THE Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) has declared that it will not accept responsibility for the rowdy, and sometimes violent behaviour of a group of gay men said to be wreaking havoc in a section of the country’s capital.

The group’s statement comes in response to public outcry over the behaviour of the group of men who are based in New Kingston, and the admission by the police that they are having difficulties dealing with them.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that while J-FLAG advocates for the rights of all Jamaicans, and, in particular, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, J-FLAG does not condone any form of misconduct, violent or criminal behaviour. In addition, while these individuals may be members of the LGBT community, J-FLAG cannot be held culpable for their actions and behaviour,” read a section of a statement released by the organisation.

“J-FLAG, as communicated to the police on many occasions, is fully supportive of their efforts to resolve the issues created by homeless gay men. J-FLAG agrees it is necessary to apprehend and incarcerate persons who commit crimes and understands the necessity of mitigating the impact of lawlessness on business people, residents, employees and commuters. J-FLAG does not in any way consider the police undertaking their duties as homophobic or being anti-gay. This has never been the position of the organisation,” the release added.

The organisation says it has made several attempts to intervene but has been unsuccessful in its bid to rein in the culprits, some of whom are involved in frequent internal fisticuffs as well as criminal offences including robberies.

“J-FLAG has met and collaborated with a broad range of stakeholders, including the police, the member of parliament for the constituency, the mayor, the Ministry of Health, the councillor, the Child Development Agency, church leaders and representatives of the business community but the outcomes have not been significant enough to address the behavioural issues from which these issues stem,” the organisation explained as it highlighted the need for the homeless gays to be assisted through a residential rehabilitative care centre.

“Regrettably, despite the efforts of staff of both J-FLAG and Jamaica AIDS Support for Life and our partners, we have been unable to secure a property to undertake the intervention. In most cases, proprietors are reluctant to sign a lease agreement with us because of the fear that incidents such as that which occurred on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 (will occur),” the group said in reference to an incident in New Kingston in which rowdy gays set fire to and blocked a section of Lady Musgrave Road during one of their regular internal feuds.

Last year in a Sunday Observer undercover report, several homosexuals who had been cast out of their homes and communities and were living on the streets of Kingston, including some with the dreaded HIV virus, were banned from the Kingston premises of these two prominent advocacy groups for bad behaviour.

These males, some of whom are commercial sex workers, complained that they no longer had the full support of advocates J-FLAG nor JASL, charging that they had left them defenceless against attacks from hostile ‘homophobes’ and even police officers bent on getting them off the streets.