Jamaican NYers To Counter Gay Rights Protest
 |
Bishop Cecil Riley and Jose Richards, of the Sons & Daughter of Jamaica, told WLIB's ‘Caribbean in Five' yesterday morning, that they along with several other supporters will also be taking to the streets in front of the Jamaican Consulate in Manhattan on Friday, April 15, to send a strong message of support for the laws of their island to be upheld.
Both Riley and Richards strongly stated their opposition to homosexuality, as did other callers who were outraged that the gay lobbyists were trying to force their lifestyle on Jamaicans. During the heated discussion, many callers also compared the Amnesty International appeal to slavery, but they added, ‘slavery is over … the white man cannot tell us what to do anymore.'
Bishop Riley urged all Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica to join the counter demonstration.
Riley, the head of the Freedom Hall Church of God in Brooklyn, late last year told HBN, that he knows he is in the minority with his views on homosexuality but called it “an unnatural act,” and added, “there's nothing gay about it.”
“I'm basing (my comments) not on the Bible or religion but on common decency,” Riley added in a December interview, while lauding the Jamaican government for saying no to international rights group, who have urged that the country's government to decriminalize sodomy.
Councilmember Yvette Clarke, whom organizers had initially claimed was supportive of their effort but later apologized for the mistake, said yesterday, she felt the group had erred in calling for a repeal of the laws instead of trying to open the dialogue on human rights abuse.
The gay rights demonstration, organized by Amnesty International local Group 133 from Somerville, Massachusetts, is set to be held between 3-4 p.m. on Friday afternoon as part of the tenth annual ‘Get on the Bus Protest.'
Kevin Mouchantaf, a spokesperson for the rally, insisted to HBN last Thursday, that the April 15 demonstration is all about focusing attention on human rights abuses and not one aimed at forcing Caribbeans to be more accepting of the gay lifestyle.
But they also are calling for a debate on the repeal of legislation criminalizing consensual same sex contact and urge reform and other steps to protect homosexuals individuals from violence and discrimination. Some 1,500 high school and college students are expected to attend and sign petitions urging for the legislative changes. The Amnesty group also plans to hold a similar demonstration outside of the Jamaica Embassy in Washington on April 14. – Hardbeatnews.com