Policing Violent Homophobia in the Caribbean and the British Caribbean Diaspora

Abstract

This essay examines how premodern representations of Jamaicans at home and their descendants in Britain are interwoven and have contributed to new postmodern images. These images around violent homophobia have been crucial in the promotion of the western international queer agenda abroad, and British gay activists' goals at home in the context of discussions around hate crime and dancehall music. The British police occupy a central role in this dynamic by enforcing anti-racist and anti-homophobic legislation and addressing issues associated with contemporary identities. The essay demonstrates that contrary to postmodern assumptions essentialist representations are critical in understanding British and western perceptions of Jamaicans and their descendants in the diaspora and how the police respond in important instances. It shows how claims of Jamaican homophobia and racism intersect, creating important challenges for the contemporary police, and raises questions about hate crime theory which are brought to the fore in the international controversy around Jamaican dancehall music.