‘It’s a performance’

The Equality for All Foundation Jamaica, formerly the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), has challenged what it describes as performative opposition from sections of Jamaica’s faith-based community, arguing that relations between churches and the LGBTQ community are more constructive than public commentary often suggests.

Executive Director Glenroy Murray said he and members of the organisation have generally enjoyed cordial relations with faith leaders and have held several meetings with church representatives over the years.

Speaking with The Sunday Gleaner following last week’s re-launch of the organisation’s rebranded LGBTQ policy platform, known as the Queer Agenda, Murray said Equality for All has remained open to engagement with religious institutions.

“I did meet years ago with Reverend Dick,” he said, referencing the pastor of the St Andrew-based Boulevard Baptist Church, Devon Dick.

“He was very receiving and open. He actually invited us to church, and we went and we were warmly received, not just by him but by the congregation,” said Murray, who is also an attorney-at-law.

“And I was pleasantly surprised to see the request being made for it to be an agenda [item]. I didn’t expect them to vote positively. But I think he’s right to want the church to have that conversation,” added Murray, a tutor in criminal and human rights law at The University of the West Indies.

His comments came in response to a Sunday Gleaner report last week detailing how members of the Boulevard Baptist Church voted to prevent a vote on whether same-sex unions could be blessed at the church. Although the meeting achieved quorum, members passed a preliminary motion ensuring the matter never reached the formal agenda. Dick later confirmed that the majority either abstained or voted against holding the discussion.

Murray said he found the outcome disappointing, particularly given what he described as previous openness from the church’s leadership.

“[It is] a little bit disappointing that the church didn’t even want to entertain the conversation. And I’m hopeful that more religious leaders, wherever they’re placed, are becoming more and more open, just to talk and ask, what is it really that the community wants and how can we work together, because the truth is, the Church does a lot of the same work that we do. They care about homelessness,” he explained.

He added that the church has long been involved in providing for the poor and supporting vulnerable populations and argued that disagreement on theology should not preclude coexistence.

“Because there are some disagreements it does not mean that it’s impossible for us to coexist,” Murray reasoned.

According to Murray, public portrayals of an adversarial relationship between churches and LGBTQ Jamaicans are often exaggerated.

“I think there’s certain elements in the church who are loud, who want that to be the story. But in reality, that’s not the case. I’ve been to many churches this year alone for different reasons. Other members of the community go to church religiously and regularly. I know a few queer pastors myself. And so, I think there’s definitely space for a healthy conversation about how does the church become safer for the community,” Murray said.

He also pointed to findings from Equality for All’s needs assessment, which indicate that many queer Jamaicans feel safe in faith-based spaces.

“So, this idea that people would like us to have in the media, that, oh, this is contentious religion, is just not true,” Murray told The Sunday Gleaner.

Murray was particularly critical of what he described as public posturing by some church leaders whenever LGBTQ issues arise.

LGBT rights

“I think they feel like they have a duty to speak up when certain major conversations around LGBT rights come up. I think they feel like if they don’t position themselves as the holders of the morals – and that means resisting whatever we say, even if it’s not controversial – they feel like it’s a part of their responsibility. I think it’s a performance in a lot of ways,” Murray said.

He argued that churches could better serve their moral mission by being more vocal against violence, homelessness, and family rejection affecting LGBTQ youth.

“Because the thing is, even if you feel that being gay is a sin or the Bible says you shouldn’t live this lifestyle, as they would say, there’s no Christian principle that would facilitate a child being kicked out by their families for whatever reason.

“And I think the church could be more strident on that, because as an organisation, while, yes, legal changes matter to us and we’re always going to be asking for them, our day-to-day priority is making sure our community is safe, making sure they’re protected, making sure that resources are available for them and that they’re not discriminated against, especially in the public service,” he stated.

He stressed that churches have never opposed Equality for All’s work in these areas.

“So maybe they can use their energies better, rather than whip up controversy every time some fanciful conversation about same-sex marriage or unions comes up,” he added.

Murray emphasised that his criticism was not meant to accuse church leaders of hypocrisy.

“I think the people who are doing the performing do believe it. I’m not saying they’re hypocritical in themselves, but I think they’re misrepresenting and mischaracterising the Christian community as a whole,” Murray told The Sunday Gleaner.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Boulevard Baptist Church vote, Murray said dialogue remains essential, particularly because many LGBTQ Jamaicans are people of faith.

“I wouldn’t start with blessing unions, personally. But I think a conversation is needed. At the end of the day, there are queer people who are of faith,” he said.

He referenced past regional initiatives, including a project led by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) Coalition, aimed at bridging divides between faith leaders and LGBTQ groups.

“We were able to have some conversations about it, build some knowledge in our community about how we have those conversations,” he said.

Advocates and allies

Murray also said that, to the best of his knowledge, Equality for All has not received funding from the Arcus Foundation, a private grant-making organisation that supports LGBTQ causes. A 2020 Arcus report, however, identified Dick as one of four “faith-based advocates and allies” in Jamaica, alongside Reverend Canon Garth Minnott and Reverend Sean Major-Campbell of the Anglican Church and Reverend Marvia Lawes also of the Baptist Church (Sligoville). It remains unclear how individuals are designated as advocates or allies.

The Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society said it could not confirm or deny Murray’s assertion that elements of the faith-based community were “performing” for public consumption.

Leading advocate Dr Wayne West said he was unaware of any such behaviour.

“Maybe they do and maybe they are aware of what they are saying. But I really can’t make any comment on it because I am not aware of it,” he told The Sunday Gleaner.

West also said he knew of no scriptural basis for the blessing of same-sex unions and agreed with the Boulevard Baptist Church’s decision not to entertain the discussion.

“God has spoken on it, so I don’t see what there is to discuss,” he stated.

President of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance (JEA), Bishop Alvin Bailey, reiterated the organisation’s opposition to homosexuality.

“The Jamaican Evangelical Alliance, of which I am president, strongly condemns homosexuality and its practice inside and outside of the church. This is irrespective, culture, creed, doctrine or interpretation of scriptures. The JEA’s position remains compassion without compromise. [But] all sinners can be saved,” Bailey told The Sunday Gleaner.

Bailey added that there is “no human right to same-sex marriages and the practice of homosexuality.

“Like many other things, these are free-will matters, but laws have to restrain some free-will desires for the sake of protection of decency, and morality-informed cultural consensus.”

He said the church would continue to resist legal and cultural changes that, in its view, undermine morality.

Meanwhile, Equality for All’s newly launched Queer Agenda outlines a series of recommendations across multiple areas, including security and justice, family life, health, education and training, housing and social security, employment, issues affecting trans and gender non-conforming persons, and culture and entertainment.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com