Jamaica Boycott

[mitchtv]

Human rights activists have given Jamaica the infamous title: “The Most Homophobic Place on Earth.” If you love your gay friends and family members, you won’t visit Jamaica. If you care about the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, you won’t buy Jamaican products.

Isn’t it time we stop rewarding this hate state with our tourism dollars? Isn’t it time to stop drinking Jamaican beverages, such as Myers Rum and Red Stripe Beer?

This nation should be avoided at all costs until the Jamaican government takes action to end the country’s virulently homophobic climate and draconian laws that persecute homosexuals. Until Jamaica takes the following easy steps an official boycott is in effect:

1) Publicly commit to end gay bashing on the island and improve the human rights situation

2) A statement from the Prime Minister clearly and unequivocally condemning violence against GLBT people and expressing regret for past violence

http://www.boycottjamaica.org/

[LostinVA]

1. +1

[mitchtv]

2. more

The world started paying closer attention to Jamaica’s entrenched anti-gay discrimination by 2004, when reports began surfacing.
In 2006, human rights groups told Time Magazine that Jamaica was “the most homophobic place on earth.” The article spoke at length about the “rampant violence against gays and lesbians.”
By 2008, things had only gotten worse, according to The New York Times. The article said, “For years, human rights groups have denounced the harassment, beating and even killing of gays here, to no avail.”A State Department report cites reliable claims of harassment and arbitrary detention of gay people by public employees, with little if any investigation by police. It also says there have been several anti-gay mob attacks, at times with direct police complicity. Some of these attacks have resulted in murder.

In March 2009, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, reiterated the island’s official support for persecuting gay people.

“We are not going to yield to the pressure, whether that pressure comes from individual organizations, individuals, whether that pressure comes from foreign governments or groups of countries, to liberalize the laws as it relates to buggery,” said Golding.

Given the island’s ongoing war against GLBT people, Jamaica has left us no choice but to call for a boycott.

[LostinVA]

4. I knew homophobia is an inherent part of the culture and government

I'm very glad to finally see an official boycott.

[paulsby]

3. sign me on

vote with our $$$$

[tbyg52]

5. My boycott wouldn't mean much, as I don't do vacations,

but I'll sign any petitions nevertheless!

[iris27]

6. count me in

there's a similar attitude in the Bahamas as well - don't know if it's as entrenched, though.

[mitchtv]

7. Same in the Cayman Is.

worse than Bahamas, but less violent than Jamaica

[WillParkinson]

8. Jamaican gays warn against US boycott (From 4/14/09)

Jamaican gays warn against US boycott


(Kingston) Jamaica’s largest LGBT civil rights group is asking American gays to reject a boycott of Jamaica and Jamaican products.

US rights group TruthWinsOut, founded by 365gay columnist Wayne Besen, has called for a boycott of the island and some of its most famous products, to protest several violent homophobic incidents and Jamaica’s refusal to repeal laws against sodomy.

Wednesday, the group will launch a national boycott of Jamaica in New York City at the famed Stonewall Bar - birthplace of the gay rights movement. TruthWinsOut leader Besen said that the bar’s owners and boycott supporters will dump Jamaican liquor - Red Stripe beer and Myers’ Rum - down the sewer.

“We, as the owners of the Stonewall Inn, birthplace of the Gay rights movement, refuse to support, in any way, shape or form, the oppression of any people especially our gay brothers and sisters in Jamaica,” the Stonewall Inn said in its statement.

“We ask all people of all walks of life to send a clear message to the Jamaican people and their government, that as long as they continue to allow and condone violence and hatred toward the Gay community, we will neither buy their products nor support their tourist trade.”

<snip>

But in Kingston, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians All-Sexuals and Gays, said the boycott could backfire and result in more violence.

“Because of the possible repercussions of increased homophobic violence against our already besieged community, we feel that a tourist boycott is not the most appropriate response at this time,” J-FLAG said in a statement.

“In our battle to win hearts and minds, we do not wish to be perceived as taking food off the plate of those who are already impoverished. In fact, members of our own community could be disproportionately affected by a worsened economic situation brought about by a tourist ban.”

http://www.365gay.com/news/jamaican-gays-warn-against-us-boycott/

[mitchtv]

10. they can't be serious

Gays should visit where they are Hated?. Only an idiot would take their life in their hands

[WillParkinson]

11. That's what I said...

I understand their plight, but seriously folks, you want us to come be a target?

[cboy4]

9. It's awful in the Caribbean .. I'd love to check out the Cayman

Islands, but Hawaii is closer to me any way.

[Toucano]

12. Will you please add Belize and Guyana.

I think Guyana is worse than Jamaica and Belize is just being ridiculous.

[akbacchus_BC]

13. I am curious as to why you think Guyana is worst than Jamaica?

As far as I know, not one gay person has been killed in Guyana for his/her lifestyle. Please bear in mind, that a lot of people dare not come out even if they are gay, as family and friends will shun them. It is very sad and disgusting but the islands have a long way to go in terms of accepting gays/lesbians.

Food for thought ... Vancouver, BC, is one of the most progressive provinces in Canada regarding gays/lesbians rights. Our Gay Pride Parade has been attracting people from all across North America and our Premier, Mayor and other dignitaries attend, yet occasionally, a gay person is attacked and/or killed. Some people are just downright intolerant and it is hard for them to change their point of view especially when they were brought up to think that a gay/lesbian person should be shunned.

My fervent desire is for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnic origin, etc., to have full civil rights to live their personal lives happily ever after without having to deal with people who feel that gay marriages will undermine what people like ghouliani refers to as the sanctity of marriage.

Finally, I am not aware of any ads, either on radio or TV, in any country in the world that is actively campaigning against the rights of GLBTs, except in one state of the US.

[mitchtv]

14. Caymans refuse docking to a Gay cruise line

and Comments by Jamaican officials suffice to deserve the kiss of tourist death

[Toucano]

16. Guyana has a maximum penalty of life in prison for male homosexual activity.

Jamaica has a maximum penalty of 10 years hard labor.

That makes Guyana worse in my opinion.

I wouldn't hold the state responsible for the criminal actions of individuals, such as what occurs in Vancouver and other parts of the civilized world.

I would hold the state responsible (and therefore boycott them) if their policies criminalize and harshly punish homosexuality.

Belize bars gay people from ENTERING the country, thereby punishing their STATUS and not any specific action. It may not be enforced, but it is ridiculous nonetheless.

[mitchtv]

21. Good Reason

The US barred Gays til very recently

[VaYallaDawg]

15. The place is so damn violent I can't see why anybody wants to go there anyway.

[Withywindle]

17. Whenever I see those Jamaica tourism ads on TV, that's all I can think of.

I don't understand why GLBT people or supporters or allies would ever want to go there anyway. Feh.

Can I recommend a better travel alternative if you want a tropical vacation? Brazil! Beautiful country, rich culture, welcoming people, and while the GLBT situation is far, far from paradisical, there is a real push to improve. I'd say the enlightenment level on this issue is about on par with that of the US, and better in some ways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Brazil

This article is outdated but it shows some of where they are on the marriage question: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recognition_of_same-sex_unions_in_Brazil

And President Lula pissed off a lot of people who deserve it last year by saying that "homophobia is perhaps the most perverse disease impregnated in the human mind" when he addressed a national conference on GLBT rights.

[mitchtv]

19. Same can be said for Costa Rica

and it's closer

[Withywindle]

20. Oh, that too, no doubt.

Full disclosure, my bias: I'm half Brazilian and I've been there a lot, and I do want to promote it because I love my second country. Costa Rica is lovely, but if you want both the tropical climate AND the awesome nightlife you get in big cosmopolitan cities?

The largest parade, for any reason, anywhere in the world, for the last three years running according to Guinness World Records?

Sào Paulo's Pride Parade. 3.5 million. From the culture that brought you Carnival. Yup. :D


(On a personal front, I once had a pair of attractive public-health workers descend on me and the lovely lady I was with one romantic night at a beach, with a basket of dental dams and a "girlfriend let's talk" attitude, wanting to give us the sex-positive skinny on lesbians and HIV without harshing our buzz. That would have been great, if the lovely lady and Portuguese interpreter I was with had actually been my guide-slash-girlfriend as they assumed, and not my MOTHER, as she really was! :blush:)

[DeSwiss]

18. Feel free to copy and paste around....

- They'll never get a dime of vacation money from me......