Gays bawlinn bout boycott

[blugiant]

Gay rights lobby groups in the United States have stepped up their boycott of Jamaica.

Reports out of New York are that gay rights activists on Wednesday night dumped Red Stripe beer and Myer's Rum in the city's sewer as part of their campaign against the island.

In a statement, the owners of the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York, said they see the boycott of products and tourism to the island as a sign of solidarity with their Jamaican brothers and sisters.

The statement urged people of all walks of life to send a clear message to the Jamaican people and the government that as long as they continue to allow and condone violence as well as hatred toward the gay community the boycott will continue.

Earlier this week the local gay rights group J-FLAG said it would not support the call for a boycott of Jamaica.

JFLAG said it was unfortunate that its American counterparts were targeting Jamaican companies which have distanced themselves from hostilities toward the gay community.

In the meantime, Red Stripe says it is being unfairly targeted by gay activists in the US.

Speaking with RJR News on Wednesday night Corporate Relations Manager at Red Stripe, Maxine Wittingham Osbourne, said the company was surprised by the groups' stance against it.

"Red Stripe is in fact surprised. We have engaged the gay boycott organizers in dialogue as we believe they are targeting a company and brand that has actually demonstrated tolerance both in our actions and our policies locally and globally," said Mrs. Wittingham Osbourne.

Mrs. Wittingham Osbourne says the company is concerned about possible fallout from the boycott.

"In fact Red Stripe is concerned about any potential fall out as a result we will continue to have dialogue with this group to ensure that we prevent any further negative reactions," she said.

[blugiant]

Re:Gays bawlinn bout boycott

A Jamaican gay rights group has issued an open letter critical of the effort launched last month that calls on people to boycott liquor imported from the country because of its record of deadly violence and other acts of violence perpetrated against LGBT people.

The boycott, which also asks tourists not to travel to the island nation, was organized in San Francisco and other cities by several gay bloggers, including Michael Petrelis of San Francisco, and Wayne Besen and Jim Burroway. The activists specifically called on LGBTs to boycott Myers's rum and Red Stripe beer, and called on gay bars to pull the brands from their establishments.

Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays issued the letter April 12. Program manager Jason McFarlane, who signed the letter, thanked international allies "for their continued interest in the state of LGBT affairs in Jamaica." But he went on to call the boycott "unfortunate" and said that the company that markets Red Stripe, in particular, "unequivocally distanced itself from the hostility and violence typical of Jamaican music towards members of the LGBT community." McFarlane noted that last year, Red Stripe ceased sponsorship of music festivals that promoted hate and intolerance, "including that against members of the LGBT community."

"The naming of Red Stripe, therefore, as a target of this boycott is extremely damaging to the cause of LGBT activists in Jamaica," he wrote.

McFarlane also accused boycott organizers of having "failed in the key area of fact finding."

On his Petrelis Files blog, Petrelis acknowledged that Diageo, the "mega-corporation with extensive beer and liquor brands, ended support of concerts because some of the singers espouse and worship violence against gays."

But he noted that the company did not mention anti-gay violence in its message about why it was ending sponsorship of the concerts.

"Actually, the company didn't come right out and say that in their vaguely worded explanation," Petrelis wrote, adding that the word "gay" was not included in the company's statement and that it did not specifically mention anti-gay lyrics of the music it criticized.

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: Gays bawlinn bout boycott

misleading title just so you can use those words huh brill!!

I don't see anywhere in the article where JFLAG is bawling.

[blugiant]

Re: Gays bawlinn bout boycott

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diabolical_Tanya</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> misleading title just so you can use those words huh brill!!

I don't see anywhere in the article where JFLAG is bawling. </div></div>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Earlier this week the local gay rights group J-FLAG said it would not support the call for a boycott of Jamaica.</div></div>

yu doan see j-fags decry dem mzungu homosexuals wey boycottinn dem favarate redd stripe batty wipe jrink. wat a tink iff dem mzungu homosexuals stapp visitinn dem j-fags

[remo]

Re: Gays bawlinn bout boycott

suh in order for them to dump the red stripe and myers dont they have to purchase it first?...suh how dat hurting jamaica?

[halfwaytree]

Re: Gays bawlinn bout boycott

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: remo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">suh in order for them to dump the red stripe and myers dont they have to purchase it first?...suh how dat hurting jamaica?
</div></div>

Yes! Yu right. If anything it is free publicity for those products!

[evanovitch]

Re: Gays bawlinn bout boycott

anybody tell dem eediat seh Red Stripe not owned by any Jcan...ahh sah...an mi no tink who drink RS a go stop juss tru some bman want dem to...afta all, real men naw go wan admit seh bman can influence dem decisions

lawd, mi wudda love deh somewhe an one a dem come up to mi wid all dis...fi real

[kingy]

Re: Gays bawlinn bout boycott

I was always told that if you are not wanted somewhere, dont go there. whats so hard in that concept?

[evanovitch]

farrin gays a diss local gays opinion it wud seem ..wink.dwl

<span style="font-weight: bold">par fi di course...dont..dem know bettta dan dose who live deh an a fight dem own fight fi demself ...aint dis a byatch...well mi glad seh dem naw go as touriss doan..an wi neva even haffi carry a placard fi stop dem... </span><span style="font-weight: bold">ahh mek mi stop </span>

Friday, April 17, 2009

GAYS and lesbians in the US have targeted Jamaican products Red Stripe beer and Myers Rum in a boycott of the Caribbean island to support local homosexuals who they said were being oppressed.

On Tuesday, gay advocates at a New York City inn - the self-styled birthplace of the gay rights movement - dumped the Jamaican liquor products in the sewer and called for continued support to send &quot;a clear message to Jamaican people and their government&quot;.

In a statement yesterday Red Stripe, which is owned by the international Diageo Group, displayed surprise at being targeted. &quot;Over the years, by our actions and our policies, we have demonstrated that we do not advocate any bias or prejudice against any individual or group(s),&quot; said the statement.

&quot;We have not had any consultation with this lobby group, but we do not rule out engaging them in discussions,&quot; Red Stripe said.

According to the group, through their website boycottjamaica, international human rights activists have labelled Jamaica &quot;the most homophobic place on Earth&quot; because homosexuals were being beaten and murdered on the island, while authorities do little to stop the violence.

As a reZsult, the US group said they were calling for a boycott of the island's products, including tourism.
Said the organisers of the boycott: &quot;We, as the owners of the Stonewall Inn, birthplace of the gay rights movement, refuse to support, in any way, shape or form, the oppression of any people especially our gay brothers and sisters in Jamaica.

&quot;We ask all people of all walks of life to send a clear message to the Jamaican people and their government, that as long as they continue to allow and condone violence and hatred toward the gay community, we will neither buy their products nor support their tourist trade.

<span style="font-weight: bold">However, Jamaican homosexual group Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, and Gays (J-Flag) in a release posted on the Internet disapproved of the position taken by their counterparts in the US.

&quot;It is important that our international allies understand the nature of our struggle and engage us in a respectful way about it,&quot; J-Flag said, adding that it required the painstaking effort of confronting the society and talking to social actors who can bring change in the way society sees homosexuals.

&quot;We have been doing this through a small but growing group of increasingly aware opinion leaders who are concerned about the damage homophobia does to our society.&quot;</span>

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: farrin gays a diss local gays opinion it wud seem ..wink.dwl

Foreign gays are simply trying to find an easy target to use as a sprongboard to erode the antigay tendencies in the world. They make a big maistake. they should hav estudied thehistory of the country before tey chose Jamaica.
Even if daigo moive out of the coountry, it won't change the people's attitude.
They don't know Jamaica. .

[Amberal37]

Re: farrin gays a diss local gays opinion it wud seem ..wink.dwl

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Foreign gays are simply trying to find an easy target to use as a sprongboard to erode the antigay tendencies in the world. They make a big maistake. they should hav estudied thehistory of the country before tey chose Jamaica.
.</div></div>

Agree about the biased targetting there...as far as I see it Jamaica attitudes although I cannot describe it as progressive on this topic - range about the same as other many other countries that I've been to, the only big difference is Jamaicans are more openly expressive of their opinions.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Even if daigo moive out of the coountry, it won't change the people's attitude.
They don't know Jamaica. </div></div>

Well if Diageo move out - and I take it you might refer to the possible loss of jobs - then Jamaicans should boycott their beer, god only knows this beer only gets it's world prominance because it is seen as quintessentially &quot;Jamaican&quot;.

[britisha]

Re: farrin gays a diss local gays opinion it wud seem ..wink.dwl

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Foreign gays are simply trying to find an easy target to use as a sprongboard to erode the antigay tendencies in the world. They make a big maistake. they should hav estudied thehistory of the country before tey chose Jamaica.
Even if daigo moive out of the coountry, it won't change the people's attitude.
They don't know Jamaica. . </div></div>

hm...*aye sah* so they think that boycotting &quot;Jamaican&quot; products will force Jamaicans to change their views on certain matters? Well mek whoeva tink so, wheel an cum agen&quot; Jamaica might be small, and Jamaica might be financially weak. but as ole time ppl used to seh

<span style="font-weight: bold">DEATH BEFORE DISHONOUR&quot;!!

While I don't condone stoning or killing aniboddie fi dem sexual preference</span> dem cyaan force a government of a country to change their laws to accommodate them either. Who do they think they are?? After all they were stigmatised in their own country also until bout 40 years ago when they can now come out of the closet; and they are still stigmatised, so?