sor220@nyu.edu

Shaquille Romblay
J-FLAG
Jamaica

Junior human rights activists often have a “save the world mentality.” We often have a dramatic belief that we can go into a nation and start a revolution. At times, we fail to think about the complexity of a particular issue. We fail to also acknowledge the work that others are conducting to change the discourse surrounding a particular problem.

Before coming to Jamaica, I knew that the issue of homophobia was complex. In Jamaica, there are a large group of queer individuals who are living in a destitute state, and I believed that the issue could be fixed easily, but I was indeed wrong. The homeless individuals who I am talking about are the queer individuals who have become known as the “Gully Queens.”

Before coming to Jamaica, I thought that these individuals were being neglected and abandoned by the world. I also thought that no one was trying to help them. Again, I was wrong. The organization that I work for has supported and tried to help them. But, the issue is multifaceted. You see, what I have learned while working at JFLAG is that the “Gully Queens” have formed a family unit. Many of them have been ostracized from their biological family members. Therefore, many of them are happy to finally have some type of family structure. The “Gully Queens” no longer live in the gullies they were living in when the documentary, “Young and Gay: Jamaica’s Gully Queens” was filmed. However, many of them are still homeless, and some have adapted to a lifestyle of living on the streets. Many of them do not want to leave the streets because they view it as abandoning the family unit that they have developed. JFLAG has attempted to help these individuals leave the streets, but many of them reject the idea.

Jamaica is arguably becoming more tolerant. Right now, Jamaica is planning its first gay pride movement. The government is starting to support initiatives in which individuals are becoming educated about various forms of stigma and discrimination. However, some believe that Jamaica is becoming more tolerant for middle-class queers and not impoverished queers. This may be true, because middle-class queers are able to access certain privileges that impoverished queers cannot.

While the class structure is a big issue, I believe the biggest is the fact that there are few to no safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ community on the island. In Jamaica, parties are hosted for queer individuals, and JFLAG orchestrates events for members of the community. Other than that, there are no spaces where queer individuals can express their highest forms of self. I believe the issue of finding a safe space for queers on the island is extremely complex, but my goal is to start thinking about ways to develop one on the island for them.

Shaquille Romblay
J-FLAG
Jamaica

When I was interviewing as a candidate for the Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights, one of the judges said something that stunned me: “All you have spoken about thus far is identity and how this project correlates to identity. What does this project have to do with human rights?” I knew that my project would cover some aspects of human rights, but I became frightened that it wasn’t a large enough dimension. I started to underestimate J-FLAG, the organization I wanted to work for. However, my experience with J-FLAG has erased my previous doubts.

J-FLAG is trying to find ways to fight against the internalized homophobia that many queer individuals suffer. They host informative conferences to combat the negative stigmas associated with the human immunodeficiency virus. They attend human rights sessions to educate other human rights organizations about the complications of being queer in a homophobic society. And they are constantly finding ways to build a community where LGBTQ individuals feel more safe and comfortable on the island.

The work that J-FLAG produces is truly impressive. I initially thought they aimed at serving solely a queer audience, but coming here, I have learned that the NGO is all about intersectionality. They’re constantly looking for ways to serve underdeveloped communities, and the most remarkable thing is that they are also fighting for marginalized communities in other parts of the world. For example, members of J-FLAG attended a conference in the Dominican Republic, where they advocated for Haitians being forced to leave the island.

I am so proud of J-FLAG and all of the human rights work that they do. Most importantly, I am proud to be a part of it.

If someone were to ask me again what my project has to do with human rights, I would respond by saying we are a small organization trying to fight against negative stigmas and biases, to create a more beautiful, safer Jamaica for all. We are ultimately trying to revolutionize the island that some call “paradise.”

Shaquille Romblay
J-FLAG
Jamaica

The time is indeed drawing near. I will soon be flying off to Kingston, Jamaica. I honestly feel like there is nothing in this world that can prepare me for this journey. In life there are some things that you have the opportunity to properly prepare for. I don’t believe this is one of them.

How can I prepare to live on an island where individuals are heavily disenfranchised? How does one prepare to live on an island where many individuals openly advocate for the murder of queer individuals?

Vasuki Nesiah’s human rights seminar this semester has been very helpful. I learned that it is heavily important for an individual to conduct a vast amount of research on the place they plan on revolutionizing. In other words, “back ground the background.” Coming into the seminar, I was heavily optimistic: I believed I had the power to change the lives of all the gay people who live on the island. However, through the seminar, I learned that it will not be so simple: queer issues are not even viewed as a human rights issue on the island! I guess my first step should be finding a way to communicate to everyone on the island that queer lives indeed matter.

I will be leaving in June and coming back home in August. I have been frequently communicating with my host organization to make sure that I am as situated as possible and also make sure that I am making the best decisions. My biggest concern is safety. Therefore, my host organization will be picking me up from the airport.

I will be renting a single room for my two-month stay. Trust me, I am a boy who loves his space, but I’m not sure if I want that single! I would rather have the opportunity to be around another individual, and I pray that I am able to make a friend who will guide me and be my support system while I am on this foreign island.

Although I fear loneliness, a part of me wants to leave my technological devices at home. While in Jamaica, I want to be in the moment. I want to work as hard as possible to discover ways that I can help queer individuals on the island. I want the experience to both move me and shape me.

Shaquille Romblay
J-FLAG
Jamaica

As I lie in bed watching the short documentary, Young and Gay: Jamaica’s Gully Queens, I think of the millions of queer individuals around the world who are physically, emotionally, spiritually, and sexually abused. I would be lying to myself if I said that conditions haven’t improved drastically for members of the LGBTQ community. However, globally there are many antagonistic beliefs that continue to harm queer individuals.

These dark ideologies are clearly visible in nations such as Jamaica, Uganda, Iran, and Afghanistan. These countries lack socioeconomic development and arguably political advancement. Yet even in the United States, a nation that is socially and politically developed, unfavorable creeds are still being displayed. Recently the US state of Indiana has shown its ugly side with its new “freedom of religion” law.

Thinking about the forms of hate that queer individuals experience puts me in a despondent state. Yet it’s empowering and motivates me. I become inspired to start crafting the various ways I am going to fight for this disenfranchised community. For one, my goal in life first and foremost is to become a talk show host. I want to work in entertainment so that I can use my power to fight against hateful ideologies and macabre practices. I also often have dreams of being rich. Not Oprah rich. Bill Gates rich. I dream of using my wealth and my gift of voice to liberate individuals and end the various forms of mental slavery.

My ultimate goal is to open educational centers and facilities because I believe everyone has the right to learn. But, you see, in school we are taught math, English, science, and history—at least some person’s version of it. We are not taught to love, to feel, and to tolerate.

I am going to Jamaica to understand the island’s roots of dark homophobia, which I one day hope to correct. And to be honest, I am scared. My family is scared, my mentor is scared, and my friends are scared. But what they don’t understand is that my vision is bigger than both them and me. This is a steppingstone to me one day changing the world that we live in. I am not fearful of my haters because ultimately I understand that I am they and they are me. Homophobes don’t fear gays; they just don’t understand them. And the change starts with me.