UPAYA JAMAICA FORUM FOR LESBIANS, ALL-SEXUALS, AND GAYS (J-FLAG) DALAM MELAWAN HOMOPHOBIA DI JAMAIKA

Abstract

This research explains about how the efforts Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays in against homophobia in Jamaica.J-FLAG is the foremost organisation in Jamaica advocating for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.Jamaica has a rich history of human rights advocacyfor the LGBT community. The movement began in the 1970s with the Gay Freedom Movement, spearheaded by Larry Chang who also later cofounded J-FLAG with several others. In those days, more pockets of tolerance and gay social spaces existed.
Jamaica’s anti-sodomy or “buggery” laws that prohibit same-sex conduct betweenconsenting adult males date to 1864 when Jamaica was a British colony. Sections 76, 77 and 79 of the Offences Against the Person Act make the abominable crime of buggery.
Prosecutions under these laws are rarely pursued. Nevertheless the laws have a real and negative impact. Criminalizing sexual intimacy between men offers legal sanction todiscrimination against sexual and gender minorities, and in a context of widespreadhomophobia, gives social sanction to prejudice and helps to create a context in whichhostility and violence is directed against LGBT people.
Key Words: J-FLAG, Homophobia, LGBT, Buggery