THE Mandeville Police were called to restore order at the funeral service for slain Manchester businessman Kirk Wayne Lester on Sunday as residents, upset by the style of dress of some mourners who they accused of being homosexuals, smashed windows and rained stones and bottles on the True Vine Fellowship Church where the service was being held.

According to the police, residents became enraged at the sight of some mourners, who they say were crossdressed in wigs and other female garments and cosmetics.

“Man a wear female wigs, man wearing lipstick, nail polish, tight pants, and shirts weh look like blouse ..” an upset church-goer said yesterday.

Ironically, the attack on the church happened on Victory Sunday – the day Christians all over the world celebrate Christ’s resurrection. But instead of the Holy Spirit, it was bottles, stones and expletives which “came down” on the funeral service.

Mourners were forced to run for cover while others began (rebuking) speaking in tongues during the disturbance.

Yesterday, Sergeant Rovan Salmon, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) liaison officer for the parish, confirmed the incident, saying the police restored order and allowed the service to continue.

“We were on the scene within three minutes after the call was received,” Salmon told the Observer. “We gathered from individuals at the church that the cause of the disturbance was that some residents were upset by the mode of dress of some of the persons attending the funeral.”

Salmon said the church was apparently targeted because the funeral service was being held there. He urged residents to be more tolerant of other persons’ way of life, whether it may be “perceived or real”.

Meanwhile, the irate church-goer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some regular members quivered in fear during the disturbance.

“It is obviously a homosexual thing. But forgiveness is the Lord’s and not mine. So while I can’t stand dem, I just leave dem,” the church-goer said.

Sunday’s incident came only days after the beating of three alleged homosexuals at the Montego Bay Nite Out Carnival along the popular Gloucester Avenue Hip Strip. The men drew the ire of the mass gathering when they took to the stage shortly after midnight and proceeded to gyrate on each other.

Only two months prior, the Half-Way-Tree police were called to rescue three men, who were branded as homosexuals, from an angry mob in Tropical Plaza. The men were allegedly seen behaving in an effeminate manner and incurred the crowd’s wrath when one of them doused a woman with liquid. The police had to use tear-gas to disperse the crowd so the men could be taken to safety.

Sections of Jamaica’s popular culture have expressed intolerance of homosexuals, forcing many to operate underground. Intolerance appears to be more severe against men than women.

While none of the participants in Sunday’s disturbance was held, the matter is still being investigated by the police.

“The police are still investigating a criminal matter,” said Sergeant Salmon. “There was damage to the church’s property, so we are asking for assistance form anyone who saw what happened to come forward.”

Lester, originally from St Ann, but who lived in Manchester for several years, operated a business on Ward Avenue in Mandeville. He was interred at the Oaklawn Memorial Gardens.