Jamaica's Only Gay Church Gives Parishioners A Community In Secret

GlobalPost:

INGSTON, Jamaica �" It takes just 15 minutes to set up an underground church.

Two boxes and a white sheet make up the pulpit. The altar is a card table. Folding chairs constitute the pews. Then Rev. Robert Griffin, a solidly built gay American minister in his mid-40s, unpacks a battered cardboard box; inside is a wooden chalice, two candle holders, a communion plate and a dog-eared copy of the King James Bible. Add a pianist warming up on an electric keyboard and suddenly an empty meeting room is transformed into the Kingston branch of the Sunshine Cathedral, Jamaica's only gay church.

Read the whole story: GlobalPost

Comments

[harriettubman]

09:45 PM on 09/23/2009

With all the crime scaring tourists away, the last thing Jamaica needs is to have tourists avoid the island entirely due to murdering innocent gay people. This is 2009 and I can't believe folks are being killed due to orientation!!!!

[richard5]

08:34 PM on 09/23/2009

I have been reading reports of this sort of homophobia occurring in Jamaica, but it was not as clear to me how uncivilized SOME of these people are behaving. How disturbing that anyone could think that because someone is gay/lesbian justifies their murder. And to think that this thinking is so a part of the fabric of Jamaican society, makes you wonder about the people who a protesting so strongly againist gays and lesbians.

Well., after reading this article, I will personally discourage my gay friends (yes I have gay friends) that should they consider going to Jamica in the future, they might want to think twice before they book their flight.

Amazing how the bible could be used to perpetuate violence or murder.

[jamaicaman20]

12:09 PM on 09/23/2009

To generalize all Jamaicans aas judgemental and ig*norant is unfair and is just a knee jerk reaction to this story. I am Jamaican and I, as many other Jamaicans I know, respect homosexual rights as human beings. Let's not pretend that the same actions don't take place here in the U.S. and in other industrialized nations. Violence against homosexuals has been apart of US history and is still taking place today. How quickly people forget people like Mathew Sheppard. I am sure there are tons of other unpublicized violent acts against homosexuals.

Growing up in Jamaica, I can tell you that a lot of what was reported, as far as institutionalized homophobia, is prevalent in Jamaica, but I can honestly tell you that I have never heard a minister preach to kill homosexuals. Never! But they do enable violence and hatred towards homosexuals with their anti-gay sermons. The problem, just as in the U.S. and many other places in the world, are these "religious" leaders and figures. They, as well as the Jamaican Dance-Hall DJ's, have a lot of influence. The ministers have influence over many of the older population, who become embolden to form anti-gay policies, and this trickles down to the pop culture, that have influence on the younger generation. No different than here in the U.S. with people like Pat Robertson and the anti-gay lyrics in hip-hop.

[EqualMeansEqual]

03:03 PM on 09/23/2009

Funny you post above another Jamaican that seems to thing gays are ok unless they act to gay.

To deny that gays do not live in more danger in Jamaica than the US is pathetic and dishonest.

If you truly care about it, denying it will not change it.

[Christina4]

11:26 PM on 09/23/2009

I understood the poster to be saying that Jamaica is not unique in its violence against gays, not that he's denying that it's a serious problem, or that it's justified. Unfortunately, this is a real problem in many traditional and non-Western societies across the globe-- from South Africa to Ukraine.

I grew up in a conservative country where gay lifestyles are not acceptable as a norm-- just what goes on behind some closed doors. Fortunately, there is no violence targeting gays-- however, there are many legal actions against them under various local customary laws and a general societal view that they are "deviant." There are human rights advocates fighting for equal security and protections for gays; I think they will have some success with that angle in many places.

I'm not sure what "acting too gay" really means.

[Americanium]

09:42 PM on 09/22/2009

Growing up in Jamaica, there were many known gays who did not flaunt there life styles unto others. They were not molested or killed. In fact they were respected in the community.

Gays who want to strut their stuff is a different story. Should you want to go flaunt your life style that the majority of people do not accept that is your decision. Live with the consequences.

[ec1012]

10:43 PM on 09/22/2009

What is wrong with you? Someone being openly gay or lesbian is not a reason to kill someone. If you think so, you are a psychopath.

[winningticket]

04:26 PM on 09/23/2009

So much for "One Love, One Heart".

[BVLian]

08:54 PM on 09/22/2009

Had no idea Jamaica was so backwards and just plain crazy....so much for vacationing there.

[ricmarc]

08:47 PM on 09/22/2009

religion is the reason for the gay bashing in the first place.

[MeloMelo66]

05:35 PM on 09/22/2009

So much infoo should not have been given as Jamaica is quite small and everybdy knows everybody's business. Moreover, Jamaicans like to say that they are religious but they are the most ig*norant and judgemental people I have ever known, they are quite likely too m*ur*der these church members like they do almost anyone "suspected" of being a batttyman or "g*ay" and they will r$ape the le*sb*ians and beat them, like they do on a daily basis.

truly disgusting but true, that's why I left that s ti nk h ole of an island that likes to call itself a democracy

[muadibe]

08:36 PM on 09/22/2009

Agreed. Far too much info. Jamaica is a stunning island. It is unfortunate that the people are as you say, so ignorant. I believe much of the violence is from people who are gay themselves and can't deal with it.

Anyone truly secure in his/own sexuality in no way feels threatened by anyone else's.

[notthistime]

11:23 AM on 09/23/2009

"they are the most ig*norant and judgemental people I have ever known"

Physician heal thyself.