LGBT: An Abominable Crime

An Abominable Crime: Anti-Gay Violence in Jamaica is a project by Common Good Productions.

What is AN ABOMINABLE CRIME about?   

AN ABOMINABLE CRIME is a documentary that explores the culture of homophobia in Jamaica through the eyes of two gay Jamaicans who are forced to chose between their homeland and their lives -- after their sexual orientations are exposed...

This film tells the stories of…  

Simone Edwards, a young lesbian who survives being shot down outside of her home by anti-gay gunmen and must choose between living in hiding with her daughter in Jamaica or traveling alone to seek safety and asylum abroad. Maurice Tomlinson, a human rights activist and lawyer, who experienced an avalanche of death threats when his marriage to a Canadian man is revealed by a Jamaican Newspaper. Does he dare to return to Jamaica to continue his activism?

Why make a documentary about gay Jamaicans? 

Homophobia is a human rights problem, and the struggle for equal treatment of LBGT people is a global human rights issue. 

In Jamaica being gay is a crime, homophobia is the status quo, and violence against the LGBT community is widely approved and accepted. HIV now infects nearly a third of the gay male community, who must live in the shadows or risk their lives. 

Since filming began in 2009, five characters in AN ABOMINABLE CRIME have fled Jamaica after dealing with gunfire, mob violence, and death threats. Today, people like Simone and Maurice must choose between their lives and their homeland -- exile or death. These stories are well worth telling because the impacts of Jamaican homophobia stretch far beyond the Caribbean as refugees like Simone and Maurice seek asylum and safety in the US, Canada, and Europe. 

AN ABOMINABLE CRIME is not just a film about homophobia and violence, it also demonstrates in a deeply personal and intimate manner how courage and love can transcend violence and fear.

You can pledge as little as $1 (less than 0.65p) to help this film be finished and distributed. It's an incredible cause. It's easy to forget that while we live in such a free society here in the UK, and many other countries around the world, there are LGBT people around the world struggling to survive making it to tomorrow. 

Visit the KICKSTARTER page to read more, and MAKE YOUR PLEDGE.