Jamaica: Not positive on HIV (see video)

On Monday evening, The Pulitzer Center and St.Thomas Parish in northwest DC presented five brief documentaries entitled The Glass Closet: Homophobia, Violence, and the Spread of HIV in Jamaica. The "cropped docs", narrated and presented by Lisa Biagiotti, were a startling glimpse of the views on homosexuality and HIV from the perspective of the government, the church, and the citizens of Jamaica. Apparently, Jamaica is a country united and divided.

On one hand the country seems united in their stance on homosexuals: an overwhelming majority of Jamaican citizens are not fond of them. In the documentary, the audience learned that homosexuals on the island are subjected to hateful and violent acts such as beatings, having their homes burned and being “cropped”. Deep Christian values and anti-sodomy laws, which criminalize homosexual sex, fuel the hate. Even lawmakers such as Representative Ernest Smith, vehemently condemn the homosexual lifestyle. He stated in the documentary, “Jamaicans were raised to dislike homosexuality. They were raised to hate homosexuals. We’re not saying gay people should be obliterated from the Earth. Just keep your filth to yourself.”

When the documentary focused on HIV and AIDS, class and economical issues arise. The country is divided by class. Citizens who are from uptown are viewed as being from the British tribe. They have more money, speak in “proper” English and have more access to private homes. Thus, if they are infected with HIV, uptown dwellers can seek treatment more discreetly. People who reside downtown are considered more African. They are, for the most part, poor citizens who frequently speak Patois and live in close quarters. Privacy is almost impossible. If downtown citizens need treatment for HIV, they have to be secretive about finding it. Being exposed as HIV positive person could wrongly tie them in with being homosexual. Even the clinics that are there to help people with HIV cannot reveal their location or print brochures out of fear of being attacked. Dr. Robert Carr, the Executive Director of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, said in the documentary “If you don’t believe that a society should exists, then it doesn’t matter if they get the virus or not. They shouldn’t exist anyway.”

Jamaica is very similar to the United States on the issue of AIDS. Homophobia and ignorance about the disease drive the stigma and keep people with HIV in the closet. There are people in both countries that  have very strong feelings about homosexuality and religion. Some HIV positive people here and on the island are forced to live double lives and conceal their illness. There are people in both countries that feel as though HIV is something that certain people deserve to have. The statistics show that 1.5 percent of the adult population are estimated to be HIV-positive in Jamaica compared to the  1.1 million in the United States. In Jamaica, it is estimated that 20 to 30 percent of men who have sex with men are HIV-positive. The number could be higher but getting tested puts them at risk of being attacked. In the United States, more than 530,000 men who have sex with men are positive.

Jamaica and the United States clearly have a long road ahead to surpass the stigma and hate and begin the process of ending the epidemic.

For more information about The Glass Closet, click here.

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