The Editor, Sir:

It would seem that Jamaican legislators have allowed fear and bigotry to limit their ability to help those who need the protection of the law. If I understand it correctly, a male cannot bring a case against another male who has raped him. Rape is about power; and denying someone the ability to name their attacker as a rapist grants more power to the offender when in fact, the letter of the law should be used to empower the victim.

Have we become so obsessed with criminalising same-sex relationships that we are willing to do an injustice to possible victims of rape? I think it's difficult enough for someone to come to terms with an act of violence which involves sexual assault; why make it even moreso by saying to them "what happened to you was not rape because legally a man cannot have sex with another man"? What happens under the law when a women sexually assaults another woman? Does that also cease to exist because we refuse to acknowledge it? It places fault on the victim! This is absurd, please someone explain how this makes any sense.

There has to be a point when we face our irrational fears and acknowledge that there are more important things in life than protecting the machismo mentality that Jamaican men have carved out for themselves.

I am, etc.,

GARTH WISHFAIR

purlpleodyssey@gmail.com

Via Go-Jamaica