LGBT rights in Jamaica

LGBT rights in Jamaica
LGBT rights in Jamaica
	Jamaica
Status	Illegal
Penalty	Up to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour; (not enforced, legalization proposed)
Gender identity	None
Discrimination protections	None
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	None
Restrictions	Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned since 2011 (ban challenged in courts)
Adoption	No

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Jamaica face legal and social issues not experienced by heterosexual and gender-conforming people. Consensual sexual intercourse between same-sex partners is legally punishable by up to ten years of imprisonment in the country.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Jamaica has long held strongly conservative views towards homosexuality, with recent polls stating that the majority of Jamaicans are against the acceptance of homosexuality. Most of the population is affiliated with Christianity and the Rastafari movement, which have both encouraged negative feelings towards homosexuality. Discrimination and violence against LGBT persons are very common and LGBT people in Jamaica often remain closeted to avoid discrimination or harassment. In 2006, Time magazine labelled Jamaica "the most homophobic place on Earth",^[4] and in 2013 the majority of LGBT people in the country said they were subject to homophobic violence in public.^[5]^[6]

The government of Jamaica said in 2012 that it "is committed to the equal and fair treatment of its citizens and affirms that any individual whose rights are alleged to have been infringed has a right to seek redress." The government also claimed that "there is no legal discrimination against persons on the grounds of their sexual orientation" though there is widespread homophobia and a sodomy law (The Offenses Against the Person Act of 1864) that is still in effect.^[7]

^ ^a ^b "Jamaica’s Prime Minister says he’d be open to a gay person serving in his government", PinkNews, 20 April 2018.
^ "41-year-old Gay Man Was Murdered and Burnt By Unknown Assailants In Jamaica". Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.
^ "Jamaica's Gays: Protection from Homophobes Urgently Needed". Amnesty International, compiled by GayToday.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
^ Padgett, Tim (12 April 2006). "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth?". Time. Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 26 April 2006.
^ "2012 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Jamaica" (PDF). Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State. pp. 20–22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
^ Tom Faber, "Welcome to Jamaica – no longer 'the most homophobic place on Earth'", The Guardian, 6 December 2018.
^ Cite error: The named reference WPR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[pinknews.co.uk-1] "Jamaica’s Prime Minister says he’d be open to a gay person serving in his government", PinkNews, 20 April 2018.

[2] "41-year-old Gay Man Was Murdered and Burnt By Unknown Assailants In Jamaica". Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.

[gaytoday.com2-3] "Jamaica's Gays: Protection from Homophobes Urgently Needed". Amnesty International, compiled by GayToday.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2013.

[4] Padgett, Tim (12 April 2006). "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth?". Time. Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 26 April 2006.

[State-5] "2012 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Jamaica" (PDF). Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State. pp. 20–22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2019.

[6] Tom Faber, "Welcome to Jamaica – no longer 'the most homophobic place on Earth'", The Guardian, 6 December 2018.

[WPR-7] Cite error: The named reference WPR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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