Let's hope this doesn't come to Toronto...
Is this coming next?
A young Jamaican man plunged to his death off a pier in Kingston after reportedly being chased through the streets by a mob yelling homophobic epithets.
In a desperate attempt to flee his tormentors Nokia Cowan leaped from the pier into Kingston harbor. Unable to swim he died in the rancid water.
Whether Cowan actually was gay or not is known, but he became the third man to recently die as a result of homophobia in Jamaica.
JFLAG, the country's gay rights organization Wednesday called for a police investigation into the events that led to his drowning.
"Most importantly, we implore the highest members of government to clearly indicate that violence based on sexual orientation, both perceived and actual, is unacceptable in Jamaica," JFLAG said in a statement.
Last month, Lenford "Steve" Harvey who ran Jamaica AIDS Support for Life was shot to death on the eve of World AIDS Day. Support for Life provides support to gay men and sex workers. (story)
Police are looking for three men who broke into Harvey's home confronting him and his two roommates.
The armed men demanded money. "We hear that you are gay," the gunmen yelled at the trio. The two housemates denied it but Harvey apparently remained silent. The housemates were gagged and bound.
Harvey was ordered at gunpoint to help the gunmen carry valuables to his car. He was forced into the vehicle and kidnapped by his attackers.
Two hours later, he was found, shot dead.
Last year Brian Williamson Jamaica's most vocal advocate of LGBT rights was murdered.
According to Human Rights Watch: "Police actively support homophobic violence, fail to investigate complaints of abuse, and arrest and detain [men] based on their alleged homosexual conduct."
Gay sex is illegal in Jamaica, punishable by ten years in jail, with the possibility of hard labor.
posted by GayandRight @ 12:57 PM
4 Comments:
Tragic and heartbreaking.
Whenever the state represses sexual behaviour between consenting adults it just goes underground. Makes me wonder how many Jamaican men are on the "down low".
Ferret, your reaction is more than a little over the top.
I interpeted the post as "I hope gay people in Toronto never have to jump off a bridge and die while trying to escape a mob of gay-bashers".. or similar events, in a figurative sense.
Ferrethouse: The reason I am worried about this coming to Toronto - is that this violence is from the jamaican community. Look at the gun violence stemming from that community - is gay bashing next?
What a truly sad story. Let's hope it doesn't come to that in Toronto, or they will get 1 year if we're lucky with our justice system. Very sad.
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