The topics of homosexuality, homophobia and gay marriage have re-sparked lately due to the North Carolina incident (BOO at North Carolina! BOOOOO!), Obama’s statement on his pro-gay marriage stance, and Trini politicians playing like they ready to discuss gay marriage when homosexuals aren’t even included in the Equal Opportunity Act of Trinidad and Tobago. In lower 6, I chose to do “Homophobia in the Caribbean” as my project / Internal Assessment for Communication Studies (CAPE). I was/am that passionate about it and really wanted to explore the issue. As part of the Internal Assessment, I had to write a 10 minute expository piece which I presented orally. Posted below is that expository piece! It’s quite watered down and originally had much more information but I had to edit to fit the time restriction. So, I hope you enjoy the read, the work of a wannabe-activist 16 year old. Heh. Hopefully, later on, I will post more current views on the issue.
Homophobia in the Caribbean
The subject of this Internal Assessment is Homophobia in the Caribbean. The term “homophobia” was coined in 1972 by psychologist, George Weinberg, in his book Society and the Healthy Homosexual. It is defined as irrational fear or hatred and aversion to homosexuality and homosexuals or people perceived to be homosexual. This also includes bisexuals and transgender individuals. It refers to behaviour, such as violence and discrimination against homosexuals, based on this fear.
Homophobia is prevalent in the Caribbean and has found its way into our daily lives through our music, language and culture, yet many have chosen to ignore it. As an advocate of equality, it pains me to see my homosexual friends discriminated against. One of my friends is a victim of homophobic hate crime and this has sparked further interest in me to fight against the condition. Homophobia is a social issue and I am currently studying Sociology for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and would like to pursue Psychology in the future. Hence, it would be beneficial to study a topic relating to society and human behaviour. I believe it important that we, as Caribbean people, recognise the far-reaching implications of homophobia in our society and speak out against it as we have against other forms of discrimination. Through this project, I hope to do my part in bringing awareness to this issue.
Sources I used include the Internet, articles, and observation. Books were not particularly useful as there are not many published on this topic. The Internet was my main source as there are various websites relevant to the issue, as well as online newspaper articles. However, there were drawbacks to employing this medium as validity was compromised by people posting inaccurate information.
The Caribbean has been dubbed “the most homophobic place on earth”. How has this paradise become so homophobic to the point that we are categorised as a place of hatred and discrimination? Larry Chang, Jamaican gay activist, believes the main issue is the role of the black male in Caribbean society and how the mindset has been affected by slavery. Africans brought their cultural practices to the West Indies during the period of enslavement. One of these practices was polygamy. On the plantation, this behaviour was retained as males were used for breeding. Chang observes that even after the abolition of slavery, the African male maintained this mentality where manhood lay in the number of women he had and how many children he could bear. Therefore, homosexuality is seen as a threat to the psychological security of self-identity in the heterosexual African male.
Journalist, Decca Aitkenhead, states that sodomy of male slaves by planters was a common act as a means of punishment and humiliation and suggests this to be another reason for homophobia in the Caribbean. Slaves and their descendents associated sodomy, homosexual activity, with the cruelty of European planters and have generated hatred towards anything homosexual.
Homophobia has manifested itself in various ways. Music has become a major channel in promoting homophobia in the Caribbean, particularly in dancehall music. In conducting my research, I have discovered 207 dancehall songs that berate homosexuality and promote violence. Beenie Man has been heavily censured by human-rights groups for his songs such as “Bad Man Chi Chi Man” instructing listeners to kill gay disc-jockeys. One of Buju Banton’s first hits was a homophobic song, “Boom Bye-Bye” which boasts of shooting gays and burning their skin with acid.
Many of these songs reflect derogatory terms for homosexuals, another issue arising from Caribbean homophobia. There are multiple Creole words for homosexuals. These include buller man, batty bwoy and chi chi man and for lesbians: sodomite and chi chi gal. “Chi chi” means termite or vermin, suggesting that homosexuals are pests that need to be exterminated. Language has become a weapon for spreading hatred.
There are no laws in any Caribbean country to protect homosexuals from verbal abuse. In fact, the legal system of many islands has worked against the rights of homosexuals. According to the Sexual Offences Act 1986 of Trinidad and Tobago, buggery can lead up to 25 years in jail. In 2007, the Equal Opportunity Act was also passed prohibiting certain kinds of discrimination and to promote equality. However, the act has ignored the rights of homosexuals and they are still left unprotected by the law.
Hate crimes are also prominent and have been dealt with marginally. In 2004, Brian Williamson, a prominent Jamaican gay rights activist, was murdered and a crowd celebrated over his mutilated body. The year after, Steve Harvey, a gay AIDS advocate, was shot and killed instantly. These acts have appalled human-rights activists worldwide.
Homophobia has not only led to an increase in violence but has contributed negatively to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. AIDS is the leading cause of death among adults in the Caribbean. HIV is primarily spread through heterosexual sex, but homosexual sex is an important factor in transmission. However, statistics on the number of infected homosexuals are hard to obtain as they fear to disclose their sexual orientation. The fear of being jailed and violent attacks has caused many HIV/AIDS positive homosexuals to refrain from seeking HIV/AIDS education and services and learn how to prevent the further spread of the infection.
In Trinidad and Tobago, we have our own transsexual heroine, Jowelle De Souza. She is the first transsexual in Trinidad to sue the state for violation of constitutional rights. De Souza was arrested and charged for assault after pushing a photographer who attempted to take pictures of her without her permission. She said that at the police station she was taunted for hours about her sexuality and that they insisted that a female officer strip-search her to check if she was really a woman. She was rewarded $5,000 for charges of unlawful arrest and police harassment.
Other Trinidadian homosexuals have also been attempting to stand up for themselves and build tolerance in society. From observation, it is evident that many homosexuals are “coming out” and being more assertive. Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain, Trinidad is a popular area for night life and entertainment. It has also become a safe haven for homosexuals to socialise, evident in the existence of various gay friendly pubs such as “Sky”. Although Trinidad is becoming more tolerant, homophobia is still a major issue that needs more immediate resolution.
Laws need to be put in place to protect homosexuals from victimisation and violent hate crimes. Setting up clinics that will ensure the anonymity of gays may cause them to feel safer to seek HIV/AIDS services. Education is also a key factor, West Indians must be taught to be more tolerant and learn the negative outcomes of discrimination, homophobic or not.
As we can see, homophobia is a serious issue in the Caribbean. It has led to the death of many, the spread of hatred and violence, the rise of HIV/AIDS and negative international attention and criticism. However, with the right methods we can hope to fix this problem and make the Caribbean an equal place for all. It is time for change in Caribbean society, and change must start with each one of us. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
