Those slow to accept gays are not evil

Homosexuals in Jamaica are living in interesting times. Jamaican women, in the main, have always loved them, providing succour during their darkest moments. Straight men see no merit in denouncing them out of fear they may upset those straight women who view a homosexual as almost one of the 'gals'.

By any measure, scientific or anecdotal, homosexuals in Jamaica in 2013 are living in a far more tolerant society than they seem to appreciate. Twenty-first-century Jamaica is a far less hostile place for men who lie with men than those same men will acknowledge to the powerful and influential international lobbyists who support them. Indeed, while blanket acceptance may never happen, there is growing tolerance of the right of a homosexual to be who he is.

While this tolerance for homo-sexuals grows, some persons in this society shake their heads while smiling ruefully. To them, the homosexual in Jamaica appears to have more friends, sympathisers and defenders than the adulterer or philanderer. To them, and this point is especially vexing, the homosexual in Jamaica appears to get more sympathy and attract more tolerance than the ganja smoker.

BAD VS GOOD CONDUCT

In this society, a man who presents the major evening newscasts for one of our two major television stations can be homosexual without sanction. He can go to a weekend carnival fête with friends, be seen raving in the company of other men, and not attract any reprimand from his bosses. And if management were to act against him for something as 'simple as that', the lobbyists, gay and straight, would be up in arms about such 'injustice'.

The same man could be seen lyming in a nightclub with another man in a manner which telegraphs intimacy, yet, such a report to the man's bosses is hardly likely to result in disciplinary action.

Contrast that situation with a male TV news anchor who has been a ganja smoker for years. He is seen at carnival puffing a spliff and is immediately reported to management. Of course, management will tell him about how his conduct is bad for the image of the entity and how he can no longer be the face of the station during a widely watched segment such as the major evening newscast.

He'd be lucky if that one spliff only caused his demotion and not his sacking by his bosses. Consider also your star TV news anchor who is reported to have been seen 'shelling dung a club' with his friends while lighting spliff after spliff. That anchor will get no public protection from his bosses, nor from any sympathiser who wants to preserve his or her reputation.

WONDERS OF HUMAN NATURE

People are wonderful! The things which motivate, shape and influence their morals on one issue are not necessarily the things which will do the same for them on another issue.

A woman will love a homosexual man and will treat him and his lover as extended family members. She'll provide the emotional support if he's going through a break-up and will never entertain gossip about the reasons for the collapse of his relationship.

But that same woman - who has known and got along well with a straight married man for 15 years - will apply a different set of morals once she learns the man is having an affaire. She'll cite betrayal, loose standards and poor moral judgement for her losing respect for the man, regardless of the real story behind his infidelity. In her mind, an adulterous man has committed an infraction so serious he can never again count on her as a friend.

The issues raised are meant to highlight the fact that homosexuals are not as buffeted by negativity, scorn and violence as they are conveying. More and more people accept that there's nothing to gain from bashing or alienating them and the way in which they choose to live.

On balance, they are offered more accommodation and tolerance than many others who have vices and habits which do not threaten to change the world as we know it. They should view those who are slow to acceptance not as evil persons, but as individuals who have a right to reject subscription to a movement with which they cannot identify.

Selah.

George Davis is a journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and george.s.davis@hotmail.com.