HPV PREVENTION. Dr Joel Palefsky, an infectious disease expert from the University of San Francisco (left with Dr Mark Gilbert and Dr Natasha Press), told the gay men's health summit in Vancouver that all boys should be vaccinated against HPV. (Nathaniel Christopher photo)
The next general election is over two years away if held when constitutionally due. The health of the economy, freedom of information, integrity legislation and immigration issues we suspect will feature prominently on the next general election platform. Another issue we suspect will be on the list is one of morality, specifically homosexuality.
The members of the BU family who have been with us from our early days know the interest we have shown in homosexuality (do a search of BU using ‘homosexuality’ keyword). It is one of the pillar issues we feature from time to time even if of late it has not featured on the BU rotation with the same early frequency. Interestingly the subject of homosexuality is one which a high level of hypocrisy can be levelled in Barbados. Whether we like the Jamaican approach Prime Minister Bruce Golding has echoed the position of most Jamaicans, zero tolerance to batty men in his cabinet because he feels it does not reflect the public position. Jamaicans appear to wear the label of homophobic like a boy scout would wear a badge of honour.
In Barbados we have a long way to go regarding how as a country we want to deal with the issue of homosexuality. BU remembers very well prior to the last election listening to representatives of the Democratic Labour Party (Dr. Byer-Suckoo) and the Barbados Labour Party (Reverend Joseph Atherley) dipsy-doodle around the homosexuality issue. In contrast Jamaicans are sending a clear message. Some Jamaican homosexuals are not being deterred and have started underground churches. The venom of Jamaicans directed towards homosexuals have forced many homosexuals in Jamaica to go underground. Stories of Jamaicans suspected of the homosexual lifestyle being publicly beaten by fellow Jamaicans are a matter of record.
The lobby by homosexuals to promote greater tolerance in our predominantly heterosexual and Christian driven societies is gathering momentum. This issue is not going away. The fact many believe homosexuality to be a deviant behaviour does not remove the fact that homosexuality has now become a civil rights mater. The reality that our societies are built on Christian values and by extension the socialization of our people will continue to build tension in the minds of the average Barbadian when confronted with the homosexual issue.
In a related matter we read with interest that the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) among gay men, especially those already infected with HIV. When you are HIV-positive virtually everyone has HPV,” Palefsky says. And gay men who are HIV-negative are still at high risk. This information was circulated at the Fifth Men’s Gay Summit held last week. The local medical and homosexual community should note the recommendation by Dr. Palefsky who is an infectious disease expert: Palefsky believes that all boys should receive a universal HPV vaccine before they are sexually active “because there’s no way to know who is going to be gay.
Alluded to above Barbadians need to start discussing the matter of homosexuality and how we intend to make the societal changes to accept this group of people who continue to be marginalized. It would be unfortunate for some if we wait until the next general election to do so. To discuss the matter driven by political considerations will be unfortunate.
Thanks Michael
I suspect, though that the proposed attempt to ignore and/or strawmannise and demonise and dismiss what plainly cannot be refuted will continue.
Let us hope someone will wake up and take the matters seriously, before it is too late for our region. (I think it is already too late for Europe and North America.)
D
To the people who think all is well, to the direction we are being led to by the governments of the European countries an North America,here is an example of the persons who will go to the UN and suggest what conventions should be acceptable to or be adopted by the rest of the world http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/04/john-bercow-guide-understanding-women, these same type of persons have no problem with sexual deviations in society,I was once told by an old man that some people view of the world is like two frogs standing at the bottom of a deep well looking up and one frog say to the other what a large sky that is,and I think this is the view of some people when there are told that there is danger beyond our shores.I think there must come a time when one should lead not just follow, I am sorry that this has not been written to a standards that Anon can understand but i did not go to university
Is it true that Pearson Bowen (CBC) and Mark Anthony (Lottery) are *ullers and live together ?
in Canada:
Here we have a case where for writing a letter to the editor that exposed and was critical of homosexual-ISM, a Canadian man was assessed a fine of Can$ 5,000 for “hate speech” — and was also issued a court gag order to silence him from speaking in public on the matter.
It has taken FOUR YEARS of litigation to get the verdict partially reversed.
We hardly need to say just how effectively that sort of situation has chilled those who might otherwise have wished to dissent from the now dominant media line on the subject.
And this is in Canada, a sister Commonwealth country!
D
Love
Kindly, lay off the scandal-mongering gossip.
If these two are as you describe [and I don't even know who they are, much less care], pray for them and help them, being kind to them when you see them in the street.
Spreading rumours is nasty and unfair.
D
meanwhile, in the UK . . .
I know you lot want to talk about homosexuality, but what about things that are actually important and that real barbadians care about such as:
(1) bottle gas going up again;
(2) diesel, kerosene and petrol at their highest in 14 years,
(3) cost of living rising out of control,
(4) people losing their jobs, while companies closing, and above all
(5) the DLP does not know what it is going, which is why 2010 will be worst than 2009 – with massive layoffs planned for the period: January – April?
FACED WITH THESE SAME CONDITIONS THE BLP WOULD BE PREPARING A FEAST FOR BARBADIANS – NOT MAKING THEM SUCH SALTS.
Barbadians must not develop “Stockholm syndrome.”
The DLP does not know what it is doing. That is why this country is in crisis.
The BLP can do better! Team Barbados Labour Party can return this country to prosperity.
THE DLP HAD ANOTHER CHANCE BUT ALSO SQUANDERED THAT. IT IS NOW TIME TO GIVE BARBADOS A CHANCE!
Alex:
Before I head out the door . . .
I know you are concerned about pocket book issues, understandably so.
However — and not denying their importance! — economics issues are not the only policy issues that we need to concern ourselves with, especially as this one is, in a context where the very basis for the moral foundations of liberty are possibly being undermined by a determined, civilisation level agenda.
On the economics, too, please try to understand that B’dos’ economy is probably still very tourism dependent, whilst Guyana’s is not nearly as tourism driven.
When times get hard, people cut long distance vacation travel [esp at these high energy prices . . . imagine US$ 70+ per barrel oil is relatively "cheap"!], and it does not come back until they feel comfortable; which is still a long way off.
In turn that puts financial pressure on Governments in the region — last I checked about 1/4 of regional GDP and employment were based on tourism — which makes them look to cut costs.
One of those cost areas is the subsidy on certain energy prices. (Look here at the 5-year trend on crude oil: after spiking in 08, the trough was about the turn of the year at about US$ 50/bbl, It has crept back up to $70 – 75 now.)
I hold no brief for any govt in the region, but we should be analytical enough to understand the sticky wicket that they are batting on just now.
So, we in the region need to move into a more diversified economy than agri and mining commodities plus tourism [and note that post Sir Allen Stanford,
money launderingfinancial services is also under pressure, understandably so . . . ], and we need to begin to transform our energy base.Meanwhile, the lagged effect of decades of unsustainable development efforts and trends will dog us. For which, any govt in power will be blamed.
So, let us get serious about transforming the economics of our region, and let us keep a weather eye out for other significant policy issues that we need to address.
BOTH AND, not EITHER OR
D
Dictionary,
Apologies for mashing your…corns !
I did not realise you belong to the club also !
@ Love
FACED WITH THESE SAME CONDITIONS THE BLP WOULD BE PREPARING A FEAST FOR BARBADIANS – NOT MAKING THEM SUCH SALTS.
It is why Barbadians must not develop “Stockholm syndrome.
THE BLP CAN DO BETTER AND IS BETTER FOR BARBADOS.
@love
your asumptioms are unwarranted, D is absolutely right there is no need to subject individuals to abuse after all there are people like us,I have two members of my family who are involved in these practices one male one female, in the case of the male it was a way of earning money,and may i say at this juncture they booth came from family units where there fathers were not there for them,one was a dead beat dad as the Americans call it,and the other the father abused the mother,in the case of the male booth he and I use to go from tenantry to tenantry on Saturdays looking for his father to get some money to buy food when we were children ,in the female case I think what she saw meeted to here mother may have brought her to the conclusion that it was better to be a man than a woman,why I say this is because she once said to me she would not let any man treat her how her father treated her mother,she thought that men had more power than women this is very sad so please think before you make fun of these people, I still say what they do is depravity
Brief notes:
Love:
in response to a reminder of our duty to the reputation and souls of others, you resorted to slandering me.
I suppose it is fitting that I should be wished dead by proponents of one side, and accused of being on that same side by an extremist on the other.
For, the point of balance is the true opposite to all extremes.
Alex:
Kindly, do not fall into the trap of being a Johnnie one-note.
D
Michael
Thanks.
Let’s pray for these cousins — I assume — of yours, that God will grant them the grace to find healing and repentance, thence renewal and blessed transformation.
D
More evidence: From Massachusetts, a tape and transcript on seminars on “safe schools” issues being used for desensitisation, propagandisation and recruitment in 2000. We need to understand this stuff, and learn how to expose and rebut it; but we must not let it get us into hate.
@Dictionary, michael, et al
In line with sentiments such as “absolutely right there is no need to subject individuals to abuse” Barbados may soon get a chance to show if it agrees with that, given the recent reports flowing around Rihanna. She is quoted as saying “I’d love to be an assassin. Either that or a lesbian. Maybe both. Hey, a gay assassin, there’s nothing hotter than that. Megan Fox would play my girlfriend – hands down. She’s yummy. She’s hot.”
A lot of speculation is now swirling around the meaning of her new song “Te Amo” (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8SPfrsvt94). Despite her known heterosexual relations and other comments about what she prefers in the opposite sex (big is better, etc), we will see how public tongues wag.
Dennis
I am sorry i don’t get it,what has this got to do with the debate on homosexuality
1) hollywood and the entertainment industry always seek ways to promote it’s product or it’s people and most entertainers promote them self by making outrageous statements so to be noticed surely a nation cant base it’s destination on eye candy, what you see and like for your enjoyment can not be a rule or bench mark for the rest of society,what we are trying to do here is to bring public awareness to the homosexual activist agenda,which (D)has demonstrated by the links he has provided,what i have noticed is that the people who support the idea of please your self what ever you do (no absolute right and no absolute wrong) always bring some thing for a distraction
ps in a few years no one will know of Megan fox or care about here and what you are seeing is makeup posses camera angles it all an image that is not a real person in other words it’s all hype
Are dictionary and Zoe the same person?
BM40 // December 19, 2009 at 1:01 AM . You could argue.
It’s saddening and depressing to see that Barbados, and most West Indies countries (especially Jamaica) can be so backwards and medieval when it comes to the victimless crime of preferring members of the same sex. After all, who cares about an ill society, a society obsessed with homosexual hate, a misogynist society and idiocracy or the crimes of rape and child abuse? Nobody, the scapegoat is an easier thing to hate and deal with.
The worse part, is that if it weren’t for religion and the British, this debate wouldn’t be happening in the first place. After all, the only places more homophobic then the West Indies is the Middle East. Apparently, something about the British colonization of the Caribbean resulted in this absurd fear of homosexuals that doesn’t make much sense to any outsiders. Pretty much every other countries in the Americas isn’t as backwards when it comes to this issue then this place.
The other problem is religion. It’s the only reason why this law exists in the first place, religious homosexual fear, and another example why religion and state should stay as far as possible from one another. For everyone, they justify their hatred using a book writing by desert nomads. The same book that tells you to stone woman and kill unbelievers. The biggest problem is that they’re forcing their christian values on people who don’t follow this religion. Let me make this clear. They’re not trying to promote the values of Christ, no, their forcing their own views on the world under the cover of Christianity, a christian value, that’s about the opposite of morals as you can get. They get all juvenile when it comes to thinking about penis and they know that without Christianity, they can’t have any valid ground to make it a crime, to allow the state to have the power to control what people do in privacy because they think it’s gross. Many people don’t believe in the thousands of religion that try to find ways to control a person’s life. They can live morals lives without dogma, and would be very happy to be left alone by people who want to shove it on their lives by legislation and laws . You would think, that most of these people would realize the eerie parallel between this line of logic, and the logic used to justify apartheid, discrimination, and hatred on a group of people. Many of them enjoyed using “christian values” as a justification. In the end, however, by agreeing with the idea that the state can arrest people because of a mob religion for a crime of two consenting adults having sex, then where do you draw the line? The fact that you are willing to control others people lives beyond your own based on your own presences is what fascism is all about. Why not try your hand in outlawing
asexual people? Or the theory of evolution? It makes as much sense as this law.
You can find homosexual sex disgusting all you want, but you should know that there isn’t anything moral about bringing violence and hate on this group, nor trying to keep an authoritarian law on Barbados. Spending money that could be spent on trying to break the real harmful things of society, murderers, lowering crime, decreasing poverty, increasing quality of life. Perhaps the youth on the island will realize the stupidity of this law and change it in the next couple of decades.