Congratulations!
Originally appeared on Auto Straddle - Posted by Carmen
on June 9, 2012
Dr. Emma Benn and Nicole Y. Dennis were married on May 26. Their ceremony was the first lesbian wedding to take place in Jamaica ever in herstory!
The mere event of a lesbian
wedding in Jamaica represents tremendous growth for the region in the area of gay rights, and serves as a deep source of inspiration for other homos in the region. Dennis mentioned in her interview with Ebony that she was proud to be able to fully recognize a new side to Jamaica, and bring it to the forefront of our discourse on gay rights. No longer can stereotypes and generalizations about hate in Jamaica go without mention of the historic wedding:
More promising to me as a Jamaican was the plethora of positive reactions on my blog and some on the Jamaica Gleaner’s comment section from strangers back home—people who felt trapped in silence because of their sexuality. Or strangers showing support in general. Their individual voices joined the chorus of support my wife and I have been getting, expressing their pride and joy. Other gays and lesbians have acknowledged us as an inspiration. Had it not been for this highly publicized wedding, I would never have felt the true pulse of the gay community in my country, and the nation as a whole. For the first time in their lives they were not invisible. The unbiased publication also allowed people to look pass gender and see the rawness and truth in love. That we’re not sexualized vultures or heathens, but two women in love.
Most importantly, I observed men and women removing their cloaks of shame and guilt to step forward, beautifully naked in the eyes of freedom. Gay and lesbian Jamaicans are tired of hiding.
Originally appeared on Auto Straddle - Posted by Carmen
on June 9, 2012
Dr. Emma Benn and Nicole Y. Dennis were married on May 26. Their ceremony was the first lesbian wedding to take place in Jamaica ever in herstory!
The mere event of a lesbian
wedding in Jamaica represents tremendous growth for the region in the area of gay rights, and serves as a deep source of inspiration for other homos in the region. Dennis mentioned in her interview with Ebony that she was proud to be able to fully recognize a new side to Jamaica, and bring it to the forefront of our discourse on gay rights. No longer can stereotypes and generalizations about hate in Jamaica go without mention of the historic wedding:
More promising to me as a Jamaican was the plethora of positive reactions on my blog and some on the Jamaica Gleaner’s comment section from strangers back home—people who felt trapped in silence because of their sexuality. Or strangers showing support in general. Their individual voices joined the chorus of support my wife and I have been getting, expressing their pride and joy. Other gays and lesbians have acknowledged us as an inspiration. Had it not been for this highly publicized wedding, I would never have felt the true pulse of the gay community in my country, and the nation as a whole. For the first time in their lives they were not invisible. The unbiased publication also allowed people to look pass gender and see the rawness and truth in love. That we’re not sexualized vultures or heathens, but two women in love.
Most importantly, I observed men and women removing their cloaks of shame and guilt to step forward, beautifully naked in the eyes of freedom. Gay and lesbian Jamaicans are tired of hiding.