FOUR GUYS, ONE CAR

When I was in Ocho Rios, together with three guys we decided to go to Island Gully Falls to cliff jump. It was a public holiday, so not many cars were on the streets. Luckily, a random guy (let’s call him J.) overheard our conversation and said that there is a driver that could take us to the falls. Awesome! We found the guy, negotiated the price and were ready to go, but first, we had to fit in a car.

We were four, and the car was small. The tallest one was on the front seat. The rest had to sit on the back. Important to note, that all this time, J. was watching us. I sat at the window seat, and to fit, I put my arm around my friend. The moment I did it J. started slapping my hand, started shaking his head and saying “No! No! No homo in Jamaica!” 😮 In J.’s eyes, I was gay who was hugging his boyfriend. I wanted to reply saying that I am not gay, but based on his reaction, it was safer to stop “hugging” my friend. So, I removed my arm, and we drove to the falls. I had no clue what our driver had on his mind, and wasn’t eager to find out, so I sat in a twisted pose the whole time. The ride was uncomfortable, but at least I was safe 🤷🏽‍♂️

P.S. I later learned that, unfortunately, there is a sexual prejudice in Jamaica. If you are a homosexual tourist, then you would probably get a verbal warning from locals. However, if you are a Jamaican and gay, then you would be bullied, beaten, attacked, denied employment etc.

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