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Months after homosexual residents were displaced from their homes in a popular community in Portmore, St Catherine, one man claiming he was one of those who was chased away, said the community did nothing to protect them, as they were attacked repeatedly.
"The security who were over there pointed us out and called us homosexuals and they wouldn't protect us," the man, who spoke on terms of anonymity, explained.
"I just want them to tell the truth," he said, adding that the homosexuals who lived there experienced physical violence.
The man then took the opportunity to describe in detail the abuse which he and the other estimated 20 homosexuals who lived in the community had to endure.
"My windows were hit out by children, they poisoned my dog. Dem puncture the wheels of my Kia and Levin ... If we a walk go down to the plaza, they would stone us," the man said.
He also explained that his neighbours told lies on him and others accusing them of being criminals so the police could arrest them.
"One morning police swarmed my house and accused me of doing lottery scam," he claimed.
Additionally, he pointed out, "On every cluster, the residents have problems with homosexuals. People would also run us down with machetes. They used a knife to cut another gay on his head but there were no arrests".
However, the man admitted amid the hatred, some residents were openly apologetic.
"You have good residents over there. Some of them, mainly women, came back to apologise later," he emphasised.
When asked if he was experiencing the same dislike and abuse in the community where he has relocated, he confessed, "I'm comfortable where I'm at now, everything is ok,".
When THE STAR enquired into the matter with the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), the organisation said it was had been made aware of the displacement of homosexuals from the community in question.
Corbin Gordon, programme & advocacy coordinator at J-FLAG, said, "We were alerted some time ago of the abuse in Portmore ... We are aware that homosexuals are being driven out of their homes and communities because of homophobic violence."
At the same time, he emphasised, "We have a lawyer on retainer who can take up such cases."
