This is welcome news, indeed, from Jamaica, which has a reputation for being one of the most anti-gay nations on the planet:
Jamaica’s newly elected first female prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, says discrimination against gay people is wrong. “No one should be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation,” Simpson Miller said during a recent election debate, adding that unlike her predecessor she would be open to appointing a qualified gay person to her cabinet.
It doesn’t mean the nation will change overnight — has the United States? No — but to have such a prominent voice arguing against discrimination is huge.
This is good news since we already know that Exodus and their like are trying to peddle their wares offshore so as to keep the hate and fear alive.
This is pretty amazing. Very cool!
I hope she has good and loyal body guards.
A lot of the Jamaicans I know tell me that there is a slow but very real movement of public opinion on this issue in Jamaica.
A LOT if Jamaicans live in Atlanta, and I have asked them why when they tell me this. The reasons they give are 1) education (the better educated, often educated abroad, know better) and people copy the behavior and attitudes of the successful people around them 2) They ain’t blind and deaf. They have heard the loud condemnation of their homophobia, and are starting to move past the ‘wounded pride’ stage to the ‘do they have a point?’ stage. 3) The Commonwealth. Britain is still a MAJOR aid donor to the Jamaicans, and the cultural ties between the two nations are strong. QE II is their head of state even now. More than one woman has told me “when I was in London I met gay people for the first time..well, OUT gay people anyway, and…”, tolerance was, one person at a time, born. And Britain has let it be known they do NOT like sending their Pound Sterling to governments that openly discriminate.
With all the CRAP we hear about fundy trash trying to export ideas no one will buy here to the developing world, this is really good news about the new Jamaican PM. I dont think she would take such a stance if she did not have the ability to read the tea leaves about what is happening in her country (however slowly)
Great news. For many years, I have urged gay friends and gay-friendly friends NOT to vacation in Jamaica. There is no question that Jamaica’s homophobia impacts its tourist industry.
Jerry