In the previous posts’ comments, Donald said that Natty and I must be exceptional Jamaicans re our stance on gays. Unfortunately, he is probably right.
I remember many things from high school… It is all indelibly written in my mind. There were good and bad things, but in retrospect, it was almost all good.
Before I went to high school, I had never heard of gays, to the best of my recollection. When I got there, I learned about them in a hurry. The first term of first form passed by without any hitches, but at the end of the term, I got into a fight with a guy (lets call him Asshole). Neither of us won the fight, as it was parted before the final blow was struck, but I definitely was having the upper hand. Anyway, school broke for holidays, and I forgot all about it.
The second term was awful!!! For some reason, everyone had taken to calling me a “battyman”. (a local name for gays) I was teased unmercifully! I got into numerous fights, even in the middle of classes (the worst of which was a fight with Zilchie in Ms. Crosbourne’s class). Everyone had it in for me. In high school, about the worst thing that could happen to you was for people to believe you were a battyman. People would assume you were womanish or weak or something, and they would try to cow you down, and to abuse you. Don’t leave now, theres more.
You would be sitting in your chair, and someone coming up the aisle behind you would slap you a hard, stinging blow (called a smash) to the back of your neck. Many times when you got up to fight the people who did this, the bigger boys in the class (some of whom were repeating a year) would grab you in a bear hug, so that you couldn’t retaliate against your tormentors. Many times when this would happen, I was reduced to tears of rage. It was simply awful! I remember trying hard to get my father to seek a transfer to another school for me. He eventually did try. This wasn’t a simple matter however, and it didn’t work out. I am glad for that now.
First form ended. Asshole went away to a foreign land. He and I had never had a problem since that first fight.
Second form was more of the same, albeit not as intense. By third form, it was only on rare occasions that people would bug me on that issue. One day, a fellow called Savoury who used to sit beside me in class turned to me and asked “Is true seh you is a battyman?” (Is it true that you are gay?). I vehemently denied it, and I asked him why he had asked. He told me that Asshole had told everybody on the first day of the second term of first form that over the holiday break, he had visited me at my home and he caught me in my bedroom closet with another guy, screwing. As they say, the payback was a bitch, huh? Let me tell you, if I had seen Asshole anytime between that day and a few years after I had left high school, I’d have killed him dead, it took that long for my rage to wear off!
Experiencing the hatred and the treatment meted out to gays made me think long and hard about it… But I went along with it somewhat, because I didn’t want anyone to start believing I was one again. There were two other guys who were singled out for this treatment. I believe that in their case, the boys were right. They were gay. I did take part in hazing them a bit. I even remember smashing one of them in the neck once, though I really didn’t put any weight into the blow. I remember afterwords, he just turned around and looked at me, expressionless. When I think of it now, it brings to mind the way the Indians defeated Britain with a war of non-violence. The guy had the same look on his face, the same attitude of the Indians. It was a look that said “Do your worst. I will endure it all! Oh, and FUCK YOU! I felt like a real little shit afterwards, let me tell you.
One day in fourth form, someone took away a notebook from one of the guys. They had written a lot of strange things in their notebook… Which boys they liked, who they wanted to have sex with, stuff like that.
Horror of horrors, my name was in there. Another guy who was in fifth form (Max) had had his name written in the notebook too, and he was pissed. He decided that he and I were going to beat them, but bad! Of course, I agreed. We simply couldn’t have this sort of thing, could we? He bought a cup juice (a drink) from the canteen, then we went to look for them (not just Max and I, some other guys came along too. After all, everyone likes to beat battyman, right?)
We found them on the fourth form block, in a classroom, but no class was in session. We walked right in. Max walked right up to one of them and threw the cup juice into his face. These guys were totally unprepared, as he didn’t say anything before he did this, so you know that they were shocked. He swung his right hand back about 270 degrees and then he swung it forward with all his might. WHAT A BOX!!! I have never seen anyone boxed like that since. What followed was a merciless beating. I took no part, as I didn’t have the heart for it. Unfortunately, I did nothing to stop it either.
From that time to this I have never taken part in or condoned any such activity again. Indeed, I’d like to believe that I would attempt to prevent it now. Some of them that I know, I’d even fight for too. Yup, if they are going to beat them, they would have to beat me too, and let me tell you, I am definitely NOT the non-violent type! No one deserves such treatment simply because they love people who are of the same sex as they are… No one!
Horrible story. Made me cringe. Cant imagine how the parents of those boys felt. I went to a school in Ft.Lauderdale and met many homosexual men and women. At first i wanted to jump on the first plane back home and had a hard time dealing with it. Then i started to know them as just classmates. Some told me they were like that from they were small as far back as they could remember. Just like when i started to like males so did they. Some told me of horror stories of being raped when young. One by a neighbour and one by an uncle. One of the guys i knew went to a gay bar one night and a group of men out looking for any gay man to beat up happened to pass at the same time as he was leaving the club. When i arrived at school on Monday morning i was told that he was in hospital. He nearly died.
Discriminating against homosexuals to me is just like dicriminating against Jews, Blacks, Browns etc. I think people who do this are very shallow both mentally and spiritually.
Finally as this is not MY blog and just a comment i choose not to get into such conversations as it is as endless as a conversation about religion or politics. My last comment to people who discriminate is…….”CURSES TO YOU AND MAY ALL YOUR MALE DESCENDANTS BE BATTYMEN!” ( and dont test my curse as it is a proven family trait!)
I’m glad that you have a more open mind as an adult. It is so hard as a teenager to be different from the majority in any way. I’m glad to be grown now.
Personally, I don’t care who people have sex with, or who they love. What business is it of mine, and how does something they do together have any effect on everyone else?
We spend too much time worrying about other people, and not taking care of our own business.
I had posted a comment before, but it seems to have launched itself into cyberspace. Here goes again.
I agree with the sentiment expressed by all so far regarding gays. I know many of the friends that both yourself and Natty have that are this way, though I may not be as close to them as you both. I do not discriminate against gays because the reasons why they may have adopted this lifestyle, may result from a complex number of reasons too numerous to get into here (maybe that could form the topic of a post MB, if you wish to take it on).
What I do not necessarliy appreciate about some gay men, is when they go out of their way to behave in an overtly feminine way, then again, at least when they do this they are not hiding like those who are, behind a masculine facade.
I have tried to be open minded about this because in recent times, the number of gay men that I have encountered in my work, is increasing. Dermatologists see many patients with sexually Transmitted Infections. In recent times, I have seen quite a few young men with perianal genital warts. These do not end up in this area by chance. I do ask these patients about their sexual practices, not in a condemning way, but because I think it is my duty to advise them about safe sexual practices.
The shit that was dealt out to you in the earlier years of high school MB, is just a true reflection of the attitude of most Jamaicans regarding homosexuality. I think as time goes on, this will change. I agree with Wken. Leave people the fuck alone. People will not always be what we want them to be and we cannot live each others lives. Enuff said, I have to go to work. I expect that this will provide you with the storm of comments that I got earlier this week MB. When I do my post later, I’ll link you! Good of you to take on such a controversial topic! Respec due!
That is such a horrible story. It’s hard to be different when you are young, classmates and friends can be unimaginably cruel. I am glad you are more understanding now as an adult MB. I have a sister that is gay; her sexual preferences are her business. She’s more “normal” or emotionally balanced than most straight people I know.
I think people would be better off either minding their own business or celebrating our differences; diversity makes life so much more interesting.
Battyman. Dem a grab power an money, If you av a chance to witness, you will not see de ‘elpless victim’ wid a sense of Ahummmm…having grown considering whatever negative experience dem a av in a dem past. Dem forget hafter dem get headucated an position an money. ME KNOW, me werk fi dem up high and dem a want me fe batty dem hup, dem a boddah me, ME is de houtcast an oddity. An dem a tretun me wid det, if me let aan to dem family and ting. Me nah do it, me like me breathin. Me let nature tek hits course. Karma always ah werk.
Dem a get dem hown back now. Dem is everywhere. People you know and respeck, yuh av dem down as solid family man. You will get shock when you fine hout. Believe.
Though I don’t hate people for their sexual preference I must admit that I think the world has gone mad. People have become so incredibly politically correct that it now almost seems that gays are all ‘saints’. To me one sexual interest should not become a burden to another. I am straight and I do not find that of any interterest to the rest of the world. If I was to be gay why would I have to constantly express that fact. Why do such things as gay parades exist?
bun out de chi chi. All bottymon fe dead, I don’t feel sorry for none of you, real Jamaicans stand up, and crush the boggamon dem