Gay Weddings

Safety in Jamaica (same sex couples)?

I already posted this in the honeymoon area but I may get more feedback here (I didn't know this board existed).  
I am having a Destination Wedding in Jamaica.  When booking our wedding, we asked about same-sex couples (one of our guests is openly gay and bringing her girlfriend) and the travel agent said that it would be fine and although our resort is meant for boy/girl couples only, she knows ways around it.  With that being said, we thought it would be great and that we were in the clear.  Guests that plan on attending the wedding are obviously going to look into any concerns they may have by looking them up on the internet before making up their mind.... which leads to my predicament-- Apparently Jamaica isn't gay-friendly??  Now my guest is all freaked out and debating whether or not to even come to the wedding!  She's scared to death!  After she brought this to my attention I googled it as well (but you can't rely on google for everything) and I read mixed reviews.  A lot of them said that if you stay on the resort it will be fine, but this guest is not the stay-on-the-resort type and I want her and her girlfriend to be able to relax and enjoy themselves as well.  Does anyone have any first-hand experiences or know of a close friend that does??  Good & bad are both appreciated so I can help sway her decision of whether or not it would actually be safe.
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Re: Safety in Jamaica (same sex couples)?

  • 2dBride2dBride member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I don't have any direct experience--if only because I would not travel to Jamaica myself.  The anti-gay sentiment is just too well known.  Yes, she'd probably be safe if she never left the resort, but that's about all that could be said.
  • Vonday98Vonday98 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    that country is so homophobic that one of my good friends who is Jamaican, gay and who still has family on the island, decided to skip her own family reunion because she didn't want to put her wife and her immidiate family in any kind of danger because of their anti-gay sentiments over there.  they are ridiculously homophobic and it's not worth the risk factor involved.  we say "google" things all the time, but I promise you, if you google Jamaica and its stance on gay people, you will find plenty of articles that will make a case for your friend to stay away from there.  beautiful island, but not worth risking your safety and peace of mind for.
  • SSaltzman87SSaltzman87 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011

    I've heard nothing but horrible stories about Jamaica being extremely homophobic. I wouldn't blame your friend for not coming because the risk of she and her partner being in harms way is so unbelievably great. 

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  • K&J64K&J64 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I echo what the other posters have said. I have no direct experience myself because it's pretty well known that Jamaica is not at all gay friendly, so I will never travel to there. Even on the resort, while she would be physically safe, she may get treated differently by the resort staff than you other guest. That subtle homophobia is sometimes just as bad as the blatant kind.

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  • edited December 2011
    I went to Jamaica on a vacation with my partner and we stayed on the resort except for one day when we went out to Dunns waterfall (?) and a touristy little market place. We aren't big into PDA and never had any issues on or off the resort. 
  • edited December 2011
    1st off, I commend you for being concerned with your friend's safety. I would have to also say I think it's best if she just stays on the resort, just to be on the safe side. Good luck and have a beautiful wedding.
    Wife-n-Wife 8/13/11
  • edited December 2011
    Thank you for all of the feedback.  It was extremely helpful and much appreciated!
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  • kristenrmu22kristenrmu22 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I believe it was ranked on of the Top Homophobic countries in the world. 
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