No arrests after brutal anti-gay attack in Jamaica
Gay Jamaicans experience this kind of brutality almost daily, says Jamaican/Canadian activist Maurice Tomlinson.
21-year-old Jamaica Jason walks with a swish. He always has. His prominent hips, slight figure and delicate gestures made him the subject of violent bullying and vulgar name-calling in school and his community. After trying unsuccessfully for years to change his walk and mannerisms so that he could “be normal” Jason finally gave up. To compensate he developed a thick skin and a sharp tongue to defend himself. Most times these worked. However, this week they failed miserably, and Jason was nearly slaughtered at the hands of a homophobic mob.
On the evening of Jan. 7, Jason caught a bus to downtown Kingston. However, when he boarded the conductor started grumbling about not wanting any battyman [homosexual] on his bus and ordered Jason off. Jason tried to ignore him and refused to budge. But the bus driver abruptly stopped the bus and with the help of the conductor and some other passengers they hauled Jason off the vehicle and savagely beat him leaving him with a busted lip, swollen eye, bruised back, and several other injuries.
This happened in the full view of passersby, but no one stopped to assist. When the bloodlust of Jason’s attackers was satisfied, they causally re-boarded the bus while still hurling threats at Jason as he lay bleeding on the pavement. As the bus drove off Jason noted the licence plate number before limping to the nearby police station where he reported the attack. He then went to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was admitted.
Jason shared his story on social media and, although there was sympathy, there have been no arrests.
As our Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism tout how safe Jamaica is for gay tourists (as long as they remain behind high resort walls), gay Jamaicans experience this kind of brutality almost daily.
Related articles:
- Jamaica Insists Gay Tourists Welcome, Despite Horrific Anti-LGBT Violence (December 2017, NewNowNext.com)
- Jamaica to gay tourists: I want you (May 2019, 76crimes.com)
- Survivor of Jamaican hostility, I work to legalize our loves (June 2019, 76crimes.com)
Lock up those Evil Christians animals.Those Homophobic gentiles.
I would like to know what the Police or the minister doing about this. This bus should not be operating on the public road these people are animals.
I went back to half way tree after being released from the hospital to return my malfunctional phone i saw the bus and started to panic and get tramatise never the less the police only caught one of the and two more to be Caught he was lieing to the police….. Contact for more info it long 876830-2579
I am saddened by what I am reading. Why should a gay person, if indeed he is one, be set up on so brutally? It is not a case where he was trying to make a pass at someone. He merely boarded the bus. This savagery must stop. I condemn it in the strongest terms.
I pray that you recover fully from your assault. They need to be arrested and punished. Stay strong and God Bless
Jamaican are vicious sets of animals, they think people should live up to their expectations, half of jamaican population are uneducated, what a brutality, justice must serve.
Wow! These are the reasons many of us long to return home to build Jamaica with the skills we have learned abroad but; with no accountability, there is no way we are willing to come live among savages.
Sorry this happened to you Jason. People who are so homophobic are themselves struggling with their own sexuality and feel threatened by you: They think you may bring out their own sexual needs and desires.
Jamaica isn’t safe for no LGBTQ. We are beating, rap and killed and they hide it
What do Christians have to do with what happened? What’s your problem with Christian? Cant, you see the reality of what took place? Please show sympathy by giving a word of encouragement to the young man and leave church people alone.