All God's creatures, big and small...

"I love all of God's creations - heterosexuals and homosexuals alike - and I understand that all of us are prone to excesses, rebellion and sin," writes Betty Ann Blaine in The Jamaica Observer. "But..."

You know there's always a but. They love us homosexuals but we're endangering the world and we should be terminated with the utmost love. They love all God's creatures big and small, and homosexuals are lower in the love scale than cockroaches. They love all human beings made in the image of God but homosexuals should be put to death or forced labor in order to "keep my children safe from deviant, satanic influences".

And why is that such so religious people can't seem to have an own ethic system of values outside their bigoted scriptures? Are they just zombie-minded children unable to know what's right and wrong apart of what the Bible says? Or simply programmed empty minds that repeat the program like parrots?

Uh, enough of blogging today, but don't miss this next weekend when Party for the Rights is going to make a big statement and developments in regards to that poll we asked you earlier last month. We're getting ready to split and open a twin Nude Pictures Blog.

Technorati tags: Jamaica, Abominations and Deadly Sins, Homophobia

Newsweek on Gays

Via Blabbeando, el Blabbeador introduced us to the last international issue of Newsweek with a lot of interesting content, especially on Jamaica: Land of Reggae and Homophobia offers a view on the many dangers homosexuals face in the island, while Growing Up Gay in Jamaica is an interview with Devon, a Jamaican would-be refugee living in NYC. Other articles in the issue portrait an interesting trip around the world with special emphasis on Latin America, in Legal in Unlikely Places, and an interview with Sir Ian McKellen, gay rights advocate. And a photo show too.

And while you browse Newsweek, don't forget to drop by El Blabbeador's blog, one of the most interesting you can find in English about homosexual culture and events in Latin America and Latino culture.

Technorati tags: Jamaica, Homophobia, Gay rights, Latino Gay events, Latin America, Sir Ian McKellen

More Anti-Gay Speech. Phelps and Blair.

Aha! It was time to get it announced, how not. So Fred Phelps is going to "stage protests at funerals of victims of the 35W bridge collapse to state that God made the bridge fall because he hates America, and especially Minnesota, because of its tolerance of homosexuality." Couldn't be no other. Ask our mates at Good As You about the Phelpesses of this world, they have the theory that such a family name could have something to do with the bearer's gay hate (Thank you for the blog, and all the Youtube videos), and they look like real experts in such phenomena (note, with "ph" like "phelps").

And miles southwards, on the Caribbean Jamaica, Bishop Herro Blair warns politicians to not be permissive at all with abortion and homosexuality: "To legalise the murder of an unborn child and to legalise same-sex marriage - it is not here yet - but it is a slap in the face to the Almighty God." Since I didn't attend the meeting, I can't affirm that he didn't do similar remarks on political corruption, religious hypocrisy, heterosexual pederastia, wars for oil, unemployment, hate crimes and all those not-so-important aspects of island and continental life.

Technorati tags: Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church, Anti-gay speech, Hate speech, Jamaica, Herro Blair, Religion, Church

BBC World: Coming out in Jamaica

BBC world news wired the first part of a documentary about homophobia worldwide. This first part, aired on July 23rd, deals with Jamaica:

"There have been calls for a gay eradication day, mob violence towards homosexual people is tolerated by the police, and there is a lot of ignorance and fear.

Gay rights are not on the agenda and are unlikely to be in the future. As a result, many homosexuals stay firmly in the closet.

But what happens when people choose to come out under such hostile social circumstances?"

Allegedly the program can only be listened to by UK residents, however I've been able to download the mp3 file. The link to the program on the BBC site is this, but if it's not working, just send me a message and I'll manage to send the file to you, it's about 10 Mb.

Technorati tags: Jamaica, Coming out, BBC World, Documentary, Audio, Homophobia

Some bwoy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man!!!

Back in the early 80s, when I was in High School, I found out that there was some different kind of music called Reggae. At first I didn't like it much. It was 1981 and I sticked to the Queen album "The Game" instead of listening to Bob Marley. It was much later that I started to listen to some of the lyrics that described the struggle for freedom, and I started to like reggae. It wasn't until two years ago that I noticed, after a more in depth approach to the patois lyrics, all the homophobia underlying in many of those texts. This blog is partly a consequence of such discovery. It's been a while that I wanted to say something about the thing, and today it looks a very good day for that matter.

But in spite of saying it in my own words, I'll just voice other people's words. People who know much better than I could ever know. People who lived the issue, and who are struggling to change the facts. Why today? Because it seems that Beenie Man, the same guy who allegedly signed in 2005 the Reggae Compassionate Act, has lately denied such agreement.

According to The Jamaica Observer, "He denied signing any such deal, which Outrage last month announced as the Reggae Compassionate Act, but at the same time said that violence against gays was wrong." He went on further to declare "We don't need to kill dem. We just need fi tell the people dem the right ting because I not supporting a gay lifestyle because it's not wholesome to me."

So, did he sign it yes or no? My opinion is that the guy signs the agreement whenever he needs to have it signed to perform overseas. Three months ago in Barcelona it was either him or some other Dancehall artist who risked to have a concert suspended precisely because of his homophobia. By that time, Spanish LGBT rights groups were calmed and promised he had signed the Act.

But enough of my speech, let me leave you with the guys who best know about the thing. With all due respect and admiration, this people at Murder Inna Dancehall they have a lot of links, analysis and material on the reggae/dancehall homophobia. And I have to agree completely with this view:

Every time I hear a song by an artist who had an homophobic message, I stop dancing. I invite all dancehall and reggae lovers to stop dancing when you hear disrespectful songs in a bar. Furthermore, if you feel confortable, tell the DJ that you don't appreciate such songs. If you hear a homophobic song on the radio, try and get the station's email address and the people in charge of the show where the songs was played. Let them know how you feel or simply send them the link to this website. No more murder music! Play Roots Rock Reggae.

Therefore, go immediately and visit the site. Learn more and more about the situation and how things can be changed. Click on their links. Write. Do your part.

Mixed bag - Around the world newslinks.

Today's review of what's been happening in the world of GLBT issues must start with a favorite of mine: Michael Moore, who, in an interview with The Advocate, dropped the idea of his next documentary could deal with the issue of homophobia and the anti-gay movement. The way Moore puts things on the screen, I'm already drooling on the possbie results. And you don't miss his Sicko movie, it's demolishing - of course if you're not George W. Bush. In the meantime, some leaders of anti-gay programs (I'll be writing on such things next week for those of you who are not familiar with that thing) apologized to GLBT people by late June, while asking other leaders to do the same. Still in the US of A, homosexuals in the military will receive Ron Paul's statement of rejecting the Don't Ask Don't Tell rule if elected president. It's a long way for Paul to arrive to the White House, but recent studies say that the argument for Unit cohesion is futile, as servicepeople from Ft. Bragg, NC speak in a The Fayetteville Observer article.

Leaving the USA we find that Swedes may soon welcome the whole ecclesial apparatus of marriage with organ, religious chants and whatever it takes, while the Vatican and the Orthodox church strenghten their position (sadly, not unique) on anti-gay grounds. Catholic Ireland will guarantee full equality for same sex couples (though not marriage), while a lesbian couple is taking court action against Gibraltar government, and in Zagreb, Croatia, one man has been charged with a hate crime after the attacks on a Pride march.

In Africa, Nigerian archbishop Akinola's anti-gay rhetoric is analysed in an article on The Advocate, and the rest of the world witness how Singapore forum on decriminalization of homosexual acts is attended by hundreds, while Hong Kong rejects a gay sodomy ban, Australian government is considering the increase in rights for homosexuals, Lebanese homosexual youth is flourishing again in Beirut, and in Jamaica three dancehall musicians made public their signature of some sort of deal called Reggae Compassionate Act by which they compromise to not include gay bashing, homophobic and hate-crime sparkling lyrics in their songs. Sam could write a full essay on the issue, let's hope he'll have time to do so. The worst part of news is that Iran may keep executing more gay people, and in Nepal, four transgendered young people have been beaten by police officers in Katmandu, allegedly for carrying condoms for their own use.