RANT: I Never Knew A Theatre Could Be Homophobic!

So I’ve just returned from Zack Snyder’s latest page for page comic book to film adaptation and I felt like there was something I just needed to get off of my chest. I’m tired of my country’s homophobia. Now for those of you out there who are yet to watch the movie, or read the graphic novel do not fear I will not spoil anything in this rant of mine.

During the opening credits of Watchmen we are treated to a montage of clips which basically gives you the feel of how we are to perceive these “super-heroes” and there is one specific shot that was left out of the film. There is, literally two seconds, on the screen when we witness two women kissing during this sequence and my local theatre found it necessary that they edit that out of the film. WTF!!!! Now Jamaica is not new to homophobia, every other day we hear about another story of a homosexual who has been attacked because of his/her sexuality and my heart breaks every time I hear this.

I believe that everyone should have the right to decide what and who they are, and shouldn’t be judged for something so stupid as who they decide to go to bed with [referring to consenting adults]. However, this not a very common thought among Jamaicans. How is it you cannot just leave the person to do as they please, if it is not bothering you. If it is, that means that possibly there is something you need to figure out about yourself. I’ve had this conversation with many people over the years, and one of the many things people say to me is “I don’t want any man touching me” and that makes no sense. If that is happening that is RAPE and that isn’t a characteristic of a homosexual but a perverted rapist [which can be homo or heterosexual]. I know some homosexuals and they are regular people, just like everyone else, the only difference is that they sleep with those of the same sex. I see no difference between someone hating on homosexuals and racists hating on any race, it is the same principle just applied somewhere else. The choice to hate someone for the company they like to sleep with is just as irrational as hating someone for the colour of their skin.

Films that talk about homosexuality have never been well received in Jamaica. I remember when “Brokeback Mountain” [2005] was released in Jamaica, which was a surprise in itself. I didn’t see it in theatres so I cannot say whether that film was re-edited or not, but there was a lot of press coverage showing people protesting the release of the film. There was also “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” [2007] which was a romantic comedy and was rated X-21 [the highest rating possible in Jamaica’s cinema] in Jamaica because instead of the traditional romantic comedy which circled around a guy falling in love with a girl, it was two friends posing to be homosexual lovers. PS. in the end the guy gets the fucking girl, so it still sticks to the heterosexual ideals.

So I get back to my point, why??? Why do we need to discriminate against someone for such an infantile reason? I think it has to do with the immature Jamaican mentality. I’m so annoyed that people my age just don’t act their age, people can never approach a discussion with a level of maturity which allows for a certain level of intellectual understanding. I also expected more balls from my local theatre, for something as small as this they had to cut it out. And interestingly enough they were okay with minutes later showing the shot of the two women mutilated in their bed because they were lesbians. Thank for reminding me of why I hate my country sometimes.

So I guess in the end what I really want to say is: GROW UP!!! Honestly, leave the high school mentality back there, in high school. As the famous saying says “When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things.” I Cor. xiii. 11.