Nice to see that Jamaicans are continuing to work to make a change. A series of videos designed to address homophobia in Jamaica.
To the music of Mackelmore and Ryan who created the wonderful ‘Same Love’ video.
Blabbeando reports that J-FLAG produced a series of videos to address the issue.
J-FLAG Boss Headlines New Human Rights Video Campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Dane Lewis, the executive director of J-FLAG, Jamaica’s foremost gay rights advocacy organisation, is headlining a new a human rights video campaign featuring straight, gay and lesbian Jamaicans.
The campaign, which is called We Are Jamaicans was launched today to raise awareness among Jamaicans about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) identity and community, human rights, stigma and discrimination. We Are Jamaicans is a participatory video campaign hosted on YouTube athttps://www.youtube.com/user/EqualityJA. It features prominent Jamaicans such as Susan and Alexis Goffe and Javed Jaghai.
According to Lewis, “the campaign was developed following recommendations from consultations with LGBT persons, activists and allies to show the experiences of Jamaica’s LGBT community in a more diverse way.”
There is an urgent need to interrupt prevailing discourse on LGBT realities in Jamaica. Opportunities must be created for Jamaicans to see and hear about the experiences of LGBT people so they can understand what it means to be LGBT.
“Regrettably, the diversity and the complexity of Jamaica’s LGBT community is masked by media and advocacy narratives that too often focus on sex, victimhood, crime and HIV. These themes are not identity-affirming and they sometimes further entrench the marginal position of LGBT people in the society,” Lewis said.
Javed Jaghai, an openly gay Jamaican, says that ignorance helps to fuel homophobia and the campaign will be critical for increasing understanding among the Jamaican public about gender and sexuality variance. “By diversifying the stories told about LGBT lives, the complexity of LGBT identities will be made apparent and it will be easier to evoke empathy and secure general support for tolerance,” he highlighted.
The Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) through its Global Fund Vulnerablised Project funds the campaign. It is expected to lead to greater understanding and help change minds and hearts about Jamaica’s LGBT community. Gay, lesbian and straight Jamaicans are encouraged to use creative ways of sharing their experiences with LGBT issues and join the campaign whether they wish to show their face or not.
You want bravery and admirable activism well here it is. Javed Jaghai speaking about what it is to be gay in Jamaica. Guaranteed none of the people who go about hating and bashing in Jamaica would have even a tiny percentage of his courage. Now if only I could send the seemingly clueless interviewer that there is a word ‘gay’ and that ‘the homosexual” is only showing she hasn’t attempted to expand her reading horizons much. Maybe I will send her GLAAD guide for Xmas.
“Heterosexuals don’t walk around saying I am heterosexual” - Oy! Host head slap.
But yes, Jamaica you really are as homophobic as the world thinks you are.
I watched this when it was first uploaded and while I loved the general message even if I didn’t necessarily agree with some things like him and his former partner praying to change. Then, I thought about it and it really is his story and his life. The message is powerful.
“In 18 days you can let them turn the clock back 60 years for immigrants, gays and women or you can stand up and say we are a country where everyone has a place.” The inclusiveness gets powerful at 19:45. Great to see him back in top form.
Spirit Day 2012 and the spirit of support expands around the world showing bullied kids and bullied LGBT kids in particular that they have allies everywhere. Wear purple…such an easy way to make a difference and if a kid comes up to you as a result thank your lucky stars that you have been privileged to offer support and safe harbor.
The always refreshing and amusing Idan Matalon takes a break from clip-syncing to have an intimate on-camera chat with his mother. ( In Hebrew with English subtitles).
The great young people at the Silver Lining Foundatiopn in T&T have created a new anti-bullying campaign with a special emphasis on LGBT kids. Proud of them as always. Why not make your own to support them.
An interesting day given the state of the world and the changes that are happening like an unstoppable tide. Admittedly the progress towards accepting the human rights of LGBT people has not been even around the globe but forward movement is forward movement and it is heartening. Sad that some people still feel that there is one acceptable bastion of allowable hatred and that is towards a group that loves in a way they do not understand. The key word is ‘love’ but that never features in their arguments as their obsession with the mechanics of sex seems to dominate their thoughts.
The fact is, as US Secretary of State ( and quite frankly my choice for the ideal US President) Hillary Rodham Clinton asserted recently anyone who wants to hold on to ridiculous notions of what is moral and right are on ‘the wrong side of history”. Being who you are and opening yourself to love can never be wrong – trust me. The other truth is that when people ‘come out’ and let the world see that they are productive members of society they tear down the fallacies bit by bit.
As a friend told me recently if they hate gay people then don’t use a computer ( Alan Turing) , wear clothes ( pick any of hundreds of designers) , live in an architecturally designed house ( many choices there), look at great art ( Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Caravaggio etc etc) , listen to music ( Tchaikovsky and hundreds of others), read some of the greatest literature ever written ( Oscar Wilde … well that alone says it) and let’s not talk of fine dining. A pretty sad life really.
I’m from Driftwood just uploaded a new video so I will end with that. The world is changing and we should all embrace that change.
