Junor
Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor
THE Government remains firm in its stance on homosexuality and will not yield to the calls for a decriminalisation of the practice, even for health reasons, according to Minister of Health, John Junor.
The Minister was responding to questions from The Sunday Gleaner regarding comments made by the island's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Peter Figueroa, at the Pan American Health Organisation and World Health Organisation conference on AIDS at the Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios on Thursday.
Dr. Figueroa, in noting that HIV cases across the island were at an alarmingly high rate and that people continued to go "underground" for fear of discrimination, said the time had come for some serious policy changes as it relates to the country's sex laws. He called for the buggery law, which makes homosexuality illegal to be repealed, and for the authorities to decriminalise sex workers.
"In order to raise the level of response, we must begin to look at the legal framework and current laws governing certain practices," explained Dr. Figueroa. "It is a given that social stigma and discrimination drive people underground. If we are to address this epidemic properly, we have to be able to accurately gauge the number of HIV cases across the island. We need to repeal the buggery law that makes homosexuality illegal and we need to decriminalise sex workers."
But according to Mr. Junor, the "Government's position regarding homosexuality remains clear" and would not be swayed despite the merits of Dr. Figueroa's suggestions.
"The Government is committed in its fight to control the spreading of HIV across the island," the Minister said. "We recognise the enormity of the situation and as we did with successfully negotiating with the pharmaceutical companies to have the prices of HIV treatment drugs greatly reduced, we will continue to lobby on behalf of patients suffering from the disease and also to prevent others from being infected."
The Minister though noted that he would be in support of condoms being distributed in the prisons, another call, which was made by Dr. Figueroa.
"I'm all for the distribution of condoms in the prisons and for conjugal visits for prisoners. This is something I believe is warranted and would have my full support."
Despite mounting pressures from human rights groups regarding the repealing of laws, which make homosexuality illegal, the Government has remained steadfast in its stance. Only a few months ago, Parliament voted not to adopt a resolution that was put forward by the homosexual group, J-FLAG, which had tried to get the buggery law repealed. Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, from a political platform last year, had declared that under his watch there would be no changes in the law governing homosexuality.
Dr. Figueroa had created a national furore last year when he had first suggested a change in the country's sex laws. Asked whether he wasn't afraid to once again go up against a populous view as it relates to homosexuality, Dr. Figueroa notes "I am not into this thing for popularity. This is serious and has to be treated as such. HIV is on the rise and we have to do everything we can to get this epidemic under control."
Dr. Figueroa singled out Montego Bay and Kingston as the parishes that have the highest number of HIV cases and warned that the situation could get even worse.
"What concerns us is that if the rest of the island follows this pattern then we are in for a national disaster," he said. "We also find that the main causes have been among people with multiple sex partners, people who are on crack cocaine and also promiscuity."
