Dear Editor,
Imagine life where every day you had to choose between chopping off your left foot or your right hand. That’s what it is like being a Jamaican LGBT person.
We live in a society that tells us that being LGBT is not a Jamaican thing but “a white people ting”; in effect being LGBT makes you less Jamaican.
There are many hurtful and hateful messages of exclusion, ostracism and, unfortunately, death.
It is against this backdrop that Pride Week is necessary. For one week in the year, LGBT Jamaicans celebrate their community and identity in spite of the challenges that they have had to face. It aligns perfectly with Emancipendence, a time when we celebrate blackness and ‘Jamaicanness’ as distinct identities that have fought for their place in the world. Pride Week is the one week where the Jamaican LGBT population does not have to choose between being Jamaican and being LGBT. It celebrates both our Jamaicanness because of the time of the year it is chosen and our oftentimes maligned gender and sexual identities through a series of activities that captures the diversity of the community and the colourfulness of it.
The line-up of activities – which does not include a parade – caters to the sporty, the intellectual, the artistic, the entrepreneurs, the family women and men, the lovers, and the altruistic. Our community of love is being celebrated not just by our sexuality but by our diverse passions, interests, skill sets and abilities.
Out of many, we are one people: so it goes for Jamaica, so it goes for LGBT people. There is actually no better time to celebrate Pride Week because of its symbolism to us as Jamaicans and as LGBT people. We understand that many are curious about the celebrations; some are shocked at the boldness of them. We invite all those curious people to pay attention to the week of activities, attend a few if you will. Take the opportunity to learn more about our community before you make assertions about our celebrations.
Glenroy Murray
gmintern.bhc@gmail.com
Imagine life where every day you had to choose between chopping off your left foot or your right hand. That’s what it is like being a Jamaican LGBT person.
We live in a society that tells us that being LGBT is not a Jamaican thing but “a white people ting”; in effect being LGBT makes you less Jamaican.
There are many hurtful and hateful messages of exclusion, ostracism and, unfortunately, death.
It is against this backdrop that Pride Week is necessary. For one week in the year, LGBT Jamaicans celebrate their community and identity in spite of the challenges that they have had to face. It aligns perfectly with Emancipendence, a time when we celebrate blackness and ‘Jamaicanness’ as distinct identities that have fought for their place in the world. Pride Week is the one week where the Jamaican LGBT population does not have to choose between being Jamaican and being LGBT. It celebrates both our Jamaicanness because of the time of the year it is chosen and our oftentimes maligned gender and sexual identities through a series of activities that captures the diversity of the community and the colourfulness of it.
The line-up of activities – which does not include a parade – caters to the sporty, the intellectual, the artistic, the entrepreneurs, the family women and men, the lovers, and the altruistic. Our community of love is being celebrated not just by our sexuality but by our diverse passions, interests, skill sets and abilities.
Out of many, we are one people: so it goes for Jamaica, so it goes for LGBT people. There is actually no better time to celebrate Pride Week because of its symbolism to us as Jamaicans and as LGBT people. We understand that many are curious about the celebrations; some are shocked at the boldness of them. We invite all those curious people to pay attention to the week of activities, attend a few if you will. Take the opportunity to learn more about our community before you make assertions about our celebrations.
Glenroy Murray
gmintern.bhc@gmail.com