St Lucia braces for gay attack

Tourism Minister Allen Chastanet

As St Lucia braces for the possible fallout from an attack on three gay men from the United States as they showered together in a cottage in the west coast town of Soufriere, tourism officials are this week arranging meetings with the visitors to do some damage control.

“One of the sensitive issues in this regard is that… there were some discriminatory remarks which were made to them, and which obviously offended them tremendously,” Tourism Minister Allen Chastanet said.

“Given the fact that homosexuality is against the law in St Lucia, the visitors harboured concerns about going to the police.”

Chastanet said that one of the men who had become very attached to St Lucia was in the process of raising funds to help slow learners in the various schools on the island.

In another reaction to the incident Foreign Minister Rufus Bousquet told reports Friday that there was more to the incident that meets the eye.

“Sometimes in government we are privy to information which we can’t necessarily release and which in some cases is speculative because you can’t actually prove it, so while there may be more to this the fact of the matter is it is a most unfortunate incident and not the kind of thing that we like to see in St Lucia,” he said.

“Generally the government will never condone such a thing as we find it reprehensibly and should be condemned in every circle in which there is a facility to condemn it.”

One of the men has taken his story to several leading gay publications in the United States and has also documented his ordeal on various social networks, suggesting that the incident represented a hate crime directed at gays.

The local organisation United and Strong, which has in the past advocated on behalf of gays and lesbians, has condemned the incident and said that the risk to the men increased once the criminals recognised their sexual orientation.

United and Strong, a representative of which is currently in the United States, is seeking a meeting with the victims.

The three visitors said that in addition to being attacked, robbed and beaten, they were subjected to certain discriminatory remarks.

Police said they have captured two of the five men involved in the incident and have found most the stolen items which have since been returned to the tourists.

They said the search is continuing for the other three.

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Comment by Bombahdrop on March 22, 2011 at 2:55pm: Jah Blessings to you too Empress link back lata ya hear, lata

Comment by JamRockLady on March 22, 2011 at 2:44pm: @Bombahdrop...well-stated. My point exactly. My mind is at ease knowing that I live my life righteously, always put God first, have forgiveness and good intentions in my heart and that's all that really matters. I know you feel the same, and agree with me....lol.

Mi a go a one meetin' now....me wi link yu back lata ina di evening. Jah Bless Empress.

Comment by Bombahdrop on March 22, 2011 at 2:35pm: Yess Sistrine your'e so right about that and that is why we must pray everyday unto him and give thanks for giving us life and choices such as good over evil, and forgiveness. I too feel good too when i forgive those who trespass against me on a daily basis. I share in your thoughts J and ur way of living which is good God does know whats in everyone of us heart and yes that is all that matters. We have to be strong especially in these day sistah because its us against the evil doers of the world so stay strong and do not buckle for those heathen devil worshippers false prophets, as i too am doing, until that day the Son of Man, the one and only True Messiah comes for us.

Comment by JamRockLady on March 22, 2011 at 2:32pm: @Bombahdrop...regardless of the circumstances of our lives, once we live our lives in the righteous way, in the way God wants us to, he'll understand why we made the decisions we made when our time comes to be in his presence. Our God is a forgiving God. If we don't forgive here on earth then that is an ungodly act (not to forgive). I forgive all those who have done me wrong....it feels good to forgive....like a weight/burden lifted off your shoulders.

Be good to others, as the saying goes..."do onto others"...and so on. God with sort out the rest after that. He knows the intention that you have in your heart. He knows the intent in everyone heart (good or bad).

All I have is good intention in my heart and that is reflected in everything I do and say. I don't worry about evildoers and wrongdoers...that's in God's hands...he's the judge....not me. As the video said, "focus only on God", and that's exactly what I do on a daily basis...I don't worry about others and what they do or say. (*rolling eyes).

God knows who you "truly" are, in your heart, and that's all that matters.

Comment by Bombahdrop on March 22, 2011 at 2:12pm: Yes I would finally love to see the son of man come on this Earth and prove to all what he really looks like because if he ain;t white then why all the good truthful messages like the link down below that i jus posted has white jesus being portrayed. Still i know that wont sidetrack us from the true message of good and evil . I myself have obeyed all the ten commandments except for one but i feel that one is partially my fault. I pray day and night to our Father even when im doing nothing at all I pray to him especially for all the things i might consider a sin but like i said its only one and that is committing adultery with my boyfriend of three years I love the mess out of him and wish to be married but thats where the partially my fault is at because if i know we are not married why am i having relations with this man i want to marry and waiting for him to propose already. I know he loves me i know he has never been married before jus like me but i want to marry for i am sinning if i dont marry to him. I am very loyal to my partner very and if we was to marry and he cheated on me i know i wont be fault for that because i stayed loyal it is him that sinned although i will pray for him as i do know but i would pray that he be forgiven thru me being that i have faith in GOD You understand J where i am coming from I too do not want to see hell but if God took me there to see it i would be prepared by seeing videos like the one below and yes i would be scared out of my mind and soul . God doesnt have to take me there I believe .

Comment by JamRockLady on March 22, 2011 at 2:02pm: @Bombahdrop...Thank you Empress...yes I agree...as long as we have God in our hearts and put him first above all, that's really all that matters. Yes, the message of the video is far more important than the image of white Jesus...I'm just sick and tired of seeing the "white Jesus lie" perpetuated over and over again...it's sad that other cultures don't know the truth about "black Jesus" but oh well...it's the message that's the most important.

I always knew hell was a bad place and that I NEVER wanted to do anything here on earth to get me there in the afterlife but since the video put it like that...I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING TO STAY THE HELL OUTTA HELL FOR REAL!!!! LOL.

Comment by Bombahdrop on March 22, 2011 at 1:57pm: Good afternoon Empress JamRockLady I know the image is of a white person but just try to see the message which i deliver is so the truth sistrine its the only pic that goes with the message but the message is more powerful than the image it portrays All we need to know is that God exist And Hell is very much real and you dont want to go there. I know you believe in God, we have that in common u and I .Wheather they portray our Father in Heaven as black, white, yellow, or whatever color or name that we refer to him as, in our hearts we both know who God is, and what he is about, and what he can do, and most importantly he is good, not evil like the Devil in Hell. that is my message to you J Love you sistrine

Comment by JamRockLady on March 22, 2011 at 1:47pm: @Bombahdrop...afternoon Empress....very powerful video...so full of TRUTH. Thanks goodness I stopped watching TELL-LIE-VISION 2 years ago. Those images are graphic and so powerful. Thank goodness I'm a
Godly and spiritual person and that is reflecting in everything I think, do and say. I don't like the depiction of a "white Jesus" but oh well. Thanks for sharing. Mi sorry fi dem so called atheist-dummies. SMH.