Dear Editor,

I was appalled at seeing the headlines "Gays wreak havoc" in South East St Andrew, and reports also that a person was killed, and properties were damaged by fire by the same persons. The text mentions that some of the gays are homeless people, some practise prostitution, and engage in other criminal activities. Some others are under the age of sexual consent.

The first action, I suggest, is to contact the LGBT community and obtain an explanation for this conduct. If an answer is given, or explanations, or commitments to cease and desist, we can overlook the gay actions as exuberance as long as laws are not broken.

If they have broken laws, they should face legal action just like other citizens. With the assurances having been given by Government that all persons legally living in Jamaica have equal rights, what are the reasons for living out of the norm?

Should confinement be necessary, they can only be confined in a situation where we can assimilate them, or they take what we have, and we make some arrangements for their safety while incarcerated.

Surely we can find an answer to alleviating homeless persons' difficulties. There should be churches and other organisations that provide soup kitchens for those in need of assistance, where food, and medicine can be made available. There is one in Ocho Rios set up by the Methodists with help from the Rotary Club of Ocho Rios, a structure reasonably fortified right on Main Street. Some help centres can be set up right here in Kingston, and by similar organisations, on vacant lots allowed by Church and Government.

This kind of violence should be brought to an end, for it endangers human rights, causes crime, and simply brings confusion to their communities. I have no problem with the police exercising their authority when required, assuming the above pre-conditions are met.

Ramesh Sujanani

rsujanani78@gmail.com