Gays in jamaica
Jamaica Same-sex attracted Freedom Movement records
The Gay Freedom Movement (GFM) of Jamaica was founded by Laurence Chang, Michael Davis, Gary Muirhead, Father Joe Owens, Clive Wilson, and Winston Witter in , as the first publicly homosexual organization in Jamaica and one of the first same-sex attracted rights organizations in the Caribbean. The GFM was established to represent the Jamaican gay collective with the aim of fighting homophobic prejudice and discrimination through public teaching. Other goals included raising gay mind and awareness in gay communities and the larger culture, providing counseling and support, protesting against anti-gay oppression, calling for the repeal of anti-gay laws, raising funds for a gay society center, and providing necessary social services.
Chang was the General Secretary and organizer of the Lgbtq+ Freedom Movement. Born in Jamaica to Hakka Chinese immigrant parents, Chang was the first openly gay Chinese-Jamaican guy. From to , he was the publisher and editor of the Jamaica Gaily News (JGN), a newsletter created to address the needs and issues of the loca
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Last updated: 17 December
Types of criminalisation
- Criminalises LGBT people
- Criminalises sexual activity between males
Summary
Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under the Offences Against the Person Act , which criminalises acts of ‘buggery’ and ‘gross indecency’. This law carries a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour. Only men are criminalised under this law.
The Jamaican Constitution includes a ‘savings law clause’ – a constitutional provision that shields certain laws from organism challenged in the courts if they were in force before the country’s adoption of its constitution. In , a novel bill of rights was introduced into the Constitution of Jamaica. A general savings law clause, which prevented all colonial laws from being constitutionally challenged, was removed and replaced with a savings clause that protects only specific laws, including those relating to sexual offences, from judicial scr
The most homophobic place on earth
The Issue
Jamaica has always been at the core of our work.
LGBT and Jamaica flag on concrete wall
The country continues to be one of the most dangerous places in the world to be LGBTQI+. In , Time magazine dubbed Jamaica “the most homophobic place on earth.”
Approximately 40 percent of our requests for aid originate from the Caribbean region. Over the past two years, we hold relocated nearly gay, female homosexual, bisexual, non-binary and transsexual Jamaicans experiencing extreme persecution.
Reports from those experiencing persecution in Jamaica are staggering. Rainbow Railroad caseworkers frequently help individuals who contain been brutally attacked, sexually harassed, assaulted, burned with acid or fire, possess received death threats or had gang violence occur in their neighbourhoods. These acts of cruelty are usually made known to the police and declare, and rarely is protection offered to or justice achieved by the victims. Unfortunately, this situation is not limited to Jamaica; nine countries in the Caribbean still criminalize sam
Homosexuality: The countries where it is illegal to be gay
BBC News
US Vice-President Kamala Harris who is on a tour of three African countries - Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia - has drawn criticism over her support for LGBTQ rights.
In Ghana, in a speech calling for "all people be treated equally" she appeared to criticise a bill before the country's parliament which criminalises advocacy for gay rights and proposes jail terms for those that spot as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
The country's Speaker Alban Bagbin later called her remarks "undemocratic" and urged lawmakers not to be "intimidated by any person".
In Tanzania, a former minister spoke against US support for LGBTQ rights ahead of the go to and in Zambia some disagreement politicians have threatened to maintain protests.
Where is homosexuality still outlawed?
There are 64 countries that contain laws that criminalise homosexuality, and nearly half of these are in Africa.
Some countries, including several in Africa, ha