TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Corbin  is an openly gay man from Kingston.

He is a victim of discrimination, discrimination he says is widespread and rampant, and which he has had to cope with all his life.

But he’s intent on championing his cause for an end to discrimination, gaining confidence from the support gay rights groups have received today, International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

The tall, introverted young man said we was fortunate enough to not have been exposed to violence because of his sexuality, but the torture of not being able to be his true self was “horrendous”.

“There was a time my best friend and I were seeking to rent a place together since it is cheaper for two persons to share utility bills. The lady refused to take our information because she was adamant that we needed it for more than renting as we were a homosexual couple. It is just disheartening how we jump to conclusions as a people, and have such myopic views about gay people,” he said.

Corbin said growing up he was teased — his peers called him ‘Sharon’ and other female names and he was referred to as his mother’s ‘big daughter’.

“I was seen as different from boys my age and despite my efforts on my 10th birthday in the fourth grade to ‘man up’ and appear more masculine, I was in a world by myself,” he said. About that time, Corbin, whose name has been changed for this feature, realised he had an impulsive sexual attraction to boys. But he was taught that this was wrong.

He said he was an ardent churchgoer who believed in the Bible, the teachings of Christ and the church, and as such his unending aspirations for “worldly things” made him feel even more guilty.

“I had nowhere to go but church which was hardly a place of refuge given my situation. I had no one to turn to either,” he said.

Corbin said his confusion and shame affected him socially and academically. He began to try to fit in within the homophobic culture by bashing other gay persons.

“I am very saddened by my subscription to this expectation, but the truth is most young people my age are guilty of this. It’s an almost innate thing for you to do as a homosexual or questioning young man,” Corbin said.

He said denial worked to an extent, so much so that when he finally ‘came out’ while attending university, people were surprised.

However, his challenges with discrimination never ended.

“I remember one evening about three male friends and I went to a restaurant in Liguanea. We were hungry and decided to meet up. The waiter (a male) refused to serve us because he ‘nah serve no fish’. This was about 2008 and my first contact with expressed homophobia. I was livid. We got up and left and one of my friends spoke to the manager who said he would deal with the issue,” Corbin said.  

It was after this that he began to fight discrimination, arguing that it is in this sort of environment that allows diseases such as HIV/AIDS to spread, as gays are afraid to go to health care centres and pharmacies to purchase products to protect themselves.

He said he began to read on issues surrounding human rights and homosexuality, asking people questions and filling the gaps. He later went on to study human rights at the post-graduate level, “because I thought I needed a broad understanding around the theories of rights and processes of change”.

However, even without the academic qualifications, Corbin insists he would have still chosen this field in which to work.

“My aim is to ensure Jamaica is a place I can live in, that my friends, family and everyone can feel secure here regardless of their sexual orientation. I also want to know that people (heterosexuals) can feel safe and are encouraged to love the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender persons around them.

“The problem is that far too many governments have not taken important steps to remove punitive laws, such as the buggery law, which continue to create an enabling context for human rights abuses. The absence of this has been tremendous,” he said.

Corbin said the laws criminalising same sex intimacy fuels counterproductive behaviour.

“After 30 years, the stigma and discrimination continues to hinder prevention efforts by increasing the vulnerability of people living with and affected by these diseases. Gay and bisexual persons are at high risks of HIV transmission,” he added.

He says his contribution, through academic research and his professional work, is a critical component to create a sense of freedom within the gay community.

“I wish to dig deeper in the issues about sexuality… and the law and how they impact on human social and economic development to explore potential opportunities… for the necessary changes,” he said.

Corbin said he yearns for Jamaica to come to a place of social development where people are treated with dignity without any reservation or distinction because of a different sexual orientation.