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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.”
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Protests of Carnival’s “ Gay Days Cruise” failed to materialize
Continued on Page 29
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