The bus driver turned up the volume of his squeaky radio and I leaned forward, the better to hear the evening news headlines, among them an appeal by United and Strong to Saint Lucians not to celebrate the demise of convicted criminal Yolanda Frederick, also notorious as a hermaphrodite. The individual had been fatally shot at Leslie Land by person or persons unknown.
Soon afterward the Facebook ghouls were posting their thanks to whoever had taken Frederick out. As barbaric as were some of the posted comments, few matched the expressed venom of our allegedly Christian society.
I had a difficult time getting what USSL leader Kenita Placide had said as it came over my bus driver’s crackling radio. My holier-than-thou fellow riders didn’t help. The consensus was that Placide was determined to remake Saint Lucia into a gay society.
Tiway sa la! shouted one of the sinless ones. Meekly, the driver switched to a “go pwel” station just then featuring the still popular “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” by Boy George as famous for his homosexuality as for his several eighties hits.
Later that evening I read online what Placide had said over the radio: she deplored all forms of violence; blamed the “failed system” for the increasing crime.
Yolanda Frederick, aka Jordan, was an “inter-sex person,” whom the system had never protected, never served, never supported. Neither had “the community.”
Placide made far more sense to me than the government-employed clinical psychologists who’ve been having a grand time in the spotlight with their after the fact advice regarding people under one kind of stress or another.
Since the shooting I’ve found myself contemplating the lives of the flamboyant pop star who, like Frederick, had his fair share of troubles involving the police, whether or not in relation to drug use. Once he was charged with kidnapping and “gratuitous violence.” Like Frederick, Boy George often attired himself as a woman. His celebrity offered him no cover.
From all we now have been told Frederick was teased, better to say bullied, both by schoolmates and by other parties. No one will dare say whether any of that forced him or her into crime.
Frederick, 35, originally from La Clery, had been for some time considered dangerous. In 2010, Frederick was remanded at the Bordelais Correctional Facility—accused of murdering 52-year-old Justus Cenott of Morne Du Don, and the attempted murder of a 16-year-old.
It will come as no surprise that Frederick had a rough time fitting in at Bordelais, largely because of the “inter-sex” status.
At least two psychologists this week addressed the problem of suicides and criminal behavior. Alas not only did they have nothing new to say on the matter, it would seem the experts are still not ready to discuss sexuality, let alone people of uncertain gender.
All things sex are denounced in St. Lucia, the church has spread it’s repression in every gutter and forest canopy, they have made the island sick, so sick that violence is never far from a good kokay. The whole world pratices anel sex it is especially craved in St. Lucia and yet the hypocrisy denies it’s appetite quench. The island is so sick that they fear seeing humans in bare back while in a public place, we kill the mad people, the coucoon lolo ones, the mal mamas, the jammets, the stray dogs loose on the road, the leatherback turtles, we kill everything that is different from our nature, an island of nature and sex (life) haters.
The world needs MORE Kenita Placides – more individuals who care deeply about the fundamental human rights of fellow citizens, and who do what they can to safeguard those rights. We continue to boast as proud citizens of Caribbean countries that we are beacons of democracy and champions of the rule of law, while some simultaneously deny by word and deed, that ALL our citizens have a right to the same fundamental rights and freedoms.
PEDOPHILIA: the fantasy or act of sexual activity with prepubescent children. Pedophiles are usually men, and can be attracted to either or both sexes. (Psychology Today)
PEDOPHILIA hurts. It represents a hideous act of betrayal of trust and a cruel sexual exploitation of the powerless. Other sexual orientations (HETEROSEXUALITY – attraction to members of the opposite sex, HOMOSEXUALITY – attraction to members of the same sex, and BISEXUALITY – attraction to members of either sex [Psychology Today]) are based on CONSENT of ADULT partners.
Continuing to mistake one for the other prevents us from properly protecting the truly vulnerable – our children and youth, We MUST strengthen laws,…
And we should accept, condone and laugh about the lifestyle of the heterosexual community because they’re “normal” right? And normal is under age sex with children of both genders, running around on your wife and family, having “outside” women and children, living life on the downlow thereby spreading STDs and AIDS to unsuspecting partners and all the while chewing the altar rails on a Sunday morning? It’s not about the need to agree but the need to respect, and definitely there’s no need to oppress and murder those who don’t fit into the convenient boxes. Of course Kenita and the gay citizens of this country wants to be accepted as did black Americans and women 50 years ago when…
How could people compare black people and women with gays. Heterosexual I did not know it meant sleeping with males as well. Whenever something is said that homosexuals don’t like they seem to get angry. Not everyone accepts your lifestyle. I know I will never accept and I will never respect it because it is disgusting. All the things you just described about sleeping with males etc are all done by down low homosexuals. You people will never get my respect.
I just hate when yu’ll try to align your dyfucntional “lifestyle” of that of struggles of blacks during the civil rights era. There is no civility to your cause (1) You cannot and will not ever ever PROCRIATE and the last time I check this is what got all of us here so I don’t understand why anyone would go against the evolution existence of mankind as we now it.
Really? are you kidding me about Placide. I think she knows what is affecting her and her sexuality not more than the clinical psychologists. Individuals will always be more sensitive and understand the issues they face but to say she knows more is over the line. At times it seems as if Placide wants everyone to accept her lifestyle. As I always say everyone has their views, Some we will agree with and some we will not. I don’t think people should force what they consider to be right on others. Dr Stephen King made more sense in his statement on another local news medium than anyone else did.
After reading this article and this your statement dear, I am disagreeing with your point on this matter that this a self proclaimed situation. I think Miss. Placide is seeking conversation among all with the ultimate aim of respecting the rights of every individual. She also went as far as highlighting the cracks in this society and how easily one can fall in and may even be lost in there. One does not have to like the others’ life style but one needs to respect the other persons choices and lifestyles. By extension, that is all I am seeing because I really don’t see Miss. Placide seeking your approval here..