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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 2004)
4iine_liL2QQ4_» ví umj 'lnews The organization quoted a Jamaican man who witnessed an anti-gay attack. “The crowd stood around watching, chanting ‘Batty- man, hattyman, battyman,’ ” he said. “They heat, punched and kicked him, and then they dragged him down the road for half a kilometer. They shouted, ‘Battyman fi dead.’ As 1 stood across the street, I realized there was nothing I could do to help him. Some mothers were actually in tears at what they were witnessing, but there was nothing that they could do either. T he crowd was saying: ‘Give him to us! Let us kill him! He’s a Amnesty International is urging Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to protect gays from violence and to legalize gay sex battyman!’ ” Lesbians are also at risk, said Amnesty, which has “received reports of acts of In 2002, Belgium became the second of four violence against lesbians, including rape and countries that let same-sex couples marry, yet other forms of sexual violence. There are reports inequalities persist, Radio Vlaanderen Intema- of lesbians being singled out for attack on the tionaal reported. grounds of ‘mannish’ physical appearance or “Gay partners do not have the right to adopt other visible manifestations of sexuality.” children,” the broadcaster said. “Co-mothers in Amnesty also is concerned that Jamaican a lesbian marriage have no rights or duties to musicians actively promote anti-gay hatred. the children of the biological mother, which “In January 2004,” the group said, “around can lead to problems in the event of a separa 30,000 people attended a huge stage show and tion or divorce. The child also has no immedi Rastafarian celebration, Rebel Salute, in St. ate right to an inheritance from the nonbiolog- ical mother.” Elizabeth, Jamaica. Throughout the night, Capleton, Sizzla and other groups sang almost exclusively about gay men, urging the audience TH E P H IL IP P IN E S to ‘Kill dem, battybwoys haffi dead, gun shots he Philippines’ Movie and Television pon dem— who want to see dem dead put up his Review and Classification Board sent a hand’ (‘Kill them, gay men have got to die, gun warning to the G M A Network talk show S'Files shots in their head— whoever wants to see them and the A BS-CBN network talk show The Buzz dead, put up your hand’).” for broadcasting a lesbian wedding, the Inquirer Elephant Man, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, News Service reported May 24. TO K and Capleton are among the stars who Board chairwoman Marissa Laguardia said have written lyrics variously urging the sh( K it gay and lesbian relationships are “an abnormal ing, burning, rape, stoning and drowning of gay ity of human nature” and “to show such kind of men. ahnormality/aherration on prime-time T V pro Gay sex (“the abominable crime of buggery”) grams gives the impression that the network is is punishable by up to 10 years in prison at hard encouraging lesbian and homosexual relation labor under Article 76 of the Jamaican Offenses ships and [is] tantamount to saying lesbianism against the Person Act. Article 79 of the same and homosexuality are all right.” act punishes any act of physical intimacy Her memo continued: “If we are not mistak between men in public or private with up to two en, even churches of different denominations years in prison. consider lesbianism and homosexuality an aber ration, not only of the normal state of man TH E B A H A M A S (woman), hut also from the point of view of roblems that were expected when Carnival’s morality.... We respectfully ask the network to kindly he aware of the Filipino’s clamor for “Gay Days Cruise” ship arrived in the Bahamas June 1 did not materialize, according wholesome programming, devoid of aberrant to The Nassau Guardian. utterances and actions.” “In fact, the only activists anywhere near the Anna Leah Sarabia, a Filipina who directs Festival Place welcome center were members of the women’s secretariat of the International Les the Rainbow Alliance, who, along with allies, bian and Gay Association, said Laguardia’s set up a welcoming committee,” the newspaper warning to the network showed “a glaring lack reported. Earlier reports suggested the ship’s of knowledge on basic scientific matters. We arrival would be protested by members of the hope that the next time the board makes any Bahamas Christian Council and other church decision regarding matters of gender and sexual organizations, as was the c ’se when three gay ity, or the normality of certain human affairs, and lesbian cruises visited in 1998. your office will take care to find out the veraci ty and morality of your assumptions.” B E L G IU M A few days later, Laguardia expressed re morse concerning her words, claiming she did s Gay Pride still needed once you win the not intend “to hurt the sensibilities of les- final battle— same-sex marriage? bians/gays/bisexuals/transgenders or demean Apparently so. About 15,000 people turned their sexual preferences. In fact, I have friends, out for Brussels’ ninth Gay Pride parade May 23. and I also know professionals, who are lesbians and gays. I have always accepted and respected them as they are. I may have acted quite rashly or impulsively in approving a draft memoran dum, which has now become the subject of controversy.” T the LtppmanCo yowl pwdtf since 1948 S H O W Y O U P P P ID E with cur exciting selection cf Beads, Beas & Badeems! Check out our new Central Eastside location! Just 6 blocks north of OMSI at Water Avenue 50 SE Yamhill Street • Portland, OR 97214 503.239.7007 Open Monday-Friday 9:00-6:00 & Saturday 9:00-5:00 Meed a apace ta pcvdq in? S)xap % <£ tañe a look a t § EVENT IT SPACE (UJ ® AT T HE D L I P P MAN @ C O. P I Protests of Carnival’s “ Gay Days Cruise” failed to materialize Continued on Page 29 iM-F 9-6 • S a tu rd a y s 10-4 • S u n d a y s 11-3 127
