Jamaica: Minister urges ‘help’ for gay and trans people forced to live in storm drain
A Jamaican politician has called on the government to help a group of homeless gay and trans people who are forced to live in a storm drain.
Last month, Unreported World followed a group of gay and transgender people who were driven from their homes and are forced to live in a disused storm drain, revealing the violent attacks they face.
MP Julian Robinson – the Minister of State for Science and Technology – told the Jamaican House of Representatives that the group needs to be helped following “international exposure”, though he misgendered them as “homosexual men”.
According to the Jamaica Observer, he said: “I am highlighting it here, because it has received tremendous national and even international exposure and it has been an intractable problem that we haven’t been able to find a solution to and it is something that requires national focus and attention.
“It is a problem which has existed for over two years. They have moved from property to property across the constituency, every empty building. They have now located in this gully.
“The issues here are complex; they are not just about the sexual orientation of the individuals.
“Many of them are youngsters who have suffered abuses — physical, psychological, sexual — they have been ostracised from their families, some of them are homeless and many of them engage in prostitution.
“They have been removed on numerous occasions, but they return.”
Watch a clip from Unreported World below. The full episode is available on 4OD.
