From Homophobic Jamaica Comes “ Ticket to Asylum"
TICKET TO ASYLUM
When my parents first separated, my mother rented a room (called 'boarding' then) in a married couple's ('Freddy and Dolly') home. She was friendly with Dolly. Freddy was a brilliant, creative producer/director in the early days of JBC TV. They'd appeared happily married for years until, one day, Dolly came home unexpectedly and caught Freddy in flagrante delicto with his boyfriend. She went directly to the asylum; didn't pass 'go'; didn't collect $200.
These two very human situations indelibly etched themselves on my psyche. After years of introspection, I came to realise a few truths. If only Muscle's parents were more accepting; if only we, including me, had been more respectful of his 'being' instead of constantly mocking him for 'being different', maybe he'd be alive today and Jamaican theatre much the better. If only society had allowed Freddy to 'be' without stigma, maybe he wouldn't have felt the need to trick Dolly into a fake marriage. Maybe if society allowed him to marry his boyfriend, Dolly would've found Mr Right, and there'd be two happy couples instead of none.
Instead of spreading unreasoned fear by blaming dread diseases on promiscuous gays, perhaps we should consider creating a safe environment for gays to leave the closet and openly enter long-term, committed relationships, thereby reducing the promiscuity level. Maybe gays' 'promiscuity' is inversely proportional to society's tolerance.
Peace and love.
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