Transgender teen brutally killed in Jamaica
A sign outside a Thai nightclub reads “NO ENTRY: transgenders, queers or bar girls. Only those with good manners may enter.” Despite Thailand’s reputation for broad acceptance of transgenders, discrimination is common in both society and the job market.
Anti-gay violence in Jamaica is in the spotlight after a transgender 16-year-old was brutally killed.
Dwayne Jones was beaten, stabbed and run over in Montego Bay several weeks ago after the teen attended a "straight only" party.
His friends witnessed the attack and were also beaten but escaped.
Jones had been kicked out of his home in a Jamaican slum by age 14. He had apparently been living in a derelict house since then.
Jamaica is said to be one of the most hostile countries towards the LGBT community in the Western hemisphere.
Human Rights Watch said in 2006 that the situation in Jamaica for such groups was "the worst any of us has ever seen."
Homophobia is believed to be widespread in the country and the killing has sparked calls for more security for the gay and transgender community.
It is believed that Jamaica's 150-year-old sodomy law ensures that Jamaica's LGBT people remain hidden in the shadows for fear for their lives.