Homeless gay and transgender
youngsters have made a home for themselves in a mosquito-infested storm
drain (or 'gully') in Kingston, Jamaica
One of the inhabitants washes in the
storm drain under a hydrant, from which clean water flows. Homophobia is
rife in Jamaica, with 80 per cent of the population harbouring anti-gay
sentiment
The
Gully Queens, as they call themselves, have sought refuge in the drains
after being forced out from shacks, derelict buildings, and sometimes
by their own families.
Unwilling to hide their sexuality, the sense of community and relative safety the gully provides acts as a welcome sanctuary.
They
try to live as dignified a life as possible, given their filthy
cockroach/mosquito-infested surroundings: clothes are laid out to dry on
the side of the drain; they shower with clean water that gushes from a
hydrant; and sleep on makeshift mattresses crafted from pallets and
carpets.
But at night, it can be cold, and there is the constant threat of someone jumping in to attack them.
Homophobia is rife in Jamaica, with 80 per cent of the population harbouring anti-gay sentiment.
There
still exists a 'buggery' law, harking back to colonial times, whereby
anyone caught having anal sex faces 10 years of hard labour in jail -
although homosexuality itself is not illegal.
The
film - Young And Gay: Jamaica's Gully Queens - explores how young
transgender and homosexual people are leading the fight against the
Caribbean island nation's institutionalised homophobia through
visibility, community spirit and an outspoken attitude towards their
position in society.
Violent
attacks against the LGBT group are commonplace, with little to no
retribution or justice brought against those responsible.
Evangelical
preachers who promote homophobia attract huge and receptive audiences,
while lyrics in popular songs regularly include exhortations to 'kill
the batty boys'.
Violent attacks against the LGBT group
are commonplace, with little to no retribution or justice brought
against those responsible
International
advocacy groups often portray Jamaica as the most hostile country in
the Western Hemisphere for gays and transgendered people.
Between 2009 and 2012, a total of 231 reports were made to J-FLAG (Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays).
The Gully Queens, as they call
themselves, have sought refuge in the drains after being forced out from
shacks, derelict buildings, and sometimes by their own families
One of the Gully Queens is Khloe, whose friend Dwayne Jones - a transgender teen - was murdered in July 2013.
Dwayne was relentlessly teased in high school for being effeminate until he dropped out.
His
father not only kicked him out of the house at the age of 14 but also
helped jeering neighbours push the youngster from the rough Jamaican
slum where he grew up.
By
the age of 16, the teenager was dead - beaten, stabbed, shot and run
over by a car when he showed up at a street party dressed as a woman.
His mistake: confiding to a friend that he was attending a 'straight' party as a girl for the first time in his life.
'When I saw Dwayne's body, I started shaking and crying,' Khloe told Associated Press.
She
was one of three transgendered friends who shared a derelict house with
the teenager in the hills above the north coast city of Montego Bay.
Like most transgenders and gays in Jamaica, Khloe wouldn't give a full name out of fear.
'It was horrible. It was so, so painful to see him like that.'
Most incidents were related to assaults, physical attacks, and displacement from homes and communities.
Other incidents included extortion and threats as well as sexual violence, particularly against lesbians and bisexual women.
Homophobic attacks sometimes occur in broad daylight, with the footage then shared across social media.
The
run-up to the 2012 election provided a glimmer of hope for the gay
community - when Jamaica's prime minister Portia Simpson Miller aimed to
review the buggery law, in a show of support for gay rights - but she
has since failed to follow through on her proposals.
In
the documentary, one Gully Queen resident told VICE News reporter
Christo Geoghegan: 'We'll have drama in the gully every day. They even
throw acid and chop [people] up.'
However, Kingston's police force has its own take on the crisis.
Christopher
Murdoch, commanding officer of the New Kingston Police, said there were
problems with the 'diverse, sexual group' in the gully who 'use the
umbrella of the gay community to commit crimes' including 'stealing
phones' from passers-by 'by threatening with knives or machetes'.
For
their part, the Gully Queens do their best to scrape a living: selling
biscuits, weed, alcohol and cigarettes, as well as sex work.
One
resident, Daggering [who sees himself as female], said that when people
found out he was gay, he went to live in a squat, where he made many
friends.
Then one night, someone came in and killed two of his companions by cutting their throats.
During the documentary, Daggering is seen celebrating his birthday.
One of his friends, Trina Boss Bitch, says, 'I wish she lives to see many, many more.'
But as the Gully Queens know only too well: a life can be worth little on the streets of Jamaica.
Unwilling to hide their sexuality, the sense of community and relative safety the gully provides acts as a welcome sanctuary
Khloe, one of the Gully Queens, whose transgendered friend Dwayne Jones was murdered in 2013
A 'buggery' law still exists in
Jamaica, harking back to colonial times, whereby anyone caught having
anal sex faces 10 years of hard labour in jail - although homosexuality
itself is not illegal
The Gully Queens do their best to
scrape a living: selling biscuits, weed, alcohol and cigarettes, as well
as engaging in sex work
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