The gay uprising in the Caribbean
Current mood: calm
Category: Music
Below is an article from today's Jamaican Gleaner. This post title is the one the gleaner uses, so don't the rest of you go unsubscribing from the blog. I had to share it, because I found it interesting that I did my post with the title I chose on Friday, then today I see this title in the Gleaner. Here is the link to the article for verification purposes: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20081012/news/news4.html
After reading the article, let me know if you think the Caribbean is becoming too Americanized.
The gay uprising in the Caribbean published: Sunday | October 12, 2008
Fingers pointing to the sky are shaped in the form of guns. Imaginary triggers are squeezed as crowds of partygoers react with approval to a popular song by Jamaican dancehall icon Buju Banton at Grenada's top nightclub, Fantazia.
"Boom bye bye in ah b---- boy head/Rude boy nah promote dem nasty man/Dem ha fi dead" Banton's controversial homophobic lyrics blare from the speakers.
This scene could very easily be anywhere in the Caribbean or the diaspora.
While the plethora of homophobic reggae songs might have contributed to a subgenre of its own, it seems to underline the region's strong resentment to the gay lifestyle.
But Grenadian sociologist Claude Douglas argues that the Caribbean's attitude to homosexuality is changing.
Douglas, a lecturer at St George's University, says tolerance has increased significantly in recent years and partly blames the United States' cultural invasion of the Caribbean.
"Yesterday's deviants will become today and tomorrow's norms. Let us take, for example, the wearing of earrings by men. This was actually taboo in Grenada many years ago. Today, there are men who appear almost feminine," Douglas said in an interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation.
"As the society evolves, people become more accepting of certain behaviour, and we see the trend developing right now in Grenada."
Douglas makes his case in his new book, Homosexuality in the Caribbean - Crawling Out of the Closet, which examines the rise of this alternative lifestyle in the region.
In his 60-page book, Douglas explores issues ranging from biological origins and the "gay-tourist phenomenon" to the campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in the region.
The university lecturer argues that there is not a tremendous increase in the number of homosexuals in the Caribbean, but that more people are finding the courage to "come out".
"You had a lot of people in the closet, but today many, many people are coming out and at least affirming their sexuality through organisations and through protest marches."
Douglas's book narrows in on some of the key factors affecting this lifestyle, including religious values and the campaign of the gay-rights movement.
Although the former chair of the Social Sciences Department at the T.A. Marryshow Community College does not believe people like to hear his argument, he envisages in his book that "homosexuality is becoming an alternative and acceptable form of human sexuality in the Caribbean".
Persistent struggle
"The disturbing and agonising truth is that homosexuality would crawl out of the closet with pomposity and there would be an alarming incidence of homosexuality in the Caribbean."
Despite strong opposition by the religious community, the gay-rights movement is reported to be making considerable progress in the Caribbean.
From The Bahamas in the north to Guyana in the south, there has been a persistent struggle for equal rights.
Puerto Rico, an overseas department of the United States, is considered by many to be the most tolerant Caribbean country where gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and transsexual groups march openly in the annual gay parade.
Fidel Castro's niece and sexologist, Mariela Castro, is leading a new revolution in Cuba, a country in which homosexuality is becoming increasingly recognised.
"I am not an advocate of homosexuality, but of equal rights. Everybody has a right to be respected as a human being and treated equally. Nobody should be defined solely on their sexuality," declared Nigel Mathlin, chairman of GrenCHAP, an organisation in Grenada that looks after the interests of homosexuals on the island.
"Homosexuality has been around for a very long time now and will continue, but we still pretend that it is something that can be cured or is not an issue, thus driving people underground, regardless in what context, which festers destructive and dangerous behaviour."
To some extent, it appears that the struggle for homosexual rights is helping to remove laws considered oppressive.
In 1997, legislative changes in Cuba effectively decriminalised homosexuality and have paved the way for gay and lesbian couples to enjoy the same civil rights as heterosexual couples.
The gay community in the United Kingdom continues to pressure the Caribbean to change laws forbidding homosexual practices.
The British homosexual organi-sation, Outrage, has been working closely with Caribbean groups like Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals and Gays (J-flag) and Barbados Gays and Lesbians Against Discrimination (BGLAD).
In 2001, the United Kingdom forced the repealing of laws in overseas dependent territories such as The Turks and Caicos Islands, The Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Anguilla.
"I have no doubt we will see changes to the laws of Jamaica. It will take time, but it will require a gradualist approach," said a Jamaican homosexual who resides in Barbados.
"The brash, in-your-face approach is likely to only make the situation less secure."
Among those who agree that a change in attitude is needed at the highest levels of society is former Barbados attorney general and present opposition Leader Mia Mottley.
"A government in a pluralistic society must accommodate and respect the human rights and dignity of each individual.
"To that extent, a law, which seeks to discriminate in a society whose history has been scarred with the cancer of discrimination, has in fact, to be reformed."
Testing and counselling
In the meantime, public-health authorities continue to advocate for the decriminalisation of homo-sexuality as a key strategy in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.
In 2004, a joint United Nations and World Health Organisation report estimated 350,000 to 590,000 infections in the Caribbean.
In 2005 alone, around 37,000 people in the region became infected with HIV and more than 27,000 died of AIDS.
It is against this background that the call for the decriminalisation of homosexuality was made, which, advocates believe, would allow homosexuals to come out and receive testing and counselling.
"There is a rampant homophobia in the Caribbean; a lot of it has its origins in the concept that HIV/AIDS was a disease of homosexual males, which of course it is not," declared health expert Sir George Alleyne, who believes stigma and homophobia are obstacles in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Homosexuals are taking over America State by State.
Current mood: shocked
Category: Romance and Relationships
Connecticut is the latest State to fall victim to the homosexual onslaught in the United States.Today Connecticut ruled that homosexuals have the right to be married just like normal heterosexual couples.Connecticut now joins New Jersey, Massachusetts and California as states where the sanctity of marriage is not just between a man and a woman.As the States continue to fall like dominoes to pressure from the homosexual community, one can only wonder what is next.Maybe soon it will be perfectly normal for a man to put lipstick on a pig and marry it or put a skirt on a pitbull and walk the bitch down the aisle.
What do you think of the Connecticut decision:Good decision or bad decision?
Do you think the day will come when America will legalize gay marriage at the federal level?Is that the right decision?
Do you consider the lyrics below to be anti-gay or pro-family?
Jah Jah gonna hit them hard All the men who visit men backyard Leaving all the women to starve One thunder ball and all of them pause
Hand in hand with my lady Hug her and kiss her cause she bring forth my baby But some boys moving shady While am chilling on the ends making sweet love to Sadie All I know am here to produce and all the ladies you are my friends From the past, the present, the future my girl, love and respect to the end
The world is spinning and everything in it Mankind lose their way, some gone past their limit Am here to advice not to be a critic Be careful of the lifestyle you choose to exhibit Children live what they learn Aren't you concerned Of your choices in society We need to preserve the value of a male and a female in every family -- "Hit them hard" - Stapler
The best lyrics for the worst times!
Current mood: high
Category: Music
They say music is the healing of the nation. Regardless of what you are going through, there are some songs out there that can help get you through it. With all the turmoil in the world today, when you feel like you are getting frustrated what are some of your favorite lyrics to listen to? You don't have to write the entire song, just a few lines are a verse that really digs deep in your soul. Here are some of my favorite lyrics in no particular order.
It's not Malcolm X or Martin Luther this It's Sizzla I came here to trick all the tricks I see Bob Marley rise but they killed the prophet Why you didn't kill those standing on your pulpit No, you use them to slave the minds of the youths That as they preach the youths will stop knowing the truth But this is the truth of all the circumstances I see how you are constantly building churches But your church defend the slackness as usual Rasta don't mix with homosexual -- "Praise ye Jah" - Sizzla Kalonji
You got to know when to hold them Know when to fold them Know when to walk away Know when to run You never count your money When you sitting at the table There will be time enough to count it When the deal is done -- "The Gambler" - Kenny Rogers
So they tell me of the pie up in the sky Waiting for me when I die But between the day you born an when you die They never seem to hear even your cry But am sure as the sun will shine Am gonna get my share of what's mine And then the harder they come, the harder they fall One and all -- "The harder they come" - Jimmy Cliff
It's them, introduce the rat race to the Black race It's them, introduce the crack taste to the Black face It's them, want to put the icing on the Black cake So we burn the white angel off the black gate It's them, make so much police come on the black base It's them, send police to search how the Black place It's them, I will start work on some snatch face Make them all feel how copper shot taste -- "Babylon will pay the price" - Jango Fresh
Never make a politician grant you a favor They will always want to control you forever So if it is fire make it burn And if it is blood make it run Rasta is on top, so you can't predict the flock .... Kill, cramp and paralyze all weak heart conception Wipe them out of creation -- "Revolution" - Bob Marley
For all the anti Obama people out there, this question is specifically for you. If Obama was running against Bush instead of McCain, who would be your pick for the presidency?
Would you choose Bush over Obama?
If you wouldn't choose Bush over Obama, can you explain the differences between the Bush and the McCain policies?
Obama versus McCain
Current mood: anxious
Category: News and Politics
I suspect Obama will want to talk about the turmoil in the economy and what he plans to do to fix it. I suspect McCain will want to talk about Obama's link to Ayers and how America will become a Muslim nation should Obama become the president?
I don't really care what they talk about tonight, chances are I have heard it already. One thing I don't want to see however, is Obama saying "John is right". Because John is as wrong as wrong can be and he is definitely wrong for the American and the world economy.
What are you expecting from tonight's debate?
Who you think will be/is the winner of the debate?
The Terrorist Within.
Current mood: calm
Category: News and Politics
Domestic Terrorists are running rampant in America.Their goal is to divide and destroy America.These terrorists don't use bombs and guns; their weapons rather, are their tongues.They hope that with their tongues of deceit, they will trigger their minions to turn to bombs and guns.
Exactly who are these Domestic Terrorists?Of course I don't know them all individually, but I do know their leaders.The current leaders of the most dangerous domestic Terrorists in the United States are Sarah Palin and John McCain.
Have you had a chance to hear Sarah Palin lately?It is sickening what the witch is saying.Not only is it sickening, she is basically and overtly putting a reward on Obama's head.It is one thing to link Obama to a man from Chicago who once stood up against the evil America spreads abroad.A man who is now a professor at a prestigious American University I might add.Palin, however, went on to say the following about Obama:
"I FEAR that this is a man who does not see America the way you and I see it".
WTF is that suppose to mean?What is it that you FEAR about Obama, Palin?Do you FEAR that he sees America the way Bin Laden sees it?Or do you FEAR he sees it the way Timothy McVeigh sees it?
It is one thing for talk show hosts, bloggers and journalists to make such reckless comments but when it comes from a VP contender, it is just despicable.What are you trying to accomplish Sarah Palin? Are you trying to spark a civil war? At one point the crowd even started shouting "USA USA..." as if they were Americans and Obama and his supporters were not. Do you want to see America go back to the days of lynching and bombing of minority churches killing young little innocent Black girls?Don't you know the days of turning the other cheek are over?Didn't you hear when Ice Cube said, "We got the bloods and the crips and the little OG's and we all getting ready for the enemies"?Did John McCain encourage you to spew such hatred or did your own little peanut brain come up with the idea?
I can't believe a Governor would, without any facts, accuse a presidential candidate of being a Terrorist.Is there no low to which the Republican Party will go?Palin, if you fear Obama, then how do you feel about the Obama supporters?Should all Obama supporters go get a gun to protect themselves from idiots who may actually because of your statements start believing they are Terrorists?
Obama who is the one making all the effort to unite people of all backgrounds, yet he is being referred to as a Domestic Terrorist by those who seek to divide and destroy with their very words. The political climate is starting to get out of hand. Is all this careless talk triggers a civil war, Americans will have Sarah Palin to thank.
You are the real Domestic Terrorist Sarah Palin.Your tongue is a weapon of mass destruction.The pitbull in lipstick belongs in a cell with Michael Vick.
God Bless you and God bless the earth!
How do you view Sarah Palin's comments:Are they divisive and destructive or is she just telling the truth?
Why the OJ verdict is great for America!
Current mood: calm
Category: Life
In the previous post I was caught up in this entire set up scheme that I forgot to share my opinion on why I believe the guilty OJ verdict is a great thing.Before I get into that, I have to give credit to the people who set this thing up.It all went down in Las Vegas on September 13, the trial lasted for 13 days, the jury deliberated for 13 hours and they found OJ guilty on the 13 anniversary of his not guilty verdict for murder in 1995.It is almost like they wanted the public to know that this was the big payback.With that said I am predicting that OJ will be eligible for parole after 13 years in prison and Obama will win the presidency by 13 electoral votes.
After the 1995 verdict, Whites were angry and mad.There was no denying that the not guilty verdict affected race relations in America.Had OJ walked free again, whites would again be angry and mad.With only 30 days until the presidential election, does any democrat really want some angry and mad white people going to the poll?If there has to be a sacrificial lamb to save the world from a warmonger like John McCain, then I can hardly think of a better choice than OJ.
That's my opinion and I am sticking by it.So dance and celebrate at OJ's demise white people but vote for the democratic ticket, ya hear!
By the way Monday is the last chance for people to register to vote. Please go to your nearest post office, library or drivers' license office and register if you have not done so already. Also, call your friends and families today and get them to go and register to vote.
Had the jury found OJ not guilty, do you believe it would have had an impact on Obama's chance at the presidency?
O.J. Simpson found guilty: OJustice or nOJustice?
Current mood: energetic
Category: Sports
He beat a murder rap for which many believe he was guilty. So what did they do? They set him up and like a fool OJ fell for the trap. Now he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Interestingly enough, not one African American was allowed on the jury... hmmmmm!
Some have said that had this not been OJ, this case of so-called robbery would not even have gone to trial. There are tapes of Government employees saying, "they could not get him in California, but we will get him in Nevada".
Personally, I think OJ is a jerk, not withstanding however, fair is fair. I think the man went to retrieve his belongings, the American public knows it, the prosecution knew it and this is just revenge for his past.
My only advice to OJ is don't drop that soap and if you drop it don't pick it up.
So I ask you, OJ being found guilty, is it OJustice or nOJustice?
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