The U.S. & Jamaica are fighting over gay rights

Rumors are swirling that tensions between Jamaica and the United States are rising after the former refused to grant accreditation to the spouse of a gay American diplomat – whose identity has not been made public – since same-sex marriage is not legal in the Caribbean nation.

A senior government official told Radio Jamaica News that accrediting the spouse would be akin to acknowledging same-sex marriage.

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In a move that many believe is retaliatory, the United States is sending three U.S.-based Jamaican diplomats – including Consul General Oliver Mair and Jamaican Ambassador Audrey Marks – home. The government reportedly rejected a request to extend their visas, despite the fact that granting extensions is standard practice.

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Local 10 News visited the Jamaican Consulate in Miami, where Mair is stationed and where Jamaican diplomats claimed everything taking place is “standard operating procedure.”

A State Department spokesperson sent the following statement to LGBTQ Nation: 

One of the Department’s top priorities is to ensure that privileges and immunities are granted to spouses of personnel assigned to U.S. embassies and consular posts, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Department’s policy regarding the accreditation length of diplomats from bilateral missions to the United States was established in August 2021 and is applied universally absent a reciprocal accreditation policy. In the absence of a waiver approved by the Department, diplomats accredited to bilateral mission are expected to end their tour after five years and depart the United States.

The United States and Jamaica continue to enjoy close ties based on shared values, trade, culture, tourism, and a vibrant diaspora community in the United States.  As the Secretary has said, we pledge to “Stand up for fairness, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at work, both in our domestic offices and in our missions worldwide.”

Equaldex reports that in addition to same-sex marriage being illegal, homosexuality among men remains outlawed in Jamaica and can be punished with up to seven years in prison. Homosexuality among women is not explicitly illegal, but sodomy between any two humans is punishable with up to 10 years in prison. The country also does not legally recognize transgender identities.

A report released earlier this year found that LGBTQ+ Jamaicans face “horrific violence, discrimination and persecution and lack(s) the most basic protections under the law” and that the situation is getting worse. Activists have called on the country to repeal its antiquated sodomy laws, saying that even though they are rarely enforced, they contribute to the stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ people.

Devon Matthews of the LGBTQ+ anti-violence group Rainbow Railroad told the Associated Press that “a lot of beautiful people lost in this violence could have been protected if the state had stepped up.”