JAMDOWN

Jamaica Ironically Rejects Gay Acceptance TV Ad

Meet Christine Straw. She was Miss Jamaica World in 1998 and Miss Jamaica Universe in 2004. She loves her gay brother Matthew unconditionally. That’s partly why she made a commercial with the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals and Gays (J-Flag) telling all Jamaicans to love their LGBT family and friends. But Jamaica’s anti-sodomy laws and homophobic pastors aren’t all so keen on the whole “love the queers” thing. So they’ve persuaded Television Jamaica (TVJ), the island nation’s largest TV station to refuse the PSA.

Though J-Flag will continue working with the station, Jamaica has a terrible reputation when it comes to its anti-gay climate. Jamaican cops beat down gay bar patrons, some of the nation’s popular danchall reggae stars regularly call for the murder of “batty men”. Heck, even the new Jamaican character in Greg Fox’s gay comic drama, Kyle’s Bed and Breakfast has begun talking about the island’s terrible treatment of queers.

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By: Daniel Villarreal
On: Aug 17, 2011
Tagged: All-sexuals and Gays, Christine Straw, Greg Fox, J-Flag, Jamaica, Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, Kyle's Bed and Breakfast, Matthew Straw, Television Jamaica

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10 Comments

No. 1 · The crustybastard
Yeah, not irony.

Aug 17, 2011 at 1:39 pm · @Reply · Flag
No. 2 · slanty
I’ll check Jamaica off my places to visit on vacation.

Aug 17, 2011 at 1:46 pm · @Reply · Flag
No. 3 · jmop
No LGBT person or friend of an LGBT person should ever give this horrible country any of their tourist dollars. Jamaica remains dispicable on the equal rights and prejudice fronts.

Aug 17, 2011 at 2:45 pm · @Reply · Flag
No. 4 · Queer Supremacist
Are there any countries that use laws against homosexuality as a basis for gays to claim refugee status? That may be the only hope for gay Jamaicans in the short term.

Aug 17, 2011 at 2:59 pm · @Reply · Flag
No. 5 · Jim Hlavac
@Queer Supremacist: Canada — and they’re both members of the British Commonwealth, making it a bit easier.

Aug 17, 2011 at 5:01 pm · @Reply · Flag
No. 6 · nineinchnail · Member · 155 comments
I wouldnt visit Jamaica if you booked the swankiest hotel, booked my to fly first class and give me ALL of my spending money and that was even before I read this article.

Aug 17, 2011 at 9:51 pm · @Reply · Flag
No. 7 · nineinchnail · Member · 155 comments
I wouldnt visit Jamaica if you booked the swankiest hotel, booked me to fly first class and give me ALL of my spending money and that was even before I read this article.

Aug 17, 2011 at 9:53 pm · @Reply · Flag
No. 8 · Alex Sarmiento
Some info on Christine Straw: She represented Jamaica twice in international pageants, at Miss World in 1998 and Miss Universe in 2004. She was a semifinalist in 1998 and a top-10 finalist in 2004.

Aug 18, 2011 at 12:03 am · @Reply · Flag
No. 9 · longyanas · Member · 11 comments
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Aug 18, 2011 at 4:36 am · @Reply · Flag
No. 10 · Matthew Straw
@Queer Supremacist: The UK and other countries grant asylum to some of the Gay Men and Women from Jamaica as they are aware their lives are in danger.

Aug 19, 2011 at 2:38 pm · @Reply · Flag