Jamiaca S Gully Queens
Alejandro Lara
Professor Burns
ENC 1101
13 November 2014
Help for the Gully Queens Most countries no longer tolerate homophobia; sadly Jamaica is not one of them. According to Williams, there are three influential institutions that encourage homophobia in Jamaica: the church, the government, and the music industry. The very religious people of Jamaica use the passages from the Bible to justify their homophobia, and most of the church does nothing to aid homosexual people. The majority of the officials in the Jamaican government are homophobic, so they care little for the welfare of the homosexual population and often run very anti-gay political campaigns. In Jamaica, music is very much a part of the national identity. Unfortunately the popular music in Jamaica, specifically dancehall music, is very homophobic. One of the biggest hits in Jamaica is Boom Bye-Bye by Buju Banton; the song contains lyrics advocating the shooting and burning of “batty boys” which is slang for gay men. The almost universal homophobia in Jamaica forces homosexual people to hide their homosexuality in public. Those who refuse to hide their homosexuality are overwhelmingly and violently ostracized from society.
The homophobia in Jamaica has created a huge problem that is well documented by two videos uploaded by Vice News and JA for U. The problem is openly homosexual people are forced to live in storm drains, regionally called gullies. The gullies barely shelter gully queens, what homosexual people who live inside gullies call themselves, from the weather and the often violent population. These gullies are no paradise; they are dirty, cramped, and flood prone. The gully queens make a living selling food, drugs, and their bodies out on the streets. Gully queens cannot live anywhere normal because most are too poor to have a real place of living. Even if they did have enough money, no one would allow them to own or rent a place because they are gay. Everyone wants to get the people out
Professor Burns
ENC 1101
13 November 2014
Help for the Gully Queens Most countries no longer tolerate homophobia; sadly Jamaica is not one of them. According to Williams, there are three influential institutions that encourage homophobia in Jamaica: the church, the government, and the music industry. The very religious people of Jamaica use the passages from the Bible to justify their homophobia, and most of the church does nothing to aid homosexual people. The majority of the officials in the Jamaican government are homophobic, so they care little for the welfare of the homosexual population and often run very anti-gay political campaigns. In Jamaica, music is very much a part of the national identity. Unfortunately the popular music in Jamaica, specifically dancehall music, is very homophobic. One of the biggest hits in Jamaica is Boom Bye-Bye by Buju Banton; the song contains lyrics advocating the shooting and burning of “batty boys” which is slang for gay men. The almost universal homophobia in Jamaica forces homosexual people to hide their homosexuality in public. Those who refuse to hide their homosexuality are overwhelmingly and violently ostracized from society.
The homophobia in Jamaica has created a huge problem that is well documented by two videos uploaded by Vice News and JA for U. The problem is openly homosexual people are forced to live in storm drains, regionally called gullies. The gullies barely shelter gully queens, what homosexual people who live inside gullies call themselves, from the weather and the often violent population. These gullies are no paradise; they are dirty, cramped, and flood prone. The gully queens make a living selling food, drugs, and their bodies out on the streets. Gully queens cannot live anywhere normal because most are too poor to have a real place of living. Even if they did have enough money, no one would allow them to own or rent a place because they are gay. Everyone wants to get the people out
Cited: JA for U. “ ‘Jamaica’s Underground Gays’ – video depicting a minority of gays living in Jamaica.” Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 12 June 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014 Vice News. “Young and Gay: Jamaica’s Gully Queens (Full Length).” Online Video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 28 July 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014 Williams, Lawson. "Homophobia And Gay Rights Activism In Jamaica." Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal Of Criticism 7 (2000): 106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.