Wayne Besen of truthwinsout.org has added his voice to the call to boycott Jamaica over its radically homophobic attitude. Here's Besen's press release on the subject:
National Jamaican Boycott Campaign To Kick-Off in New York City With 'Rum Dump' at Birthplace of Gay Rights Movement
Stonewall Inn Owners To Dump Their Stock of Myers Rum and Red Stripe Beer in Sewer; Urge Other Bars To Follow Lead
What: Gay advocates are launching a national boycott of Jamaica in New York City at the famed Stonewall Bar - birthplace of the gay rights movement. The bar's owners and boycott supporters will dump Jamaican liquor - Red Stripe beer and Myers' Rum - down the sewer.
Human rights activists have given Jamaica the infamous title: "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth." Gay people have regularly been beaten and murdered on the island, while authorities do little to stop the violence.
Where: Stonewall Inn
Wednesday, April 15
53 Christopher Street
6:30 PM
Who: Bill Morgan, Stonewall Inn, Kurt Kelly, Stonewall Inn, Tony DeCicco, Stonewall Inn, Wayne Besen, Boycott co-organizer
Background: GLBT activists Michael Petrelis, Wayne Besen and Jim Burroway launched this boycott after a State Department report highlighted the violence faced by GLBT people. According to the report:
The West Coast portion of the boycott took place earlier this month with a rum dump in San Francisco that featured Petrelis and city Supervisor Bevan Dufty. Learn more about the boycott at www.BoycottJamaica.org.
Quotes:
Wayne has asked me to call for local GLBT locations that serve food and beverage to avoid buying run from Jamaica, or anything else that would contribute to their community until the violence against innocent GLBT people relents. Economic pressure is the best way to effect positive change in this issue by forcing Jamaicans to address their own poor behavior. If you've got plans to travel to Jamaica I ask you cancel them and make alternative plans elsewhere so that your money will stay in the pockets of people that care about us rather than demonize us and kill us.
National Jamaican Boycott Campaign To Kick-Off in New York City With 'Rum Dump' at Birthplace of Gay Rights Movement
Stonewall Inn Owners To Dump Their Stock of Myers Rum and Red Stripe Beer in Sewer; Urge Other Bars To Follow Lead
What: Gay advocates are launching a national boycott of Jamaica in New York City at the famed Stonewall Bar - birthplace of the gay rights movement. The bar's owners and boycott supporters will dump Jamaican liquor - Red Stripe beer and Myers' Rum - down the sewer.
Human rights activists have given Jamaica the infamous title: "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth." Gay people have regularly been beaten and murdered on the island, while authorities do little to stop the violence.
Wednesday, April 15
53 Christopher Street
6:30 PM
Who: Bill Morgan, Stonewall Inn, Kurt Kelly, Stonewall Inn, Tony DeCicco, Stonewall Inn, Wayne Besen, Boycott co-organizer
Background: GLBT activists Michael Petrelis, Wayne Besen and Jim Burroway launched this boycott after a State Department report highlighted the violence faced by GLBT people. According to the report:
The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals, and Gays (J-FLAG) continued to
report human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, mob attacks,
stabbings, harassment of homosexual patients by hospital and prison
staff, and targeted shootings of homosexuals. Police often did not investigate such incidents.
report human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, mob attacks,
stabbings, harassment of homosexual patients by hospital and prison
staff, and targeted shootings of homosexuals. Police often did not investigate such incidents. The West Coast portion of the boycott took place earlier this month with a rum dump in San Francisco that featured Petrelis and city Supervisor Bevan Dufty. Learn more about the boycott at www.BoycottJamaica.org.
Quotes:
"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," the
Stonewall Inn said in its statement. "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. To do so is to tacitly support the
current climate of oppression."
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. To do so is to tacitly support the
current climate of oppression.""If you
love your gay friends and family members, you won't visit Jamaica,"
said boycott co-organizer Wayne Besen. "If you care about the human
rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, you won't buy
Jamaican products. We hope that all gay and gay friendly bar owners and
restaurateurs across the nation will participate in 'rum dumps.' We can
no longer subsidize our own slaughter."
Wayne has asked me to call for local GLBT locations that serve food and beverage to avoid buying run from Jamaica, or anything else that would contribute to their community until the violence against innocent GLBT people relents. Economic pressure is the best way to effect positive change in this issue by forcing Jamaicans to address their own poor behavior. If you've got plans to travel to Jamaica I ask you cancel them and make alternative plans elsewhere so that your money will stay in the pockets of people that care about us rather than demonize us and kill us.
~John Hosty-Grinnell