OPINION: Jamai’s gay sex ban fuels homophobic vlence | OPENLY

Contents:

• THE U.S. & JAMAI ARE FIGHTG OVER GAY RIGHTS
• HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ANTI-GAY LAWS PROMOTE VLENCE, DISCRIMATN ST. VCENT
• JAMAI GAY AND LBIAN RIGHTS NEWS TOPICS
• GAY TRAVELLG TO JAMAI - JAMAI FOM
• OPINION: JAMAI’S GAY SEX BAN FUELS HOMOPHOBIC VLENCE
• GAYS IN JAMAI LIVE IN FEAR

THE U.S. & JAMAI ARE FIGHTG OVER GAY RIGHTS

Rumors are swirlg that tensns between Jamai and the Uned Stat are risg after the former refed to grant accredatn to the spoe of a gay Amerin diplomat – whose inty has not been ma public – sce same-sex marriage is not legal the Caribbean natn.

Equalx reports that addn to same-sex marriage beg illegal, homosexualy among men remas outlawed Jamai and n be punished wh up to seven years prison.

Homosexualy among women is not explicly illegal, but sodomy between any two humans is punishable wh up to 10 years prison. Fally the Jamain state has been held to acunt for s plicy the vlence and discrimatn I have faced for beg gay. An ternatnal tribunal has led that Jamai should scrap s homophobic laws hatred that LGBTQ+ people routely face Jamai, and the lonial-haner laws that crimalise gay relatnships, are well documented.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ANTI-GAY LAWS PROMOTE VLENCE, DISCRIMATN ST. VCENT

But, for the first time, the Inter-Amerin Commissn on Human Rights has termed that laws agast the “abomable crime of buggery” and acts of “gross cency” effectively led to state-sanctned vlence agast LGBTQ+ one of the two claimants this se, I had to tail my experienc over s livg as a gay man and rights activist Jamai. All this simply bee they were gay, and unable or unwillg to live a msage LGBTQ+ Jamains receive loud and clear is that our liv are worthls. I ed to be part of a ball team of gay men, which we set up as a source of fort, support and solidary wh one another.

JAMAI GAY AND LBIAN RIGHTS NEWS TOPICS

In the end, five of our players were killed separate homophobic attacks.

Tacklg Jamai’s problem wh homophobia requir actn on different levels – social, polil, relig and the tim I experienced vlence Jamai, was exclively at the hands of the police. And whenever I reported a homophobic crime, I was met wh ridicule or dismissal.

GAY TRAVELLG TO JAMAI - JAMAI FOM

I nnot divorce this open police aggrsn om the existence of the homophobic laws.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Ri (AP) — Advocy group Human Rights Watch released an -pth report Thursday that tails the abe and discrimatn the LGBTQ muny says fac the eastern Caribbean island of St Vcent and the Grenad, where gay sex is still crimalised. From homelsns to ongog physil and verbal abe, the gay muny the small natn of some 100, 000 people says is unr nstant threat.

While rarely voked, the rights group and a lol activist said the laws help legimise hostily and abe agast gay people. In July 2019, two gay men om St Vcent who are livg abroad filed a se to challenge lol laws crimalisg gay sex that activists say should be stck down. Human Rights Watch terviewed more than 20 members of the island’s LGBTQ muny who shared their stori but were not intified to protect them, notg that lol police are often openly discrimatory toward gay people who seek help.

OPINION: JAMAI’S GAY SEX BAN FUELS HOMOPHOBIC VLENCE

One gay man relled how his classmat beat him and broke his arm.

GAYS IN JAMAI LIVE IN FEAR

Several reported that their fai are homophobic and physilly and verbally abed them, g them to bee homels and promptg some to nsir suici. Many also stggle to fd jobs amid a high unemployment rate and said they face discrimatn, cludg a 19-year-old gay man who said he has rorted to beggg: “Sometim I am so hungry. It is hard for me as a gay this untry.