THE CHURCH AND HOMOPHOBIA IN JAMAICA

For many years in my country of Jamaica there has been attacks, physical and verbal against homosexuals. On Valentine’s Day of 2007, the Jamaica Observer newspaper reported that over two thousand people were gathered outside a pharmacy awaiting the exit of three alleged homosexual men who were inside the pharmacy. The report states that some people were calling for the men to be killed. The police had to come to the rescue of the men; if they did not the results could have been tragic. In February 2008, the Jamaica Gleaner published a story on the condemnation of homosexuals by the church community in which the homosexual behavior was described as “abnormal” and it was posited that the lifestyle can be “changed” with some form of intervention? These religious leaders have congregations who look up to them for guidance. It is very irresponsible for them to provide ammunition that people can use to feed their homophobic appetite. What about teaching tolerance instead of trying to change or stigmatize?

The examples of Jamaica given is intended to show that a country and a people can have a homophobic culture where there is an intense hatred of certain lifestyles and such hatred can lead to interaction on the macro level. Homophobia causes significant distress to the victim and dehumanizes a population or subculture. It is also a significant mark of discrimination and prejudice that is one that is often not openly addressed and some would prefer to think has ceased to exist in this age of tolerance, but cases like those presented above, indicate the prevalence of such a conflict in modern society.

LEST NOT FORGET OUR HISTORY

Lest not forget our history: Back in the days of slavery our ancestors, the black African, on the plantation were ostracized and liken to cattle, they were considered “hewers of wood and drawers of water”. In many instances the supporters of slavery drew from that one verse Joshua 9:23 to legitimize the practice of slavery. Many religious leaders and others in our highly “religious country” do the same, they draw for their bible and quote relentlessly from Genesis 1 and 19 and Leviticus 18 and 20 -to name a few, in order to fuel the hate. How different are we from the supporters of the enslavement of the African people? For a people who have a history of being oppressed based on our differences we should be careful how we wield oppression upon others who are different.

HOMOPHOBIA HURTS

Many times the level of intolerance in Jamaica has led to people being physically and mentally harmed from the effects of being shunned, teased and hated by others. Homophobia breeds hatred and oppression. Religious leaders are supposed to love, tolerate and nurture all humanity. Let’s not overlook the Lord’s other instructions:  in between Leviticus 18 and 20 is Leviticus 19 where verses 17 & 18 states: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him”; “Thou shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but thou shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” and verse 34 : “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God”.

Why these three verses are poignantly overlooked in favor of the others? I think those three verses were strategically placed to remind us that there will be some amongst us who are different, whose lifestyle does not fit into our interpretation of “normal”, they are like “strangers” but we should love them because they are the children of God, they are our “neighbors”, the bible tells us so.

If we can hate one group and find reasonable literature or research to explain why we hate them, then what is to stop us from doing that to other groups who are simply different like the mentally or physically handicapped, the mentally ill or people of different ethnic backgrounds?

Why should we be their judge? If what they are doing is so wrong, “an abomination” as many religious leaders say then please leave their judgment up to a higher power.