This post was spurred by this article in this week’s International edition of Newsweek called Land of Reggae and Homophobia which looks at the much-discussed homophobia of Jamaica.
Now having lived in Jamaica for a few years, I think Mr. Contreras is overstating the situation. I am not at all trying to make excuses for JA’s homophobia – I think it is disgusting particularly as I have several Jamaican friends who are homosexual- mostly male, one female. I would like that they could live their lives as freely and openly as they want. But the situation is not as dread as the writer makes out – it is not like they cannot live their lives because they do, fairly peaceably.
Furthermore, I find that too often foreign commentators/reporters use Jamaican dancehall music to assess the mindset of Jamaica- big mistake. Dancehall music is like a fun-house mirror to Jamaican society- it reflects, but it also exaggerates and distorts. The true Jamaica is more nuanced and complex than the simplistic, nihilistic image put across in dancehall music. Most Jamaicans are not as virulently anti-homosexual and anti-oral sex as songs make them out to be. They don’t care – do yuh thing, just don’t put it all in their face.
As to the violence against homosexuals discussed in the article, that is true. However, I cannot sincerely argue that homosexuals are any bigger a target than anyone else – Jamaica is violent, full stop. According to UNICEF, more than 300 children were murdered in Jamaica between 2000 and 2005. In the time I was there, I heard of more instances of children being murdered- often victims of drive-by shootings or gangland terrorism where whole families are murdered than of homosexuals being attacked. Shit, when I was there for about 2 weeks before and during the World Cup, I read of at least three instances of children being killed. So if a child is nothing to some Jamaicans, what is an adult homosexual? Of even more minor consequence, that’s what.
Is this a good thing? Hell no! My point is, that violence against homosexuals and general homophobia in JA is collateral damage- part of the wider murderscape and larger problem of Jamaica. That problem is poverty, ignorance wilfully inflicted and maintained by the political leadership in Jamaica and the resultant devotion of Jamaicans to an evangelical, Old Testament style mentality that urges ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’.
Newsweek should do an article on that. After all, it is a weekly magazine which by its very nature should be more focused on in-depth, investigative articles. This simplistic, surface approach taken in the article is really disappointing to me.
4 Comments
September 18, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Jamaica is violent, full stop. – Amy, stop adding to the dunceness with so general a statement. Violence in Jamaica is contained to some areas… U know this
October 2, 2007 at 8:09 am
Stop trying to defend homophobic idiots!
I see your point about children being murdered in Jamaica and that is a troubling thing, but it doesn’t not detract from the point that they are homophobic as ass!
I visited Jamaica earlier this year and was amazed at the level of ignorance which existed there as it related to homophobia.
I wrote a blog entitled “testing testing 1,3,1,3″ where the number 2 has been eliminated from their vocabulary as it related to stool which relates to the behind which relates to homosexuals.
So because if that they if you have 5 buses and are numbering them you skip 2 and go 1,3,4,5.
That level of ignorance is pretty astounding.
On television recently, was a news story where a funeral procession had been attacked by a mob because the person who had died had been thought to be gay, so obviously the people who attended the funeral were also gay, and the preacher who allowed the coffin in his church should not have done that and so he was attacked too. I remember seeing the footage with people looking in a television camera and defending their despicable actions because of their
Also if you look at the kevel of murders you see that murderers are more accepted in Jamaica that gay people,
I remember reading about a Jamaican man who raped and strangled a woman and went about boasting about it… if here were a homo boasting about his “love” relationship he would have been lynched, if more “gay” people arent lynched it is because knowing the danger they probaly try to be hidden even more.
when I was in Jamaica I became acutely aware of how easy it is to die because of a phobia, I always imagined that while I was there some body might recognize me as Boyce from that “botty” group from Barbados and every body would just gather around and beat and stomp me to death because of something I really wasn’t, that was a little downer to me.
I had to talk to my son the other day for telling me he was sitting beside a school mate that he thought was gay and he felt like getting up and beating him with a chair!
I told him should you do that bear in mind I will not be supporting you as I would not condone you attacking anyone because of their perceived sexual preference. My sons are influenced by the homophobic crap which comes out of Jamaica in masquerading as music, their poisonous philosophy is spreading!
October 2, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Well, like I already said, I’m not defending or denying that Jamaicans are homophobic so I’ll just get straight to the point.
Which is, I definitely agree ignorance and a culture of violence is the problem. And homophobia is a symptom of that ignorance.
Forget the 1,3 foolishness. People have taken to rechristening certain parishes and cities, because the names sounded ‘wrong’. So the popular thing now is to call Mandeville ‘Gyaldeville’ and to call Montego Bay ‘Gyaltego Bay’.
I find it very interesting what you said about your sons being so influenced by the homophobia that is endemic in Jamaican music. As a musician, I’d like to get your take on the whole ‘music as influence/music as reflection’ argument.
For years, I have argued that musicians in Jamaica were contributing to the problem with their violent lyrics. So you get someone with a sweet voice like Mavado crooning about how he is a ‘gangster for life’ and how ‘marrow will fly-yy-yy to di sky’ (from gunshots obviously).
But I know others believe artistes are just reflecting the society they are in and don’t have as big an influence as critics would like to make out and that parents must take the lead etc.
So as a musician and a parent, what do you think? Obviously, despite your efforts and attitude, your son was influenced by something to have such an aggressive mindset to someone he only suspected of being gay.
So do musicians have the power?
October 5, 2007 at 3:34 am
With out a doubt music has an influence on a young people, I happened to look at the nick names of my son’s msn messenger contacts the other day and a majority had something to do with being a gangster and involvement in violent activities.
“gangster for life” song is a good example of attempts to glorify gangster life, how I counteract that is it emphasizes to my sons that “gangsters have very short lives, or I point out to them where gangsters have been injured by bullets and have been “crippled for life” or lost control of their bodily functions and had to go around in “pampers for life”.
The unglamorous realities of gangster life that are not usually spoken about.
From my own experience with dealing with media. I know that I have been influenced by movies which I have seen during the years which have molded me into who I am today.
So I recognize that in the same way, negative music would be just as impact full on today’s youth.