Respondents reported they believe gay and lesbian individuals can be converted.
In 2015, the Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG) commissioned a survey about Issues Related to Same Sex Relationships.
Conducted between June and July by Market Research Services, the findings show an increase of 14 percent from a 2012 survey of Jamaicans who reportedly “hate or reject” homosexual relationships.
In 2012, around 46 percent of the Jamaican public said they disapproved but this new survey now shows that 61 percent of the public shares this viewpoint.
The majority of respondents did report that they believed the gay and lesbian community could be “converted to heterosexuals.” Most politicians and employers surveyed also said they believed the Bible was important in the conversion process.
Chairman of the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society Dr. Wayne West, said he was not shocked by the findings and said people “are becoming more and more aware that what we are contending with is not simply what people do in their private lives. This is a political movement. It has implications for public organization and public order.”
He also noted that the more people hear about “public consequences” the more they will reject homosexuality.
However, the executive director of JFLAG, Dane Lewis, believes these results “show the tremendous amount of work we need to do to engender a society where everyone can feel safe and know that the laws will secure justice for them if their rights have been infringed.”