Jamaica police join attacks on homeless LGBT men
On Tuesday night, Oct. 15, police raided the gully in New Kingston where some homeless MSM (men who have sex with men) were living. The officers piled up the youngsters’ clothes and burned them before warning that they should not be seen in the area again.
Yesterday (Oct. 16) some of the MSM went to the New Kingston police station to make a report about the incident: they were refused. The officers claimed that the report had to be made to the police complaints department.
As I am writing this, seven of the men are at the police complaints department making their reports. They had to borrow clothes from their comrades so they would be “presentable” enough.
We are currently engaged in an appeal for clothing or food items to assist these young men. We are trying to at least restore some dignity to them.
A report on On the Ground News Reports (OG.NR) was filed about the incident, which we tried unsuccessfully to get the police to record yesterday:
“Police in New Kingston on Tuesday night conducted a crackdown of gay men who have been described as violent and unruly in the area. The men who fled as the police arrived on the scene are accused of offering services to male clients at the location and vandalism of business establishments. A number of their personal belongings were set ablaze by the lawmen in a gully where they reside.”
As usual, the homeless MSM who now live in gullies after being hounded out of every other residence are cast as villains, despite the fact that chronic homophobia contributes to these men engaging in anti-social behaviour.
The vulnerability of homeless Jamaican MSM is real. Those who engage in sex work are also paid a premium by their clients to ride “bareback.” The potential for the spread of HIV and other STIs is clear. But, the government is claiming it is powerless to intervene. So we cut off our nose to spite our face.
We hope to engage more authorities to arrive at a real solution to this problem. Certainly, burning the men out cannot be a solution. Last week it was a community that burned gay men out of a residence in the tourist capital Montego Bay. Now the police are joining in the campaign to rid society of the “scourge” of homeless gays.
Related articles
- Anti-gay Jamaican police must end their hostile acts (76crimes.com)
- Jamaica needs urgent action to save LGBT people’s lives (76crimes.com)
- Another homophobic attack in Jamaica (76crimes.com)
Where were you all along when the homeless issue in the Golden Triangle was happening? your sudden concern is NOT genuine in my eyes as the men have been always there for more than four years with very little assistance especially after the closure of the Safe House Pilot project under Jamaica AIDS Support in 2009 of which you were connected and MSM homelessness existed long before that.
Let us see what will come of the REAL frontline work that is needed but if you had a problem calling the list of men that JFLAG gave you I do not see how this is going to see you on the ground engaging them, after all they are beneath you, aren’t they?
Dear GLBTQJA,
Are you saying that Maurice Tomlinson shouldn’t be advocating for fair treatment of homeless LGBT people in Jamaica because he didn’t do so in the past, or didn’t do so adequately? If so, that’s not likely to encourage new supporters for a worthy cause.
Best,
Colin Stewart, editor of this blog
That photo also is not only of the homeless MSM items as is obvious but also the substance users items as well as the “gulf” as it is called is noted for those activities has been also cleared by police to remove crack cocaine users and female CSWs.