Unsettling Homophobia: Sex, Marriage, and the Law in Jamaican Statecraft, 1850-1970

In 2006, Time Magazine branded Jamaica as “the most homophobic place on earth.” Citing the notorious lyrics of dancehall artist, Buyu Banton, antiquated anti-sodomy laws, and high rates of violence against LGBTQ individuals, this article catalyzed a wave of international criticism directed at Jamaica’s alleged “backwardness.” In suggesting that Jamaica is an exceptionally homophobic place, cultural and scholarly critics often pathologize Jamaicans— even going so far as to identify the source of homophobia as a “collective cultural dementia.” This thesis, however, challenges the narrative that Jamaican homophobia is pathological or simply ingrained into the culture. Alternatively, it argues that Jamaican homophobia is a colonial legacy that persisted within Jamaican statecraft even after the nation gained its independence due to the ongoing of influence of colonialism paired with early nationalism. To do this, it tracks the evolution of Jamaica’s current anti-sodomy statute beginning in the British colonial period. It then moves to the period of independence in the mid 20" century and examines how family planning initiatives inscribed a heteronormative understanding of Jamaican citizenship. Reframing Jamaican homophobia as a historical process as opposed to a cultural defect acknowledges the realities and dangers that face the LGBTQ community without participating in the frequent erasure of LGBTQ Jamaicans and their equally important resistance.