Plug the words “Jamaica” and “homophobia” into any internet search and the results are numerous to count. Also, the results are not flattering of the Jamaican society on a whole – my island home.
The headlines of our daily newspapers over the past 12 months read:
“Homophobia exposed!”
“Jamaica and Gays: Are we homophobic or not?”
How homophobic is Jamaica, really?”
“Groups call for end to homophobic bullying”
“Frightening homophobic power”
The list goes on and on. The general trend is to reveal a nation that is homophobic and this permeates everyday life in such a way that the culture of children and their schools cannot escape the underlying messages.
Messages of intolerance, prejudice and narrow-mindedness. On the flip side, the actions of some homeless homosexuals in Jamaica leave much to be desired as they wreak havoc in upper-middle class communities with acts of vandalism, break-ins and larceny.
So how can a balance be achieved? In a nation grappling with these issues there are many concerns and the younger generation is not being taught the importance of tolerance as it relates to sexual orientation and gender issues.
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