Being a member of the Jamaican LGBT community has put me in the line of prejudice, stigma and discrimination not only from persons who are heterosexual but also members of the LGBT community.

Within the community there exists a hierarchy or some form of stratification which makes it that much harder for members.

I am labelled as confused and is sometimes asked the question in being bi-sexual, am I truly attracted to two sexes or simply confused and need to experiment until my “TRUE” sexuality is found.

I am also labelled as promiscuous or even being told I am “just looking to be noticed”.

This is only fitting to be writing this on world Bi-sexuality Visibility Day.

In my community, I don’t talk to people much and so if persons know of my sexuality they have never said anything to me about it or I don’t know if they just don’t know.

For family, it is the same as my community I would say if they know no one approaches me or says anything about it or they just don’t know I guess and it’s not like I hide my sexuality.

School is abit different and very interesting actually. So I have like three (3) persons who I would talk with regularly and study with and so on. 2 male and 1 female. The 2 males were quite ok with my sexuality from the get go; the female not so much. It was after the Orlando shooting and she asking herself “What If” she actually started build tolerance and acceptance more.

My previous job was ok I would say; the organization I did not encounter any issues with regarding my sexuality just only a few utterances from employees. One even took to social media to call me out saying “I fuck man, I fuck woman, I suck dick, I suck pussy and had no place”. I’m not ashamed so why get upset.

It’s very much different in my current job at EFAF, it is now rewarding to show up each day to work with a team whose vision is to see a Jamaica where there is freedom to be for all people.

I have had some negative utterances from the wider society, men in particular wanting to fuck me, let me feel a dick in hope of me no longer being a bi-sexual apart from that it is just clear blue skies.

-Christina