Warning! Anti Gay Incident in Ocho Rios, Jamaica

[TXSailor]

I guess that explains why Sandals resort didnt have any problems setting up shop in Jamaica. Sandals is notorious for turning away gay couples at the gate. They make it clear they want male/female couples only!

 

My partner and I went to Ocho Rios Sandals in Sept. on a day pass and they treated us very well. Sure, we got stares from the guests staying there but the staff at Sandals was very friendly and the food was good. Beautiful property.

 

In regards to giving my money to a homophobic government/society, well, the United States is not any different.

 

Fausto

[bdjam]

In regards to giving my money to a homophobic government/society, well, the United States is not any different.

I’d say where I live is a bit different than Jamaica, but you have a point.

[Suite Travels]

Where we live is a bit different as well...Ft. Lauderdale. At least in the U.S. we have choices of where we choose to live. I think most Americans are more accepting of our lifestyle and more educated. I don't think we would choose to live in the back woods of N.C. or TN, unless we knew other friends that we could hang with for a social.

[twodudes]

Hi all,

 

An interesting post to read. My partner and I stopped in Montego Bay on Splendour of the Seas a few years back, and whilst we are not heavy on the flouncing, it was obvious why we were together. We didn't have any anti-social behaviour, but all in all just found people rude and the country to be very poor.

 

Our cruise coming up in May stops in Ocho Rios and we are planning to have a ship day. There are only so many waterfalls you can see in Jamaica :P

 

Cheers

Ash

[bepsf]

There is an excellent article on Gay.com that discusses and rates how G/L friendly the Caribbean islands are - its worth a look:

 

http://www.gay.com/travel/article.html?sernum=9599&from=homepage

[nashkan]

I am sure that I am not going to be popular on this thread, but when we go to another country, we enjoy seeing the difference in the way people live. We enjoy different cultures and experiences.....Jamaica is no exception! It is a wonderful place and wonderful people. If you get away from the tourist traps, you really see the way it really is. We have been invited to people's homes for Sunday dinner and have partied with the locals. We are a pretty obvious gay couple and have had NO PROBLEM in Jamaica...perhaps it is because we do not flaunt ourselves (gay or otherwise) NOR our money.... there is far more to see there then a few waterfalls.... We have traveled around the island on local transportation, sharing with pigs and chickens & 20 people in a small van.... Most People in Jamaica make in a year what most people in the USA make in a week or two, YES, they will haggle you in the tourist areas, but they are just trying to make a living and feed their families.... We have never had a problem just with a firm BUT PLEASANT "NO THANK YOU"..... YES, they may live in an ANTI-GAY coulture but things are changing, just as they are here in the USA.....I expect most of you that are belly-aching are fairly young and have not experienced a lot that us older gay people have had to deal with! and that is here in the USA....I expect a lot of you live in large cities and not out in the middle of Kansas as we do.... Some of these islands are NO different then the way it is in parts of the USA! We are going on a cruise that stops in Egypt this Spring, now talk about Anti-Gay ....but do you think it will stop us from seeing the rich culture of that land, the Pyramids, etc... not on your life!! I feel sorry for you that want to live in some sort of Gay Cocoon, you are missing so much of what life has to offer...... most sincerely.... Dan

[garykool81]

Dan --

 

I think the point that people are making here is that we as consumers would prefer not to put our lives literally into danger by visiting places such as Jamaica, where gays and gay-rights activists are brutally murdered at a quite alarming frequency with little or no repercussion from the government authorities.

 

There’s a quite massive difference between wanting to live in a “gay cocoon,” as you put it, and simply wanting to visit a location where you can feel safe to be who you are.

 

As far as “flaunting,” I’d like for someone to provide me with a definition of what that is exactly, because there are plenty of us who had experienced anti-gay attacks verbally or physically for simply walking down the street NEXT to another man…not holding hands, not kissing – nothing. So, in order not to “flaunt,” should I also make certain that my partner is always ten to fifteen feet behind me so as not to suggest we might actually be walking together?

 

I can visit an extremely anti-gay state in America such as Virginia where I am literally stripped of many legal rights, but I will still not put my liberty or life, for that matter, in jeopardy by walking down a street with my partner.

 

When a gay man in Jamaica is attacked and savagely beaten by a group of would-be vigilante thugs for simply *looking* at another man on a beach, it tells me that their culture not only “disapproves” of gays, but will go out of its way to eliminate them from society.

 

On the other hand, there are somewhat “anti-gay” islands such as Barbados that even have laws outlawing homosexuality (rarely enforced) that I have NO problem visiting so long as I have the brains not to break out and publicly begin a sexual activity with a person of the same sex.

 

Barbados, the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, and virtually all of the Caribbean tend to be more “anti-gay” than America, but they still do not come even moderately close to the open, violent hostility expressed towards homosexuals in many parts of Jamaica.

 

I cannot think of a country short of perhaps Zimbabwe that I have less of a desire to visit.

[nashkan]

I have contributed what we have experienced and our experiences in Jamaica have been nothing short of wonderful. We are an "obvious" couple (two men, & we stand out even more because we are an interracial couple) and still have not dealt with any bad experience in Jamaica. It is a unique culture and very different from our own. My personal feeling is that some gay people "flaunt" more then being gay, (as many straight people do), We flaunt "being AMERICAN" What we do in our culture and our ways is not always acceptable in other places and countries. We have been to Jamaica many times and have spent a lot of time talking to different people there. They are a very curious people. My first time in Jamaica was 1978........... I think many people (of all walks of life) get off a ship and expect things to be like they are at home and unwilling OR unknowingly do or say things they should not. In Jamaica, for example, too much eye contact is either threatening or a sexual advance .... It has not been many years since it was "somewhat" okay for men to wear shorts other then on the beach, it is still very offensive to some.... it is a sign of being "fem".... showing legs is something only women do.... it is even "fem" to order a soda drink called TING in Jamaica (grapefruit soda which is kind of like SQUIRT in the US) (it is very good by the way-but we did not drink it in public) men order COLA if they are having a soft drink.... We as "Americans", in general, tend to bring "our own" culture to places we visit, gay & straight both.... If someone stands out, FOR ANY REASON, they can open themselves up for verbal or even physical attacks...Americans tend to talk louder, dress better, groom themselves better, and spend more money. We, in general STAND-OUT. (good or bad, we stand out in a crowd even in countries in Europe) We tend to complain more and a lot of Americans want special treatment... and unwilling to adapt to different ways of life.... A lot of Americans feel superior to other countries..... I have heard of a lot of straight people having a difficult time in Jamaica & other countries as well, I do not feel it is just an "anti-gay" thing.... and that is what I was trying to convey.... When a person stands out for ANY reason, they tend to bring more scruntiny on themselves, and people will look for "weaknesses" in their charactor. Lets face it, world-wide (even here in parts of the USA) being gay is considered by many to be a weakness, a flaw, & it leaves us open for an easy attack...................... I still will standby what I said about some people wanting to live in a "gay cocoon". Usually these are younger people that live in large cities where it is OK to be gay.... They have not experienced a lot of what some of us older people have been through or people that live in small rural towns, they expect life to be the same everywhere and when in reality, it is not..... (We have lived in San Francisco, New Orleans & Boston) and there is a BIG difference of mindset, many gay folks forget what life can be like outside of their protective envelope and when they do venture out they expect to be treated the same way as they are at home. Some blow caution to the wind, we have seen this more then once while on the islands........... .....I do not believe that taking our toys (our money) and going home is the answer to addressing problems, I think this shows defeat and encourages more resentment .... I think that being "goodwill ambassadors" goes a lot farther and this is just my opinion....... from experience when we visit any foreign land, we try to be very sensitive to our surroundings and we are very cautious in our actions and where and with whom we go, we try to be "extra respectful" to the people & their culture.... after all we are not in Kansas any more! (Which is where we live now, by the way) most sincerely Dan ........" Be a traveler and not a tourist ".....

[rnjoel]

Though I've never stayed at a Sandals resort, all of us TA's were notified a while back (late 2004 maybe?) that Sandals had dropped their ban on same-sex couples. I don't know how welcome they may make us feel, but the ban is gone!

 

Happy Sailings!

[geoherb]

We avoided western Caribbean itineraries for 14 years because we did not want to go back to Jamaica. The ironic thing is that in 2003 our ship (Grand Princess) ended up stopping off the shore of Montego Bay to medevac a passenger. Seeing the lights of Montego Bay from a safe distance was the best way for us to see Jamaica again.

 

If we happen to book a cruise that goes to Jamaica, we will be spending that day on the ship.

[FirstTymeHoe]

This is my first cruise. If Jamaica is so dangerous for gay men, why do the Cruise ships continue to go there? Now I am very apprehensive about getting off the ship. Does anyone know of a safe excursion to go on? I was wondering about Sunset beach? It seems to be very close to the pier. I think I'm ruling out going tubing.

[COMBOY]

This is my first cruise. If Jamaica is so dangerous for gay men, why do the Cruise ships continue to go there? Now I am very apprehensive about getting off the ship. Does anyone know of a safe excursion to go on? I was wondering about Sunset beach? It seems to be very close to the pier. I think I'm ruling out going tubing.

 

Almost all the Caribbean islands (with maybe the exception of Aruba, St. Maarten, Curacao, Cozumel, St. Kitts, Puerto Rico) are very religiously conservative and homosexuality is considered taboo. So if cruise lines didn't stop in Jamaica you'd pretty much need to rule out all the rest of the islands except for the ones I mentioned. The Bahamas are also very gay intolerant. I've been to many of these islands including Jamaica. Jamaica is a beautiful island and the people mostly pleasant and friendly; but the vendors are extremely pushy to the point of being annoying. Safe is a relatively difficult term to define since there are many places in the USA I would not consider safe to travel to. Whether you want to get off the ship in Jamaica is your decision; but my advise is if you do is to take a ship's organized tour and only stay in the tourist areas. There is safety in numbers. Don't wonder off by yourself, to areas you are not familiar with or go to a beach alone. Otherwise just stay on the ship.

[georgiaguy]

I think the best thing to do when visiting any place is just to be extra aware. I used to work for a cruise line and have been to most of the Caribbean and in all my time I never had any problems. My advice if you want to get off the ship in a place you are unsure about just make sure you are never alone. Book an excursion where there will be others or even better book through the cruise line where you have the company backing up you experience on the excursion. Biggest thing I think is just to be smart. Will this guarantee your safety? Well there are no guarantees but then violence can happen anywhere to anyone.

[georgiaguy]

Just thought I would add that I respect and understand the choice to not visit places like Jamaica on ships and the choice as well to not get off the boat.

[tv24]

Many reports have documented that Jamaica is just plain dangerous for gay folks. I would not go there or spend my money there unless I absolutely had to, for instance in transit to get somewhere else where I really wanted to go. Sad but true, so it seems. Safety is very important.

[RickinNYC]

I have contributed what we have experienced and our experiences in Jamaica have been nothing short of wonderful. We are an "obvious" couple (two men, & we stand out even more because we are an interracial couple) and still have not dealt with any bad experience in Jamaica. It is a unique culture and very different from our own. My personal feeling is that some gay people "flaunt" more then being gay, (as many straight people do), We flaunt "being AMERICAN" What we do in our culture and our ways is not always acceptable in other places and countries. We have been to Jamaica many times and have spent a lot of time talking to different people there. They are a very curious people. My first time in Jamaica was 1978........... I think many people (of all walks of life) get off a ship and expect things to be like they are at home and unwilling OR unknowingly do or say things they should not. In Jamaica, for example, too much eye contact is either threatening or a sexual advance .... It has not been many years since it was "somewhat" okay for men to wear shorts other then on the beach, it is still very offensive to some.... it is a sign of being "fem".... showing legs is something only women do.... it is even "fem" to order a soda drink called TING in Jamaica (grapefruit soda which is kind of like SQUIRT in the US) (it is very good by the way-but we did not drink it in public) men order COLA if they are having a soft drink.... We as "Americans", in general, tend to bring "our own" culture to places we visit, gay & straight both.... If someone stands out, FOR ANY REASON, they can open themselves up for verbal or even physical attacks...Americans tend to talk louder, dress better, groom themselves better, and spend more money. We, in general STAND-OUT. (good or bad, we stand out in a crowd even in countries in Europe) We tend to complain more and a lot of Americans want special treatment... and unwilling to adapt to different ways of life.... A lot of Americans feel superior to other countries..... I have heard of a lot of straight people having a difficult time in Jamaica & other countries as well, I do not feel it is just an "anti-gay" thing.... and that is what I was trying to convey.... When a person stands out for ANY reason, they tend to bring more scruntiny on themselves, and people will look for "weaknesses" in their charactor. Lets face it, world-wide (even here in parts of the USA) being gay is considered by many to be a weakness, a flaw, & it leaves us open for an easy attack...................... I still will standby what I said about some people wanting to live in a "gay cocoon". Usually these are younger people that live in large cities where it is OK to be gay.... They have not experienced a lot of what some of us older people have been through or people that live in small rural towns, they expect life to be the same everywhere and when in reality, it is not..... (We have lived in San Francisco, New Orleans & Boston) and there is a BIG difference of mindset, many gay folks forget what life can be like outside of their protective envelope and when they do venture out they expect to be treated the same way as they are at home. Some blow caution to the wind, we have seen this more then once while on the islands........... .....I do not believe that taking our toys (our money) and going home is the answer to addressing problems, I think this shows defeat and encourages more resentment .... I think that being "goodwill ambassadors" goes a lot farther and this is just my opinion....... from experience when we visit any foreign land, we try to be very sensitive to our surroundings and we are very cautious in our actions and where and with whom we go, we try to be "extra respectful" to the people & their culture.... after all we are not in Kansas any more! (Which is where we live now, by the way) most sincerely Dan ........" Be a traveler and not a tourist ".....

 

Because you seem to find it appropriate to toss around your opinion that most gay people live in a "cocoon", I'll match you and say you're living quite the life of a chameleon. You seem more inclined to give up your own sense of self, sacrifice your own dignity, toss out your own pride, and embrace shame for the sake of fitting in where most are not wanted. They want our money, but they won't tolerate our "perversions." You seem to confuse their interest in your as a person with their desire to make a few bucks. You said yourself that is what they're interested in. I would encourage you to continue to visit, BUT, do so and let those "friends" of yours know the true relationship between you and your partner. Talk about living in a cocoon.

 

The very idea of going full on Gay Uncle Tom and support their economy disgusts me. I'm happy to see most others on this thread would never do such a thing just for the sake of eating a plate of fish and drinking Red Stripe with the locals, all for $8.00. My pride is worth more than that.

 

Incidentally, I was one of the "young gays" from such a small town, it was called a Naval base and that's where I grew up. I ended up in a larger metropolitan area, i.e. NYC, because I wanted to live in an area that welcomed me, not threatened me. My need for a strong sense of self far outweighed my desire to live in a small mid-western back-water burgh in Kansas (of in my case, Japan, a base in San Diego, another base in Boston, or a podunk hick town in north Florida). As a result, I became a rainbow flag waving, politically minded, equality motivated young man in the 80's, fighting for what we have today.

 

And I still have that same expectation for respect, SAFETY and equality, so Jamaica won't get a damn penny out of me.

Edited March 12, 2015 by RickinNYC

[Boytjie]

RickinNYC: FYI , you responded to a post from about 9 years ago and the poster has posted anything since 2009. ;)

Edited March 12, 2015 by Boytjie

[navyvet8395]

couples that get off the ships there, just act "normal" as in don't act "gay", don't hold hands, don't walk feminine, etc.. You know what I mean.. And if the locals ask about you, just say your brothers or another family member. I went ashore with my brother in law and nobody thought twice about us.. Because I didn't "act gay" even though I still wore a Speedo at the beach.... LOL.

[RickinNYC]

RickinNYC: FYI , you responded to a post from about 9 years ago and the poster has posted anything since 2009. ;)

 

D'OH!! Hate when that happens. LOL

[keithm]

RickinNYC: FYI , you responded to a post from about 9 years ago and the poster has posted anything since 2009. ;)

I wondered about that myself! New life to an old post.

[BABAZ]

Was in Jamaica once. This is one place I can guarantee I will never go again. I did not feel safe at all. Everyone says to just stay on the ship, but I feel so strongly against Jamaice I will never sail on any ship that is stopping there. I am not going to support this country in any way. Not even my port fees!

 

I have talked to alot of people about cruising. Jamaica, by far, is the one place that i consistently hear people say they will never visit again more than any other country.

[twoontheisle]

 

I have talked to alot of people about cruising. Jamaica, by far, is the one place that i consistently hear people say they will never visit again more than any other country.

 

Having been to more than twenty different Caribbean islands for extended vacations NOT just a port of call, we could not agree with you more. Of course, you don't have to look far to find a cheerleader of all things Caribbean, however Jamaica is in an unruled world of its own. Just don't go.....OR book a cruise that stops there. Be safe, be wise, BEWARE.

[ehfl]

There's no need to get off the ship in Jamaica. Enjoy a day aboard ship.

[JVilleGal]

This is my first cruise. If Jamaica is so dangerous for gay men, why do the Cruise ships continue to go there? Now I am very apprehensive about getting off the ship. Does anyone know of a safe excursion to go on? I was wondering about Sunset beach? It seems to be very close to the pier. I think I'm ruling out going tubing.

 

 

This thread is over 8 years old, but please be safe!

Edited April 5, 2015 by JVilleGal

[njguy_south]

couples that get off the ships there, just act "normal" as in don't act "gay", don't hold hands, don't walk feminine, etc.. You know what I mean.. And if the locals ask about you, just say your brothers or another family member. I went ashore with my brother in law and nobody thought twice about us.. Because I didn't "act gay" even though I still wore a Speedo at the beach.... LOL.

 

"Act gay"? So are you saying that being gay is an act? NO, I don't understand you comment about "acting gay," so don't add, "you know what I mean." Being gay is who as person is. Affectation is also a part of who as person is. Being butch or feminine, it is intinsic of the person. If someone is "acting" they are not being true to his/her nature. With your logic, being gay is being weak, so spitting on the ground and breaking wind is what a man should do to prove he is a "man."