Caribbean News Now!

By Mario Boothe

It might be inconceivable in these times that the youngest (and those who are young at heart) among us get drawn into the melodramatic, chaotically beautiful utopia of soap operas, whose attractive actors and actresses continuously over-dramatize the realities of our society.

Mario Boothe is a young aspiring political analyst, with a growing blog readership. He has been involved in the Jamaican political environment with his involvement in political organizations and groups. He has obtained an associate’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, majoring in travel and tourism.

The most celebrated of the soap operas – “Days of Our Lives” -- reintroduced homosexual couples after decades of plotting around the touchy subject; with the show’s demographic largely seniors -- with more old-fashioned views – probably emboldened by the swing of American consensus on gay rights and marriage equality which for the first time in 2012, had a higher approval rating than disapproval. The year was punctuated with an exclamation when President Obama became the first sitting president to announce support for gay marriage.

There were two momentous votes this month on the issues of gay rights and marriage equality both with lasting implications on the political debate and public discourse, often resembling a dog fight over morals, ethics and rights, with traditional views often quelled by the world’s spin towards secular/liberal social dynamics.

Although Puerto Rico has banned gay adoption, the British government, with staunch opposition from conservative members, has now passed the “Gay Marriage Bill”, which puts it in line with other developed nations (e.g. Canada) that have already given full support to marriage equality; while in the United States a central vote took place within the ranks of the Boy Scouts to allow ‘openly gay’ members within their organization both as recruits and leaders, with the organization’s members having 70% allegiance to a religion of some kind – according to a CNN poll – a negative result was expected and indeed it was a ‘nay’ for the gay rights advocates.

Getting What You Deserve

To the homeless gay men and women on the streets of the corporate area and around Jamaica, please take note from the plot line of the soap operas that everything negative and distasteful about yourselves that will lower your standings in society or within the eyes of those that seek your absolute downfall must be kept locked “within the closet”, which is sadly ironic because that is the bane of your existence. The cause of the homeless gays and the broader advance of human rights within Jamaica depends implicitly on the homeless gays personal decorum and self-management in the public arena – where views, words and actions are vigorously exchanged.

Society, by cultural modus operandi, deems them solely “gays” whose “homelessness” is just punishment for ‘abnormal’ and constitutionally ‘illegal’ behaviour for which such penalty is the tip of the iceberg if left up to some of us – us as in population. While allegations spin on the “JFLAG stoning by homeless gays” even the slightest thought of gays turning on one of the few organizations that are seeking to protect their interest is enough for the opposition to mount an attack on relating this to “Biting the hands that feed you” and that these people “don’t want rights”.

There is no easy way to have a discussion on homosexuality and rights, unless everyone is on the same page but the truth is, in a democratic society, people are entitled to their opinions and to have these opinions heard. What we are certainly not entitled to is denying the rights of others in the pursuit of our own beliefs; we must not be caught either neglecting or ignoring our rights. All citizens must enjoy the rights and share in the responsibilities of a nation.

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