Area church helps Jamaica's lesbian, gay community
http://www.gbmnews.com/articles/521/1/Area-church-helps-Jamaica039s-lesbian-gay-community/Page1.html
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Published on 05/14/2007
March 19, 2007
Area church helps Jamaica's lesbian, gay community
by Alva James-Johnson, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
When members of the Sunshine Cathedral heard reports that gays and lesbians were being abused in Jamaica, they extended their reach from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean island. The church at 1480 SW Ninth Ave. now has a branch in Jamaica 83 members strong, church leaders said.
The congregation established the Jamaican church in December in response to a 2004 Human Rights Watch report that alleged police and citizens were persecuting gays, sex workers and people with HIV/AIDS, according to the church pastor, the Rev. Grant Lynn Ford. Church leaders have traveled to the island to support gay men and lesbians and challenge homophobic attitudes among government and religious officials, he said.
"The government says it's not happening. They attribute the death of every gay man and lesbian woman to domestic violence or a trick gone bad," he said. "But it's not that. It's a homophobic mob mentality." Sunshine Cathedral is an affiliate of Metropolitan Community Churches, a Sarasota-based denomination that provides spiritual support for gays and lesbians worldwide. Ford said the Jamaica initiative is part of a 10-year plan to establish churches in diverse communities throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. He said the gay and lesbian community in Trinidad and Tobago already expressed interest in starting a congregation.
The church also hopes to plant a church in post-Castro Cuba and is planning for congregations in the Pompano-Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs and Miami Beach areas to cater to gays and lesbians from Brazil and other Latin American countries. The Jamaican church is divided into four groups, one each in Mandeville, Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, church leaders said. Worshipers rotate locations for fear of attack. They meet once a month for a national gathering and three times a month for local services. The cathedral provides bus transportation, worship leaders and other resources.
Human rights organizations list Jamaica as one of the world's most inhospitable countries for gays and lesbians. Homosexual acts are prohibited by law on the island and punishable by years in prison.
Alva James-Johnson can be reached at ajjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4546.
Sun-Sentinel.com (www.sun-sentinel.com)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pcgayjamaica19mar19,0,2557404.story
Area church helps Jamaica's lesbian, gay community
by Alva James-Johnson, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
When members of the Sunshine Cathedral heard reports that gays and lesbians were being abused in Jamaica, they extended their reach from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean island. The church at 1480 SW Ninth Ave. now has a branch in Jamaica 83 members strong, church leaders said.
The congregation established the Jamaican church in December in response to a 2004 Human Rights Watch report that alleged police and citizens were persecuting gays, sex workers and people with HIV/AIDS, according to the church pastor, the Rev. Grant Lynn Ford. Church leaders have traveled to the island to support gay men and lesbians and challenge homophobic attitudes among government and religious officials, he said.
"The government says it's not happening. They attribute the death of every gay man and lesbian woman to domestic violence or a trick gone bad," he said. "But it's not that. It's a homophobic mob mentality." Sunshine Cathedral is an affiliate of Metropolitan Community Churches, a Sarasota-based denomination that provides spiritual support for gays and lesbians worldwide. Ford said the Jamaica initiative is part of a 10-year plan to establish churches in diverse communities throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. He said the gay and lesbian community in Trinidad and Tobago already expressed interest in starting a congregation.
The church also hopes to plant a church in post-Castro Cuba and is planning for congregations in the Pompano-Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs and Miami Beach areas to cater to gays and lesbians from Brazil and other Latin American countries. The Jamaican church is divided into four groups, one each in Mandeville, Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, church leaders said. Worshipers rotate locations for fear of attack. They meet once a month for a national gathering and three times a month for local services. The cathedral provides bus transportation, worship leaders and other resources.
Human rights organizations list Jamaica as one of the world's most inhospitable countries for gays and lesbians. Homosexual acts are prohibited by law on the island and punishable by years in prison.
Alva James-Johnson can be reached at ajjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4546.
Sun-Sentinel.com (www.sun-sentinel.com)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pcgayjamaica19mar19,0,2557404.story