Jamaican gay men

In Jamaica, consensual sexual intercourse between same-sex partners is punishable by imprisonment, and the nation struggles with widespread discrimination and violence against LGBT and intersex individuals. For tourists traveling to Jamaica, it’s crucial to remain informed and vigilant.

Spanning from the s to the s, Chang's collection highlights the GFM's activity in Jamaica, largely through correspondence and publications. The GFM was established to represent the Jamaican gay community with the aim of fighting homophobic prejudice and discrimination through public education. Other goals included raising gay consciousness and awareness in gay communities and the larger society, providing counseling and support, protesting against anti-gay oppression, calling for the repeal of anti-gay laws, raising funds for a gay community center, and providing necessary social services.

Due to the illegality of homosexual activity, the lack of government protection, and the resulting inherent and systematic discriminatory norms within Jamaican society, homosexuals in Jamaica continue to be targets and victims of severe persecution.

Only men are criminalised under this law. In , a new bill of rights was introduced into the Constitution of Jamaica. A general savings law clause, which prevented all colonial laws from being constitutionally challenged, was removed and replaced with a savings clause that protects only specific laws, including those relating to sexual offences, from judicial scrutiny.

To the contrary, the government last year relied on a savings clause in its constitution to prevent domestic courts from considering a constitutional challenge to the laws that criminalise sexual relations between men. Gareth and his fellow LGBT Jamaicans should not be living in fear because of who they are and who they love. The fear of stigma and criminalisation impedes access to health services and emboldens landlords to target LGBT people with refusals to rent, excessively high rents and eviction.