By G. Wright Muir I had no idea what to expect when my girlfriend and I flew in from Fort Lauderdale to Jamaica last year for Montego Bay Pride. Of course, it was an experience like no other. Glorious! This year I’m proud to return to Montego Bay Pride as one of the coordinators of … Continue reading
Why attend Pride in Montego Bay? “I pride to be free from the societal norms and mental chains that our culture has placed on us,” says Asheen Walford, a coordinator for Montego Bay Pride and an LGBT human rights advocate at Equality Youth Jamaica. Continue reading
Pride celebrations demonstrate the strength of LGBTQI Jamaicans and tell “our adversaries in this country … that … we have a face and won’t be in hiding any more. There’s a limit to us being oppressed,” says regional Pride organizer David Alexander Green. Continue reading
“Jamaica needs more Pride, more often,” says Khavor Demario Brown, co-organizer of Montego Bay Pride 2017. His comments came after the successful national PrideJA celebration of early August as he prepares for upcoming Montego Bay Pride activities in the country’s second capital city. Continue reading
Dwayne Jones was a young trans youth living in my hometown of Montego Bay, Jamaica. “Mo. Bay,” as locals affectionately call it, is known as the “friendly city.” This undisputed tourism capital of the English-speaking Caribbean is very popular with overseas visitors. But this tourist paradise hides a dark secret that is carefully hidden from … Continue reading
Jamaican activists are making plans for the third annual Montego Bay Pride, which is scheduled for Oct. 12-15, 2017. “Come be a part of LOVE & PRIDE in the Bay!” says Jamaican/Canadian activist Maurice Tomlinson. “This accessible event will offer ground transportation, meals, and entertainment,” he says. Events are planned to begin at 10 a.m. … Continue reading
Partnerships between Canadians and Jamaicans boost LGBTI rights, but Canadian banks do too little to help, says Andrew Beckerman, a board member of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network who attended Montego Bay Pride 2016. Continue reading
By Khavoy Brown On Saturday, International Human Rights Day, I was at Emancipation Park in Kingston with about 28 Montego Bay “Pridesters.” We went to listen to a pastor, Scott Stirm, deliver the keynote sermon at what was billed as a Human Rights Day Rally. This annual event is put on by the anti-gay … Continue reading
It’s high time for Anglican bishops, priests and lay people in Jamaica to pluck up enough courage and compassion to support the decriminalisation of gay Jamaicans, says the Rev. Colin Coward, founder of the Anglican LGBTI advocacy group Changing Attitude. After attending Montego Bay Pride in Jamaica last month, Coward reflected on the shared history … Continue reading
Montego Bay Pride 2016 was another amazing time of community building, entertainment, and education! There was indeed “Equality and Inclusion in the Bay,” thanks to our generous sponsors, including the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the Round Hill Hotel and Villas, WestJet, the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, InterPride and Total Advantage Travel & Tours Inc. One … Continue reading
