The Lives We Value: Homophobia and TT Media

 Homophobia is not simply the “fear” of gay persons, and rather a more appropriate term for this is heterosexism, but it is a man’s internalized fear of being emasculated.

(Copyright 2019 Brandon Kalyan. Used with permission.)

Yesterday, the LGBTQIA community was shaken upon hearing about the loss of one of its own, Marcus Anthony Singh, a talented fashion designer and performer of drag who was also known as Maria Venus Raj. Without delay, the media has swooped in to cover the story like corbeaux. As expected, the homophobic comments began rolling in. Within our Caribbean context, we have a culture of homophobia that stems far back into our colonial past, and that polices the way that men and boys are expected to look and behave. When they step outside of these bounds, they are met with hostility and shaming. It is for this reason that the island of Jamaica has been referred to as the most homophobic place on earth.

" 'If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them’
Leviticus 20:13"

"Former 'PAGEANT' contestant? Let ME take a 'stab' at this. Was it the Annual Sashaying Swordsman Pageant that is so popular with the 'manly men' in TnT these days?"

"Fire bun chi chi man."

 (comments taken from Newsday TT Facebook page.)

 

This type of hostility is the result of prejudice and discrimination that has been socialized over many years. It is unclear at this point whether or not this occurrence can be dubbed as a hate crime, but it is very clear from these comments that there exists a culture with the potential to fuel an act of this nature. We can also see from comments such as these that within our nation, there are certain lives that are appointed more value over others. We recognize that there are certain comments and critiques that are made about different identities which prove that some are more acceptable than others, especially those of the persons who are victims of gender-based violence.

Whenever reports of these victims surface the media spares no details, regardless of how harmful or unethical they are. Daily Express writes that he was "clad in underwear and bra top", in a distasteful manner, albeit this seems to be a common trend among media houses to report what persons are wearing or not wearing, in order to paint a picture. It is particularly done in poor taste in this instance because although Marcus lived his life authentically and chose to transcend gender norms, the writers of this statement knew well that the comments would be polarizing. But the media is not in the business of dignifying persons or helping anyone, instead, they perpetuate harm for a quick dollar because sensationalism sells.

Religious beliefs and affiliations continue to shape the attitudes and behaviors towards diverse gender and sexual identities in the Caribbean, particularly those of Christianity left behind by our colonizers that foster an irrational fear about the state of morality. When we think about gender-based violence, we often think of this as an act that is carried out by a man towards women and girls. While this is the instance in most cases, we dismiss the idea of this happening in reverse or in relation to persons who do not conform to the limits that our society has set in regards to the gender that is thrust onto us at birth. It is naive to think that these do not occur and when they do, the men who are receivers of this violence are made a mockery because of sexist and homophobic stereotypes that are ingrained in our society. 

This is the reason why those lesser recognized victims do not feel empowered to make police reports, for fear of not being taken seriously, and it is also why there are no laws or policies that recognize and protect LGBTQIA persons from these acts which makes them more vulnerable to attacks. And even if/when this is rectified, it means nothing if we continue to foster a homophobic and sexist culture. The truth is that some members of the community feel a sense of hopelessness that justice will not be received and that this could be any one of us.

In addition to a call for the safety of the LGBTQIA community, this is a call for the people of our nation to wake up and see that the ways that we think and act have real social and cultural consequences. It is time to change the ways we think about gender and sexuality and to begin transforming masculinity, into one that is without violence, fear, shame, and guilt. This is also a call for justice and for an equal effort from the TTPS to serve it, as they would with any other case. Whatever the true nature of this tragedy was, it is a tremendous loss to the community. With this said, my condolences go out to the family and friends of Marcus Anthony Singh who lived courageously and confidently, and was a fierce queen.