Robert Buddan, Contributor
THE GOVERNMENT, police, church and media have sufficiently rejected the report of Human Rights Watch and its surrogate organisations on grounds that it is unsubstantiated, confrontational, and disrespectful of Jamaica and its values.
It declared Jamaica to be a homophobic society. But it has not made a case for singling out Jamaica or for singling out homosexuals. We need to separate attitudes towards homosexuality and attitudes towards tolerance of people in general if we are to put countries and discrimination around the world in proper perspective.
We will find that the xenophobic society (of the west) is much more dangerous than the homophobic society and western human rights organisations might better spend their time fixing their own problems before attacking others.
Jamaica is not even more homophobic than the U.S. The U.S. laws do not make male or female homosexuality illegal but that does not mean the society is more tolerant of it. Homophobia is the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or the lifestyles of homosexuals.
The United States has at least a dozen major associations that target gays and any lifestyle thought to undermine conservative family values. These organisations have millions of members and thousands of chapters all over the U.S.
HATE GROUPS
They are sometimes called hate groups because their critics say they promote hatred and homophobia under the guise of supporting the right 'family values'. They attack homosexuality in the same breath in which they attack pornography, abortion, and profanity.
They are not passively homophobic either. They actively lobby elected officials, the media and entertainment industries; oppose the teaching of sex education (and even evolution), and promote their agenda in politics and the courts. Prominent Republican, Phyllis Schlafly, heads the Eagle Forum which opposes education about AIDS, sex, and programmes for day-care, family leave, abortion rights and the Equal (Women's) Rights Amendment. The Eagle Forum argues that if heterosexual families with mothers in the home were the norm, there would be no need for these programmes. Jamaicans do not attack homosexuality in such a comprehensive and organised fashion. Which society then is more homophobic?
CULTURES AND HOMOPHOBIA
Jamaica does have laws against male homosexuality. But many and varied countries do. In the Caribbean male homosexuality is illegal in Barbados, Cuba, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. It is legal in six Caribbean countries (including Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Female homosexuality is also illegal in four of the first set of countries, but not in Jamaica, Grenada and Guyana. If it is the law that defines a homophobic country, then this would only make Jamaica half homophobic, if there can be any such thing.
In fact, although female homosexuality is not illegal in Jamaica, women are the greater victims of sexual abuse and gender discrimination and it is to this problem that these human rights organisations (some of which are women-run) should turn their attention. It is to this problem that Minister Paul Robertson has now dedicated his legislative attention and these human rights organisations can help him.
Indeed, the data on AIDS/HIV, rape, and incest are at least as applicable to women as to men and this questions the existence of any special relationship between sexual victimisation and male homosexuality in Jamaica.
If it is the law that defines a country as homophobic then many countries are. In Africa, 32 countries outlaw male homosexuality and Sudan, Nigeria and Mauritania impose the death penalty for it. It is illegal in 16 Asian countries and legal in 14 others. It is illegal in 12 out of 15 countries in the Middle East. In Oceania it is illegal in 8 countries and legal in four (including New Zealand and Australia).
LEGAL VS ILLEGAL
On the other hand, it is legal in all the South American countries, Canada and the U.S. It is legal in all 45 countries of Europe. In all, it is illegal in 75 countries and legal in 91 countries (half of which are European) for which the laws are known.
Taking the South American countries out, male homosexuality is legal in all the western (white) countries in contrast to the majority of non-western (non-white) ones. Many of the latter countries oppose homosexuality on religious grounds, but they also do so to resist attempts at imposing the values of the west on other cultures.
Where do these values come from? There are eight passages in the Bible that have been commonly cited in direct condemnation of homosexual activity. Same sex intercourse is also a violation of Islam. Five Islamic countries have the death penalty including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, and Mauritania. In the Jewish religion, sexual intercourse between two men is forbidden by the Torah. It is on the same level as incest and is a capital offence.
It might be that the Abrahamic religions spread homophobia and the Bible is a homophobic document. Or, it might be that what is morality for some is homophobia to others. In either case, there is no reason to single out Jamaica.
XENOPHOBIA: THE GREATER DANGER
Is homophobia the greater danger to any society, or is it xenophobia? Xenophobia refers to the fear of foreigners and is most violently directed at immigrants in Europe and North America. Kofi Annan said in 2001, "In Europe today, it is the political manipulation of the fear of foreigners that pose the greatest threat to democracy." In fact, both racism and homophobia are sometimes reduced to xenophobia.
Tragedies like those in Kosovo show how extreme nationalism, racism, chauvinism, and xenophobia can be among the most serious problems in the western countries.
Xenophobic groups oppose liberalisation of citizenship laws for immigrants, physically attack foreigners, bomb and burn churches and desecrate the cemeteries of blacks and Jews. Many authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe encourage them.
According to their philosophy, certain kinds of people contaminate white society and the white race. These include Jews, blacks, non-white foreigners in general, gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally handicapped, Jehovah's Witnesses, socialists and communists.
EXTREME NATIONALISTS
Xenophobic groups are extreme nationalists and anti-globalists because globalisation opens borders to immigrants. Many of these groups use the anti-Muslim and anti-terrorism campaign as a guise for their own xenophobic causes.
They are not mere fringe groups but are highly organised. In Austria, the Freedom Party of Jorg Haider came in second in 1999 winning 27 per cent of the votes and 52 seats in the parliament on an anti-immigration platform. It held as many as six seats in the cabinet.
ANTI-SEMITIC PLATFORM
The Vaams Blok in Belgium became the biggest political force in Antwerp in 2000 winning 20 of 50 seats on the city council and 15 seats in the legislature on an anti-immigration and anti-Semitic platform.
In Denmark, the Danish People's Party became the third largest political party in 2001, winning 12 per cent of the votes and 22 parliamentary seats, forcing itself into a coalition government where it has promoted cutting aid to developing counties.
In France, the National Front, led by Jean-Marie Le Pen, won six million votes in 2002 and came second in run-off presidential elections showing the growing trend in anti-immigration attitudes in Europe.
In Italy, the xenophobic National League/National Alliance joined in coalition with the right wing Berlusconi government after the 2001 elections and was given three cabinet posts. The National League says the EU is run by pedophiles. The Liveable Netherlands won 26 seats in its first ever election contest in 2001 and believes in ending immigration entirely.
RACIST VIOLENCE
Other dangerous far-right parties exist in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Portugal and Norway. The British National Party (BNP) recently won a local council seat in East London. The Mayor of London declared, "The BNP is a fascist party. Wherever they are elected racist violence increases." The BNP is now a bigger threat than before.
Xenophobia defines western societies more than homophobia defines Jamaican society. Xenophobia is organised. It exists in political parties that contest elections, win the support of millions of people, enter governments, hold cabinet posts, influence policies on immigration, citizenship, foreign aid, and human rights, use violence and hatred against homosexuals and non-whites. They are acknowledged as being dangerous.
TARGETING IMMIGRANTS
A 1997 Euro barometer poll showed that 33 per cent of Europeans considered themselves as 'quite racist' or 'very racist' confirming that a worrying level of racism and xenophobia existed. Many of the declared racists were xenophobic, targeting immigrants in particular. Another 33 per cent considered themselves "a little racist". This racism and xenophobia increased after 9/11 and has helped to strengthen the right wing in the U.S.
We should not condone violence against anyone but it seems to me that Human Rights Watch should concentrate on the greater danger to the greater number of people. Western societies are xenophobic and the kind of violence perpetrated against homosexuals and many other categories of people is much more organised than anything in Jamaica.
Robert Buddan lectures in the Department of Government, UWI, Mona. E-mail: Robert. Buddan@uwimona.edu.jm
