Glenda Simms
WHEN MORNING broke on November 17, 2004, mouths dropped and eyebrows were raised by those who bought the local newspapers or those who sat in their vehicles in the early traffic jam and read the headlines that were displayed by the vendors at the numerous points along our city streets.
The lead story in The Gleaner highlighted the controversial findings of a study carried out in Jamaica by the United States-based Human Rights Watch.
While the study might be criticised by some researchers who can logically question the validity of an Nth of 75 urban based individuals who were not randomly selected and whose accounts are usually dismissed by purists as merely anecdotal, there is a lived objective realisation that informs everyone that Jamaica is a deeply divided society along lines of sexual orientation, age, gender, class and shade of skin.
GENERAL FINDINGS
The general findings of the study were therefore not surprising. In the local parlance "it was no rocket science".
Having said that, I question the basis on which the report accused government officials of turning a blind eye to "state-sponsored homophobia and discrimination". I support wholeheartedly the point of view which says that the state has a responsibility to review and change all laws that blatantly discriminate against groups and individuals. This support is based not only on the fact that my country is a signatory to important international human rights conventions, but because every citizen of our country deserves to be respected.
Against this background everyone, including those who purport to be defenders of the human rights of our people, should be clear that the issue of homophobia is more deep seated than the sodomy laws which remain on the books in Jamaica.
SODOMY LAW
Let us take it for granted that the Government of Jamaica either voluntarily or under duress removed the sodomy law, the first and most immediate benefactors of such an action would be men who have sex with other men. Their right to their lifestyle and sexual preferences would be protected. But would that be the end of the sodomy story? Oh no! What about the red blooded heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals who sodomise women and girls either as a variation of their sexual practices, or a pastime to humiliate the female of the specie and cut her down to size.
I raise this thorny issue because at an earlier period the late Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau entered the debate on the human rights of homosexuals and he goes down in history for his strong statement that "the state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation". At that point in time all minorities and the leaders of the Women's Movement in Canada strongly cheered from the sidelines. They welcomed such a strong stance from such a powerful man. As time evolved, it became very clear to many feminists that the state cannot cop out of its responsibility by proclaiming the sanctity of the nation's bedrooms. Indeed, it is in many of these bedrooms that incestuous acts, marital rape, carnal abuse and other forms of violence against women and children are carried out. In many of these cases the activities of the bedrooms comes into the public arena, and by extension, into the laps of the state.
Any discussion on sodomy or any other human sexual behaviour must be done in an atmosphere of genuine and mutual respect, rule of law and values of equality and justice.
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
In order to get to this point, controversial issues such as discrimination against various minorities must be approached in a supportive environment.
The issue of the rights of gay men is an issue of human rights but the approach to the Government of Jamaica has to be enlightened and measured. Unfortunately the Human Rights Watch approach is extremely confrontational. This writer is of the opinion that many of the statements in the report are inflammatory and over generalised.
This writer is also of the opinion that the Government of Jamaica as an institution does not support the violence that is experienced by the gay community. While it is a fact that individuals at all levels of the society are guilty of strong homophobic sentiments and that many of them rationalise their predisposition to hate in the name of their God, these individuals do not a government make!
All of us need to learn that important societal changes must go beyond 'scoring points' or 'sexy headlines'.
Dr. Glenda P. Simms is the executive director of the Bureau of Women's Affairs. You can send your comments to infocus@gleanerjm.com
