Jamaican Parliamentarian Chastised for Bigotry

Yesterday, I witnessed the most epic episode of telling off on Twitter. 

First time Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Dayton Campbell tweeted that Frank Ocean (a bisexual man) should be concerned about women not men. He went on to say that Bob Marley had said, ‘man to man is unjust.’ We will ignore his gross misuse of Bob Marley’s song, which from all accounts had nothing to do with homosexuality.

I have never seen Jamaicans face off with a Parliamentarian on this controversial issue. Perhaps this is a first in our history. What is phenomenal is that even gay Jamaicans were scolding him. It’s always the allies and human rights activists who take on this battle. Perhaps change is imminent?

Dr Dayton Campbell is the Member of Parliament (MP) for North West St Ann and a medical doctor. I am aware that he does not agree (or support) homosexuality based on questions I tweeted him before he was elected to the Parliament. However, he did say to that he does not condone discrimination or violence meted out to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. Seemingly, he is unaware of how his tweet and the use of luuuu (a Jamaican term used to express disapproval of homosexuality) help to perpetuate the antipathy towards LGBT persons that is replete across Jamaica.

Many might be quick to say the chastisement is a perfect example of how gay rights is a threat to free speech. However, it is important that we appreciate that public officials must be guarded in what they say; even on Twitter and Facebook. Of course, Dr. Campbell is free to disagree with homosexuality but he ought to be responsible about how he expresses this. He could have tweeted his “concern” in a much better way.

How can politicians be so silent on national issues, move at snail pace in addressing them but so quick to comment about who people love? We have to demand more of our elected officials. Our endorsement of mediocrity and their complacency has not yielded much in the last fifty years. I wish politicians would be half as concerned about the livelihood of their constituents as they are about who they love.