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News for the Jamaican lesbian all-sexual and gay community
Volume I, Issue 5
1|2 iamatca (Putloat
Establisbed in June 2DD4
Kingstnn Jamaica QCTDBER 2DD4
Global HeadlinGS
Lesbian activist savagely
murdered in Sierra Leone in a
suspected hate aime.

Nigerian Governnent orders
football players to stop wearing
dreadlocks, earrings and braids
for fear of 'promoting' homo-
sexuality.

Ugandan radio station fined
for broadcasting pro-gay inter-
view.


SljB Samatat utf oat
P.O. 554D, Kingston B, Jimiici
Tel: B7B^BB4^IB5B
Emiil: jimiicinutpnstlhntmiil.cnm
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COMMUNITY BOARD

Dctnber is Gay and Lesbian
HistnryMnntb

22 Oct Hallnween Cnstume Party
St. Ann's Area
Infn: 43D-7B32

Join Tbe Jamaica DutPoll Yaboo! Group
Smal(e your voice beard.
Website:
bttp://grnLps.yabnn.cnm/grnLp/
jamaicanutpnll
NDMDRE MURDER MUSIC!
A NEW CHAPTER IN JAMAICA'S GAY HISTORY
A new day has dawned on the
shores of Jamaica For the first
tine in history, the plight of the
lesbian, all-sexual and gay (LAG)
conmunity seems to be getting
some well-deserved support.
This cones with the announce-
nent in a press release by sev-
eral corporate groips to re-
examine their sponsorship of
dancehall artists wfio indte and
promote violence through their
nxsical expressions. Tfie conv
panies concerned indude Fied
Stripe, Way and f^Jepfiew, Cable
and vyreless Ja Ltd., Courts Ja
Ltd., Qgicel Jamaica and Pepsi-
Cola Jamaica Ltd., all major
sponsors of the local entertain-
nent industry.
B/en though there v\as no spe-
dfic reference to the exact nature
of the violence or wfio influenced
this historic position, this is surely
a day for the LAG conmunity of
Jamaica to reflect as we cele-
brate Gay and Lesbian History
Month. In fact, the struggle for
equality for gays and lesbians in
Jamaica has been going on
longer than most people do real-
ize. Let us take a monent to
stroll down Jamaica's gay history

Flyer used by Ne Mere Murder Music! in tbeir New YDrl< City Cempeign (Aug 2QQ4)
lane.
Tfie first documented gay rights
advocacy in Jamaica v\as in 1977,
with the establishing of the Gay
Freedom Movement (GFM) in
Kingston. IVfeetings v\ere weekly
with an average attendance of 40
gay nen and lesbians. Tfie move-
ment pJolished a bi-monthly nev\s-
letter (Tfie Jamaica Gaily f^Jews),
which drculated for about two and
half years. Tfie GFM self-
dissolved a few years later. Q/er
a period of about seven years,
however, the GFM made several
historical marks. Here is a time-
line of some other major high-
lights in Jamaica's gay history:
1978 Jamaica's first gay and
lesbian play "Mx it out" was
staged.
THE LIBERATION OF HOMOSEXUALS
The Jamaica OutPost
wishes to conmemorate
Gay and Lesbian history
Month by reminding our
readers that history is ae-
ated by each and every one
of us. Our actions today will
aeate the future v\e experi-
ence tomorrow. VUiile v\e
remember those from the
past who have sacrificed to
mate our lives better, let
us commit our present ef-
forts to the improvement of
life for those to come.
"The liberation of homosexuals can only be the work of
homosexuals themselves." Kurt Hiller, 1921


Wi^t 3ataita (iutf nat
Dctnber 2DD4 Vnlume I Issue 5 Kingstnn, Jamaica
Page Z
1978 GFM established Ja-
maica's first ever gay and lesbian
telepfione switchboard.
1978 Tfie dorm room of an alleg-
edly gay student from the sodal
sdences faculty at UW! v\as
blazed with a honemade bomb on
February 21.
1978 Coronation of Mss Ja-
maica (Gay), during Independence
celebrations by the GLBT conv
munity on August 6.
1978 Jamaica's first gay and
lesbian hotel. Lighthouse Park
opened on April 27.
1978 Gay activist Larry Cfiang
partidpated in the first pJolic dis-
cussion ever in Jamaica about
homosexuality on December 23 at
the College of Arts, Sdence and
Technology (CAST), now the Uni-
versity of Technology (Utech).
1979 TTie Gay Conmunity Health
Qinic opened on IVbrch 10, offering
medical services on Saturdays be-
tweenll Amandl Pm
1980 A record 7 private gay par-
ties in the Kingston v\ere bonioed
within one month. The bombs were
all homemade and there were no
reports of any major injuries.
1984 The Mnistry of Education
explored homosexuality in the per-
sonal development slot on their Edu-
cation Broadcasting Service (EBS).
The moderator was psychologist Dr
Frank Knight of the University Hospi-
tal; guests were students of King-
ston College and St Hughes High.
1984 GFM assisted V^nston Ftowe
of UW! with a docunentary on
the stonewall riot for the ad-
vance nedia programme at the
Caribbean Institute of Mass
Conmunication (CARIMAC).
1993 Rumours of a planned
gay march had the "heavy-hats"
in frenzy. Scores lined the
streets, armed and ready to
chop, stab, shot, lynch among
others, waiting for any 'body
that dared to march for gay
rights in Jamaica
1997 Sixteen allegedly gay
prison inmates were slaugh-
tered and 40 others injured in a
riot following an attenpt by
prison authorities to distribute
condoms to v\arclers and in-
mates to help stem the spread
HealtbS Wellness
CREATING A BALANCED HEALTH REGIME Part 2 of 3
In the last issue v\e talked about
the four health spheres: physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual.
In this issue, we will explore the
concept of the spiritual sphere.
The majority of GLBT Jamaicans
are raised within religious tradi-
tions and may feel conflict be-
tween this indoctrination and
their personal experience of real-
ity their innate knowing that
same-gender attraction need not
predude a rich and rewarding
spiritual life. This internal conflict
can lead to serious emotional and
physical consequences so we all
need to assess our own spiritual
yearnings and pursue a path that
satisfies them Sone find that they
are able to overlook this conflict
and remain within their familial
faith. Qhers seek new beliefs or
spiritual paths while still others
rqect a spiritual path altogether.
Ftegardless of the choice made, it
is inportant to find a path that af-
firms our value as unique expres-
sions of Divine aeativity while at
the same time allows for conpati-
bility with our sexual orientation
so that we do not feel pressured
into living a life of deceptions and
denials. There are many spiritual
paths that satisfy these aiteria
Sone are structured and revolve
around a conmunity of believers;
others are more individualized
and can be practiced in the pri-
vacy of your home. Bther v\ay,
your spiritual health will benefit
from niaking a carefully consid-
ered dedsion. In the next issue
we will examine a sinple tech-
nique that helps to simultaneously
inprove all your health spheres.
International News
GAY MARRIAGE BILL APPROVED IN SPAIN
In an unprecedented dedsion to
remove the influence of the
Catholic Church on the Spanish
sodety, Spanish Prine Mnister
Jose Luis Ffcidriquez Zapatero has
approved a bill to permit gay
marriage in Spain. Once the bill
passes the cabinet and Spain's
parlianent, coiples could start
taking ip this freedom in the early
part of next year. The dedsion has
not come, however, without harsh
aitidsm and condemnation by the
Catholic Church and conservative
oppositions. According to a press
release by the Spanish Bishops
Conference, this dedsion is like
releasing a virus into the sodety
that will eventually produce very
negative effects. Fllolic opinion
polls have also suggested
significant support for the
viewpoint of the church and
opposition. On the other hand,
representatives of the Spanish
gay and lesbian conmunity are
dting an end to the church's
long-standing discriminatory
position and assert that this
move will improve the
normalisation of homosexuality in
the Spanish sodety. Under the
new bill, gay coiples will also
have adoption rights, which will
be limited to only Spanish
children to prevent any aoss-
border legal challenge. Qher
countries where gay marriage is
legal include Belgium, The
f^herlands, IVbssachusetts in
the U.S., British Columbia,
Vancouver, f^Jova Scotia, Ontario
and Quebec in Canada IVbny
other countries also offer
domestic partnership or similar
benefits. Fiecently the US House
of Senate voted against a
constitutional ban on gay
marriage in the United States of
America, an issue currently under
heavy debate there.
of the HIV/AIDS within the pend
system
1998 Jamaica Forum for Les-
bians, All-sexuals and Gays (J-
FLAG) was established.
1999 J-FLAG made a sJomis-
sion to parlianent to indude
sexual orientation in the dis-
aimination dause of the pro-
posed Charter of Rghts and
Freedoms Bll.
2002 TTe United Kingdom
offered asylum to three Jamai-
can gay men on the basis that
their lives could be fatally conv
promised if they returned to
Jamaica
2004 Amnesty international
released an urgent appeal on
June 1 to the global conmunity
to write to the Prine Mnister of
Jamaica asking him to take ur-
gent steps to protect gay people
from violence, and to repeal
legislation that criminalizes
same sex relations.
2004 A dark day in Jamaica's
gay history v\as ipon us all.
Gay rights activist Brian V^llianv
son was found murdered at his
home in f^Jew Kingston on June
Last Month's DUTPdII
Results
Do you think conditions will ever
inprove for gays & lesbians in
Jamaica?
YES IDD%
ND D%
Question:
Should all gay people boycott a
conpany that sponsors anti-gay
dancehall artists?
Agree^DisagreeT^Jot Sure

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