In case you are unaware, Jamaica is more than just a popular vacation destination, but is also one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to LGBT rights. Incidences of a mob attacks, beatings, stabbings and discrimination against gays and lesbians are rampant in the country. Read the U.S. State Department report noting Jamaica's numerous human rights violation if you don't believe:
The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals, and Gays (J-FLAG) continued to report human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, mob attacks, stabbings, harassment of homosexual patients by hospital and prison staff, and targeted shootings of homosexuals. Police often did not investigate such incidents. J-FLAG members also suffered attacks on their property, home intrusions as people demanded to know the number of persons and beds in a home, and in one instance, a fire bombing at the home of two men that left one of them with burns on more than 60 percent of his body.
In February a mob broke into the home of four presumed homosexual men, killing three of them. The fourth was missing and presumed dead. The men had reported being harassed for their perceived sexual orientation prior to the fatal attack. Police made some inquiries in the case but did not conduct a full investigation or make any arrests by year's end. There were numerous reports of violence against homosexual inmates, perpetrated by the wardens and by other inmates, but few inmates sought recourse through the prison system.
Homosexual men were hesitant to report incidents against them because of fear for their physical well-being. Lesbian women were subject to sexual assault as well as other physical attacks. Human rights NGOs and government entities agreed that brutality against homosexuals, primarily by private citizens, was widespread in the community.
You can read the full human rights report here. The hostile environment LGBTs face in Jamaica has lead some to considering a boycott of Jamaican rums and beers, as well as not taking cruises or vacations to the island. While I'm not sure how much a boycott would truly affect the country's bottomline, every bit helps, so don't count on me visiting Jamaica anytime soon (It's not like I have the dollars to anyway lol) or drinking rum or beer, which I don't drink anyway. Hopefully the Obama administration will continue to take a hard, critical stance against anti-gay governments. For more background on Jamaica and gays, look at the archives at Rod 2.0.
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