 2008”

heidykennedy83 says:

July 21, 2013 at 10:40 PM

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New Kingston Cop Proposes Shelter for Shoemaker Gully LGBT Homeless Population

Superintendent Murdock

The same cop who has factored in so many run-ins with the youngsters in the Shoemaker Gully (often described as a sewer by some activists) has delivered on a promise of his powerpoint presentation on a solution to the issue in New Kingston, problem is it is the same folks who abandoned the men (their predecessors) from the powerful cogs of LGBT/HIV that are in earshot of his plan.

This ugly business of LGBTQ homelessness and displacements or self imposed exile by persons has had several solutions put forth, problem is the non state actors in particular do not want to get their hands dirty as the more combative and political issues to do with buggery's decriminalization or repeal have risen to the level of importance more so than this. Let us also remember this is like the umpteenth meeting with the cops, some of the LGBT homeless persons and the advocacy structure.

Remember JFLAG's exclusion of the group from that IDAHO symposium on LGBT homelessess? See HERE, how can we ask the same people who only want to academise and editorialise the issue to also try to address their own when they do not want to get their hands dirty but publish wonderful reports as was done earlier this month, see HERE: (re)Presenting and Redressing LGBT Homelessness in Jamaica: Towards a Multifaceted Approach to Addressing Anti-Gay Related Displacement also LGBT homelessness has always been with us from the records of Gay Freedom Movement(1974) to present but the current issues started from 2009, see: The Quietus ……… The Safe House Project Closes and The Ultimatum on December 30, 2009 as carried on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch. CLICK HERE for FULL post of this story.

Homeless MSM/Transgender persons tell their story via a documentary on Wicked Hype's site, faulty is the interviewer and the background noise but focus on the substance of the voices of the interviewed. Sad that the solutions that should be coming from the LGBT lobbyists are not there as they ought to and pay attention to the No One Cares statement, it is as if the agencies do not exist, the interviewer clearly tried to get to the support element out but it never came in terms of powerful monied LGBT lobby groups. Check out the reference to Amsterdam and the rebuff of the Prime Minister.

Radio program Everywoman on Nationwide Radio 90FM March 20th 2014 with Dr Karen Carpenter as stand-in host with a transgender activist and co-founder of Aphrodite's P.R.I.D.E Jamaica and a gender non conforming/lesbian guest as well on the matters of identity, sex reassignment surgery and transexuality.

CLICK HERE for a recording of the show

CLICK HERE for the full post

So it would seem on the face of it, this ugly business of MSM homelessness especially in the business district of New Kingston has been with us for so long yet not a peep came from the members of the privileged clergy in Jamaica including the homo-negative ones who claim to love the sinner but hate the sin in any meaningful way to help or offer shelter. On December 9th the Jamaica Observer carried a story of a pastor who claimed to be hitting out at "Injustices" to homeless MSM, where was he all this time until now with the repeated headlines the men in New Kingston have made? albeit for the wrong reasons. Kimmo Thomas reported: Pastor lashes out at 'injustices' faced by gays

Days later the same paper in the print edition only carried the cartoon as done by its resident cartoonist Clovis on December 11, 2013 parodying Tiana Miller transgender spokesperson for the JFLAG We Are Jamaicans Campaign and another member of the homeless MSM in New Kingston

Here is the last video of Dwayne Jones aka Gully Queen inadvertently done by a television crew when they came across the homeless youths at an abandoned housing scheme in Western Jamaica, little did we know in death he would make such international headlines. GO HERE for the full video

The recent embarrassing situation at Jamaica AIDS Support for Life is examined along with JFLAG's own temporary displacement via an eviction notice related to the homeless MSM challenges and dithering on both agency's part. MORE also HERE

In response to numerous requests for more information on the defunct Safe House Pilot Project that was to address the growing numbers of displaced and homeless LGBTQ Youth in New Kingston in 2007/8/9, a review of the relevance of the project as a solution, the possible avoidance of present issues with some of its previous residents if it were kept open.

Recorded June 12, 2013; also see from the former Executive Director named in the podcast more background on the project: HERE also see the beginning of the issues from the closure of the project: The Quietus ……… The Safe House Project Closes and The Ultimatum on December 30, 2009

Our Homeless section gets prime time news attention once again, August was the last major eviction shown on this same station what is also damming is the comment made by the member of parliament where he says all the agencies contacted do not want to deal with it showing the clear avoidance of housing the men with proper re-socialization and diligence building interventions.

How many more like these are we to see?

Where is the promised shelter as was told to the community at a town hall meeting on November 7th 2012?

Has the funding for that shelter idea ran our prior to its launch?

So many queries and uncertainty. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Unimpressed with the CVM TV show on MSM Homelessness
The September 6th appearance of representatives from The National Council of Drug Abuse and AIDSFREEWORLD's Maurice Tomlinson to address the recent public eviction of homeless MSMS from Cargill Avenue was at best damage control to another embarrassment regarding the poor response from the relevant LGBT agencies. JFLAG WAS NOT PRESENT AT THIS CVM TV LIVE @ SEVEN Program

The attempt to use old programmatic language by Maurice Tomlison to suggest MSM/Trans have no access to condoms while the CVM newscast itself showed the movers holding the condoms in their hands they found on the site and saying the men were practicing safer sex should be instructive to ALL in view

Dionne Jackson Miller on October 3 on TVJ's All Angles dealt with the issue of the homeless men following the long standing controversy, the standoff on September 21, 2012 and the public eviction of the men from Cargill Avenue on August 29th, a shelter was hinted to in that interview and indeed a town hall meeting with JFLAG present did give the impression a shelter would be ready but it was not to be as was scheduled for opening on December 1

Now we are being told that another place is being sought.

Also see another eviction of homeless msm/trans youths on CVM TV December 6, 2012

old 2009 Clovis cartoon on the two Jamaicas syndrome that has held us back as a nation

Independence Day 2014 cartoon

As today is independence Day I have to wonder what are we actually celebrating as the real meaning of such has gone nationally speaking the season seems more like a festivalization for respective governments over the years more so than a time for introspection as a nation as to our achievements and the freedom from the shackles of slavery physically and mentally instead it feels like we have swapped colonialism for something else as one public commentator mentioned recently, the house slave is now running the plantation with no real change in the concept of divide and rule. The actual events are a joke and have come to be used by some to promote homo-negativity more so than unity.

The festival song competition for example in both categories hosted by the JCDC try as they may but have you heard any of the songs yet or the winning entries? It seems only to attract a small percentage of Jamaicans (barring low money to buy tickets) it does not feel nationalistic in nature, back in the 80s at least when I was growing up we all at home or if we had family dinner would watch Grand Gala on the television or watch the song competition now it isn't even streamed live anymore. See: Independence Skewed & Still No Justice at 52

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Author: GLBTQ Jamaica Moderator

One thought on “JFLAG …… In Gratitude (10th Anniversary & More) 2008”

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