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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