June 29, 2001
JAMAICANS UNITED AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY Dear Friends, It has been rumored for quite some time now that Prime Minister PJ Patterson is gay, a homosexual, a battyman, and now a chi chi man -- the choice of word often depending on one's personal attitude toward the subject of homosexuality. Certain DJ artists have been particularly crude if not cruel in their on stage commentary. Protected by the machinery of state and a polite press, Patterson's sex life has never received the kind of scrutiny it surely would have received were he the head of state in the United States or Britain. Even more fortunate for him, there was never any need up until now for him to defend himself against these charges in clearly what is one of the most homophobic and violent societies on the planet. Patterson's successful association with state power is reflected in the fact that the members of the People's National Party (PNP) being fully aware of the rumors about his sexual orientation, elected and reelected him president of the party on several occasions since the retirement of the now deceased Michael Manly. And, since 1967, except for a brief period in the 1980s, Patterson has repeatedly been elected member of parliament. There are many perceived homosexual men in Jamaica, however, who without the protection of state, and the status of wealth have had far rougher treatment. To be caught in any kind of public display of affection for another male could result in a public beating either at the hands of a mob or the police. The press is equally obliging in providing salacious details of the incident and on occasion have gone as far as to publish not only the names of those arrested for "buggery" but have even printed their occupation, place of work, and address. Gay clubs are often attacked by police and patrons beaten. To be perceived as a homosexual is worse, according to talk show host Tony Abrahams, than being a gunman. In the 1997 general elections, opposition leader Edward Seaga, tried to pin the "battyman" label on Patterson but was resoundingly rebuffed both at the polls and in public opinion. Desperate for an electoral victory Seaga attempted to use Buju Banton's controversial but popular song "boom [sound of a gun shot] bye bye and the batty bwoy dead" as a statement about his own self-proclaimed heterosexuality in contrast to Patterson's perceived homosexuality. Seaga could hardly have been unaware of the objections, especially among international gay groups, to the violent implications of the song's lyrics and its potential effect in a violent, homophobic society. Seaga, more concerned with gaining political mileage, had no problem in exploiting homophobia and positioning himself as a gay persecutor. If Patterson felt persecuted, he showed no signs especially since the PNP was triumphantly reelected for an unprecedented third term. Not to be outdone by Seaga, however, Patterson soon joined him as a gay persecutor when last year he emphatically told a PNP congress that his government would never rescind the sodomy or buggery law which is the legal pretext for persecution and violence against gay men. In response to questions from the press, Patterson said he knew of no gays in his government, he was not gay, and if any member of his government were caught in the act of buggery he would have to face the full extent of the law. Fast forward to the year 2001, the eve of another general election, and Seaga once again tries to bait Patterson, this time using another homophobic song with violent implications for chi chi men. On this occasion, Patterson bites the bait (no doubt feeling vulnerable because he is trailing in the polls). In a radio interview, without any prompting, Patterson proclaims "My credentials as a lifelong heterosexual person are impeccable. Anybody who tries to say otherwise is not just in smearing, is not (just) in vulgar abuse, but when you talk about demonising, that is that. I want to put that squarely on the table." As tempting as it is to psychoanalyze Patterson and to guess at what lay hidden in his closet we should never lose sight of the deathly implications behind the desperation politics of these two clearly bankrupt political leaders. There is absolutely no sensitivity (beyond the personal in the case of Patterson) to the fact that there are human beings who are being persecuted as a result of official homophobia. Both men have horrendous records in exercising their constitutional responsibilities as heads of state to control police violence and extrajudicial killings. To officially perpetuate discrimination of gay men and to condone such songs of violence sends a clear message about their attitude toward official and unofficial violence and its use as a tool of oppression. Shame as well on Jamaican human rights organizations which have taken up discussions about constitutional reform and the need for a bill of rights but have yet to make any case for protection against discrimination and violence based on one's sexual orientation. This is no laughing matter. Lloyd D'Aguilar
Click here to return to Jamaicans United Against Police Brutality homepage. |