By Viktor Kerney

So in the news, we are hearing about the pressure Obama getting for gay equality and rights. And if you go over to Queerty, you get the daily (sometimes twice a day) hate-o-drama about Obama’s lack of support.

 

 

However, I’m not going to bash him; there’s no need. Unlike some, I think he’s doing a great job trying to balance out the mess from the not-so-messy-but-dusty matters in our country. I understand that changing DADT is not going to happen soon. I understand that he must have allies on both sides to make his argument strong and effective. Without that support, it can be an uphill battle. Plus, he has put some big initiatives forward. Those initiatives (the budget, the war(s), policy changes and etc.) have to be successful. If they are, more folks will come to his side and if not, they will somewhat distance themselves from him. Obama needs the superpower to make things happen. If his main issues fail, it will be hard for him to push gay rights through the loop.

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She should give a fig


Jasmyne Cannick and I have had our differences of opinion on several issues but seldom have I found her views to be as troubling as her perspective on the importance of marriage for lesbian and gay couples.

In a recent opinion piece "Jasmyne Cannick Doesn't Give a Fig about Marriage" published by The Advocate, Cannick suggests that she has changed her views on the significance of Black LGBT engagement in the fight for marriage equality.

"What did change for me was my willingness to actively engage myself in a struggle that's been from the beginning, and continues to be, elitist."

Can anyone tell me how efforts to end discrimination in marriage are elitist?

The people that are involved in the struggle for gay marriage are rich, poor and in between. They are men and woman, black and white, Hispanic, and Asian. They support marriage equality regardless of social or economic status.

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 "Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix."

 

That statement was part of the decision handed down by the Virginia State Supreme Court in 1958 regarding interracial marriage and miscegenation.  In the name of God and the courts, it was the ruling that sentenced Mildred Jeter Loving, a black woman, and her husband, Richard Loving, a white man to one year in jail for a marriage that was not only illegal but immoral as well.  So declared, the opinion was not just that of the court, but it was viewed as God’s edict as well.

 

It’s amazing the court’s opinion in 1958 had such a parochial, self-serving world view. But what’s even more amazing is that the court attributed its decision to the wishes of God.  Unfortunately, that was how the world was in 1958.  Thank God that was in the past.  Or was it?

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Jamaica displays to the world a friendly, happy-go-lucky face. Yet Jamaica disavows, and attempts to deflect world condemnation for, its barbaric polices and publicly-condoned egregious societal treatment of gay people. Jamaica's behavour is an embarassment to people of African decent.

GBMNews supports the growing campaign to boycott Jamaica.

The protest movement against Jamaica's policies is gaining steam. Condemnations have come from various World Human Rights organizations, the Metropolitan Community Church, and other religious groups in the United States. Great Britain has been in the forefront of the protest movement for years. The Canadian government has vowed to agrresively enforce its laws against hate speech in music, and is providing sanctuary for many gay Jamaicans.

A boycott is very unfortunate, but it is patently obvious that Jamaica refuses to address its own bigotry. Therefore, outside measures are required to save LGBT Jamaicans from injury and even death.

At this time, we advise our readers to avoid Jamaican products, music, concerts and above all avoid all travel to the island. We ask you to be proactive and tell others to do the same. Ask stores to stop carrying Jamaican products. Ask radio staions and clubs to stop playing Jamaican music. Ask travel agents to steer clients to friendly desitinations.

Please post this article to all Internet social networking groups in which you belong.

The Jamaican boycott will start slowly but soon more effective measures will come to pass. GBMNews will keep you abreast.

Change will come to Jamaica!

The migration of African Americans from the city to the suburbs.