...Coalition questions judgement, motives and decision-making of justice minister

THE JAMAICA Coalition for a Healthy Society expressed disappointment and questioned the motives of Justice Minister Delroy Chuck in regards to his comments at the recently held Regional Parliamentarians Forum held in Kingston, Jamaica.

Calling the Church the “greatest challenge” in removing the buggery law, Chuck called on regional partners to lead the charge in removing the law in their countries.

“This position is grossly flawed as it goes against standard medical epidemiological practice in which behaviours associated with high risk for a disease are actively discouraged. HIV/AIDS has the highest rates among men who have sex with men (MSM),” the coalition said in a statement to the media.

“It is well established that 98 per cent of the difference in HIV rates between MSM and heterosexuals is due to anal receptive intercourse, ‘buggery’, and role reversal in MSM networks. Role reversal refers to the fact that males can be either the inserting partner or the receptive partner in the act of buggery.”

The statement continued, “For a parliamentarian of Minister Chuck’s experience to be seduced by PANCAP [Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS]’s unsound arguments brings into question his judgement, decision-making and motives.”

In the run-up to the February 2016 general election, Andrew Holness, then Opposition leader, said if his party were elected to government, he would allow Jamaicans to decide in a referendum whether to remove the buggery law.

A joint select committee of parliament chaired by Chuck is currently reviewing the Sexual Offences Act and the Offences Against the Person Act, which has a provision dealing with the offence of buggery.