12. Jamaica
At number 12 on our list of least gay-friendly countries in the world we have Jamaica that knows how to party and it attracts many tourists during the year. You probably did not know that Jamaica is yet another country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by law. According to The Offenses Against the Person Act of 1864, punishment for “buggery” is up to 10 years of imprisonment with hard labor. The law is enforced against gay men while the punishment for women is not very clear. The biggest problem is that these laws are used to justify violence and discrimination against LGBT population. Defenders of “buggery laws” state that these laws are not against human rights because they do not criminalize being gay but do criminalize homosexual acts. So, where does that leave it??? It is ok to be gay but it is not acceptable to act in accordance with your identity? Moreover, Jamaican LGBT rights organization recorded 231 incidents (between 2009 and 2012) of attacks against their community including physical attacks, mob attacks, and even home invasions. Another devastating fact is that perpetrators are rarely caught and punished since witnesses do not want to talk to police, showing their approval of violence based on sexual orientation. In short, if you are a victim of a hate crime, don’t expect anyone to help you.
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