Time To Fully Embrace Our Gay Community

-
The Caribbean Is One Nation.

                                                      Time To Fully Embrace Our Gay Community



Dr. brendan Bain
The decision to sack of the University of the West Indies Professor Brendan Bain brings into sharp focus, the powerful lobbying ability of the gay movement within the region. The firing of the highly respected professor was the result of expert testimony he gave in a case concerning gay/human rights in Belize. He testified that in his opinion MSM (Men who have sex with men) are at greater risk of spreading the HIV and listed the negative economic  and health effects of such. Many gay organizations within the region viewed his position as discriminatory against the gay community, taking into consideration that he has a high profile position in the fight for and dissemination of information regarding the AIDS virus.
The MCG, (Mahogany Coconut Group)from its inception, has defended and continues to defend the rights of homosexuals to enjoy all privileges enjoyed by the heterosexual community. Quite frankly, we believe that the current divorce rate and malfunctioning within the heterosexual community, give it no real moral authority to lecture the gay community on relationships, marriage and adoptions. Furthermore, we have always deemed it very hypocritical that one group can enjoy their existence and try to deny another group the right to enjoy their lifestyle preferences. We see the entire gay debate as a simple human rights issue.
However, we are not unaware that the gay community has evolved into a very powerful group and has fought very hard for the rights that they correctly believe are theirs. What the sacking of the goodly professor demonstrates is that the Caribbean cannot continue to avoid the entire gay issue, and must now realize ,that the gay community is just as vigilant in protecting and defending its rights, here in the region as it is worldwide.
We are quite aware that some justifiably believe that the gay community is pushing an agenda that is designed to make the entire world  gay. We do not subscribe to such alarmist thinking. However, as much as we support the gay community, we must urge them to remember that their hard fought victories would not have been possible without their supporters within the heterosexual community. It was Martin Luther King and later Nelson Mandela, who strongly advised, that the oppressed was to guard against becoming the oppressor. 
As the gay movement in the Caribbean becomes more established, embraced and active, the leaders in the region must understand that it is time to fully accept the gay community and give it all the rights of the heterosexual community. The dismissal of the eminent Dr. Bain should therefore mean that regional governments, the church and civil society can no longer ignore the homosexual community.  It is high time that we collectively embrace our LGBT community and remove ourselves from the religious fanaticism that continues to impede enlightened progress on this and other pertinent social and human rights issues.

Kindly read link below:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/UWI-sacks-professor-Bows-to-gay--human-rights-groups_16708291


Comments

Anonymous said…
Yuh got em gooood, mahogy!!!! Lol
May 27, 2014 at 9:42 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Barbados Elections 2013 and Cash

-
Image
The Mahogany Coconut Group submits that the real vote buying is in the upper echelons of our society. What we witnessed on Election Day was some voters getting   cash, cell phones, IPods and a bill paid here and there. The real votes were bought by those shadows- black and white, - who Dr. Don Blackman referred to a few decades ago! Of course Dr. Blackman talked only about white shadows but the corporate landscape has dramatically changed over the years – we now have shadows of all colors and ethnicities. While we shout from the roof tops about what took place on elections day, we bury our heads in the proverbial sand, by refusing to ask one simple question: How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign? We ask Dale Marshall (BLP) to tell us about the successful “cake sales and car washes” that raised their money. We ask Ronald Jones (DLP) to t
Read more

Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. By William Skinner Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance I must have been around nine or ten years old. V was a well-known gay citizen, who lived in my beloved hometown of Britton’s Hill, in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados. My earliest recollection of V was his apparent penchant for dressing in white. I seldom saw him in a long pants, and he walked with an amazing rhythm. Even at that early age, I realized that he was very effeminate. He always seemed busy   out and about in the Brittons Hill area and it was obvious that everybody knew him, and his notoriety was island wide. I also noticed that he was always exceptionally clean. Later, I would learn that he was also known as a popular pudding and souse vendor, who carried on his trade in the vicinity of Nelson Street, in the city. He was well loved and respected in Britton’s Hill; along with that respect came good-natured heckling. One day, around midafternoon, about three of my childhoo
Read more

International Women's Day : Our Caribbean Women, Our Hope

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation As we celebrate International Womens’ Day, we are cognizant of the role our Caribbean women have played in the cultural social and economic growth of our region and evolving Caribbean civilization. They , like our men , have risen from the depths and decadence of slavery , to the highest political and corporate ladders in the region. They have given birth, to millions and have made and continue to make significant contributions to those in the Diaspora. In many cases, where they were not the biological mothers, they nurtured, cared and developed those , who were deprived of parenthood , and socio-economic hope. They are in our classrooms, directing young and fragile minds , how to navigate a world that we in the region , must forever avoid being dragged into conflicts of the so-called super powers. They are pursuing all the opportunities of our tertiary educational institutions, including the University of the West Undies, often in higher numbers than our men. I
Read more