Montego Bay Pride seeks to empower LGBT members

Hundreds of members of the LGBT community (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders) are expected to assemble in Montego Bay for the fourth staging of Montego Bay Pride.

Their celebration, which comes after the 38th anniversary of Montego Bay gaining city status, will shoot off with a Pride Launch party at the Round Hill Hotel on October 8, under the distinguished patronage of Josef Forstmayr, the Austrian Consul General to Jamaica.

"We put a lot of stock on visibility, we make sure that people know that we are here. We do pop up protests by driving into town and jumping out with rainbow flags and placards so that people know we are here," Maurice Tomlinson, founder and coordinator of Montego Bay Pride, said.

"The challenge in any society with accepting or understanding LGBT people is that they only hear one side of the story. That's what is preached by the churches that we are all paedophiles and all these ridiculous things," said Tomlinson.

Tomlinson said he wanted people to understand that "we are actually members of your society".

"We are your brothers, your sisters, your doctors, your nurses, whatever. We are there," said Tomlinson.

He said the organisation is actively engaged in community building to empower the members of the LGBT community.

Tomlinson said members who feel that they are alone need to know that there is a support system in Montego Bay Pride.

"They are not alone. In fact there is a community there to support them in case anybody is in crisis. As you would have seen, we've had some unfortunate instances of abuse, so we want them to know that there are people to rely on," Tomlinson said

According to Tomlinson, who is an attorney at law and leading gay rights advocate and HIV activist in the Caribbean, they are seeking to get about 2,000 persons to attend the week of activities, which will include a film festival, a panel discussion and community social justice programme.

Montego Bay Pride was created in 2014 to bring a sense of community and celebration among the LGBT community and to put them on par with their counterparts in Kingston and the eastern end of the island.

"Many persons on the western side couldn't get across to enjoy and participate in the activities there, so that's why we started Montego Bay Pride," said Tomlinson.