Staff writer – Kerran Monroe
In Jamaica news. This story, I am about to tell is apparently already public knowledge. A lot of people are already privy to this information. However there are still a lot of people are not.
Surprisingly enough by the way, this piece of gossip was first announced by Rastafarian Dub Poet Mutabaruka on his local radio program.
So the story goes like this, a very popular dancehall deejay who Muta referred to as “P”, was at a stage show to perform.
As he made his way up the steps to go on stage, a seemingly homosexual male pinched him on his buttocks, called him by his name and then said “Yo bottom fat tho.”
Of course his initial reaction is to declare his heterosexuality. So this artiste took out a ratchet knife from his pockets, spun around, ready to defend his honour.
However before he could take his actions any further, this homosexual male, pulled, what Mutabaruka called a “kriss gun” and said to the deejay, “me se u bottom look fat; a wa?” After that, the deejay having no comeback from that continued his journey up the steps onto the stage. Needless to say, he did not have a good show after that.
Photo courtesy repeatingislands.com
Now, I have always maintained that people are people and should be treated with respect regardless of race, religion, sexuality etc. However, when I heard this story I was really upset.
Upset because, here is a community that is seeking acceptance from mainstream society and complains of acts of violence being carried out against them; however there are individuals such as this man in the community who feel the need to go overboard in declaring his homosexuality.
Mutabaruka. Photo courtesy sparksofdissent.blogspot.com
I find this no different from when I am walking on the street and some complete stranger feels the need to touch me, just because he “likes what he sees”.
In both cases, there is unwanted sexual attention, and both could be viewed as sexual harassment.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not one of those who think that gay people should hide in a closet. However, whether you are gay or straight, there are boundaries, boundaries that should not be crossed.
I know how upset I get when men feel the need to touch me to get my attention so I can just imagine what that artiste must have gone through that night.
What that man did was completely disrespectful and unacceptable, even in a society where gay people are free to express their love and marry.
