Michael Abrahams | MoBay mayor’s momentous misstep

The refusal of Montego Bay Mayor Homer Davis to grant gay-rights group Montego Bay Pride permission to use the city’s cultural centre for a series of events is a step in the wrong direction.

According to Davis, “We must not do anything to disturb the sacredness and purpose of why that building is there. People have their rights, and they can do what they want to do, but you must respect other people’s rights, too.”

Davis’ statement smacks of ignorance and idiocy. What exactly is sacred? Does he know what the word means?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘sacred’ is defined as follows:

1. Religious rather than secular.

2. Embodying the laws or doctrines of a religion.

3. Regarded with great respect and reverence by a particular religion, group, or individual.

4. Regarded as too valuable to be interfered with; sacrosanct.

The Montego Bay Cultural Centre is a heritage building where, on August 1, 1838, the Emancipation Act was read, announcing the liberation of all slaves in the British Caribbean. It is not a religious building, and allowing an LGBT group to host a function there would not be interfering with its “value” either. Regarding Davis’ statement that “you must respect other people’s rights, too”, what on earth did he mean by that? How would staging the events at the centre be disrespecting the rights of others? That statement is patently nonsensical.

Charles Sinclair, councillor for the Montego Bay Northeast division, added fuel to the fire, opining that allowing such an event would breach the municipal corporation’s mandate to uphold Jamaica’s Constitution, which only recognises marriage between a man and a woman. According to Sinclair, “We, as a government agency, must ensure that we uphold the Constitution of Jamaica, and in upholding the Constitution, why would we engage a building controlled by the municipal corporation to be used to hold a function to promote same-sex marriage? It is not consistent with the mandate that we have.”

But Sinclair’s statements were disingenuous. The events were not planned to “promote gay marriage”. What was planned was a series of events, including a film festival, a concert, and public forum under the theme ‘Is Jamaica Ready for Same-Sex Marriage?’

The forum would have provided an excellent opportunity for members of the public to listen to, question, and entertain dialogue with members of the LGBT community. LGBT folks in this country are discriminated against and their rights violated with impunity. When former Prime Minister Bruce Golding openly stated that gays would not be tolerated in his Cabinet, he effectively legitimised job discrimination against members of the LGBT community. Members of the community are not only often victims of discrimination regarding employment but face the same exclusion regarding housing as well. They are also frequent targets of bullying and harassment. Not surprisingly, they are more prone to depression and suicidal ideation. They are a vulnerable community.

Regarding the film festival, the films selected to be shown were:

* The Fruit Machine, about the LGBT witch-hunt in Canada;

* The Abominable Crime, about LGBT reality in Jamaica;

* And Still We Rise, about the work against the anti-sodomy law in Uganda;

* No Easy Walk To Freedom, about the anti-sodomy law in India.

The events planned for Montego Bay Pride would have provided an opportunity for Jamaicans outside the LGBT community to learn more about the struggles queer folk face and the concerns they have. There are many unfortunate stereotypes that a lot of Jamaicans embrace about the LGBT community that are simply not true, and the events would have been an excellent forum in which to address these beliefs.

What the Jamaican public needs to understand is that LGBT folks are our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. Yes, LGBT people reproduce, too. They are our fellow Jamaicans. They are not aliens from another planet. They are not animals. They are human beings worthy of love, empathy, and respect.

Our national motto is ‘Out of Many, One People’ and the first line of the second verse of our national anthem is: “Teach us true respect for all.” Is it not hypocritical to embrace these iconic words while simultaneously disrespecting a marginalised group of Jamaicans?

Michael Abrahams is a gynaecologist and obstetrician, comedian, and poet. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or tweet @mikeyabrahams.