CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 97

ocean her new walls, she sat down and cried.
She said she could have jumped into the water
right then and there, but reality sunk in.
“I sat there, and I realised that I was homeless,
and I had nowhere to go. I had no family member
... and I needed to try to survive.”
Like many of Jamaica’s homeless LGBTQ youth,
Burton navigated the streets of Kingston in
search of food, shelter, and care. She said
she went to motels and small villas, seeking
shelter from storms and hurricanes, but often
landlords balked at her, demanding to know
how a 16-year-old would pay their rent.
Dane Lewis reported that 30-40 LGBTQ people
have come to J-FLAG seeking shelter.
But he said smaller groups exist elsewhere
throughout Jamaica that have not been as visible.
J-FLAG has been trying to establish a shelter,
but its efforts so far have been stymied, leaving
those like Burton to keep wandering.
“The challenge is that J-FLAG does not have the
resources to house people. We’ve been trying
to establish a shelter since 2011 which has been
unsuccessful in the many attempts that we’ve
made for various reasons,” Lewis explained.
Lewis said securing a space was difficult
because of J-FLAG’s identity, and reports of
petty crimes committed by the homeless LGBTQ
youth. The publicity served as a barrier rather
than a push to social change. However, some
have been able to find shelter in Open Arms
and drop-in centres. Additionally, J-FLAG
has made referrals to areas where individuals
might stay, but otherwise, facilities are limited.

“Even when we look at the issue of homelessness
generally in Jamaica, the Government’s response
has been less than adequate,” Lewis said, “We
still have over a thousand Jamaicans that are
homeless who are not residing in any shelter
much less to think of the 30-odd LGBT members.”
Lewis added that without a real change in their
daily physical environment, after each intervention,
they return to a state of homelessness.
Homelessness created other issues for Burton.
The scrutiny continued, and Burton tried to
escape the attention of authorities, such as
police officers, especially those from the Centre
for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and
Child Abuse (CISOCA).
“They didn’t understand I didn’t want to go in a
home, because I see people who went through
homes, and got raped and abuse, even kill
themselves,” she said.
Burton made every open lot in Kingston she
could find her home. But she feared the insistent
fury of the elements; rain, the intense heat, and
hurricanes. She shared her home with insects,
rodents, and the constant threat of illnesses
such as chikungunya and leptospirosis. But in
addition to her natural environment, social
stigma pressed on her.
“It’s like you[‘re] dead already,” Burton said,
describing the emotional impact of homelessness.
She said, those who are more flamboyant are
“marooned”; forced to hide in cemeteries and
abandoned places in the day. She only braved
the public at night.

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