A community called McGregor Gully in East Kingston, Jamaica ordered all gays to leave their community by October 30th – pegged “Gay Eradication Day.” Yeah, I know right? Wow. The homophobes said they won’t stop until their community is “gay free” and those that do not leave will have to “suffer the consequences.” Boy am I thankful to live in Vancouver.

According to Digital Journal,

“According to the residents, the main problem is a local hangout that is frequented by lesbians who ‘kiss, hug, and even touch each other.’ And the community’s anger is directed mostly at those lesbians, though any gay men who reside in the area are also expected to leave. The residents say they will not stop until their community is “gay free” and are not afraid of resorting to extreme measures, though they would not explicitly say what those measures might be.”

I’ve written about Jamaican reggae singer, Buju Banton before, and his violently homophobic lyrics before, and the success the LA Gay & Lesbian Center has had in having his concerts canceled. I wonder what it is about the culture that is so homophobic? They are a very conservative/religious nation, but actually, I think a lot of it does come from influential people such as Buju Banton. Music is a huge part of their culture, so you can understand what an impact the lyrics may have. One of his songs called “Boom Bye-Bye” states that gays “haffi dead” (“have to die”). Not only does Jamaica have one of the highest murder rates in the world, it has also been referred to as one of the most homophobic place on earth. Not a good combo for gays that live there…or even visit!

Related Stories:
• UPDATE: Success in Cancelling Buju Banton Anti-Gay Concerts
• Homophobic Lyrics: The Show Will Go On?
• Take A Look In The Mirror