2 SGL Women lost, corrective rape & virtual silence from the male dominated advocacy structure

UPDATES TO COME WHERE APPLICABLE

Hearts saddened a many as awful news spread first of a missing same gender loving sister in western Jamaica earlier this week on Tuesday November 28 by Wednesday morning it was corroborated but her body was not found, she was missing for several days and her phone went unanswered but by that same evening news of another murder was in the air mainly on Facebook and Blackberry messenger services of an up and coming dancehall DJ and song writer who has been making her mark with promotional materials on sites as Youtube, Vimeo and other platforms. She was also a feature at the gay bar Oasis Couture and at the Pride Fest earlier this year popularly known as Lava K.

Lava K was allegedly murdered by her child’s father after an altercation on Tuesday afternoon at their home after he requested to see the child after being absent for several years. According to a second hand posting of her brother’s account of the incident which stated the following: (verbatim)

“This guy got kemesha matthews pregnant and through 9 month of pregnancy he never came or call once,baby born and is 6 weeks old now he called her and told her he want to come c the baby and she said yes,he came 9 o`clock in the night and was there,my mother,kimesha and him was in the house,kim said to him it is getting late,r u going home or staying,he says him gud in my mothers pressence,kim said to him lets go in my room because this is mom`s room,they went in kim`s room, he sat and waited until my mom was sleeping with the baby and kim fell asleep then he started strangling kim,please noth kim was covered under a sheet as thats how she sleep,then while strangling her he went to his pocket and took his screw driver and shove it right in the middle of her forehead and thats when she was able to make the last loud scream whick woke up my mom,my mom suddenly ran to kim`s room and saw kim`s body on the bed covered without life.she said kim twice and kim was not responding.when she was running to kims room, the guy was running to the door and grill which was locked.after my mom realize that kim was dead she ran to the guy and asked wat did he do to her daughter he then turned to my mom and started strangling her donw on the floor with his all strength,my mom could not breathe,god gave her the strenght to shove her hands under his seed and thats when he let her go and my mom shout murder,him kill kim and one person came out side and when he saw someone outeside thats when he stopped fighting my mom and the police later came and arrested him,please note he threw the screw driver under the bed,thats what saved my mother from being dead now. PURE EVIL is this a case of sacrifice,because on his Facebook page he talks about not having money alot and he will be having money or dead soon.”

here is a freestyle video by Lava K:

The Western Jamaica victim affectionately known as Kidd was allegedly kidnapped by her female partner’s male counterpart as she was said to be bisexual but he was aware of her same gender preference and tolerated it to a certain point, what caused the change in his position is not clear or if at all he was genuinely tolerant but was presenting a farce so as to enact his hate via her demise. The partner has also been blamed as the deceased had threatened to end the relationship they were in last week Thursday but she was not happy and proceeded to set her male lover upon Kidd in revenge. Her brother who accompanied her to the home of the exed lover is alive and well. The difficulty with issues like this is that as the news hits the community it becomes distorted and persons close to the victims tend to be in vengeance mode and also may misinterpret or embellish the real tenets of the case. As the dust settle the true issues will and usually unfold as experience has taught us. Bisexual relationship issues also come into sharp focus once again if we are to go by what is reported all the more reason to call on the advocates to begin proper discourse on the matter in agitating for LGBT rights in Jamaica instead of the selective pointers put forward supposedly on the community’s behalf.

There is a planned wake for Lava K on December 10 Human Rights Day somewhere in Kingston. Unfortunately her case is getting far more traction on the ground as she is more popular due to her media success as she had appeared on a popular television talent competition.

Corrective Rape

Corroborated reports also has come in that on Thursday evening two women were abducted, brutally raped with one buggered by two men adding to the umpteen allegations and three confirmed cases since this year of attacks against same gender loving women.

What is also disturbing to some females of the community is that the advocacy structure has been silent on the issue save and except for the occasional expression and anger from mostly women on social network sites who are venting and even suggesting a more final demise to the alleged killer whose photo has also been posted on Facebook. I would imagine they, the J maybe also having some difficulty confirming the information amidst the rage and noise but not even an official note of condolescence and empathy towards friends of the deceased ladies and offering some consolation to the community? when press releases are needed the factory’s conveyor belt stops,

where is the leadership here?

are lesbians and women’s issues of far lesser import than gay men?

The Program’s Manager of the J pointed out reporting abuse when the matter was raised in a group of which he is a member, the Executive Director is said to be away, when the Programs Mgr was questioned by a female influential on the balance of responses to male cases versus females from the crisis intervention unit (1 contracted person for the entire island) he tried to reassure her there was balance, it was also instructive that he does not see himself as a part of a team and that he too can act as a crisis intervention agent, clear indication of the aloofness that exists, some say however if it were a man who was murdered the male dominated advocacy structure would have balled out loudly and some international press would have occurred long time ago given we are now four days clear of the murders and the news. Previous experience has shown us that it’s a man’s world when it comes to crisis interventions and advocacy on same gender loving women issues in Jamaica , gladly I can say I contributed to the enlightenment of corrective rape and the importance of women’s issues also balanced in the struggle for LGBT recognition but it seems we have slipped. WomenforWomen which is supposed to be the female arm of the J has been struggling for years to get equity and a proper voice in the scheme of things, the fight continues, sad that there has to be this agitation within an advocacy structure when all ought to be benefit in the end.

more thoughts on the issue in audio here:

UPDATE 18/12/11 – Lava K was laid to rest today also check out this related article: Kemesha Matthews Family Still In Mourning While The Killer Is Granted Bail

Peace and tolerance

H